The tall red head pulled into a nearly vacant lot, and killed her engine, then waited for the other two to follow in suit.
"Well this place looks better than the shit hole we stayed in last night." Tanya mused hopping off her bike.
Erica smiled and led the three into the lobby. There was a scrawny blond sitting behind the desk reading a magazine.
"Excuse me." Erica said grabbing her attention.
"Oh uh didn't see you standing there." She squeaked in her twangy accent.
Erica took a deep breath and cleared her throat. "We need a room for the night with two beds and a cot." Erica she said flatly.
"Oh well you got a credit card or a suitable way to pay cause we don't take checks from your type." She said in all knowing attitude.
"Look we have cash, and what exactly is OUR type if you don't mind me asking." Erica said her voice thick with anger.
"Oh umm I didn't mean anything by it…" She stuttered.
Erica rolled her eyes and pulled out a wad of cash. "How much is the room?"
The southern woman looked wide eyed at the cash and plunked at her little computer. "It will be five hundred for the night." She smiled holding out her hand.
Erica scrunched her eyebrows up and looked to Tanya and back to the girl.
"It's Jacinda right?" Tanya asked reaching over the desk and grabbing at her nametag.
"Look I know we must look like some girls you can fuck with, but we are not to be played with." The tiny brunette let out a wicked grin, produced a knife, and stabbed it into the desk. "How bout I give you ten bucks for the night, and you take that attitude of yours and shove it up your ass?" She smiled dropping a crumpled bill on the desk.
The small blond turned around and quickly dropped the key to the room on the desk.
"Umm uh the room is on the second floor…have a good night." The blond stuttered and took a step back when Tanya snatched the key up and retrieved her knife.
"Shall we?" Tanya giggled shaking the key at Ashley who was lagging behind them as they walked toward a rickety beat down set of stairs.
"That was brutal." Ashley meekly said looking back to the still shaken desk clerk.
"She's a money grubber; she had to be put in her place." Tanya giggled leading the way down the hall to there room. "Ah this is it, it better be worth the ten dollars we paid for it." Tanya chuckled.
Erica followed Tanya through the door. "You coming?" The red head asked peeking her head out the door. The shorter woman shrugged and walked through the open door. Tanya was sprawled out on a bed humming absently to her self.
"Take a load off." Erica smiled pointing to the empty cot.
Ashley shrugged pulling her long auburn hair into a ponytail. "How long have you guys been at this?" She asked meekly accepting her seat.
"What do you mean? Hustling poor chumps on the road?" Erica smirked raising her eyebrow.
"I mean everything, biking, living on the road, everything." The shorter woman asked trying not to sound too eager.
Erica lit a cigarette and settled back into her headboard. "Well I've been biking since I was fifteen. That makes nine years. My dad taught me how to ride, how to shoot pool, and how to drink." She paused to take a long drag off her cigarette.
"My dad passed when I was sixteen and left me my bike. My mom tried to stop me from riding, I took off that year and have been on the road ever since." She explained putting out her smoke in a cup that she used as and ashtray.
"Tanya on the other hand, was born into this life." Erica smiled looking at Tanya who perked up when she heard her name.
"How so?" Ashley asked raising an eyebrow.
"I was born on one of my mom and dads many trips to Sturgis." She beamed. "My dad used to kid saying it was my fault they were late that year." She laughed. "That was my first time to Sturgis." She smiled.
"…So how did you end up on the road though?" Ashley asked leaning in closer to Tanya as she spoke.
"When I was growing up my dad used to tell me all these amazing stories about his life on the road, like hustling people on the road for money or food. He was amazing at pool and cards, but that was nothing compared to how he played darts."
Tanya paused stealing a cigarette from Erica's open pack. "When he met my mom he was hustling her boyfriend at pool, taking him for all he was worth. She got pissed when her boy friend lost so she challenged him to a game of darts to try and win some of that money back. Well that was the first and only game he ever lost in his life, and he says that he was so moved by her ability, that he knew at that moment that she was the only one for him." Tanya giggled.
"What happened to the boyfriend?" Ashley asked eagerly drawn into her story.
"Hell if I know. I'd imagine not good being that my dad kissed his woman." Tanya chuckled putting her cigarette out into the same cup Erica was using. "When I turned seventeen my dad handed me the keys to my baby, and told me the only way I was going to get life experience was on the road. So here I am, getting life experience." She busted out laughing.
"Wow…your lives are so interesting." Ashley sat back in aw.
"Not so fast Shorty, you know our life stories, how bout yours?" Erica said raising an eyebrow.
"My life's not as interesting." She relented.
"Well let's here it, I don't ride with strangers." Tanya said matter-of-factly. "Okay…well I lived with my boyfriend for two years. He was the one who taught me to ride. Then I ended up here." She said quickly avoiding any details.
Tanya gave Erica an awkward look then looked back to her. "…So you just ended up here. Where did you get your bike, where is the boyfriend?" The small brunette asked.
Ashley looked down and sighed heavily. "After our five year relationship I walked in and he was in bed with what I thought to be my best friend." She looked away.
"Did you rip his balls off?" Erica raised an eyebrow.
"No. I took his beloved bike, he didn't deserve it." She let out a small grin.
"You stole it?" Tanya beamed suddenly very interested in her story.
"Hell I spent my collage tuition to buy him this bike as a surprise, and the only time the bastard would let me ride it was in his presence. I was merely taking what was mine." She laughed out right.
"I think you may have just earned my respect." Tanya laughed.
"…So what are you doing now just riding?" Erica asked.
"Well I'm kinda like Tanya that I'm getting life experience, I'm just roaming trying to find me." She said.
"Where did you learn to play pool?"
"Here and there, random one night encounters, I just kinda picked it up along the way." She said non-committed. "That's not really my thing; I can beat anyone at any card game out there." Erica raised an unenthused eyebrow.
"Oh really." She said in a sarcastic tone.
"Yep I've been playing since I was five my grandpa used me to win money from all his poker friends." She retorted in a giddy tone.
"What time is it?" Tanya asked changing the subject and stealing another smoke from Erica.
"It's ten o'clock, and if you steal another smoke I'm going to punch you." The tall red head growled putting her smokes in her pocket.
"Fine!" Tanya giggled. "I'm bored, I'm gonna go see if there's a bar around here." She said standing up. "You guys wanna come?"
"Sure I'm game." Erica said. "What about you kid?" Erica asked.
"Why not, beats staring at the walls." She chuckled whole-heartedly and followed the other two down the hallway. "Do you think that snot at the desk is going to call the cops on you?" Ashley asked catching up with them.
"Not if she values her life." Tanya laughed leading the way down the stairs. Tanya stopped just short of the desk where Jacinda was sitting pinned to her chair.
"Don't worry I come in peace." The tiny brunette smiled taking a step closer to the desk. "You wouldn't happen to know if there are any half decent bars around here would you?" She asked holding back the urge to laugh at the frightened desk clerk.
"Um not to my recollection, but there's gotta be one out there." She said through a false smile.
"Alright… Then we'll just drive till we find one." Tanya said following the other two to the parking lot.
"Wow, I just wanna hit her really hard; her voice is like nails on a chalk board." Tanya groaned swinging a leg over her bike.
The other two laughed as Tanya kicked over her bike and pulled out ahead of them.
The three rode for an hour before they spotted a small bar on the side of the road. Tanya pulled into the small parking lot and killed her engine and waited for the other two to pull in. Tanya looked around at the stretch of bikes lined up outside the building and nodded.
"I like this place already." She smiled and made her way through the door leaving the others behind. Tanya made her way to the bar quickly and bought three beers for her and her friends.
"There you are slow pokes." Tanya teased handing over a beer to each.
"Hey look a cigarette machine Tanya." Erica smiled pointing at it.
"Alright, alright, point taken." Tanya laughed and made her way to the small vending machine.
"Hey beautiful." Tanya rolled her eyes at the sound of the voice behind her.
"Hey…You." Tanya let out a false smile as she turned to see the very over weight balding man standing behind her.
"…So you here alone?" He continued.
Tanya sized up the man and decided he wasn't worth anything. "Actually no, I'm here with…" Tanya paused for a second and looked around the room and randomly pointed at the largest man in the room. "Him." She smiled spotting a large man sitting alone in the back.
"Him?" The guy questioned taking a step toward her.
"Yeah him." She said stepping away.
"Oh, and his name would be?" He said stepping too close to Tanya for her comfort.
Tanya fumbled through her pocket searching for her knife when she heard an unfamiliar voice come to her aid. "Is he bothering you?" Tanya turned to respond and noticed that it was the guy she had pointed to.
"Um… yeah…No… He's just a jerk." She said quickly and walked away.
"What the hell was all that?" Erica asked noticing Tanya's bright face.
"Me embarrassing the fuck out of myself." She giggled taking a pool stick off the wall.
"Don't look now here comes that guy." Erica smiled.
Tanya paused and watched as he walked over and took a stool four down from Erica and Ashley and faced the bar. Tanya looked at Erica and shrugged walking over to the table and racking the balls on the table.
"How bout a game short stop." A slender dark haired man asked leaning against the table.
Tanya looked to Erica and let out a devious grin. "Okay, but I'm no good at this game." She smiled coyly.
"It's alright I'll go easy on you." He smiled chalking up his stick. "Go ahead and break." He said conceitedly.
"If you insist." Tanya said in her best attempt to sound helpless. The man winked and waved for her to take her shot.
Tanya took her jacket off and draped it over the chair next to Erica, and walked over to the table. "Here goes nothing." She smiled leaning over the table and taking her first shot. "Your turn." She smiled offering him her stick.
"That's alright hun I have one of my own." He winked and took his shot. He nailed the cue ball and it sent the yellow ball sailing into the pocket.
"Looks like I'm solids. That means that your stripes, sweetie." He smiled and leaned down to take his next shot.
Tanya rolled her eyes and cocked an eyebrow up to Erica, then turned her full attention back to the game in front of her. The tall man cracked the cue again and scratched. Tanya squeaked and retrieved the ball from the pocket.
"My turn." She beamed. Tanya leaned down and aimed the ball up with a clear shot at the purple striped ball and sent it to the pocket it was sitting in front of.
"Ooh, ooh I got one." Tanya giggled jumping up and down. The man grabbed her waist as she leaned down to take another shot. Tanya took in a deep breath and took her next shot and sunk two more balls.
"I did it again!" She squeaked. Tanya turned so she was facing him. He pinned her between himself and the table.
"I've got an idea." She smiled pushing him away with one hand and stepped around the table and took aim at her next shot, deliberately missing.
"Grrr I missed." She pouted.
"What's your idea little one?" He smiled stepping close enough to her so she could smell his breath.
"Just for fun why don't we play for money?" She smiles tucking a lock of blond and black hair behind an ear.
"You'll lose." He said plainly.
"I don't care it's for fun." She giggled watching him sink two more.
"You wanna bet on the rest of this game, I mean you might as well hand the cash over now." He boasted.
Tanya cocked an eyebrow up. "Yeah I wanna bet on this game." She locked eyes with her friend who was still watching every move and smiled coyly. "How much you wanna throw down?" She asked fumbling through the pocket of her jacket.
"I dunno, how much do you wanna give me?" He chuckled loudly to himself.
"Oh I dunno, how bout, a thousand?" She said flatly.
"A thousand?" He raised an eyebrow in disbelief.
"What is that not a suitable amount?" She said reaching in her pocket and producing another wad of money.
"You do realize I'm going to rob you right?" He said leaning against the table.
"I don't care, its just money. We're just having fun." She smiled. "Well if you don't wanna bet…" She paused stuffing the money back in her pocket.
"No, no let's do this, it could be fun." He smiled wickedly as he chalked up his stick.
"Okay, I believe it's still your shot." She smiled setting a wad of bills on the corner of the table.
The man reached into his pocket and produced a similar size pile of bills and set it on the table next to hers. He leaned down and lined up his shot. He cracked the cue ball and sent it barreling down the table, knocking two of her balls in.
"Thank you." she beamed. "You just might win this for me." She giggled. Tanya walked around the table and sized up her shot. She leaned down locking eyes with him and nailed the cue sending another ball into the pocket. She walked over to her jacket and produced a cigarette. "You got a light hun?" She asked smiling up at him.
He fumbled through his pockets and pulled out a lighter.
"Here you go sugar." He winked lighting her it for her.
"Thank you baby." She smiled taking aim and sending her last ball into the pocket. Tanya wandered around the table sizing up her shot. "Here we go, left corner pocket." She giggled and banked the ball off the side sending it to her proper home.
"I guess this means I beat you huh?" She smiled toothily and swiped both the stacks of cash and crammed it into her pocket, then turned and joined her friends at the bar.
"I think you got a little eager there." Erica laughed watching the guy stand slack jawed still unaware of what had just happened.
"That was too easy, he won it for me." She giggled viciously.
"You went right for the kill, a thousand." Erica laughed.
"I think I maybe put down a hundred at most on the table." She laughed amused by herself.
"Okay, okay how bout another game, let me try and win my money back." The lanky guy said regaining his composure.
"Nah I won fair and square." She said matter-of-factly.
"Okay then, how bout a game of darts, double or nothing?" He asked grasping at straws.
"Double or nothing?" She smiled.
"Yeah, double or nothing."
"Alright you got it." She smiled leading him to the dartboards. Tanya reached in her pocket and produced a wad of money and set it on a stool by the dartboards. The man followed in suit emptying his pockets and wallet on the stool. "You first she smiled handing him three darts and taking a seat at a stool behind him.
"So…I'm here with you huh?" A thick Texas accent grabbed her attention from behind.
"I…Um…yeah… I… Uh…" She stuttered. The large man chuckled and shook his head.
"It's alright." He smiled. "The name's Mark." He smiled offering his hand.
"Tanya…" She smiles accepting his hand.
"You're up." He nodded pointing her toward the board.
"Oh yeah." She smiled walking over and accepting her darts. She looked to her friend but noticed she was lost in a trance staring at the large man behind her.
Tanya chuckled and shrugged it off and looked to Ashley who was watching eagerly like a student. Tanya smiled and sent the first dart flying into the triple twenty spot. With out pause she sent the second and third into the same spot.
"Your turn." She smiled handing him the darts and wondering back to the spot where she was sitting.
She chuckled softly to herself at the look on her opponents face.
"How about after you finish hustling this guy, I buy you and your friends a drink?" He smiled.
"Are you hitting on me?" She asked gave him an awkward look.
The large Texan broke out in laughter and shook his head. "Jumpy one aren't you?" he continued. Tanya pouted and wandered over to take her turn again same as before.
"I don't know why you waste all your time aiming." She mused flinging her third dart into the board staring directly at him. The man dropped his head and grabbed the darts. Tanya took her seat again.
"You're cute and all hun but you're not exactly my type." He said before she could speak.
"Good you're not mine either." She snapped.
"Hostile too I see." He laughed.
"If you stop talking right now I'll let you buy me and my friends a drink." She smiled and took her spot in front of the dartboard.
"Why do I even pretend to look?" She laughed out right and turned away from the board. "The trick is to trust yourself." She smiled and sent the darts to the triple twenty. Tanya quickly swiped the money up and shoved it all in her pocket.
"Here take fifty bucks so you don't feel like a total loser." She stuffed the bill in his shirt pocket and wandered to her friend's side.
"Who's that?" Erica let out a huge smile.
"I have no clue but I have all his money." She giggled.
"No, not that loser; the guy you were talking to over there." The tall red head smiled pointing in his direction.
"Oh, I believe his name is Mark. He wants to buy us a drink." She shrugged.
"Well let him." The red head gushed smiling like a goon.
Tanya rolled her eyes and turned in his direction. "Yo…Mark, how bout those drinks?" She yelled waving him over to where she was standing.
"So I get the privilege of buying you drinks eh?" He smiled turning to the bar tender. "Four beers." He called placing some bills on the counter. "So, I'm acquainted with Tanya here, what would your names be?" He asked looking between the other girls.
"I'm Erica, and this is Ashley." Erica said shaking his hand. "Nice to meet you." He smiled.
Tanya looked around and beamed at the sight of a tall blond man walking through the door. "I'll be back I smell a loser." Tanya squeaked before making her way to the entrance.
Mark shook his head and turned his attention to the girls.
"So you wanna try and hustle me." He mocked.
"It's no fun you know our game." Erica relented.
"How bout we just play no cash?" Mark asked raising an eyebrow.
"That's even less fun." Erica chuckled.
"Okay so we'll do it this way, if you win I'll buy you a drink." He smiled taking a step toward the red head.
"…And if you win?" Erica asked looking into his deep green eyes.
"Well I say we play it by ear." He smiled absently putting his hand on hers. "Erica smiled and pulled her hand free.
"It's not fair you get to pick what you get if you win, I should be able to, too." She play-pouted at him.
"Alright, you're on Red." He smiled returning her stare.
Ashley felt the tension of the flirting between the two and decided to excuse her self to find what Tanya was up to. She wandered to the dartboard and found Tanya straddling a stool and blabbering at a tall blond who had his back to her.
"This game sucks." The blond said.
"You just think it sucks because you're no good at it." She giggled.
"Where did you learn to play like that?" He asked pulling up a stool to her.
"If you ask my mom she'll say her, but if you ask my dad he'll say from him. The truth of it is. I picked it up over the years from the both of them." She explained.
"Hey Ashley, why don't you join us?" Tanya squeaked waving her over. Ashley walked over and took the stool next to Tanya. "This is my new friend Adam. Adam, Ashley." Ashley sat silent for a moment not sure of what to say.
Ashley locked eyes with him for a moment drawn into his intense blue eyes.
"So how old are you girls?" He asked finding something to say. "I'm twenty–one and Ashley is…How old are you?" Tanya giggled.
"Twenty." The small red head laughed shaking her head.
"Crap I left my coat by the bar I'll be right back." The pixie girl said hopping up and wandering to the bar. She took a stool and watched as her friend danced around the table taking an occasional shot.
"You do realize I've never lost a game in my life." The tall Texan drawled.
"There's a first for everything." The red head winked taking another shot sending yet another ball into the pocket. The Texan sat back and watched her sink the last ball.
"I won!" She sang. "That means I get what I want." She smiled up at him.
"Well what do I owe you?" He asked raising an eyebrow. She smiled toothily and bit her lip.
"I'll have to think about that." She teased taking a seat next to Tanya. "I mean there are so many things you could give me." She sang playfully. "What do you think Tanya?" She giggled turning to her pint-sized friend.
The short brunette shook her head. "Maybe you should just kiss him and get it over with?" Tanya said flatly giving her friend an evil look.
Erica got wide eyed and looked to the floor. In all the time she spent on the road she'd never seen her friend get like this over any guy. The Texan let a small smile escape.
"Well how bout after my friend Adam gets here we go some where else and grab some food." He said.
"Does your Adam have long blond hair?" Tanya asked.
"…Yeah…" he said raising an eyebrow.
"Yeah I left him by the dart boards with Ash." She smiled wandering off in that direction.
"So about what I owe you." He smirked taking a hold on her hips and pulling her close to him. He leaned close and kissed her softly on her lips.
"You're gonna have to do better than that." She grinned wickedly.
"Let's get out of here." Tanya said snapping Erica out of her revelry. "I found the children can we get out of here now?" Tanya giggled.
"Children…. I'm older than you." Adam chuckled.
"Yeah but I believe I schooled you today." She laughed out right.
Adam shook his head as he followed the group out side.
"Nice ride." Mark smiled as he watched Erica mount her beast. Erica smiled toothily.
"Thank you she's my baby." She chuckled kicking the bike over.
"Where are we going?" Tanya asked pulling her bike out next to the others.
"You'll see." Mark laughed and led them out onto the road.