The closer they got to South Dakota, the more bikes they shared the road with. It was as if at this time in mid-August, the four wheeled vehicles just bowed out and made way. It was like they knew they'd just be pushed to the side. The road in front of them was an endless column of bikes and semi-trucks and the whole world seemed to growl with the roar of V-Twins.

Erica had backed off for a while, letting Tanya lead their little trio as they shot north up I-25. Ashley pulled up next to her and pointed to a nearby exit. Apparently it was time to stop. Nodding her assent, Erica flashed her headlight at Tanya. The brunette slowed down and got over to see what the trouble was.

"Ashley wants to stop!" Erica yelled over the screaming wind. Tanya tipped down her sunglasses and glanced back at their youngest member. Ashley pointed again and merged onto the exit ramp. The two seasoned riders shrugged and got over with her.

"Where are we?" Ashley called to them as they hit their first red light off the freeway. Erica glanced around and shrugged.

"My guess is we're somewhere in Colorado. I don't remember passing out of it." Tanya offered.

"Let's pull in over there and check the map." Erica said as the light turned green and gunned her engine, easing in front of her friends before signaling and pulling into a truck stop that was up on their right.

"Ooh food!" Tanya and Erica glanced back to their excited third member and laughed. Ashley was halfway to the diner entrance before either of them had even made it off their bikes.

By the time they had gotten inside, Ashley was sitting at a table near the windows with three drinks and three menus. There was a guy there with her. Tanya raised an eyebrow to Erica then glanced back at him.

There wasn't anything outwardly menacing about him. In fact, he wasn't scary in the slightest. He looked to be near Ashley's age and his sandy medium length hair looked road worn. He was leaning over the booth talking to her in some old leathers that appeared to have seen a trip or two but both women were cautious.

"Ashley…" Erica said as they stepped up.

"Who's your friend?" At the sound of Tanya's voice, he looked up at them with brown eyes smiling.

"Hi, I'm Jessie." He held out his hand as he smiled a greeting. Erica frowned but clasped his forearm, shaking it.

"Whoa, I've never seen anyone do that except in old Viking movies." He laughed as if to make a joke out of his nervousness. Tanya shrugged and slid into the booth next to Ashley.

"Do you know why the Vikings shook hands like that Jess?"

"I figured it was some sort of warrior's salute." He said standing up straight and glancing back to his own table. For all the world, he looked like he was about to bolt.

"Actually, they shook hands that way because they didn't trust anyone, not even their own clansmen. They grabbed the forearm to make sure there were no hidden weapons." Jessie locked brown eyes to brown eyes with Erica and understood her meaning.

"Oh, No! I just saw a beautiful woman and I'd never have forgiven myself if I didn't at least say hello." He was taking a hesitant step back as he said it.

"He just came over to see if we were going to Sturgis." Ashley smiled as she spoke and glanced appreciatively at Jessie. Erica shook her head and chuckled but she couldn't deny that he was a good looking kid. He even had the million dollar smile but it didn't quite seem to reach all the way to his eyes. She'd seen that look before, she and Tanya both had more times than they could count over the years and Erica didn't like it, not at all. Judging by the expression in Tanya's blue-eyed gaze, she didn't like it either.

"Alright then Jess, why don't you sit down?" The redhead already knew what his answer would be.

"Oh no, I couldn't. Besides, I've got some people waiting for me." He was the pinnacle of politeness as he gestured over his shoulder at the other table. There were two people watching them. Erica flicked her eyes to Tanya and then to both of them. Tanya gave a minute nod of understanding and leaned back in the booth, shifting slightly until she was facing the kid and had a decent view of his friends.

"I guess we'll see you in Sturgis then." The redhead said and held her hand out to him again. Jessie reached for it then stopped and clasped her forearm the way she'd shaken his hand. Suddenly, his face paled. Erica smiled.

"Um…yeah, I'll see you ladies around." He tried to pull away but Erica didn't let go. "Hey, what's the deal?" The redhead didn't say a word; she just yanked his arm until he fell into her and reached inside his jacket.
"Wow, that's a nice bag you're carrying. It doesn't quite go with your outfit though." She grinned retrieving a teal blue satin purse with an embroidered butterfly on it and dangling it by its drawstring.

"Hey! That's mine!" Ashley screamed. Erica tossed it to her.

"Make sure everything's in it." Jessie glared at the redhead as she spoke.

"It's all here."

"Oh good, then Jessie-poo can go back to his friends now." She said as she let go of his arm. He shook his head anxiously and backed away. He didn't glance toward his table until he ran into a waitress and was forced to.

"How the hell did he get a hold of that?" Ashley muttered as Erica sat down across from her.

"Did you leave it on the table?" Ashley nodded reluctantly as Tanya spoke.

"How'd you guys know he had it?"

Tanya put a hand up theatrically as Erica began to answer. "He was shoving something into his pocket when we walked in. We always tell you to keep your stuff close and you always leave it on the table. I looked down, noticed your little baggie wasn't there and tada…" Ashley's face turned a bright red and she hunkered down lower in her seat.

"Guess I'd better pay more attention." She giggled, brightening as if half their money hadn't just almost been stolen.

"Enough about that…" Tanya muttered reaching into her vest pocket and unfolding a ratty, well-used map in front of her friends. "So here we are…" She slapped the end of her butter knife down on a little red dot in the middle of a bigger green line. "Where we need to be is…here." She stabbed another red dot a little ways away.

"So we're in Longmont?" Ashley asked still staring at the original red dot.

"Somewhere near it, I'm guessing." The taller redhead said stretching out long ways in booth so just her boots hung out into the aisle.

"So that's roughly four hundred miles…" Tanya glanced down at her watch. "…and it's now three in the afternoon…So if traffic is good we should be in Sturgis roughly by ten-ish."

"Then let's go!" Erica said standing and tossing a ten down on the table.

"What about food?" Ashley moped.

"We can eat when we get there. You still have candy bars." At that sentiment, Ashley brightened and taking a last long drink from her soda, pushed Tanya out of the booth.

"Alright, let's go."

The three women turned at once and made for the door. Ashley looked back over her shoulder to see a dejected Jessie, hunched over his table and picking at a plate as he watched her leave. The auburn haired woman lifted her arm as if to wave goodbye and he lifted his head brightening a bit. Just as he made eye contact, Ashley flipped her hand and gave him a very choice finger, laughing as she slid through the glass door.

She was still laughing as they mounted up, and her two friends couldn't help but laugh with her. With a brief glance at her two partners, Erica kicked over her engine and roared out onto the street, heading for the onramp that would take them out of Colorado and closer to the only place two of the women had ever called home.