Recently a group of friends and I have been raising money for a local children’s charity. We started off with a coffee and cake morning and everyone put a few pounds in the pot, then we did a jumble sale in the village hall, and after that a sponsored walk up in the Brecon Beacons. The walk was beautiful, I had an amazing day, and although shattered at the end I felt full of goodness and very much deserving of a glass of wine and some delicious pub grub!
But now I have an issue! Some bright spark in the group has suggested a parachute jump as our next venture. Parachute Jump! As soon as the words were uttered I went clammy, my head spun and my heart rate shot up. I think my response went something like this “why the hell would anyone jump out of a fully functioning plane with an awake and competent pilot?” “It’s fun,” they said, “go for it”.
I’m afraid my answer has to be no. Hell no! I’d die of fright! I’ll sponser them all to do their ‘strap on’ jump (I’m sure that’s not the correct term for being attached to a professional when performing this crazy feat but I like it!), and I’ll be there to encourage them on and serve them sweet tea and mars bars when they land, but I’m afraid my feet are staying firmly on the ground. This is where I draw the line.
It’s the height that bothers me, well that and hitting the earth at a few hundred miles an hour and dying a horrible splattering death. But it isn’t because I’m not brave, I am quite a daredevil at some things. I’ve been white water rafting, I’ll get on pretty much any horse and go for a gallop and I adore skiing. What all of these things have in common is speed without the extreme height. Speed I love. Speed pushes my buttons and yanks my chain.
Going back a few years now a good friend of mine bought a new motorbike, a Kawasaki Ninja and oh my god I love it! Big time! It’s the leery colour, the sleek shape, and the beautiful noise it makes when he revs the engine. And yes, I did get a go on it when he brought it out of the showroom (though Mr H frowned!) and I had a wild and wicked time.
I clung onto my friend, tucked my head down and reveled in the acceleration that tugged my stomach and made my whole body tense. I adored the way he took the corners, tipping right down (I’m sure it felt like more than it was) and the thrill of having the floor move so fast, so close right next to me was awesome. Phew, just the memory is exciting.
I only got that one go. Mr H was worried and I can’t blame him. It felt dangerous because it was. But my friend was and still is a great rider and has had a fabulous time touring the UK on his Ninja with his biker friends.
I guess after the parachute jump I’ll have to think of something that I can join in with to raise some cash that won’t have me running for the hills. Something fast and fun, perhaps mountain biking, it’s good for that around here, or sand surfing or maybe something horse orientated which suits me very well. Of course it would be fun to do a sponsored Ninja ride from Land’s End to John O’Groats , but I don’t think I’ll be able to swing that one!
Thanks for reading.
Lily x
Lily Harlem’s new bad ass biker story, Burning Rubber is out now and is available from Totally Bound and all other good ebook retailers.
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Blurb
When trouble rides into town, what girl can resist the ultimate bad boy?
Handling men isn’t an issue for me. I’m not a girly girl and my best friends are the machines I spend my days fixing, tweaking and servicing. So when the Wild Angels roll onto my forecourt and need my help, I’m happy to be of assistance.
But I’ve always been a magnet for trouble and when the leader of the pack, Gid, questions my ability, I can’t help the sassy backchat. Seems it doesn’t bother him too much and before I know it, I’m climbing onto his beast and hanging on for the ride.
Bad ass guys like him don’t come without baggage, though, and it seems he wants to get rid of mine. Who am I to complain when it means revenge is hot, his body is hotter and we leave a trail of burning rubber as we head into the sunset? Biker girl, me? I guess it’s in the blood.
Reader Advisory: This book contains a scene involving mild breath play.
Publisher’s Note: This story has been previously released as part of the Wild Angels anthology by Totally Bound Publishing.
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