Riven - Jerry B. Jenkins [143]
“I’m just so excited,” she said. “This is going to be too cool for words! My dad’s going to flip out!”
“Yeah, about that. I’ll do whatever you want me to, but remember, I haven’t seen him since I was in high school, and I don’t think I made a good impression.”
“You think I want you to make a good impression now? C’mon, Brady. You couldn’t impress him without an Ivy League degree and hiring potential. Short of that, he’ll never accept you anyway.”
“Wow.”
“Wow what? Welcome to my world, big boy.”
“Don’t you think it’s kind of important I get off on the right foot with him?”
“Why?”
“Because I expect to be seeing a lot more of you.”
“He’s not even impressed with me, Brady. Why would he be impressed with you? Even if you had a résumé, he’d be suspicious just because I chose you.”
“Have you chosen me?”
“We gonna do this thing or not?”
“Sure. But after I’ve done it, can I at least try to get him to see me in a good light? I mean, things are looking up for me right now. You don’t think he’d be interested to hear how I’m trying to turn my life around?”
“You can kiss up to him all you want after you turn this bike around a couple of times in the street in front of our house. Can you do that, revving it as loud as you can?”
“You’re sure that’s what you want?”
“Did I stutter?”
“No ma’am. One bust for disturbing the peace, coming up.”
Brady fired up the Harley and gunned the engine before engaging the gears.
“Yeah!” she shouted. “That’s what I’m talking about!”
The front tire rose an inch from the ground as he took off, making Katie squeal. “Go, Brady, go!” She pointed to each turn, and when they finally rounded a corner that led to a cul-de-sac, Brady was glad to see he could make a quick escape if necessary.
“It’s the big one in the center,” she said.
The big one? The houses were all monstrosities. He’d seen smaller hotels. The house in question was three stories and had a four-car garage and what looked like a half-acre yard.
“His office is on the lower level. That’s him staring out the window.”
“What does a place like that cost?”
“Later! Go! Go! Go!”
Brady had not liked where the conversation had gone, but there was nothing he wouldn’t do for his love. He slipped into neutral, topped out the RPMs, then let the engine settle before dropping it into gear again. He raced up the street, slowed just enough to make the wide circle around the cul-de-sac, and kept the noise at peak decibels.
“Again!” she screamed, and he kept going, afraid to peek at the face peering out. “Faster!”
He thought he was leaning into the circle as far as he could, but what Katie wanted, Katie got. Brady took the next swing faster (and of course louder), but he had been right. No matter how far they leaned, the bike was just an oversize gyroscope with centrifugal force that would not be tamed, and this time it drifted up the curb and onto the Norths’ lawn.
“Perfect! Again, but this time, leave a mark!”
“No!”
“For me! I’ll make you glad you did!”
Brady stole a glance at the window, and it was empty. As he made the circle again, a touch faster, the front door burst open and here came Jordan North in his stocking feet. Ashen-faced with fury in his eyes, the man hesitated on the porch as the Harley reached the expansive lawn again.
Brady slowed enough to let the bike lean, then rammed the throttle, making the back tire sink into the sod and dig its way out, throwing grass and dirt all over the house.
“Katie!” her father screamed. “What do you two think you’re doing?”
Brady motored to the end of the street as Mr. North marched up and down the porch, looking as if he wanted to explode, while at the same time apparently hoping against hope that none of his neighbors had seen this.
“Time to meet Daddy,” Katie said.
“I’m not going back there.”
“Oh yes you are. This is the payoff, darlin’. If I don’t get to see the full reaction, this has been a waste.”
Brady had been less