3

WELCOME TO STURGIS

A large banner is hanging above the road, strapped from one streetlight to another, welcoming everyone to the event.

"I can't believe we're actually here," Elle states excitedly as we arrive. The annual rally hasn't even started but the streets are already packed with rows of bikes and annoying stop-and-go traffic. The biker scene hasn't been my scene since our family was scattered throughout the correctional system. Max tries his best to fit the part but has no supporters. He did try to join a club once but they refused him due to his issues. Elle's booth site is located at the end of town. There, we will park the airstream along with setting up her sales tent.

To save money on renting a cabin, I had the bright idea of sleeping in the small camper. Which, in my opinion, is a great idea. Elle isn't happy with that choice in the slightest. She would much rather rent a room for our stay.

Max also went on about it for over an hour when we grew a few miles closer to our location. I guess I do have a sibling love for the guy but I don't trust him as far as I can toss him. He's insistent that he'll keep watch while me and his sister sleep. I predict his scattered brain to become consumed with all the activity and Elle and I will be forgotten within a day. I refuse to babysit a grown man.

It took twenty minutes of stop-and-go traffic to finally make it to our destination. Surprisingly, the lot is larger than I originally thought. It's equivalent to the size of a two-car driveway with a little room to spare. We have people on both sides of us but I'm not too concerned. Max and I unhitch the camper from the truck and I'm able to park next to it. With plenty of places to eat and a small grocery store for all our food needs, I don't plan on using it again until we leave.

After locking the truck, I stash the keys inside the camper for safekeeping. Though it sleeps up to four people, Elle's shit takes up a lot of the space, making it harder to move around. We wouldn't be unloading anything until the morning when the rally starts.

"Holy fuck, it's hot out here," Elle complains and pulls her shirt away from her chest, trying to create airflow.

"My balls are sticking to my thigh already," Max grumbles.

"Yeah," I say while adjusting my bag.

"Gross! I don't wanna hear about y'all's balls," Elle replies. "Should we set up the tent canopy now or wait?"

I shrug, "We can do whatever you want but I need food."

"I saw a bar grill on our way in," Max states while rubbing his palms together excitedly. His enthusiasm to be around temptation gives me pause. The last thing I need is for him to ruin this for Elle by getting into a fight, resulting in getting us kicked off location.

Elle decides to go ahead and set up the tent now so we wouldn't have to deal with it on full stomachs. The rain and winds at the rally can be unpredictable, hence why I brought several sandbags to hold the tent in place. Unfortunately, I had to unload them from the truck bed alone. As predicted, Max had become distracted by a group of half-dressed ladies walking down the road. He's now creepily stalking them.

Though there are storm clouds in the distance, the summer heat is beating my back while sweat pours into my eyes. I long for a much-needed downpour. Elle is doing her best to help me but the bags are heavy and I'm even tempted to give up. I make my work a lot easier by placing the bags on the tailgate first. I'm used to Texas summer heat but here the elevation and humidity threaten to suffocate me any second. I stop working and take a deep breath. Considering the scene, I rip my shirt off and use it to wipe perspiration from my dripping face.

"Hey, neighbor. Want some help?" a man calls from next to us. I look up and see him approaching. He has to be thirty years my senior but his body is stacked. The white t-shirt he chose to wear is stretched against his muscular arms and chest. Sadly, I can't tell his features through the greying beard, but it is nice and tidy. Not stained or unruly like a lot of bearded men I've seen.

Being polite, I hop down and greet him with a handshake. His skin is rough with calloused palms. "Holden."

He nods, "Name's Mac."

"Good to meet ya."

"Is that a Texas accent I hear," he smiles.

I smirk, "How did you know?"

"Ah, my old MC was there for a long time."

"Really? Which one?"

He scoffs and shakes his head, "Not important. Here, let me help." Before I could refuse, he grabbed three sandbags, tossed them onto his shoulder, and walked away, carrying them toward the tent. I watch his ass for a fraction of a moment, admiring it and scanning up to his muscular back. For a man his age, he's built like a brick house. I carry two bags over and Elle emerges from the camper, sweat-covered, as Mac and I place bags on the feet of the tent together. His masculine oaky scent wafts into my nose with his movements. An unexpected desire awakens inside me.

"Holden, the damn air isn't working," Elle complains in a whiny tone. When she spots our visitor, she smiles and gives me an accusing look. If I wasn't already flushed with heat, her gaze would've had me blushing. She approaches him and thrusts out her hand in greeting. "Hello."

Mac reaches out his hand to shake hers. "Ma'am."

"Elle, this is Mac. Our neighbor for the next week," I state and tuck my hands into my pockets nervously. The accusing glances Elle is giving me are making me feel slightly uncomfortable. Then I remember that I'm shirtless and fetch my T-shirt from the bed of the truck. Though it's drenched, I slip it over my head and insert my arms quickly. It's filthy and smells. "He's also from the Texas Area."

"Galveston, actually," he says.

"Oh, that's great. Can I get you a cold drink?" Elle offers. "We have soda and tea."

Holden declines gratefully. Elle continues, "What brings you to the event, Mac?"

He shrugs, "My old lady does leather work. Saddlebags, wallets, jewelry, and shit."

"That's awesome," Elle expresses. "I've dabbled in leather but I gave up, sadly."

Mac smiles, "It took Janelle time to hone the craft too." He looks back toward his camper, which is far more luxurious than mine. "There she is." He throws up his hand and waves her over. "Babe, come over here a minute."

I look over and see a tiny woman emerge from around the corner of their camper. Now, when I say tiny, I mean, tiny. She's not any taller than four feet. Her brown hair is twisted into a messy bun on top of her head. She's thin, cute, and dressed in a leather top and tight jeans. I couldn't imagine wearing such an outfit in this heat. Her fake tits are completely constricted behind the brass buckles holding them at bay. Either her skincare regimen is on point or she's thirty years younger than her man.

She sighs and puts her hands on her hips. Her voice is an octave lower than what I imagine what a chipmunk voice would sound like. "You said you were going to help me carry all this shit, babe."

"The day isn't over yet, woman. Come over here and meet some nice people." She audibly groans and reluctantly approaches. She stops next to him and looks at me and Elle. "Ladies, this is Janelle, my old lady."

We all shake hands and complete the introductions. Elle attempts to strike up a conversation with the woman but she seems more interested in getting Mac back on task. I was trying not to read too much into it but I caught him looking at me several times during the limited exchange. I had toned them out and glanced at him a few times also.

"Hey, we planned on firing up the grill tonight. Y'all are welcome to join us," I state, hopefully.

"Yeah, sure, I'll bring the beer," he says and smiles.

Janelle sighs and looks up at Mac. "I don't know. We have a lot to do today before our first show."

"What sort of show?" Elle asks happily.

"It's a small over-the-road adult entertainment business," Mac states to me directly. My mind drifts to what sort of adult entertainment he performed but I quickly broke eye contact with him when Janelle glances at me.

"Mac is the showrunner but I assist him," she says.

"That sounds fun. Doesn't it?" Elle asks me.

"Janelle is right. We really should be getting ready but fire up the grill and we'll be here." Mac then winks at me before putting his arm around Janelle's shoulders and they walk away together. Her snappy whispers clearly show her displeasure but they don't keep him from looking back at me.

Elle smirks, "I can see this is gonna be an interesting week."

My mind is still on the subtle wink he gave me before departing. I could've never imagined being interested in a man so old but the way he looks at me makes me tingle. He seems the quiet type and says more with his actions. Something I'm curious about.

Elle's fingers snap in front of my face, gaining my attention. My eyes flutter and I focus on her. "What?"

"If you're trying to slip under the radar this week, you've failed."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You were practically eye fucking that dude," she whispers and turns to enter the camper.

"What? No way. He's an old man." I follow her and am instantly slapped in the face with sweltering heat. "For fucks sake. Turn on the AC."

"I could if my best friend hooked up the electricity."

I groan in frustration, "Max was supposed to do that."

"Well, he's too busy chasing tail. We also have no running water for the toilet."

"God damn it," I hiss and turn back around.

After a half hour, I was finally able to get us up and running. "Hey, what's up?" Max calls upon approach from behind me. I look up and glare at him while wiping sweat from my brow before it drips into my eyes.

"Where the hell have you been?"

He chuckles, "I've been doing something you should be. Mingling with the crowd. Networking." The scent of alcohol wafts into my face.

"You were supposed to get the electricity and water hooked up before chasing pussy."

He grins, "Looks like you got it covered." He then slightly stumbles as he turns toward the camper door. I sigh and shake my head. Attempting to keep my cool, I follow him. I have zero desire to fight with him about his issues on our first day here. I knew he would be consuming substances here when I agreed to bring him along. There's also a noticeable temperature change inside as I enter.

"If y'all open that door again, I'll kill you both in your sleep," Elle expresses while lying flat on her back on the bed in front of the small window AC.

"Yes, ma'am," Max states and flops down next to her.

Elle's face pinches, "You're breath stinks."

"Your pussy stinks," he replies and she gasps.

"Fuck you!"

They both laugh. I'm too tired to engage in the playful exchange. Elle is right. It is far too hot. It's no wonder why people remain at the bars. Other than the free-flowing drinks, they have to be cooler.

"At least, your murder plants will enjoy this weather," I state and pull out an empty five-gallon bucket to sit on.

"I thought it rained here every day. Where's the damn relief?" Elle whines.

"I told y'all, we should've gotten a motel room," Max says sluggishly. "AC, shower, pool, and free breakfast."

"Don't tempt me," Elle says.

"If you can find a vacancy, I'm game to stay here with our shit," I offer. "One body in here has to be better than three creating more heat. Plus, there's nowhere for us to sleep. Even with us taking shifts, we'll still be miserable."

"Fine, you've talked me into it." Elle giggles and grabs her phone from her back pocket and begins to find a place.

"It's gonna cost a fortune," I state.

"Who cares? It's better than melting," Max replies.

Not only his absence annoyed me but Max's voice is getting on my nerves. Of course, it doesn't matter to him. He's not going to be the one paying for it. I fish my credit card from my wallet and pass it to Elle. Before the trip, I agreed to use my credit to cover expenses and Elle would just pay me back with whatever she sold. But in the end, I knew I wouldn't be able to take her money.

After a few moments, I receive confirmation for the room in my email. Though I wouldn't be staying there, I plan on taking advantage of the luxuries. Considering the amount of sweat pouring from my body, a shower would be much welcome.

"We should hit up a grocery store for ice and food for tonight," I say when Elle passes back my card.

"Talk to me when the sun sets. Until then, I'm dead." She collapses against the bed in a slack state.

Max was already snoring under the cool air and for the first time in my life, I was jealous of him.