1. Kate

Chapter 1

Kate

F orty. The big four o. It happened a few weeks ago, and I have to admit it’s been an adjustment. It wasn’t like I didn’t see it coming. I just didn’t think turning forty was going to give me even a moment’s pause. Instead it gave me a smack in the face stop sign. It was like I suddenly realized I needed to stop and look around and evaluate how my life is going. The time had passed where I could say I’d get around to doing things I wanted to do later. Because later is now.

Having lived my life very carefully and responsibly makes me realize that maybe I should have taken advantage of my younger years a bit more. Had some fun, lived a little dangerously. Instead, I did what I thought was expected of me. Graduated high school, went to college, and graduated with a business degree. Started a career. Got married. Had a child. I did everything I thought I was supposed to do. And then it all seemed to start falling apart.

I try to pinpoint exactly when I started feeling restless, but there’s not specifically one event that caused it. Most people would think that discovering my husband of fifteen years was sleeping around was it. But it wasn’t. Staying in the marriage was more for my husband saving face than anything. It didn’t destroy me, heck it was more of a relief than anything when I found out about his indiscretions. What I thought was my duty, to stay married, went to the wayside when I found out about his infidelity.

So the only thing I can attribute to my wanting more is everything, all of it. I’m forty, single, and looking for something. I just don’t know what yet.

Luckily, my friends from work seem to understand that I’m going through something. I’ve spent the last few years always turning down their invites to hang out together after work. So much to the point that they stopped asking. But today, when I am bemoaning my life, they invite me.

“Come with us on Friday,” Tamara says to me and looks around the break room as if she’s looking to see if anyone else is listening. I don’t know why she bothers. It’s only the four of us in here and it’s our assigned lunch break. No one ever disrupts us. Which automatically makes me think she’s about to invite me to a strip club.

No. Thank. You. Strip clubs are definitely not my scene. I’m already about to tell them no and Carrie leans over and snaps her finger in front of my face. “You said you needed something exciting. Well, this is exciting.”

But I’m already shaking my head. “I’m not going to a strip club.”

Bryce laughs. “Girl, I wish it was a strip club. Trust me if you’ve seen the men that go in there you would be wishing the same thing.”

“Where?” I ask.

Bryce leans in and starts to whisper. “So, remember last week when I had my car in the shop? Well, it broke down close to that Heartlands Garage, and even though they primarily work on bikes, Maddox, one of the men that work there, offered to work on my car for me. Well, he was telling me about the Ride or Die Bar… and girl, we’re going.”

I lean back in my chair and start to laugh. I mean, I can’t help it. I almost have to hold my stomach from laughing so hard. I look around the table at Bryce, Carrie, and Tamara. I’m the oldest of the bunch and feel like a mother to them more times than not. Sometimes, they get into some crazy stuff. “Not me, I’m not going to a bar called the Ride or Die. No way. No how.”

Bryce leans over and grabs my arm. “Kate, it’s a biker bar. And I mean the real deal. These guys are hard, handsome, tattooed.” She does a big shivering motion with her shoulders. “Man, I can’t even think about it without getting excited.”

I laugh and pull my arm away from her clutches. “Calm down, girl. You’re getting too excited for an accounting office. You may need to go down to the ladies in the marketing department if you keep this up.”

“Har, har,” she says. “I’m not joking, they are that hot.” And she waves her hand in her face as if she’s trying to cool herself off.

Well, if nothing else, lunch today is entertaining.

They spend the rest of our lunch break trying to convince me that I need to go, but I keep refusing. I’ve never been there, I don’t even think I’ve driven by it, but I know it’s not my thing.

The rest of the day goes by in a blur. I keep having this nagging feeling in the pit of my stomach. It’s like I’m hyper aware that I need a change, I just don’t know what that is. But I’m doing my best to ignore it.

My phone dings on my desk and I pick it up.

Ugh. A text from Charlie, my ex-husband.

Don’t forget Friday night. I need you to help me host the dinner for the Seneca Bar Association.

My mouth drops and I start typing furiously. We’re not married. I’m not hosting anything.

I almost text him to have his girlfriend, Chloe, help him, but by texting that it would imply I care that he has a girlfriend, which I do not.

I put my phone down and it dings again. I scan it quickly and type back, I can’t. I have plans.

And before he can respond, I type out a group text to Tamara, Carrie, and Bryce. I’m in. Ride or Die!

I take a deep breath and push the send button. A few seconds go by and I hear a whoop from an office down the hall. Yep, pretty sure that was Tamara. Followed by laughter from Carrie and Bryce. They all chime in and my phone starts blowing up.

Yes!

Alright!

You are going to be glad you did!

I chuckle, send them all a heart emoji, and then I get back to work. But I still can’t stop shaking my head. Who names their bar the Ride or Die? I mean, it seems pretty ominous to me.

My luck, it’s probably a bunch of overweight, balding men that get together on weekends wishing they were real bikers. Regardless, it’s probably not really dangerous, and it will be interesting if nothing else.