Coda 01 - Promises

agreed to this.” I was trying to remember our conversation from the day before, but in the harsh light of day, it was hard to hang on to. I forced myself to remember his whisper in my ear, his arms tight around me, as he told me that he loved me. That’s why I was here. I was doing this for him. Still, it was doing nothing to alleviate the knots in my stomach.
    “It’s going to be fine.”
    “That’s easy for you to say.” Logically, I knew that he was right. It was just riding, which I love. I probably wouldn’t have to talk to them much at all. And in a few short hours, we would be back home. I took a deep breath. “Who are these guys? What should I expect?”
    “Grant Jameson and Tyson McDaniels.”
    It took me a second to figure out why that name sounded familiar. “Grant Jameson? That asshole that came to my house and asked if I had kids in my bedroom?”
    “Grant is an asshole. I won’t even try to deny it. But Tyson is an okay guy. Mostly he just follows Grant’s lead. I think if he knows you better, maybe he’ll quit listening to Grant so much. Grant will probably always harass me about it, but it’s starting to be more like friendly harassment. Most of the time, at least. And I think it’s important for them to realize that I’m not ashamed to be with you.”
    “So they accept you now but not me, even though they know we’re together?”
    “For the most part. Once they realized that calling me names wasn’t going to change anything and that I could still hold my own against any of them, they got over it.” He shrugged. “Mostly. Some of the older cops will never accept me, and I can deal with that. But Grant and Tyson are the ones I work with the most, and I need for them to get used to it. They’re starting to accept it, especially Tyson. They know me, and I don’t fit their stereotype. You don’t fit it either, but you refuse to prove it.”
    “That’s really all it takes?” I was still skeptical.
“I think that’s a lot of it, yes.”
    I shook my head. “I think you’re kidding yourself.” He didn’t answer, and we drove a while in silence. I was confused when he passed the turnoff for the trail we usually rode. “Where’re we going?”
    “Johnson’s Rock.”
    That surprised me. Johnson’s Rock was the toughest trail in the area. Matt could almost keep up with me on the easier trails, but the one time we had tried Johnson’s Rock, he had struggled more than usual.
    “Why?”
“It seemed like a good idea.”
“Are these guys that good?”
He smiled over at me. “Not even close.”
“You do realize you’re making no sense at all, right?”
    “I told them the other day that you and I were going riding. And Grant asked, wouldn’t I rather ride with somebody who could keep up with me instead of a fucking fairy? So I suggested that they come with us.”
    “That’s why we’re going to the toughest trail in the area?” “Exactly!”
“I still don’t see how this will change anything.”
    “It’s all about competition. They have respect for people who can beat them.”

    The light came on. “Ah. I think it’s all making sense now.” “It will bring Grant down a notch to eat your dust all day. And it will prove to them both that you’re not what they expect.”
    “You are a manipulative bastard.”
“I am.” And the smile he gave me made up for it all.
    Grant and Tyson were waiting for us at the trailhead. Tyson nodded and shook my hand when Matt introduced me, although he seemed unwilling to meet my eyes. Grant didn’t even acknowledge my existence.
    We mounted up and were just ready to start out, when Grant said, “Are you boys and girls ready?” Tyson turned away, obviously embarrassed. Matt ignored him completely. I felt myself go red up to my hairline and heard the blood pounding in my ears, but I kept my eyes on the ground and said nothing. “Okay then,” Grant said when it became obvious nobody was going to respond. “I’ll wait for you at the top.”
    Matt smiled at him. “We’ll see who’s waiting for who, asshole.” He said it jokingly, and Grant and Tyson both laughed before starting out, leaving Matt and me at the trailhead.
    “You ready?” he asked me.

    I couldn’t even look at him. “I’m trying not to hate you right now.”
    He put his hand on the back of my neck and waited until my eyes met his. “I know.” Then he leaned over and kissed me lightly. “Thank you for trusting me.”
    I shook my head but let it go