Chapter 1: Introduction
Riya Patel ran a hand down the polished frame of her midnight blue Ducati 916. There wasn't a spot of dirt on it, even the cleanup from her recent sand run through the coast. She knew what the bike meant to her, as she did with every rideable this side of the garage, but there was something unique about this one.
With her dust-free fingers, she traced the contour of the fuel tank and smiled to herself.
Lost in her admiration, her breath hitched a little as she heard the bell jingle attached to the door. Raising her gaze up from her beloved machine, Riya saw Sonu, her shy but lovable boyfriend walk in, the early evening light illuminating his short, curly hair as he stepped in.
"Hey, Sonu," she greeted, wiping her hands clean with a rag before walking over to him. "What's up?"
"H-hi Riya," the tall, slender man responded with a bashful smile on his face.
"I just came to check up on you, see how the work on the bike was going. I didn't want to bother you though."
Riya's heart warmed at Sonu's endearing words. She said, lightly chuckling, "Bother me? Babe, I'm always happy to see you. You know that." She rested one arm around his shoulders, pulling him in for a quick squeeze.
Sonu blushed at Riya's gesture but wrapped his arms around her waist as they stood in the spacious garage.