The rumbling sound of<a class="link link--external" data-proxy-href="/proxy.php?link=https%3A%2F%2Fpixabay.com%2Fnl%2Fhonda-honda-shadow-honda-shadow-aero-2299712%2F&amp;hash=50191489e88d6229619356e3a60e7c08" href="https://pixabay.com/nl/honda-honda-shadow-honda-shadow-aero-2299712/" rel="nofollow ugc noopener" target="_blank"><u>the Honda Shadow</u></a>between his legs soothed him. It made him relax. That was what he had bought this beast for. The streets near Venice beach weren’t as deserted as he liked them, but it was a peaceful Sunday afternoon. It was warm, but the speed with which he moved compensated for that. He was dressed simply, a white V-neck t-shirt that clung to his muscled physique like a second skin. Jeans. White sneakers and a black leather jacket. He wore a simple<a class="link link--external" data-proxy-href="/proxy.php?link=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.helmonline.nl%2Fvinz-jethelm-met-zonnevizier-mat-zwart.html%3Fgclid%3DCj0KCQjw5LbWBRDCARIsALAbcOfdXNLxpb_dAaLU84q54Ml80m4zL0q145GpYGFjqRZqOISIFuS5NnoaApd2EALw_wcB&amp;hash=4bb28b9356d6f8f23e3ff361ecf16bef" href="https://www.helmonline.nl/vinz-jethelm-met-zonnevizier-mat-zwart.html?gclid=Cj0KCQjw5LbWBRDCARIsALAbcOfdXNLxpb_dAaLU84q54Ml80m4zL0q145GpYGFjqRZqOISIFuS5NnoaApd2EALw_wcB" rel="nofollow ugc noopener" target="_blank"><u>helmet</u></a>and for once he had made sure to take a second helmet along.<br/><br/>A blind date. For crying out loud. This was never the intention when he had his friends set him up. He was far too busy to date anyway. The women in the last few years had been few and far inbetween. He had no intention of being permanently hooked anyway. He was too busy lately with his own business. And things were looking up. Because of the hours he put in, because of the hard work of the last year for certain. He owned a small IT company now. They had busied themselves with new ways of data storage, rather than data collection where there was such a mess going on now. The elections had shown that data was the twenty first century equivalent of gold in the last few ages.<br/><br/>Ten employees, all young, all nerds. He had made sure they had a proper working environment. Focused on the health of his staff. Made sure they had facilities like a gym in their building. The roof of the old industrial building had been covered with solar panels, all done to keep the datastorage facilities running and cooled. He owned a company that was top of the bill in environment friendly solutions. Even google worked with them since last year. It meant high returns with lower costs after the first investments had been done.<br/><br/>The gym facilities were mostly used by himself and less by the other employees. But that had kept him in shape. Had made sure he stayed fit. But with work, so many hours a week, he didn’t get to go to a gym outside of the building anyway.<u>Ben</u>had discipline. He had joined the airforce when he had just turned eighteen. Instead of becoming a fighter jock, like most would have dreamed about when joining the fly boys, he became an expert in grabbing data, communications and other stuff while being in the belly of some large lumbering Boeing. The Air Force had been sorry to see him go ten years later. And now, at 32, he had his own company. Using much of the experience and skills he had learned with the force.<br/><br/>He slowed down along the boulevard. Seeing the terraces stretched out to the right. The view of the ocean was perfect in itself. He wondered if his date was already there. If she was studying him as he slowed the bike to a halt. They had agreed to meet on<a class="link link--external" data-proxy-href="/proxy.php?link=http%3A%2F%2Fdogsniffer.com%2Fla%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fsites%2F2%2F2014%2F03%2FVenice-Beach-Boardwalk.jpg&amp;hash=16e5983650bd2f84ce0aa9bed4f3f10b" href="http://dogsniffer.com/la/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2014/03/Venice-Beach-Boardwalk.jpg" rel="nofollow ugc noopener" target="_blank"><u>the boardwalk</u></a>, at the<a class="link link--external" data-proxy-href="/proxy.php?link=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.usmenuguide.com%2Fthe-terrace-cafe-venice.html&amp;hash=48e345ef8335cabcfdda6413a35de650" href="https://www.usmenuguide.com/the-terrace-cafe-venice.html" rel="nofollow ugc noopener" target="_blank"><u>Terrace café.</u></a>He found an empty piece of pavement, out of the regular walkway and steered the bike there. Just before he stopped, he killed the engine, setting in on the standard and taking his helmet off. His right hand ran through his hair, straightening it slightly before he walked up to the café. Leaving the bike on its steering lock but not setting up anything extra. It was the middle of the day anyway, they would hardly take it away.<br/><br/>He scanned the tables that were outside on the boardwalk. A quick look. He had no idea whom to look for anyway, but she had given a basic description of the little summers dress she should be wearing. Another look around, this time at the people who promenading down the boardwalk, to the pier or to other destinations. Nothing yet. So he settled himself down on a chair at one of the empty tables. Leaving the black helmet in the middle of the table. The clear sign he would give her for who he was. A quick scan of the other tables. Thank heavens, no one else with a helmet on top of them.<br/><br/>Moments later he was sipping his mineral water that had been delivered. Making sure with the waitress that he would run up one bill and that he would pay for it. She told him she would keep that in mind as he tipped her for it beforehand. He didn’t want to get into the situation where he had to fight over the bill anyway. His eyes on the beach and the surf beyond that. No sunglasses, they were tucked away, even though the light was kind of sharp. But he wanted her to see his eyes, his face, without hiding it away.