[center][h3][color=#ff9900]Luclie: where do I start[/color][/h3][/center]

Luke breathed a sigh of relief when the woman agreed to lunch. He hopped on behind her, hugging her loosely so as to not fall off. As he did so, a dance of colours passed through her vision without obscuring it, varying in intensity and movement as the sounds around them changed. The roar of the engine produced explosions of indigo as it sputtered, and a wave of goldenrod flowed past as he spoke: [color=#ff9900]"Thanks again. It's just up the road."[/color] The sensation lasted as long as he touched her - as soon as he let go and hopped off the bike, the colours disappeared completely. Without a word, he followed her into the restaurant and to the booth of her choice.

He noticed her blatant you-can't-sit-here gesture, but decided not to say anything. He slid into the opposite booth and took up a menu as well. When the waitress came to ask about drinks, he let his companion order first. [color=#ff9900]"Coffee, please,"[/color] he said when it was his turn. [color=#ff9900]"Just bring us the pot, if you can."[/color] His stamina was a lot more drained than he thought. Sixteen near-straight hours on the road will do that to you.

He glanced over the menu, unsure exactly what he wanted but not wanting to waste too much time. Cheeseburger, good enough. He set aside the menu as she addressed him.

Her question surprised him. [color=#ff9900]"Are - are we close to San Francisco?"[/color] He could have sworn they were much further north... but Luke wasn't exactly a geography expert. He tried to form a map in his mind... no, he definitely passed the last sign for San Francisco hours ago. Where the hell were they, then, that she would suggest that?

He cleared his throat. [color=#ff9900]"No - no, I'm headed north. I don't really care about the bike right now."[/color] His heart broke as the words left his mouth - aside from his family, he loved that bike more than anything - but it was the truth. Fixing the bike would mean a costly detour, and his wife would surely find out. She would worry, and probably come looking for him, and he just couldn't let that happen right now.

He paused. Up until this moment he hadn't actually thought about what he would say to her. [color=#ff9900]"I don't have time to care about the bike right now. I just need to go north."[/color] Fuck, how could he explain it? Following a distant bell across multiple states sounded crazy even to him. He tapped on the table, trying to think of what to say. [color=#ff9900]"I'm looking for something,"[/color] was what he settled on.

God, Luke, how badly can you fuck this up?

[@Pirouette]