the spider, now that had some seriously sexy designing behind it. Her hand rested against her neck as she stared at the image. A new heat flared inside of her. "Look at her legs."
"Yeah, they ain't half bad."
Nessie turned to see a woman wearing blue worn overalls with a white t-shirt underneath, one strap undone swinging near her chest, dark hair escaping from a black cap. She balanced a 20kg bag of flour on her shoulder.
"Half bad? They are an engineering miracle," said Nessie. She'd spent hours reading up on the construction of mechas, much to her mother's disapproval. While her mum did needlework in the evening, Nessie read about the mechas and how they were constructed. She planned to learn mechanical engineering one way or another.
"Yep, they are. And their joints can rotate."
"I thought so." Nessie puffed with confidence from what she had managed to learn from simply looking at a photo. "How do you know this?"
"I'm the Operator." The out-of-towner smiled and heaved the bag into a different position on her shoulder.
"Really?" The chance to see a mecha caused Nessie's head to spin pleasantly.
"I can show you the ins and outs of her."
Words evaporated in Nessie's breathless excitement at the chance to touch a mecha. Pull yourself together .
"I've got some time now. I'll give you a ride to the arena."
"Yes … yes ... that would be lovely," said Nessie, regaining her composure and remembering her manners she held out her hand. "I'm Nessie."
"Joy." They shook hands. "Pleased ta meet ya."
Nessie felt her knees weaken from the strength that pulsed from Joy's hand into her own.
"Likewise." Nessie looked into Joy's grey eyes which shone back a world of metal and oil, a world that Nessie knew she wanted to be a part of.
"My steambike is just over here."
"Bike?" If things kept improving this quickly, Nessie just knew she would be a melted mess on the floor.
Joy walked over to the steambike made from recycled parts. Slinging the bag of flour over the back of the steambike as if it only weighed a few kilos, Joy strapped it down.
Nessie's face flushed with heat. She took out a handkerchief and patted down her forehead.
"You be careful there, Ms. Jenkins," said Mr. George as he came out of his jewellery shop.
Nessie placed the lace handkerchief back in her ocean blue bag, the one specially made to match her new outfit.
"You know what these circus people are like." His eyes narrowed. "Come inside. I have some ice lemonade to help you cool down. Then I can drive you home in my steamcar. It's air conditioned, you know."
Nessie had no interest in Mr. George's warning, especially right now when she was about to do something out of the ordinary.
"You've got no reason to concern yourself, Mr. George. Good day." With her usual air of confidence, Nessie strode over to the steambike. She could barely keep herself contained and acting like a respectable lady. But ladies didn't ride bikes. Thank goodness . This was her first ride on a bike and she planned to enjoy every second.
"Let's go," she said to Joy. Not caring that she wasn't dressed for the ride, she hitched up her skirts, swung her leg over the bike, and then tucked the extra material under her legs out of the way of the engine.
"You're keen," said Joy, wearing goggles that made her eyes look larger. She sat in front of Nessie and revved the bike.
"You've got me excited," answered Nessie.
"That's good to know." Joy reached for Nessie's hands and put them around her waist. "Hold on."
The bike took off with a jerk. The screams of delight Nessie had been holding in burst out from her mouth as the hot wind pushed into her face. Nessie clung to Joy's strong body. She leaned into Joy as they turned off the main street, leaving Deaston in their dusty wake.
*~*~*
Joy slowed down and drove the bike into the roped off area where the Mecha Arena was being built. Men and women worked frantically to construct the arena walls before tonight's performance. She wove between
"Yeah, they ain't half bad."
Nessie turned to see a woman wearing blue worn overalls with a white t-shirt underneath, one strap undone swinging near her chest, dark hair escaping from a black cap. She balanced a 20kg bag of flour on her shoulder.
"Half bad? They are an engineering miracle," said Nessie. She'd spent hours reading up on the construction of mechas, much to her mother's disapproval. While her mum did needlework in the evening, Nessie read about the mechas and how they were constructed. She planned to learn mechanical engineering one way or another.
"Yep, they are. And their joints can rotate."
"I thought so." Nessie puffed with confidence from what she had managed to learn from simply looking at a photo. "How do you know this?"
"I'm the Operator." The out-of-towner smiled and heaved the bag into a different position on her shoulder.
"Really?" The chance to see a mecha caused Nessie's head to spin pleasantly.
"I can show you the ins and outs of her."
Words evaporated in Nessie's breathless excitement at the chance to touch a mecha. Pull yourself together .
"I've got some time now. I'll give you a ride to the arena."
"Yes … yes ... that would be lovely," said Nessie, regaining her composure and remembering her manners she held out her hand. "I'm Nessie."
"Joy." They shook hands. "Pleased ta meet ya."
Nessie felt her knees weaken from the strength that pulsed from Joy's hand into her own.
"Likewise." Nessie looked into Joy's grey eyes which shone back a world of metal and oil, a world that Nessie knew she wanted to be a part of.
"My steambike is just over here."
"Bike?" If things kept improving this quickly, Nessie just knew she would be a melted mess on the floor.
Joy walked over to the steambike made from recycled parts. Slinging the bag of flour over the back of the steambike as if it only weighed a few kilos, Joy strapped it down.
Nessie's face flushed with heat. She took out a handkerchief and patted down her forehead.
"You be careful there, Ms. Jenkins," said Mr. George as he came out of his jewellery shop.
Nessie placed the lace handkerchief back in her ocean blue bag, the one specially made to match her new outfit.
"You know what these circus people are like." His eyes narrowed. "Come inside. I have some ice lemonade to help you cool down. Then I can drive you home in my steamcar. It's air conditioned, you know."
Nessie had no interest in Mr. George's warning, especially right now when she was about to do something out of the ordinary.
"You've got no reason to concern yourself, Mr. George. Good day." With her usual air of confidence, Nessie strode over to the steambike. She could barely keep herself contained and acting like a respectable lady. But ladies didn't ride bikes. Thank goodness . This was her first ride on a bike and she planned to enjoy every second.
"Let's go," she said to Joy. Not caring that she wasn't dressed for the ride, she hitched up her skirts, swung her leg over the bike, and then tucked the extra material under her legs out of the way of the engine.
"You're keen," said Joy, wearing goggles that made her eyes look larger. She sat in front of Nessie and revved the bike.
"You've got me excited," answered Nessie.
"That's good to know." Joy reached for Nessie's hands and put them around her waist. "Hold on."
The bike took off with a jerk. The screams of delight Nessie had been holding in burst out from her mouth as the hot wind pushed into her face. Nessie clung to Joy's strong body. She leaned into Joy as they turned off the main street, leaving Deaston in their dusty wake.
*~*~*
Joy slowed down and drove the bike into the roped off area where the Mecha Arena was being built. Men and women worked frantically to construct the arena walls before tonight's performance. She wove between
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