He repeated himself, louder this time. She felt embarrassed for her first yell on a motorcycle being ‘what’ like some inattentive idiot. “WEEEEEEOOOOO!!” he suddenly shouted. He looked back at her, grinning, and she couldn’t help but smile back.
“WooooooAHH!” she yelled, laughing at her attempt.
Doug rode through the streets of DC as though this was what he did every night. Knowing what he did in his free time, he probably did do this every night. Melanie was grappling with whether she found that sexy or not.
When they finally stopped at the Metro station, behind her car, he helped her off of the bike and she looked up at him. She took off her helmet and shook out her hair.
“So, what do you think?” he asked. She couldn’t recall what he looked like when he wasn’t smiling. It did something to his appearance and made her almost forget about his tattoos and his scars… She suddenly worried about those scars.
“I’m glad you wear a helmet,” she said.
He laughed. “I meant about the bike. Did you have fun?”
Melanie smiled. “Oh,” she replied. “Yeah, it was okay.”
That made him laugh even more. He obviously got a kick out of her, and she was intrigued by him… But she couldn’t honestly say for sure if she saw anything coming from this. It had been nice of him to offer to help her find a job, but he clearly wasn’t just out to help her as a friend. Not the way he looked at her.
“Can I ask you something?” he asked her.
She shrugged her shoulders a little. “It’s a free country.”
“Where’d you get the shiner?”
Her eyes widened. Reaching up, she gingerly touched the bruise under her left eye. It still hurt. She had forgotten about it, till he mentioned it. It was like a bubble had burst inside her or something. She didn’t feel comfortable being around him anymore.
“Well, thanks for the lift,” she said, breaking the awkward silence that had formed. She handed the borrowed helmet back to him and moved to get into her SUV.
“Wait,” he said. He reached into his leather jacket and pulled out a piece of receipt paper. “Do you have a pen? I want to give you my phone number, in case I can help you again sometime.”
She laughed softly. No one needed to write phone numbers down anymore, unless they were Melanie’s mother’s age. “I can just put it directly into my phone.” She brought her phone out of her purse. “What is it?”
“555-860-SSMC.”
Melanie put it into her phone and then looked up at him, narrowing her eyes. “This is your motorcycle club’s number, isn’t it?”
Doug let out another laugh. “I’m not the VP for no reason, Ohio.”
She pressed a button. “I sent you a text so you’ll have my number.” She got into her car but kept the door open for a second. “Be careful out there, okay?” Closing the door, she started her car and drove away.
It was nice of him to drive her all the way from DC to Maryland on his Harley. She hoped that he would make it back okay. She also hoped that he would not put too much stock in seeing her again. She had a two-year-old and a friend that she was eventually going to need to pay back. Melanie would not be able to live with herself if she let another man interfere with her life.
When she arrived back at Casey’s house, most of the lights were off. Melanie went inside and her friend looked up from a book, looking surprised. “There you are,” Casey said. She didn’t say it with any annoyance or exasperation, just as if she had been wondering where Melanie had gone for such a long time. “Did you have any success?”
Melanie chuckled, mostly to herself, and hung up her purse in the hall closet. She brought out her cell phone and was glad to see that there weren’t any texts from Doug. Most importantly because she didn’t want him texting and riding his bike at the same time. That was the mother in her. She also didn’t want to be bombarded with texts from him. Her head was still spinning, trying to figure things out.
“I had some slight success,” she answered. “I met a guy.”
Casey closed her book and opened her mouth wide. “You did? What happened?” She patted the couch next to her.
Melanie looked around. “Where’s Stevie?”
“I put him to bed right at nine, like you told me. He is such a good kid. We played board games all evening.” Casey smiled, proud of herself for being a capable babysitter and also proud of Melanie for having such a sweet, smart little boy.
Collapsing on the couch beside her friend, Melanie let out a pleased sigh. “Oh, thank god. I was trying to get back here quicker, but…”
Casey shook her head. “It’s okay. I didn’t mind. You needed a break anyway. Now tell me more about this mystery man you met.”
Melanie blushed. “It wasn’t really a big deal. I went to a bar after being turned away by everyone in town, and the bartender turned out to be friendly. He was covered in tattoos, as you can probably imagine, and he’s apparently a leader of this motorcycle gang.”
Casey’s eyes widened a little. “But he was nice?”
Melanie nodded. “Yeah. We chatted for a while, and then he gave me a ride on his motorcycle. He took me all the way back to the station where I’d left my car.”
“Wow,” Casey said, impressed. “He doesn’t sound so bad for a gang member.”
Melanie snorted. “I may be exaggerating a touch. He’s the vice president of a motorcycle club. It’s got a name with tigers in it or something. Anyway. He is very cute, very handsome, and I had a good time but I don’t think anything is going to come of it. I mean, after all, I just got here. I need a job. I need to find a good daycare for Stevie. I need to find structure for my life again, you know? And this guy… He’s not the sort of guy who can provide structure for us.”
Casey got up and poured them each a mimosa. She sat back down and handed Melanie a glass, clinking glasses with her. “What makes you think that he’s not someone who can help you? He obviously helped you tonight, even if it was just a little gesture versus something you needed.”
“It’s embarrassing to admit but... You should see his tattoos, Case. And his scars. He’s got scars on his forehead that make me wonder what sort of fights he’s been into. He has the look of an ex-criminal, even if he is reformed or whatever.”
“Maybe they’re just scars from falling off his motorcycle,” Casey suggested. “You should ask him about it instead of assuming.”
Melanie bit her lip. “You’re right. I just don’t know if I’m ready to have someone else in my life. Especially not someone who could end up being just as violent as Jake.”
Casey looked down, empathizing with her friend. She’d only ever had bad luck with dating and was so heartbroken when Melanie confessed to her that Jake hit her on a frequent basis, depending on how much he drank.
“I should go to bed,” Melanie said, setting her empty glass on the table. “Thanks for the mimosa and the chat. I promise to be more upbeat tomorrow.”
“I’m not expecting you to be upbeat, Mel,” Casey said. “I’m here for you always.”
CHAPTER THREE
All American Tiger
First things first, Melanie decided the next morning, she would take Stevie to one of the nearest daycare centers to see if it was a good fit for him. It was equipped with playhouses and all sorts of fun toys and things to climb on, so Melanie was satisfied. He looked around in awe at everything. “He’s very smart for his age,” she told the admissions assistant at the center. “He’s already starting to read simple picture books and he loves history.”
The lady beamed at him. She was most likely paid to praise each child, but Melanie couldn’t help feeling as though she really did have a special one that was worth describing so highly.
“I think he will do very well here,” she said.
Melanie wondered how often this woman said that in a day. She wondered if she could work in a daycare center. One kid was probably enough for her.
“Great. Well, is it okay if he stays here for a few hours today?” Melanie asked. “It could be a sort of trial run and, if it goes well, he’ll start coming here every weekday?”
She was relieved when the lady smiled and agreed to it. This would help her go apply for some of the other places that she couldn’t apply for in the evening. She didn’t want to always depend on Casey to babysit Stevie while she job hunted.
“Be a good boy,” she told her son, giving his head a kiss. She mussed up his hair a little and he ran off to go play in one of the play forts.
As she walked back out to her car, she checked her phone to see the time and noticed that she had a text notification from Doug.
Speaking of being a good boy…
She pressed the icon and read over his text.
“Doing anything fun today? Can I be a part of that?”
A blush crept over her cheeks. What was it about the guy that made her feel like this? He was not her type, except that he was cute and funny and kind. He was not good for her, except that he was thoughtful and supportive. He was a waste of her time, except the best time she’d had so far in this time had been with him…
She opened up the text’s response screen and started at the flashing cursor while she tried to think of a good excuse for not hanging out with the vice president of Stars and Stripes MC. “I have a lot of job markets to explore today,” she told him.
That hadn’t been a yes or a no, which left the door open for him without hurting his feelings by saying she couldn’t do anything fun with him.
It didn’t take him long to text her back. She was sitting in her car, putting her seatbelt on, when she her phone sounded from within her purse. She pulled it out.
“I could help with that. Want me to drive you around to places on my bike?”
Melanie sighed and called him. “I’m outside of Little Sprites Daycare. I don’t really want to leave my car here while I go around DC.”
“Okay,” he said brightly. “How about you drive back home and drop off your car and I meet you there?”
She wasn’t sure how comfortable she felt with Doug coming to Casey’s house to meet her. It wasn’t like it was really her house. “How about you meet me at the closest Starbucks?” she asked him, trying to keep her voice pleasant. “The one on Chestnut?”
“Sure thing,” Doug replied. If he was disappointed that he couldn’t go meet her at the house, he didn’t let it show in his voice. “I’ll see you in about thirty minutes?”
“Sounds good.”
Putting her phone away, Melanie drove to Casey’s house and parked her SUV in the driveway. She went inside and, not really having anything to do in this sudden break of alone time, she made herself some coconut-flavored coffee and brought it out to sit on the front porch and enjoy the nice spring weather.
When it was time for her to go meet Doug at the coffee shop, she brought the mug back inside and put it into the dishwasher, then put on her jacket and strolled down the street to Starbucks.
It wasn’t hard to find him when she got there. He was sitting at a table near the front door, drinking something that was dark and probably tasted like lighter fluid. Melanie made a face. “How can you drink black coffee?”
Doug stood up, grinning at her. “It’s not black coffee. It’s got a little bit of hazelnut flavoring in it.”
She raised her eyebrows at him. “You’re crazy.”
“Would you like something?” he asked, laughing.
Melanie didn’t want to be lingering at a coffee place. She wanted to be responsible and find a new job. It irked her that he was trying to make her while the day away. “No thanks,” she said. “We should probably get going if I am going to have any hope of finding any leads. Are you completely off today?”
He shrugged a little and put his helmet on, sipping his bizarre coffee through its straw. “I took the day off,” he said as he led her out to his bike. “I thought that helping my new friend Ohio was more important than selling alcohol to drunks.”
Something about that last word made her flinch beneath her skin, but she didn’t say anything about it.
“Your shiner is fading,” he said, tossing his drained cup into the trash. “Do you want to tell me how it happened yet?”
“Not really,” she said.
Doug unclipped a shiny red helmet from his motorcycle’s handlebars. “I bought you a helmet so now you won’t have to worry about not having one.” He watched as she put it on. “I don’t want you to get hurt,” he said softly, coming close and looking into her eyes. “You tell me if something makes you feel threatened, okay?”
Melanie wasn’t sure where this was coming from. She knew that he was concerned because she had shown up with a black eye, in a new place, but it wasn’t like he knew her. “Okay,” she said awkwardly. “Thanks…”
He picked her up in his strong arms and gently set her down on the motorcycle’s seat. Then he got on in front of her. “Hang on,” he warned before starting up the growling engine.
She wrapped her arms around his stomach and they took off. Melanie hadn’t grown used to the bike yet, but she didn’t feel as scared as she had when she first rode it.
Swerving and coasting through all of the streets on the way to DC, she looked at the road ahead and thought about what she wanted out of life now that she was free from her husband’s gruff clutches. She wanted a safe home for Stevie and herself. She wanted to be able to afford her own things without needing anyone else’s monetary contributions. She wanted something new and exciting. It surprised her when she thought that.
Doug stopped his bike outside of a burger restaurant in Chinatown called Lou’s. Melanie looked up at the sign, confused. “What are we doing here? You know, I’ve got a whole list of places.”
“I know the manager,” he told her. “He’s looking for a waitress. Do you have any waitressing experience?”
She nodded hesitantly. “A few years,” she said. “But I can find my own job.”
“Fourteen dollars an hour plus tips,” he said.
That was competitive. She thought it over. “Fine, fine.”
She got off the bike and took of her helmet while he did the same. They went into the restaurant together, holding their respective helmets under their arms and looking around. Melanie liked the place’s atmosphere. It was full of old movie posters and dolls. It was the kind of weird that made her smile.
“Angelo!” Doug called over the 1950s music that was playing.
A burly, middle-aged man with graying red hair and a stomach paunch came over. He was also wearing a tiger tattoo. Of course.
“Melanie Carr, this is Angelo Schwartz,” Doug introduced. “Angelo, this is the girl I was telling you about.”
The man known as Angelo smiled. “Ohio, huh?”
Now that Doug had helped to get Melanie hired, she couldn’t complain about him distracting her. She wondered if this had been all part of his plan, but she was too happy and excited to care. The restaurant was cool and the people there were nice, and it was going to pay her better than she could have hoped for.
She was going to start work, pending a background check, in two days. She could finally relax.
“Now,” Doug said, snapping his helmet back on. “Ohio, will you please go out with me?”
Melanie blushed. He pointed and grinned at her.
“That’s a yes!” he shouted, victorious. “You can’t deny that’s a yes.”
She laughed. “Yes. But only as payback for the job.”
He shrugged that away. “A yes is still a yes. Where do you wanna go and what do you wanna do?” he asked her excitedly, hopping back onto the motorcycle with her.
Thinking about it, she wasn’t sure. There were the stereotypical, tourist things that she hadn’t done since she was little. There was probably a vibrant, raucous nightlife that Doug knew all about… “We should probably take it slow,” she told him, smiling. “After all, I am from farm country.”
That made him laugh uproariously. “I think I have a pretty good idea. The first thing we need to do is get some grub. Do you like Korean barbeque?”
“I don’t know if I’ve ever had Korean barbeque,” she answered.
“Well, that settles that!”
She held on as he sped off in the direction of something that yet again only he knew about. She was finding that it was easier to trust him, and it alarmed her more than a little because Doug was still largely a mystery to her. She supposed that the time for asking him about himself was coming, since they were on a date. The nagging, more fearful part of herself couldn’t believe that she had agreed to this, while the part of her that was still curious and excited by new things couldn’t wait to see what Doug had up his leather sleeves.
They stopped in a park, which Melanie hadn’t expected. Nearby, there was a statue of a civil war soldier on a horse. That wasn’t so odd, considering their location, but she hadn’t been anticipating a lunch in this park would be Doug’s idea of a good date place.
“This place has the best Korean barbeque I’ve ever had,” he told her, getting off the motorcycle and removing his helmet, attaching it to his handlebars. He helped Melanie down and she attached her helmet near his.
“Which place?” she asked him, confused.
He led her over to a bright yellow food truck. “This place!” There was a line the stretched down the street. Apparently other people liked this place’s food, too. “I have hopped on my Harley and searched the city for this truck before. They’re the best.”
Melanie looked at him, disbelieving. When they finally made it to the head of the line, she looked at the menu on the truck’s door. They made steak and cheese egg rolls. “Those sound amazing,” she said, pointing them out for Doug. “One order of steak and cheese rolls, please,” she told the nice Korean girl.
Doug ordered something that looked like fancily-fried pork. Once they both had their Styrofoam containers of food, they carried them over to the grass and sat down, cross-legged, while the long-dead soldier from the south eyed them from above.
“Oh, this is really good!” she exclaimed as she dug into her egg rolls. “You weren’t kidding.”
“Of course not,” he said, looking proud. “I’m not known for having bad taste.”
That made her blush a little in spite of herself. “I ask one personal question, you ask one personal question?” she offered as they continued to eat side by side.
Doug nodded. “Sounds fun.”
She looked up at him, into his green eyes. “How did you get those scars on your forehead?”
His eyes widened a little, then went back to normal. He looked down at his food, picking out the biggest piece of pork and popping it into his mouth. “Iraq,” he said, swallowing. “I was in the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment in Operation All American Tiger… Got banged up pretty badly when a mine exploded and was sent home with these scars, a purple heart and a new passion project inspired by my friends who didn’t make it back.”
Melanie stared at him, incredulous. His scars weren’t related to criminal activity or anything like that! Doug Albright was a veteran! “Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry.”
He smiled at her then, appreciative. She nearly melted when she saw his dimple now. “Don’t be,” he said. “I was happy to do my part and I’m proud of my service. That’s why I ride in the Stars and Stripes. We’re all vets from the 3rd, all the ones who did make it back in one or two pieces.” He chuckled a little, and there was a note of sadness in it.
She didn’t want to pry further, but she felt so bad for assuming… “I thought you were an ex-con when I met you,” she said quietly.
Doug chuckled at her, seeming a tad shy all of a sudden. “I know,” he said, smiling his cute, baby-faced smile as he looked down at his container of Korean pork. “If it makes you feel better, I was once held overnight for decking a guy in a bar. But he was making fun of my wounded friend, so please don’t be too mad.”
Melanie let out a little cry of protest, shaking her head. She placed her hand on his hand that was holding his fork. “Now it’s your turn to ask me a question.”
“A personal question?” he asked her.
She nodded, biting her lip. She knew what he was going to ask, but she wanted to go ahead and let him ask anyway. If he had assumed something asinine about it like she had about him, he had done a very good job of hiding it.
“Who gave you that black eye?” he asked her.
She took a deep breath, but he went on.
“Do you want me to find him and kick his ass?”
Melanie chuckled softly, feeling a surprising calm about the entire situation now. Doug, Jake, where she now was, all of it. “That was too questions.”
Doug looked her in the eye. “Ohio…”
“It was my ex-husband. Well, my soon-to-be ex-husband… Jake. He used to get drunk sometimes. He had problems with depression. That’s no excuse. I used to feel bad for him, until one day I stopped because feeling bad for him was not helping him and it certainly wasn’t making him stop hitting me. I didn’t want him to go after our son.”
With a surprised look on his face, Doug asked, “Son?” under his breath.
She nodded. “His name is Stevie. He’s two. He’s so smart…” She looked Doug in the eyes again after momentarily looking away in embarrassment and shame.
Slowly, he reached a hand up and gently cupped her cheek, letting his fingertips softly pet and massage her jawline. He rested his forehead against hers. “Oh, Melanie,” he said softly, an earnestness coating his voice as his green eyes gazed into her blue ones. “I really like you.”
He hadn’t used her real name in a while. It kind of shocked her. Blushing, she smiled at him. “I like you too,” she replied. She felt a nervous energy fill her up, making her head spin in a not unpleasant way.
Suddenly, his lips were on hers, kissing her deeper than she expected. She kissed him back, feeling as though little firecrackers were going off inside of her. This was something she had anticipated, somehow. This was something she knew was coming, if she kept hanging out with Doug. But, at the same time, she felt like rejoicing. He was kissing her!
He gently let his tongue slip into her mouth, tasting her momentarily without going overboard. When he finally pulled back to look at her, he was smiling cutely again. Melanie definitely wanted more kissing with him. She wanted more of him in general.
How could she have been so stupid as to assume this sweet guy was a violent felon?
“Now what?” she asked, biting her lip and hoping that he would say ‘more making out.’
But he didn’t. He chuckled. “Climb back on board and I’ll show you something.”
He drove her on his motorcycle through all of the monuments along the Tidal Basin that he was allowed to enter on a bike. They rode past the Jefferson Memorial, Martin Luther King, and Lincoln, and waved at FDR from the street.
Melanie held onto him, smiling and cuddling against Doug’s strong back. His tiger tattoo made sense to her now. It felt as though everything made sense to her now.
He soon hit the highway again but he was not on it as long as he should’ve been if he was going to drop her off at Casey’s house. He stopped his bike in front of an apartment building just outside of DC.
She was going into the tiger’s den.
CHAPTER FOUR
The Heart of Purple
Getting off the bike, Doug removed his helmet and set it on the handlebars so he could help Melanie off. She took off her helmet and followed him, looking at him as he carried his helmet under his arm to the front door of the building. “This is my place,” he said. “You don’t have to stay over, but you’re welcome to.”
She appreciated that he was upfront about it. No pretense of coffee was involved. “Could I just call my friend first to make sure she picks up my son from daycare?” Tomorrow was Saturday, so Casey would hopefully be able to watch Stevie for a few hours in case… Melanie couldn’t believe it, but in case she slept at Doug’s apartment.
“No problem,” he said, taking her helmet so her hands were free to make the call. He led her into the building’s elevator. “There’s no reception in here, so you might want to wait till we’re in my humble abode before you try calling out.” He smiled at her.
He pressed the button for the fourth floor.
“So,” she said, trying to start a conversation. If there was anything more awkward than a silent elevator ride, she didn’t know what it was. “What sort of work do you guys do in Stars and Stripes?” Now that she knew it was a group of veterans who rode their bikes around, she figured that it was some sort of philanthropic project, not just guys who liked speeding down highways and getting into fights. She had clearly watched too many movies.
“We raise awareness for those injured in combat, and we accept donations when we go to events,” Doug answered.
She smiled at him. “I feel like such a goober for thinking you were dangerous.”
“I’m only dangerous if you’re threatening my loved ones.” He winked at her and she blushed. Now that he knew she had moved to DC to escape domestic violence, he was most likely going to try and be her body guard or something. She liked the idea, but she didn’t want her asshole ex to hurt him.
The elevator stopped once they’d reached their floor and Doug brought her to his front door. He unlocked it and held it open for Melanie to walk through. His apartment was pretty small, with olive green walls and cream-colored carpeting. He had a bed in his living room, behind his couch so that he could vault from one to the other if he wanted to. She would not be surprised if he did things like that.
“Welcome to my abode,” he said, closing the door behind himself and locking it. “This neighborhood’s known for being safe, but I like to be extra careful. Can you get you anything? A Diet Coke?” He grinned at her.
He remembered her less-than-flashy drink request. “Yes, please,” she said. “Thank you.”
“No sweat,” he said. “Make yourself at home.” He went into the apartment’s small kitchenette to pour her a glass of Diet Coke with some ice.
Melanie sat on his tan, leather couch and was amazed how much it sagged when she sat. It must have been fairly old to do that, but something about it was cozy so she wasn’t going to complain. She pulled her cell phone from her purse and pressed Casey’s name on her list of contacts.
“Hi, Casey,” she said. “What’s up? Listen, I’m out on a date with Doug Albright, the motorcycle club vice president that I mentioned to you the other day…” She paused and Doug smirked at her from his place in the kitchen. He was keeping his distance from her while she talked to her friend, out of politeness. “Yeah, the guy with a tiger tattoo.” Doug let out a laugh at that, and she blushed, smiling at him. He was getting a kick out of this. “Anyway, would it be possible for you to go to Little Sprite’s Daycare and pick up Stevie for me? I’m not entirely sure if I’ll be back tonight or tomorrow morning…” She chuckled. “I know. Thank you so much! I’ll make it up to you soon. No, shh, I owe you. Bye.”
She ended the call and put her phone back into her purse, setting her purse down on the coffee table that was actually a big, brown chest that a pirate might use to store his treasure. Doug brought out her glass of soda and set it on the chest as well, sitting beside her but keeping his distance. He definitely gave her space and let her do things in her own time. That was something she really admired about him. Maybe the army had trained him in the ways of being a gentleman, too.
Reaching out, she picked up the glass of Diet Coke and took a long sip. The wind in her face from the motorcycle ride, as well as nervousness, made her thirsty. She set the glass back down and looked at him, smiling and feeling a bit awkward because she didn’t know what to say next. She was rusty when it came to dating, if that’s what this was now, and she wasn’t really prepared to make the first moves.
All of a sudden, Doug moved closer to her and put his arm around her. “You’re not afraid to sit close to me, are you?”
Melanie shook her head. “I wondered why you were so far.”
He kissed her deeply and she slid back against the leather couch, ending up underneath him and not minding that one bit. They made out for several wonderful moments, and then he broke his mouth away from hers and looked into her eyes, green into blue.
“Do you want to move to the bed?” he asked her, his voice coming out in a breathy whisper which she found exhilarating.
She nodded and he kissed her again before taking her hands and gently pulling her up to her feet. He led her around the couch to the bed. Melanie started to take off her shoes, because for some reason her brain told her that was the most important thing to remove.
“I’ll be right back,” he suddenly said, rushing off down the hall hear the front door. To the bathroom, she assumed.
Melanie removed her blouse next, and her slightly sparkly black pants. She carefully placed her clothes on the back of the couch in a neatly folded pile. She sincerely hoped that Doug wouldn’t mind dating a mom, but she guessed that they were already past the point of worrying about that. He clearly liked her!
When he came back out of the hallway, he was wearing only his t-shirt and a pair of dark blue boxers. He was also carrying something small in a shiny, gold wrapper. A condom.
She was so grateful that he thought about that. The last thing Melanie wanted was to be pregnant again, at least not for a long time.
Sitting beside her on the bed, he gently removed her bra, cupping her right breast in his hand and kissing it. He slowly slid her black panties down and took them off, tossing them onto the couch and knocking her pile of clothes down onto it with her panties.
He carefully removed his boxers and put the condom on his lengthy, thick cock. She lay back on the bed, resting her head on one of the pillows and looked at him. Her heart was pounding in her chest. The last time she’d had sex, it had not ended well for her. Jake would always violently convince her to have sex with him somehow, usually so he would stop slapping her around, and she often spent the week afterward with some sort of bruise or limp from his abuse.
She didn’t expect that from Doug, though she was still haunted by those memories.
“Hey,” he said soothingly, positioning himself between her legs but not moving past that. He still had his shirt on. “Do you really want this?” he asked, looking deeply into her eyes. “We can stop if you’re—”
“Yes,” she replied, reaching over and stroking the side of his hard cock. “I want this.”
Smiling a dimpled smile at her, Doug got on top of her, kissing her lips and her cheeks. “I’ll go slow, okay? I promise.” He could tell that she was nervous and a little scared, so he was doing her best to make everything comfortable for her.
He pressed himself into her, caressing her cheeks as he slowly thrust. Melanie reached up to his face and ran her fingertips over his dimple. She leaned towards him and snatched his mouth to her own, kissing him and grinding her hips a bit so she could move herself against him.
When she pulled her mouth from his, she batted her lashes at him. “You can go faster, if you want,” she said seductively. Suddenly, she did not feel afraid. Lust for Doug had melted the fear away. All she wanted now was for him to be inside of her, filling her up and driving memories of the bad guys away.
Smirking a little, he held onto her and sped up his thrusting. He licked his fingertips and gently rubbed them against her clit.
“Ooohh,” she moaned. “Oh, Doug!”
“Yeah,” he murmured back, “You like it like this, Ohio?”
Suddenly, something came over her and she pushed him off of her, slamming him down onto the bed and straddling him instead. She bounced against his cock, grinding against him and moving him around. He tightly grabbed hold of her butt and lolled his head from side to side, enjoying what she was doing to him.
Melanie placed her hands on his chest, running her fingers through his chest hair and digging her nails into his skin, careful not to puncture too far in. She leaned over him, feeling the pleasure mounting inside her. All at once, it felt as though her brain itself was screaming.
Doug took one of her nipples into his mouth and sucked. She closed her eyes tightly as she came. “Aaahhhh, yes! Oh, Doug! Doug! DOOUUUGGGG!”
His neighbors were all probably well aware that Doug was getting laid this evening. He smirked up at her and, once she had calmed down, resumed his position on top of her. He quickened his pace as she wrapped her legs around his waist. She watched his dog tags as they jangled back and forth, hitting against his chest as he thrusted. She arched her back a little and swiveled around beneath him, sensing that he was about to cum. He closed his eyes tightly. “Aww, yesss!” he hissed as he came. “H’aaahh…”
He pulled out of her and took the full condom off, tossing it into the trash can nearby. Melanie watched him, missing the closeness they’d just shared already. Happily, as soon as he was done cleaning himself up, he came back to cuddle her.
“Where have you been all of my life?” she asked him. “Oh, Iraq, that’s right.” She giggled a little, feeling like it was time to be silly after what she’d just felt. Her head felt light and dizzy in a good way.
Doug laughed. “I wasn’t in Iraq for twenty-four years!”
She smiled and kissed him.
He kept his face close to hers when the kiss was over, their noses brushing ever so slightly against each other. “I think I’ve fallen for you,” he whispered. “And I don’t just fall and get back up, Melanie…”
Gazing into his eyes, she blushed. “I think I’ve fallen for you, too.”
They lay beside each other one the bed, naked, looking into each other’s eyes for a pleasant, long time. They hardly said a word, but when they did, it was to compliment each other.
“Being away from you is going to be hard,” she told him.
He cuddled her close to him. “I’m just a Harley ride away. You can see me whenever you want.”
The trouble was that, for now at least, she wanted to see him all the time. She wanted to make up for lost time when she had thought he was no more than a thug.
CHAPTER FIVE
A Hero’s Welcome
As they rode down the street towards Casey’s house the next morning, they slowed their speed and Melanie felt as though something wasn’t right. Sure enough, when they got into the driveway, she recognized Jake’s car parked there behind hers. As she and Doug stopped near it, the front door opened and the man Melanie was hoping she would never see again emerged.
He was wearing dark blue jeans and a black button up shirt. She had a momentary lapse in judgment, thinking that he looked sexy like that, but then she gave her brain a mental slap and leapt off the bike with Doug. They both quickly removed their helmets and set them aside.
“What are you doing here?” she snapped at the man she used to love.
“I came here looking for my wife,” Jake said. “I thought you’d be hiding out with one of your old friends. And here you are. Who the hell is that?” He gestured to Doug who was standing behind Melanie, slowly cracking his knuckles as he clenched and unclenched his fists.
From the front window of Casey’s house, Melanie could see her friend was watching. She didn’t see Stevie. Casey had most likely ushered him into his bedroom at the sound of the yelling outside. Thank goodness, Melanie thought.
“If I wanted to be your wife anymore, I wouldn’t be hiding out with one of my friends,” she pointed out to Jake. “Anyway, I’m not hiding out. I’m living my life and taking care of my son. It’s over, Jake. So why don’t you just get in your car and go back to Ohio?”
“It’s not over!” Jake yelled. “I’m sorry about the other night, okay? But you have really got to learn to stop talking back to me.”
“The only person who has anything to learn around here is you,” Doug said. “She said she doesn’t want to be with you anymore. Leave her alone.”
Jake pointed a finger at Doug. “You stay out of this, pal.”
Looking him over, Jake appeared to be taken aback by the fact that Melanie was now spending her time with a biker guy. “You leave home and end up gallivanting around with this freak!” He tried to approach Melanie, but Doug pushed him back when he came close. “Melanie, what are you doing hanging around this- this jailbird?”
“He’s not a jailbird,” she replied. “He’s an American hero.”
Jake scoffed. “Oh, please.” He tried to push forward again, but Doug pushed him back even further.
“I said leave her alone!” Doug bellowed. Suddenly, he punched Jake squarely in the face, sending him reeling backwards. He was all set to hit him again, but it turned out that the one punch had been enough to get Jake good and dizzy. “How surprising, the big man who hits his wife can’t handle one measly punch.”
Clutching his cheek, Jake shook his head as blood came from his nose. “You’re both bullshit,” he spat. “I’m not wasting my time with either of you.” He got into his car without another word and drove away. Melanie didn’t think that he would be back again. She was with the man she needed now.
“Are you okay?” she asked Doug, giving him a gentle hug. “He didn’t hurt you, did he?”
He shook his head. “My hand hurts a little, which is strange because I only punched a numbskull.”
“Aww, let me kiss it and make it better.” She kissed the knuckles on his right hand.
Just then, the front door opened and Casey came outside. “Is he gone now?” she asked, frightened. “I heard him in the driveway and I didn’t know what to do. I made sure to keep Stevie in his room. I’m so glad you two were here to get rid of him!”
When she got a look at the handsome – if unique-looking – Doug Albright, she smiled at him and Melanie. “Please come inside.”
They went inside Casey’s house and sat down in the kitchen.
“It’s so nice to finally meet you,” she told Doug as she poured three cups of coffee. “Melanie has told me about you, but not enough!”
Melanie blushed. “I didn’t want to divulge every detail.”
He thankfully took a mug of coffee and took a long sip. “Mmm,” he said, “Thank you.”
Smiling, Melanie got out of her chair and went to the bedroom to get Stevie. She brought him out by the hand. “This is someone I want you to meet, Stevie.” The little boy looked up at the tattooed veteran. “This is Doug Albright,” she told her son. “He was a soldier and now he rides a motorcycle so he can help other soldiers.”
Stevie appeared to be deeply impressed.
“Hello, Stevie,” Doug said to him, smiling.
Looking at him, Stevie pointed. “You have a tiger on your arm.”
Doug chuckled. “That I do… What’s your favorite animal?”
Stevie thought about it. “I like tigers,” he said. “Did you know that tigers are the largest member of the cat family? I used to think it was lions, but no.”
Melanie grinned proudly and pet Stevie’s hair. She loved that her son was smart and had gotten away from her horrible ex-husband unscathed.
“Hey, Stevie, have you ever been on a motorcycle?” Doug waggled his eyebrows.
“No, of course not,” Melanie said. “He’s only two!”
“Only two?!” Doug asked, pretending to be shocked. “I thought you were a graduate student!”
They went outside to show Stevie the Harley and Melanie agreed to let Doug put him onto the bike – just to sit! – for a picture. “He’s a cool kid,” he said once Casey had taken Stevie back inside for his dinner. “I like him.”
Melanie smiled up at him. “Well, I’m glad you approve.”
They kissed and Doug soon rode off on his bike. He had a Stars and Stripes meeting to attend and she was not about to make him late. After all, his motorcycle club was made up of heroes.
THE END
OUTLAW BIKER
Angelina stood looking at the beat up old Ford her father had owned since the mid-seventies. He had brought it new in 1974 and babied it for over forty years now. Well, he had until recently. Stepping out the front door of his house, the same one she had grown up in, she walked toward it and sighed heavily as the door creaked open. It had been years since she had driven his old truck. It had been years since she had driven anything, actually. Living in New York, having a car was more of a nuisance than a convenience.
It seemed a bit surreal to even be back here. Angelina had left the small town in which she was born when she was eighteen and never looked back. She had attended college in New York and settled there. Being back here seemed about as foreign to her as the city once had when she first arrived there.
The truck hadn’t barely been driven in a year, so she was surprised when it cranked right up. Her cousin had told her he stopped by every week to start it up and running it around the driveway to keep it from rotting, but it was still very old and sitting too long had a way of speeding the deterioration process.
It was already nearly eight at night, so she got going. Around here, they began rolling up the streets after dark. All of the shops would close soon and that included the grocery store that she needed to get to. Her father’s farm was at least ten miles out from the little Save a Penny that sufficed for food purchases. Angelina was nearly halfway there when the truck suddenly began hitching and sputtering.
“No! You piece of crap! I don’t have time for this!”
Pulling the truck over to the side of the road, she looked over the warning gauges. Nothing was blinking red. She heard a loud pop and the truck shuttered to a complete shutdown. Cursing under her breath, she got out and looked around. Frustrated, she reached in her purse for her phone, growing more exasperated as she realized she had left it on her father’s kitchen table back at his house.
It was unlikely that she was going to find anyone passing by at this hour way out here, so she grabbed her purse and the keys, heading closer into town. It was equal distance back to her Dad’s as it was there, but if memory served her correctly, there was a farm a couple of miles further down that belonged to the Andersons, old family friends. It would be quicker to get help from them than to go all the way back to her Dad’s place on foot.
She was surprised when she the lights from an old restaurant called the Roadside Diner still on. They used to close at eight. Either they had extended their hours or maybe they were just still there cleaning up and hadn’t turned the lights off yet. Either way, she could get help there. She sped up her pace, hoping they didn’t shut down and leave before she made it that far.
As the restaurant came closer into view, she realized it had been renamed “The Pit Stop” and the parking lot was chock full of motorcycles. She wasn’t thrilled about the hometown diner being turned into some sort of biker hangout or the fact that she was so desperate for assistance that she was going to have to go in there. Taking a deep breath, she crossed the parking lot and opened the door leading inside.
Looking around, she saw nothing but bikers. It was definitely not her kind of place at all. She headed toward the bar, where she could see at least one woman working. There was something familiar about her that Angelina couldn’t quite place, but the woman seemed to know exactly who she was, smiling at her fondly.
“Hey. Do you have a payphone?”
“Payphone? Do those still even exist, Angelina?”
“I guess not. Listen, my Dad’s truck broke down and my cell phone is at his house. I need to call a tow truck and someone to pick me up.”
“You ain’t gonna get no tow until morning, hon. You can use the bar phone to call for a pick up though.”
“Tow trucks don’t come out at night at all?”
“Well, they do when they are able to, but if you look right over yonder in the corner, you’ll see that Bubba Henry is as drunk as a skunk. Since he owns the only towing place in town, I’d not recommend him not towing anything tonight.”
“Good call . . . and crap, I don’t know anyone’s number. It’s all in my phone.”
“Listen, I get off in about an hour. You know I just live down the road from your Dad’s. I can get you home and you can get the truck home in the morning.”
“Look, I’m sorry. I haven’t been home in a long time and you look really familiar, but I can’t think to say your name.”
“Why, it’s Holly Robinson, honey. We lived over by the bridge down from your house. You probably don’t remember me because I’m several years younger, but you probably remember my brother, Tommy.”
“Oh, of course. Yes. Tommy was in my class. I’m sorry, Holly.”
“Don’t worry about it. Just grab you a stool or a table, if you can find one, and I’ll get you a drink. What would you like?”
“Might as well. Tonight’s a bust and the sitter is still with Dad until morning. Jack and Coke will do.”
“Coming right up. Sorry about your Dad, by the way, Mom told me he is really struggling with the Old Timer’s disease.”
“Yes. Thank you.”
“Sure thing, honey.”
Holly brought her a drink and then returned to the other end of the bar where a guy was calling for her to get him and his buddies some more beers. Looking around a bit anxiously, Angelina sipped her drink. A woman alone in a bar was always a target and it was only a matter of seconds before every loser in this one was offering her drinks and making suggestions that were best left unrepeated. One particularly loathsome creep put his hand on her knee and smiled at her with yellowed, crooked teeth.
“How about you hop on the back of my bike and take a ride with me down to Shadow Lake. We can do the nasty under the stars.”
“I have a better idea. How about you take your filthy hand off my knee and get out of my face.”
“Now, is that any way for a broad to talk to a man that’s trying to get to know her better?”
“Yes. Get lost!”
Angelina flung his hand off her leg and turned around to face the bar. She wasn’t sure what happened next, but she heard a yelp behind her, followed by a deep voice telling him that he’d do well not to touch the lady or bother her again. She turned to find herself looking at a rather rugged, muscular guy wearing a leather biker’s vest. The emblem on it displayed what appeared to be the grim reaper, except the head was that of a coyote peering out from the dark hooded cloak around the otherwise human looking form. Beneath that it said, “President.”
He looked back at her with piercing dark brown eyes, his hand still twisting the creep’s arm behind him. Pushing him away, he continued to look at her wordlessly with eyes so dark they were almost black. His dark brown hair was shaggy, sticking out at odd angles in a haphazard style that was nothing less than dead sexy. Both arms were covered in tattoos. It didn’t take more than just a passing glance to know that he was trouble or that it excited her just a bit.
“Don’t worry about him. He won’t bother you again.”
“Thank you. You didn’t have to do that. I could have handled him.”
“It wasn’t a problem. Name is Anson Hawthorne. I lead the Coyotes Motor Club.”
“Angelina Thompson. It’s nice to meet you.”
“Do you mind if I sit with you?”
Angelina wasn’t too sure that she wanted to be associated with the leader of a biker gang, but it might keep creeps like the one before away if they saw her with him.
“Sure. Have a seat.”
He smiled at her, flashing the most perfect white teeth she had ever seen. She noted a bit of a large tattoo peeking up from his shirt collar as he leaned forward before sitting back on his stool.
“Pardon me for saying it, but you don’t seem like the sort to be hanging out in a biker bar, Angelina.”
“I’m not. My father’s truck broke down about a mile or so down the road and I walked up here to get it towed.”
Anson laughed. “Old Bubba won’t be towing nothing but the line when his old lady gets hold of him for drinking all night.”
“Yeah, Holly told me I was out of luck. She’s going to take me back out to my father’s when she gets off work.””
“Visiting then?”
“For a while. He isn’t well, so I came home for a bit to take care of him.”
“Sorry to hear that. What kind of truck does he have?”
“1977 Ford F150.”
“An oldie but a goodie.”
“Not so good today.”
“I tell you what. When old Bubba sobers up in the morning, I’ll get him to tow it to the shop and I’ll take a look at it for you.”
“Oh, I appreciate it, but I can take care of it.”
“How? Taking it over to Bubba’s rip off cousin? He’ll only overcharge you and leave behind more issues than before he worked on it.”
“How do I know you won’t do the same?”
“You don’t, but I doubt I’ll get you to go out for dinner with me if I don’t treat you and your Dad’s truck right.”
“That was pretty smooth.”
“Wasn’t it? Is that a yes?”
“I didn’t say that.”
“Not smooth enough I guess.”
“Take care of Dad’s truck and I will think about it.”
“A woman who knows how to barter, I like that.”
He turned toward Holly and signaled for her to bring them another round of drinks. She smiled broadly at Angelina as she did so. There was no doubt that Anson was probably quite the catch in this little Podunk town where he was the most exciting man around, but he was hardly her type. Still, she couldn’t deny that she found him attractive. She’d do well to watch herself with him.
“I did learn a few things growing up here.”
“Ah, so you aren’t just visiting. You are a native.”
“Something like that. I’ve been gone for about seven years. I moved to New York right after high school.”
“The big apple. I’ve been there a few times. I moved here from Detroit myself. Got a bit too rough up there for my taste.”
“Detroit huh? Can’t really say I’ve ever been there.”
“Trust me. You didn’t miss much, at least not in the hood I grew up in.”
“Based on what I see on the news about Detroit here lately, I think I’ll pass on visiting.”
“Good call.”
They were interrupted by Holly, who was getting ready to go. She looked from one of them to the other with a raised eyebrow.
“You still need a ride home?”
“Yes, please. I appreciate it so much.”
“Okay, I’ll be ready in about five minutes. Just let me cash out.”
“Okay. I’ll be right here.”
Angelina turned back toward Anson and sighed heavily. It had already been such a long day with the flight in, dealing with things at her Dad’s house and the truck breaking down. She couldn’t wait to get back to a warm bed and get some sleep.
“Well, Anson. I guess I’m getting out of here.”
“Looks that way. I could take you home if you’d like to stay longer.”
“Thanks, but I’m pretty exhausted. I best be getting back.”
“Good enough. If you want to just give me the truck key and your number, I will call you after I’ve gotten it towed in and have some news for you.”
“Sounds good. I appreciate it.”
She fished around in her purse for a pen and wrote her number on a dry drink coaster that sat nearby, handing it to him along with the truck keys.
“I’ll call you tomorrow then.”
“Talk to you then. Goodnight.”
“Goodnight, Angelina.”
She noted how he said her name and the way he locked eyes with her as he did. There was no doubt that she needed to get far away from him and stay that way. He was exactly what she did not need in her life.
“Ready to go?’ Holly asked as she rounded the end of the bar.
“Yes ma’am.”
Though Holly pressed her for details about her conversation with Anson, she blew it off as nothing, not wanting to start town gossip already. There was nothing to tell anyway. He was just helping her with her Dad’s truck. She was grateful when Holly dropped her off at her father’s so she had no more questions to answer.
“Where have you been? I was beginning to get worried!”
Angelina jumped, startled by Stephanie, her father’s caretaker’s voice in the darkness of the living room. She had not expected her to still be up with it being so late.
“Dad’s truck broke down and I had to wait at some biker dive for a girl that lives nearby to bring me back. I never even made it to the store and couldn’t call anyone. All my numbers were in my phone, which I left here.”
“Yes, I know. I tried to call you when you didn’t come back after a while and heard it ringing in the dining room.”
“Is Dad okay?”
Stephanie walked to the dining room as she spoke and retrieved her phone. There were no missed calls other than Stephanie’s. At least there was no bad news coming from anywhere else. That was always good.
“Yes, he’s fine. He went to bed hours ago.”
“Good. I really hate that you are leaving, Stephanie. Are you sure you don’t want to stay on?”
“Yes, I’m sure. It’s been nice enough here taking care of your father, but I really want to get back to the city. This place is just a bit too remote for me. It was a nice break from the busy streets, but now I miss being able to just duck out and do what I want to at any hour.”
“I know what you mean. It’s going to be quite an adjustment for me, as well.”
“I’d imagine so. Do you need help with your father’s truck tomorrow? Did you have it towed somewhere?”
“It is getting towed in the morning. I met a guy at the bar named Anson Hawthorne and he is going to look at it at his garage for me.”
“Anson Hawthorne? As in the leader of the local MC? You best watch yourself with him, Angelina. He is bad news. He’s got a long list of felonies under his belt.”
“Felonies? Like what?”
“From what I hear, everything from gun dealing to grand theft auto. That’s why he came here from wherever it was he left. He couldn’t make a move without being watched by the authorities. Claims he came here to get himself right and run a legit business, but I seriously doubt he’s cleaned up his act at all. If you ask me, he moved to the perfect place to carry on as usual. No one out here watching him except old Pete down at station and you know how useless he is.”
“Pete is still here? My God, he must be ninety by now!”
“Gotta be. Still the only cop in town.”
“Wow. Well, thanks for the heads up. I’m going to head to bed now and I’ll see you in the morning before you leave.”
“I think I’ll turn in too. I just wanted to make sure you were okay before I did.”
“Thank you, Stephanie. Goodnight.”
Stephanie said goodnight and made her way upstairs to the guest room across the hall from where Angelina’s father slept. He had moved up there after her mother died, into Angelina’s old room. He said it was less painful to sleep there than the bedroom he had shared with her mother for forty years. Angelina had moved into the master bedroom on her visits, finding a strange comfort that her father could not in being surrounded by her mother’s old things.
The following morning, she climbed out of bed and showered before making her way to the kitchen to start breakfast. There wasn’t a lot to make it with. Groceries were very low. Hopefully, the truck wouldn’t be out of commission very long or she would have to get one of her cousins to take her into the nearest town to rent a car to get around in. It was tempting to do so anyway, but much more of an expense than she could afford with having given up her job to come take care of her father. His Alzheimer’s had gotten consistently worse and she felt it was time to be with him rather than leaving him to the care of strangers.
She put on a fresh pot of coffee prior to scrambling the last of the eggs and country ham in the refrigerator. Popping some bread in to toast, she heard the sound so footsteps on the stairs and turned to see her father standing there in his pajamas still.
“Rose! You look beautiful!”
“No, Dad. It’s me, Stephanie.”
“Stephanie? No, Stephanie left. She’s not here.”
“Yes, Dad. Look at me. I’m Stephanie.”
Her Dad puzzled at her face for a bit, shaking his head. There was no sign of recognition in his eyes as he looked at her solemnly before speaking again.
“Stephanie left us. She didn’t like it here.”
“Dad, that’s not true . . .,” she began to say, but he interrupted her with a wave of his hand.
“Now, Rose. Don’t get upset. It happens with these kids. You know? They get sassy and think they need to get out and see someplace bigger, better. She’ll come home when she gets tired of the big city. Don’t you worry.”
Angelina sighed and pulled the toast up, replacing it with two more pieces while she prepared him a plate and poured him some coffee. Sitting it in front of the chair he had always sat in, she watched as he quietly sat down to eat without another word. He looked so much older and more frail than the man he had once been. It was heartbreaking to see him like this and she had to hold back tears as she turned to fix a plate for Stephanie, who was coming down the stairs.
“Oh, thank you. I’m sorry there aren’t more groceries in the house. I didn’t have a chance to go myself before you came. Do you want me to take you to get some things before I go since you didn’t make it last night?”
“No. I’ll be fine. My Aunt Kay is coming later this morning to visit and said she would pick up some things for me and take me back into town if I needed more.”
“Okay then.”
Stephanie sat down at the table to eat and Angelina joined her once the last pieces of toast popped up. By the time they were finished, it was time for Stephanie to go. They said their goodbyes and Angelina watched her go, her father standing beside her as the woman pulled away from the driveway.
“I’m going to miss her.”
“Yeah? You liked Stephanie?”
“Who? I’m talking about my daughter, Angelina. She’s leaving for New York to go to school.”
“I see. I’m sure she will do well.”
“Yes. She is quite a girl.”
Angelina smiled at him softly and began clearing away the dishes into the dishwasher. The sound of her phone ringing stopped her.
“Hello?”
“Hey, Angelina? This is Anson Hawthorne.”
“Hey, there. Did you get the truck towed?”
“Yes. Already had it up on the rack and looked it over. You’ll be happy enough to know it was nothing major. Looks like there was some trash in the tank that got gummed up in the carburetor. I got it all cleaned up and it’s back to purring like a kitten. Truck has been well maintained other than that.”
“That is good news. When can I pick it up?”
“It’s ready now.”
“Already? That was fast. How much do I owe you?”
“Nothing if you are still signed on for that dinner date.”
“I’m afraid I can’t. My Aunt will be here in an hour to stay with Dad for a while so that I can try making it to the grocery store again, but I won’t have anyone to stay with him later.”
“I tell you what. I’ll come pick you up on my bike and take you to lunch instead of dinner. You can pick up the truck afterward and stop by the grocery store before you go back.”
“I don’t know about being on the back of a bike.”
“Come on. Where is your sense of adventure? Besides, I’m an excellent driver . . . excellent driver.”
“I hope your driving is better than your Rain Man impression.”
“I thought my impression was pretty good.”
“Keep your day job.”
“Fair enough. So, pick you up in about an hour then?”
“Sure. I appreciate your help.”
“No problem at all.”
Hanging up the phone, Angelina found that she felt more excited about the prospect of his picking her up for lunch than she should. The idea of being wrapped around him on the back of a bike seemed pretty enticing. She knew she should heed the warnings about him, but her mind just kept drifting into thoughts about what it might be like to kiss him. Shaking it off, she finished up the dishes and got ready for her lunch date. By the time she was done, someone was knocking on the front door.
“I’ll get it, Rose.”
Angelina watched as her father rose, still in his pajamas and head toward the front door. She addressed him as her mother would have.
“Carl, you are still in your pajamas. You can’t answer the door like that. Go get changed and I’ll get it.”
He stopped and looked at her, then down at himself. He laughed a little and Angelina felt a smile spread across her face as the sound. She hadn’t heard her father’s laugh for quite a while.
“So, I am. Okay, Rose.”
He headed to the master bedroom to change. Angelina had noted that while he would not sleep in there, he had left his clothes in the closet. Walking to the door, she opened it to find her Aunt Kay standing outside.
“Angelina! It’s so good to see you!”
“Good to see you too, Aunt Kay.”
“How is my big brother doing today?”
“You know. He is about the same. He thinks I am Mom and that Stephanie was me leaving for New York when she departed this morning.”
“Bless his heart.”
Pulling Angelina into a hug, she held onto her as if it might be their last. After a moment, she let go, addressing Carl as he reappeared from the bedroom. He was dressed in his best suit. It was only Tuesday. Obviously, he thought it was time for church.
“Well, don’t you look dapper today, Carl.”
“Of course I do. I’m a very handsome man, Kay.”
Angelina looked at him strangely. He recognized his sister. She wondered if it was just a fluke or a moment of clarity. Taking a chance, she spoke to him.
“The suit is very nice, but wouldn’t you be more comfortable in your jeans?”
“Jeans? I can’t wear jeans to church, Rose!”
Angelina sighed. She had hoped his recognition of Kay meant he might recognize her too, but that obviously wasn’t the case.
“For heaven’s sake, Carl. It’s only Tuesday. You’ve gotten your days mixed up.”
“Tuesday? Really? But Angelina left this morning and I had thought she told me she was leaving Sunday morning.”
“A misunderstanding, perhaps. Now, why don’t you go change again?”
“I guess I will. Seem to be losing track of my days. How odd.”
The two women watched him solemnly as he made his way back to the bedroom to change. It was a dreadful disease to have, but just as awful for those who lost their loved one to the void that seemed to suck them in and hold them hostage. They were still watching him when there was another knock at the door.
“Oh, Aunt Kay. Dad’s truck broke down on the way to the grocery store right now and the guy that fixed it is going to give me a lift into town to pick it up, so I won’t need your car. I’ll just get it and then get my shopping done. Do you mind if I stop for lunch while I’m out?”
“No, not at all, hon. I’m in no hurry. Besides, it’s a beautiful day and your father seems to know who I am today. Since I will have the car, I may get him out for a breath of fresh air.”
“Are you sure? You know how he gets in unfamiliar surroundings sometimes.”
“Absolutely. I’ll stop by and pick up your cousin Reggie on the way in case there are any problems. Don’t you fret about it. Just take your time and do what you need to do.”
There was another knock at the door and Angelina realized that she had completely forgotten it. Walking over, she pulled it open to find Anson standing there in a pair of jeans that fit in all the right places and a t-shirt covered with the same leather MC vest as last night. He looked even more gorgeous in the daylight.
“Well, hello there. I thought you were going to leave me standing out on the porch.”
“Sorry about that. My aunt just got there too and was trying to explain to her what I need to do.”
“Ah, got it. You ready to go?”
“Yes. Let me grab my jacket. I’m not as used to the wind blowing on me as you are, I’m sure.”
“Probably a good idea then. It can sting a bit at times.”
She followed him to the bike and climbed on the back behind him once he was situated. She put her hands on her legs, not really knowing what to do with them. He reached behind him and pulled them around his waist instead.
“Hold on tight. I can’t have you falling off the back.”
Seconds later, they were roaring down the highway toward town. It was both frightening and exhilarating. Angelina felt a surge of electricity at how tightly her body was pressed to his. The last thing she needed was to get involved with someone like him. Not only was he not her type at all, but he was a criminal to boot! Why did he have to be so damned attractive though?
The bike roared to a stop outside a garage that was nowhere near town as she had expected. It was a large metal outbuilding next to what looked like an old hunting lodge. She had a vague recollection of it having been just that years ago. It seemed like her father used to come out here with his buddies during hunting season.
“Is this the old hunting lodge?”
“Yeah, I bought it from the old guy that ran it when I came here and built the garage to work on bikes and sometimes, cars and trucks.”
“But the lodge is huge. You live in it alone?”
“I live in a portion of it alone. There are additional rooms that some of the guys in the MC stay in, but they are separated from the main quarters where I live. It’s like my half of the lodge, a large common area where we have club gatherings and then rooms on the other end. Some of the guys live here and some just stay from time to time, usually if they are too drunk to make it home. Hell, come on and I’ll show you.”
“That’s okay. I don’t want to take up too much of your time.”
“Maybe I want you to take up my time. I did ask you to have lunch with me. I tell you what. Since we are here to get the truck anyway, I’ll just make you some lunch. I’m a pretty mean cook.”
“I don’t know . . ..”
“Come on, Angelina. I don’t bite. Well, not unless invited.”
“You aren’t making a strong case for me to stay here for lunch with comments like that.”
“I promise that I will be a perfect gentleman. Come on. Let me make you some lunch.”
“Okay. Why not?”
“That’s better! Let’s go inside. I’ll show you around the place first.”
Angelina followed him to the lodge. She felt incredibly nervous about being alone with him, but she had come this far, so she might as well. To her surprise, he walked right in the front door without a key.
“You don’t lock your door?”
“No. The rooms lock individually if someone chooses to, but people come and go here constantly. No point in locking the door. It’s always occupied by enough people that most intruders wouldn’t want to tangle with.”
“I see.”
Angelina looked around the massive center room of the lodge. A lot of the original décor from when it was a hunting lodge was present. The huge fireplace and chimney in the center of the room were quiet in the warm months, but she was sure that it got well used in the cold ones. She was relieved when he led her to the large industrial kitchen previously run by the lodge’s small bar and grill rather than his private quarters.
“Okay, let me fire up things in here and I’ll show you the rest of the place. It takes a bit for the grill to fire up.”
He flipped a few switches and lights came on everywhere. After starting up the grill, he motioned for her to follow him. They made their way toward a back entrance to the kitchen and passed through a hallway to a room at the end. She noted that this time, he did use a key to gain entry. Walking inside, she found herself in a cozy living room with its own fireplace. It was decorated in much what you would expect from a bachelor, but still pretty decently.
“There isn’t much to it really. This was where the previous owner lived. It’s just this room, a bedroom and a bath. There isn’t even a kitchen. I have to use the big one, which is somewhat of a pain when I’m just cooking for myself.”
She followed as he walked toward the bedroom and flipped on the light. It was decorated much like the living room, in dark, earthy colors you would expect from a guy. She noted that the bed was a king size and found herself wondering how comfortable it might be to spend a night in. He walked inside and opened the bathroom door, revealing a large Jacuzzi style tub that also grabbed her attention.
“It only had a shower when I came here. I replaced it with this Jacuzzi combo. Much better.”
“I am sure it is.”
Angelina smiled a bit awkwardly and stepped away from the door, not waiting for him as she returned to the living room. He followed behind her, leading her back out and into the kitchen.
“The other end of the lodge is just set up like motel rooms really. There are a dozen single rooms and one large dorm style room down there, but we pulled out all the beds and turned it into a meeting room for the club.”
Angelina watched as he pulled ingredients from a large stainless steel fridge and put them over on a work table nearby. He threw some slices of bacon on the grill and pulled thick pieces of bread from a bag nearby.
“Turkey club okay?”
“Sure, sounds good.”
“Great. There are some chips over in the pantry if you want to grab us a bag. I pretty much like anything, so whatever you want is fine. It’s right over there by the walk in freezer.”
“You actually keep enough food in here that you still use the walk in freezer?”
“No, we use it for bodies.”
Angelina stopped and looked at him, wide eyed. She knew he couldn’t be seriously telling her that, but she wasn’t quite sure it was entirely a joke either.
“That’s not funny.”
“The look on your face says it was.”
He laughed and flipped the bacon. Angelina shook her head and went to the pantry to find some chips. She stood marveling at the selection. Most grocery stores didn’t have this many choices and it didn’t stop with just the chips. He had all sorts of dry goods and snacks in there in bulk.
“That is a lot of food!”
“Oh, yeah. On weekends, we open up the bar and grill to the club and any guests, so we buy a lot of stuff in bulk with the MC account.”
“Ah, that makes sense.”
Angelina brought the bag of chips in her hands over to where he was putting the bread on the grill to toast it while the bacon finished. He looked at the bag and smiled.
“You’re a woman after my own heart. Those are my favorite.”
“Mine too.”
“Alright. Let me put these together and we’ll go back to my place and eat. Otherwise, the guys are going to start waking up soon and overrun us. Bring the chips and grab what you want to drink out of the fridge over there. I’ve got some drinks at my place, but there is more to choose from in here.”
Angela grabbed a bottle of ginger ale and the bag of chips while he scooped up the sandwiches and put them on a plate, killing the grill and motioning for her to follow him. Sitting the sandwiches on the small counter that held a sink situated to one side of the living room, he retrieved two tray tables and set them in front of the sofa.
“I’m sorry. I don’t have a table in here. We could go out in the lobby if you prefer, but will be overrun with bikers very soon.”
“This is fine. It’s cozy.”
“Good. It will give us a chance to talk without interruption for a bit.”
“Don’t you have a garage to run?”
“Nah. It’s not open to the public. We mostly use it to fix our bikes and personal vehicles.”
“So, your garage is not open to the public and you don’t rent out the lodge. You must be independently wealthy.”
“Something like that. Let’s just say I have wise investments.”
Angelina took a bite of her sandwich and looked at him. No doubt that his investments were anything but legal and her mind was running amuck with the possibilities of what they might entail. Obviously nothing that she needed or wanted to know about.
“This sandwich is great.”
“Nothing fancy, but decent when you don’t have a lot of time to cook. I’d really like for you to come back sometimes when I can make you a real meal.”
“That would be nice.”
They chatted lightly about where they were from, the differences in Detroit, New York and here as they finished their lunch. Angelina was quickly realizing that while Anson might be a biker thug of some sort, he didn’t come across that way at all. He was very well spoken and intelligent. He admitted what he had done wrong on numerous occasions and said he came here to start over, to get a fresh start.
“Some things just tend to haunt you, you know?”
“I suppose that is true.”
“Like you. You’ve haunted me from the moment I first laid eyes on you. You’re beautiful and nothing like most of the women in this town.”
“I got out of this town as soon as I could. Many of them let it define them.”
His eyes were locked on hers and before she realized what was happening, he leaned in and kissed her. His hand tangled in her hair as he pulled her closer and drank her in, searching her mouth deeply with his own. She felt it all the way to her very core. Her mind told her to resist, but her body simply refused to cooperate.
It was like a train leaving the station, speed picking up until there was no stopping it as it steamed toward its intended destination. She gave in to him completely without so much as a fight. His body leaned over hers as he began unbuttoning her blouse, never losing eye contact with her. His rough hands pushed the tank top she wore beneath her skirt upward, exposing her breasts to his hot mouth. Moaning as he covered a single nipple and sucked at it, she felt impatient. She couldn’t remember wanting someone so much.
Her hands found their way between them, pulling at his belt, wanting to feel the hardness that pushed against her hip in her hands. Instead, he pulled away from her, grabbing her by the hand and leading her to the bedroom, disheveled and wet with want. Inside, he pushed her down on the bed, slipping off her jeans and panties as she finished removing her shirt and tank. She lay naked on the bed as he stood by it, stripping off his own clothes.
The remainder of the large tattoo on his chest was now fully visible, a coyote with red eyes and a skull in one paw. There were many more down his arms, but only the singular one on his chest. His body was in perfect condition, his muscles stretching provocatively as he pulled off the last of his clothes and slid onto the bed with her, resuming the feverish kiss that had begun on the sofa. His hand drifted lightly down her soft skin, the roughness creating chills down her spine and exciting her in a way that she’d not felt for a while.
“You’re so beautiful. I’ve wanted you since the moment I laid eyes on you.”
“I’ve wanted you too,” she admitted. It felt good just to let go and give herself to him without reservation.
His hands tangled in her hair as he kissed her again, his lips moving away to trail down her skin in a fiery path toward her thighs. She arched her back toward him as he bit into one of her thighs and then the other, letting out a cry of passion as he settled into her center, lapping at her clit and already soaked folds.
“You taste incredible. I could stay here all day.”
Angelina grabbed his hair and pushed him further into her, enjoying the way he gnawed and tugged at her clit between driving his tongue further into her to taste her juices.
“God, you’re driving me insane,” she moaned.
His response was only to tease her more with his tongue and teeth, pulling at her clit and sucking harder on it as he did. She could feel the pressure building inside, her body begging for release from the way he was tormenting her with his mouth. She gasped as he suddenly pushed her legs apart and slid his calloused fingers inside of her, rubbing them against her inner walls until she knew there was no holding back. Her body shook violently as she came and then came again, each wave followed by another as he continued to play her like a finely tuned instrument.
“Beautiful,” he moaned, lapping up her cum as he continued finger fucking her until she had nothing left to give. Her body shuddered to a stop as he pulled free of her, positioning himself above her and stroking his cock just above her dripping wet pussy. Her body seemed to automatically arch upward, inviting him in as he entered her with a single hard thrust, causing her to gasp audibly.
Her nails dug into his back as he began fucking her hard and deep. There was nothing soft or sentimental about their coupling, it was raw, passionate. Angelina felt like she was being torn apart with his girth as he pounded into her furiously as she screamed out with pleasure.
“God, yes. Fuck me harder.”
Their bodies were a whirlwind of motion as he drove into her again and again, seeming to enjoy the way she cried out and begged for more. It was the most animalistic and earth shattering sex she could ever recall having in her life. He wasn’t gentle nor violent, he was just rough enough to make her realize what she had been missing from anyone she’d ever been with. All she wanted was more.
“Harder, Anson. Yes, yes, please . . . “
Her words became less and less articulate as her passion reached a crescendo. She could feel the vibrations in her body begin again as she came violently, her body shattering into a million pieces it seemed as she exploded against his cock. Her nails dug into his back as the orgasm rippled through her.
“That’s a good girl. I love the way your whole body quakes when you come. I could stay inside you all day just to see that.”
Pulling her legs upward, he draped them over his muscular shoulders, driving even further into her and rocking his hips forward so that it felt like he was touching bottom each time he thrust forward. She moaned and cried out loudly, enjoying the way it felt both pleasurable and a bit painful at the same time. Then he was pulling free of her, turning her around so that she was on all fours and driving into her from behind. Her body rocked back and forth with the force of his strokes as he fucked her hard and fast from behind, her cries mixing in with his loud grunts and groans in a carnal symphony.
“God, I’m coming. You’re so fucking tight. It feels like you are milking my cock.”
“Yes, yes. Come inside me, Anson.”
She felt the warmth as he filled her with the fruits of their lust, sending his juices flowing through her system, mingling with her own before pulling free of her and falling to her side on the bed. She moved over and rested her head on his chest, more content than she could remember being for quite some time. Before she knew it, she dozed off into a peaceful slumber.
“Oh, God. It’s almost four p.m.!”
Angelina had awakened with a start. It took a moment for her to register where she was and what she was doing here. Then she had glanced at her watch and noted the time. Her Aunt Kay was going to kill her! She jumped up and began dressing hurriedly as Anson sat up in bed, his beautiful naked body sprawled out atop the covers. She could see him getting hard again looking at her, but there was no time for another round, as much as she would like to stay and just fuck him the rest of the day and night.
“I guess we dozed off, huh? I’ll get your truck keys for you.”
Angelina couldn’t help but note the dismissiveness of this tone. She wasn’t sure what she had expected. It was just sex, right? They barely even knew one another and he was a criminal. Sure, it had been the most intense sex she thought she had ever had, but it was still just what it was and nothing more. Be a big girl, Angelina, she coaxed herself. By the time she was dressed, he was too and holding her keys in his hand.
“Come on and I’ll walk you over to the garage.”
Angelina nodded as she followed him out the door and through the lobby of the lodge. She nodded the looks from several bikers who were hanging out in the area now and how they grinned to themselves. She was careful not to meet any of their gazes as she did her walk of shame over to the garage. Anson handed her the keys to the truck and looked at her, pinning her against the truck and kissing her. She felt it all the way down to her toes.
“I had a great time. We should get together again soon.”
“Sure,” Angelina replied, turning to get in the truck. She started it up as he stood holding onto the door. When it roared to life, he nodded appreciatively and patted the cab of the truck, shutting the door so that she could leave. She felt like a hooker, trading sex for free mechanical work. How could something have felt so incredible when it was happening and now feel so bad?
Retrieving her phone from her purse, she called her Aunt to apologize for her extended absence, telling her she got hung up at the garage for longer than expected. It was mostly the truth.
“Oh, honey. Don’t worry. We have had a great day. I took your father for a drive down to the lake where he used to fish and he loved it.”
“Did he remember it?”
“No, I don’t think so. It was if he was discovering it again for the first time, honey. The look of joy on his face was priceless though.”
“Does he always recognize you?”
“Yes. I don’t know why. It’s as if I am the only one he can remember consistently. Perhaps because we are twins. I can’t say, but he always seems to know me, though he sometimes forgets my name.”
“I wish he couldn’t remember me. It hurts to see him like this.”
“I know it does, honey. Just take your time getting home. We are just getting in and I bought a few things to make dinner in a bit. We’ll be eating in a couple of hours if you want to get home in time for that. Feel free to bring your friend.”
“Okay, Aunt Kay. Thank you. I think I will make a couple of stops on the way in then.”
Angelina ended the call and thought about “her friend.” She needed to be a big girl if she was going to play grown up games. It was casual sex and he owed her nothing beyond it. He had fixed the truck for free, after all. She supposed that was enough.
Making her way to the grocery store, she picked up the things she had intended to get before the truck had broken down. An hour had passed, so she still had a little time before dinner. After a bit of debate, she decided she had nothing to lose. Picking up her phone, she called Anson.
“My Aunt is making dinner. I thought since you made lunch, you might want to come out for it. She’s a pretty good cook.”
“Asking me to meet the family already? You don’t waste any time do you.”
“What? I, uh, no, I . . . .”
“Relax. I’m just yanking your chain a bit. I’d love to come to dinner. What time?”
“Should be ready in about forty-five minutes.”
“Short notice.”
“I’m sorry. You don’t have to if you don’t want. It won’t hurt my feelings.”
“Are you sure about that?”
“Yeah, I’m sure.”
Angelina felt a knot in the pit of her stomach. Why had she called him? She was trying to turn a casual encounter into something it wasn’t meant to be. Why hadn’t she just left it alone?
“I’d love to come to dinner, Angelina. I was missing you already.”
“Really?”
Every tense muscle in her body relaxed. She was so relieved that she wasn’t making an ass of herself by seeming too needy already.
“Yes, really. See you in a while. Should I bring anything?”
“No. I picked up some wine at the store and I’m sure my Aunt has made a table full of food. She always does.”
“Great. I’m looking forward to it.”
Angelina realized that she felt nervous as she pulled the truck into the driveway at her father’s house twenty minutes later. Making her way inside with the groceries, she began putting them away while her Aunt chattered about her day out with Carl.
“Did he go to bed early again?”
“No. He is watching television in the living room.”
“I’m going to go in and see him for a moment and then I need to freshen up. I invited my friend Anson over for dinner. I hope you don’t mind. He was nice enough to fix the truck for me at no charge. It’s the least I could do.”
“Oh, sure, honey. No problem at all, but this Anson, would that be Anson Hawthorne?”
“Yes. That would be the one.”
“I would never tell you what to do, but you know about his troubles with the law, right?”
“Yes. I know. He told me all about it himself.”
“Just don’t get involved in something that could drag you down with the wrong sorts, honey.”
“I think you’ll be surprised, Aunt Kay. He may have been that person before, but he came here to start over. He’s not as bad as you think he is, not at all.”
“I hope you are right, honey. Everyone deserves a second chance. Perhaps he will make the most of his.”
Angelina smiled at her and kissed her on the cheek before heading to the master bedroom to get freshened up and changed. She could still smell his scent on her and had to wonder if her Aunt Kay could, as well. She felt a flush remembering the afternoon events.
“Angelina, I think your friend is here.”
“Okay, Aunt Kay. I’ll get it.”
Angelina hurried out to the door just as Anson knocked, pausing for a moment to collect herself so she didn’t seem like an over eager teenager. She pulled open the door looking much more at ease than she felt. It immediately dissolved as she saw Anson standing there, looking positively delicious.
“Going to invite me in or just stand there and stare at me like I’m your favorite dessert?”
Angelina flushed red again, realizing that she had been doing exactly that. How transparent she must be to him. She was sure he had this effect on all the women he bedded and she felt a streak of jealousy. Reminding herself that she might not be as special as she hoped, she dialed it back a notch.
“Funny. Come on in, Anson.”
“Thank you. I know you said not to bring anything, but I brought some wine anyway. It’s my favorite. Nothing fancy, just a chillable red. I thought maybe we could put it in the fridge and have it after all the grown-ups go to bed.”
“Sounds good.”
“You sure? You don’t seem very thrilled with that idea.”
“No. No. It’s fine.”
He gave her a puzzled look and she realized she was being a bit of a flake, hot and cold, all that. She wanted to devour him, but she was afraid that if she showed too much interest, he would bolt. That was the last thing that she wanted from him, though she wasn’t sure any other offerings were on the table.
“I’m sorry. I guess I’m just not sure how to behave after today. I don’t usually just do things like that with someone I hardly know.”
“I know you don’t. I’m glad you did. I like that you couldn’t resist me.”
He smiled at her with a crooked grin that only melted her further. She smiled back, a flush creeping up her face once more and he laughed.
“And I love that you have that shy streak that leaves you all flustered like that.”
They were disrupted by her Aunt calling them to the table. Anson followed her in to the dining room where her Aunt and Father were already sitting at the table. Anson looked at her father for a moment and smiled, reaching for his hand to shake it.
“Mr. Thompson! I didn’t realize you were Angelina’s father. It’s great to see you again.”
“Anson Hawthorne? I haven’t seen you since you rolled into town and dropped a wad of cash on the counter for that old hunting lodge. You had that heap plowed under yet?”
“No, no. Just the opposite. I’ve done quite a bit of repair work to it and live there. You should have Angelina bring you out sometimes to see it.”
“Ah, I wish I could. Angelina’s been in New York for quite some time now. I’d love to see her, but she just doesn’t seem to get home like she used to. I miss her so much.”
The sadness in her father’s face was only matched by the confusion on Anson’s. He looked up at Angelina as if to ask a question and then realized the answer on his own. He mouthed the words to her and she nodded. He looked down for a moment and then took a seat near Mr. Thompson.
“I hear you went to the lake today? Were the fish biting?”
“We didn’t fish. My sister just wanted to get out and enjoy some fresh air. I’ll have to remember to take my pole next time she wants to do that. It looked like a good place to catch a fish or two.”
“I’ve heard it’s a great fishing hole.”
Angelina had a feeling that he had heard that from her father, though she wasn’t sure how they had crossed paths or why her father remembered him when he couldn’t remember her. She had to fight back the tears that threatened to surface at any moment. Anson looked over at her and put his hand on her knee, squeezing it knowingly. She smiled through her sadness at him as they began eating their dinner.
“Rose, I’m tired. I’m going to go on up to be, love.”
“Okay, Carl. Sleep well. I’ll help your sister clear away the dishes.”
The words felt tasteless in her mouth. It was so hurtful to have to talk to him as if she was her mother and for him to think she wasn’t coming to visit him, but what could she do about it? Would he have remembered her too if she hadn’t left? He remembered her mother, though he thought she was her. He remembered his sister. He even remembered Anson, who he had probably only met once. Why did he not remember her?
“Aunt Kay, I’ll clear the dishes. You’ve been here long enough. Why don’t you head on home?”
“Are you sure, hon? I don’t mind.”
“You’ve done plenty already. Dinner was delicious. Reminded me of Mom’s cooking, always does.”
“Thank you hon. I’ll head to the house and let you kids talk.”
Anson and Angelina both said their goodnights and walked to the door with her. Anson stood watching until she was safely in her car, though she was probably in the least dangerous place in the country.
“Let me get these dishes up and we’ll relax in the living room.”
“Here I’ll help you. How about I pour us some wine while we work?”
“Sounds good. So, how do you know my father?”
“I met him when I was buying the lodge. He was there visiting the owner and encouraged him to sell it to me while it was still standing.”
“Sounds about right.”
“He invited me to go fishing with him. Said I reminded him of himself when he was younger.”
“Really? That’s surprising.”
“Why? That your father may have once been a rebel of some sort?”
“I guess. I always just see him as my father, calm and peaceful. Never one to cause a stir.”
“It hurts you that he can’t remember you. I could see it in your face when he recognized me and spoke to your Aunt. I could see how it pained you for him to think you are someone else. Rose was your mother, I take it?”
“Yes. I look a good bit like her and he thinks I am her.”
“My grandfather had Alzheimer’s disease. He couldn’t remember anyone after a while. It is a sad ailment for everyone involved. I’m sorry, Angelina.”
“Thanks.”
Anson poured them each a glass of wine and they sipped at it while doing the dishes together. Angelina’s stomach had butterflies each time Anson leaned in toward her and placed soft kisses on her neck or shoulders. They finished the dishes and adjourned to the sofa with the remainder of the wine.
“So, what did you do in New York, Angelina?”
“I’m an accountant.”
“And what about now that you are out here?”
“I don’t know yet. I have some savings that will hold me for a while. Maybe just get a part time job somewhere. I won’t need much.”
“Would you consider working for the club?”
“What?”
“I could use a good bookkeeper.”
“You don’t have any books!”
“I have books. Trust me.”
“I don’t know if I should.”
“You can. I promise.”
Anson pulled her into his arms and kissed her again. It wasn’t the heated kiss as earlier, but a lazy, soft kiss that spoke volumes more about what he felt toward her. It wasn’t lust, it was an affection that had developed immediately between them. Perhaps there was such a thing as love at first sight, but what was she getting herself into?
“I’ll consider it.”
“What if I give you some incentive?”
“Like what?”
His kiss intensified, as he pushed her back on the sofa, tangling his fingers in his hair. She felt a tingling sensation all over as she pulled away and looked at her.
“Like that.”
“I’m still not sure. How about we go discuss it in my bedroom?”
“I thought you’d never ask.”
Their second time was nothing like the first. It was soft, sweet, like two old lovers who knew each other’s bodies instinctively. Angelina found herself shattering over and over as he made love to her so slowly and beautifully that she wanted to cry, falling asleep in each other’s arms once again. She awakened in the night to find him reaching for her, taking her again just as passionately and exquisitely as before. What she felt was so much more than lust, but it was too soon and she knew so little about who he really was.
Waking in the morning, she rolled over to find him propped up on one elbow, looking at her.
“What are you doing?”
“Just watching you sleep. I love how peaceful you seem when you are asleep. I don’t know that I’ve ever felt quite as peaceful as you look.”
“Never?”
“No. Maybe the closest I’ve ever come was last night, lying beside you.”
“You’re such a charmer.”
“I’m just honest. I could fall in love with you.”
“I don’t think I would mind that at all.”
They were startled by a sound in the living room and Angelina shot up out of the bed, getting dressed. She laughed as she realized she was acting like a teenager that was about to get caught making out by her parent, as she was sure it was just her father up and about. Then, she realized it was worse than that. If he thought she was Rose, it could be worse.
Making her way out quickly to the kitchen, she began making breakfast. A few moments later, she heard Anson in the living room talking to him. It was obvious that her father still recognized him and she found that it made her sad once again to think that he didn’t know her. Putting the food on the table, she called them into breakfast.
“Her Rose, look who stopped by again this morning,” her father was saying as he walked into the room and turned to see her. His expression changed immediately, a broad smile sweeping over his face. “Angelina! You’ve come home!”
Her eyes widened and she almost ran to him, giving him a hug so tight that she thought she might break his fragile frame. She didn’t know how long it would last, but he knew her. He finally knew her! Tears filled her eyes as she pulled away and looked into his pale blue eyes.
“Dad. I’m sorry I’ve been away so long. I’ve missed you! I love you so much!”
“I know kid. I know. I have missed you too. You’re my best girl! Hey, come here, I want you to meet Anson. I think you’ll like him. He’s about your age.”
Her father nudged her in the ribs a bit like he used to when he was trying to fix her up with boys he liked and laughed. Angelina smiled at him, brushing away her tears. It was all the endorsement of Anson she would ever need.
THE END
Date with the Devil
CHAPTER 1
There was nothing pleasant and enjoyable about being on the other side of a bar serving drinks to what seemed like the worst of the pack. But it was paying the bills, and if she was lucky, the tips would add up. At the moment, Trisha’s eyes kept watching the clock, counting down the hours until her shift ended. But as with every other night, the time dragged on, and she labored over her task of satisfying ungrateful and rowdy men one drink at a time.
“What will it be?” she asked the large heavyset man as he crashed his weight onto the stool opposite her. She was often glad of the safety that was afforded her behind the mahogany partition.
“Other than you?” he asked and grinned. She would have probably taken that as a compliment and smiled, if it wasn’t for the fact that he was a member of the Devil’s Disciples Motorcycle Club. They frequented the bar she worked, and this one never failed to make his affections known.
“Does your order come in a bottle?” she asked as she sighed and reached for the gin he would eventually take.
“What is it about you girls that make you think you’re so special?” he asked. He sounded as if he was already drunk, and about to make trouble. The worst combination she could think of at the moment; and she was not in the mood for it. She turned the bottle over and filled up the shot glass before sliding it over to him. He slapped it away, spilling some onto the counter and drawing the attention of some of the other patrons at the bar. “I asked you a question,” he told her and glared at her.
“I wasn’t aware that I needed to provide a response,” she told him. “It sounded like rhetoric to me.”
“What did you just call me?” he asked, further displaying his ignorance. “I’ve been asking you out for the longest while, and I’ve seen the way you look at the other clowns in here. You don’t look at me like that. Do you think they’re better than me?” Suddenly he leaned over and slammed his hand down on hers. She jumped, frightened about what he was thinking to do next.
“Hey, what’s going on?” some other guy further down the line leaned over and asked. “Johnny, leave the girl alone!”
“Mind your fuckin’ business,” he spat.
Trisha tried to ease her hand away while the man was distracted, but she was too slow. He folded her small hands in his and held onto her tighter. The fear she felt was now visible on her face, and she looked around wildly for someone to rescue her.
“Johnny!” A voice came over the din. The man tensed, and ever so slightly his grip on the girl loosened. He turned around to face Calvin Walker, leader of the Motorcycle Club. Trisha pulled her hand back sharply and quickly went to tend to her other customers.
She wasn’t that far off that she couldn’t overhear the conversation. “What the fuck is going on?” Calvin asked Johnny.
“Nothing,” he said and attempted to get up, but the man blocked his path. Johnny was bigger in mass than Calvin, but the power he wielded commanded greater respect, and the man shrank before him like a midget. “I was just having some fun.”
“Is that what you call it?” he asked. “Get your shit together man!” he told him.
Johnny wasn’t too pleased about being reprimanded in public and he shoved past the audience he had created and disappeared, obviously embarrassed. Calvin remained and took the seat Johnny had occupied earlier. He rapped his knuckles on the counter to grab her attention, and slowly she returned to take his order.
She wasn’t a fan of the motorcycle men, and she avoided them as much as possible. For obvious reasons. “What can I get you?” she asked him.
“White Russian,” he told her-a combination of Kahlua, cream and vodka.
She went about preparing his order, and he sat there, alarmingly quiet. She was not accustomed to a biker who was not rowdy, and she snuck peaks at him as she went about his order. “Here you go,” she said and placed the glass on a napkin. She was about to move off when he started speaking.
“Sorry about that mess earlier; my boys can be…unruly at times,” he said as if choosing his words carefully.
“No sweat,” she said and attempted to move again. She got the rag from under the counter and began to wipe water marks from the wooden surface.
“I can’t help but notice that you seem different from other bartenders I’ve seen before. What’s a girl like you doing in a place like this?” He put the glass to his lips and sipped, leaving a white moustache in its wake which he quickly swept aside with the back of his hand.
“Nothing wrong with the place; just the people who come here,” she replied cheekily.
He smiled at her response and drank some more. “You just seem too good for it,” he told her.
“The tips are good,” she added. She really wasn’t in the mood for a conversation, especially with him, and she was grateful when someone else called for her. She quickly walked away and left him to his drink.
By the time she got back to where he was, he had already gone. But he had left her a twenty dollars’ tip. She smiled as she slid the bill into the pocket of the tight jeans she wore. At least he had some class.
She didn’t see him again that night. Nor did she see Johnny again. But a bar was a bar, and when it wasn’t one thing, or person, it was another. By the time the night came to a close, she was weary. She called a cab and slumped into the seat of the yellow and black vehicle that would take her to peace.
“Rough night?” the driver asked as he moved off.
“You have no idea,” she replied as she rested her head against the seat and closed her eyes.
But then again, neither did she.
CHAPTER 2
It was some minutes past one when Trisha pushed the door to her apartment open. It was a small place she shared with her mother-now too old to work. But it turned out to be more of a convenience for her since she wound up with live in help for her two-year-old son. She was surprised to hear his voice when she stepped into the dimly lit room, and even more so when she heard the pitter patter of his tiny feet as he ran to her.
“Hey,” she said as she scooped him up into her arms. “What are you doing up? Hey ma,” she said and threw her bag onto the chair.
“Here mama,” he said and handed her a piece of paper he had in his hand. He gave her a smile and she hugged the toddler to her. That in itself constituted the best part of her day.
“Thanks sweetheart,” she said and pulled him around to her hip as she went into the kitchenette.
“I hate to see you coming home this late,” Martha said to her daughter and pulled her robe tighter around her.
“We’ve had this discussion ma,” she said, sounding exasperated as she did. “It’s not like there is anything I can get at the moment.”
“That’s not the place for a good woman,” she told her, echoing what Calvin had said to her only a few hours before. “I can talk to Brother Cedric down at the church. He has some connections he can use to get you out of that place.” She disliked that her daughter was working in a place she considered the devil’s play pen, and she made her opinions heard as often as she could.
But it didn’t make things any easier for Trisha. “I have tried to get a job before, and Brother Cedric already gave me all the leads he could find; they were no good, remember? I have to work, to pay these bills and keep things on the up for Aiden and for you.” She shifted the infant to her other hip and poured some milk onto the raisin bran cereal she was about to eat. She took up the bowl and went to sit around the small table in the corner of the room.
Her mother was quiet for a while, and Trisha sighed as she spooned cereal into her mouth and rocked her child. She gazed on him, and saw how content he was just to be there with her, and in that moment, as with so many before, she envied his innocence and his simplicity. And at present his lack of understanding of her current situation. She had gone to a decent school, and she was primed to be more. Until she found out she was pregnant. Aiden’s father was non-existent after that, and she was left with a baby to raise on her own, and an elderly mother. Work had been hard to come by, and she had been grateful when her uncle had offered her work in his bar. It was not the ideal job, but it would pay the bills, and as much as she hated it, she had had no other alternative.
“Would you like me to hold him?” she eventually asked.
“No, that’s alright,” she replied and smoothed his hair back. He soothed her in an odd way, and gave her something nothing else did. Peace.
“Okay, then its best I get to sleep then. I tried before but he would not sleep without you tonight.” She rocked herself to a standing position, and using the chair as support, was able to walk off, looking more like her old self.
“Is that true Aiden?” Trisha asked as she felt a tear roll down her cheek. She quickly pushed it back and blinked rapidly to prevent the copycats from doing the same. She smiled and squeezed him into her, and when he leaned back and stared her in the eyes, his black eyes penetrating her brown ones, she couldn’t help but think she had failed him somehow. Before the thought could take root, she kissed his cheeks and quickly replaced it with memories of better days.
“Bed,” he told her and pointed to the room they shared.
“That’s right sweetie,” she said and chuckled. “Mama’s tired too.”
She placed the empty bowl into the sink and left it there. She would get it tomorrow. She placed him in his crib and stood over him, watching his eyes flutter as sleep took hold of them. She brushed his cheek as he fell into peaceful slumber, and then went to the bathroom to wash what remained of work from her spent frame. Her legs ached, and before she slipped from her jeans, she spooned the wad of tips from her pockets. She had made eighty-nine dollars tonight. Not bad, she thought. She emptied it into a jar she kept under the sink, and closed the door again.
Soon, she would be able to afford the life she wanted. Soon, she would not need to go to that God forsaken place every night. But for now, she would need to rest to do it all again tomorrow. The thought brought Johnny’s face to memory, and she shuddered at the thought. He might be there the following day. And if it wasn’t one Johnny, it would be another.
But something better had registered in her mind, and it was Calvin. He had come to her rescue after all, but maybe he was playing his hand better than the rest, and all he wanted was a quick roll in the hay. No one was nice in that bar without ulterior motive.
“Just my luck,” she whispered to herself as she turned on the pipe and the warm water spilled out and onto her body.
CHAPTER 3
Every time the door opened Trisha jumped. She was on edge from the moment she walked into the bar; half expecting to see Calvin and fully expecting another encounter with either Johnny or another of the Devils. But things were quiet. Much quieter than she had remembered it ever being, and just as she was settling into it, she saw him at the end of the bar.
Her eyes scanned the room for any sign of the rest of this cronies, but he seemed to be alone. He signaled her, and despite what she thought or felt, it was her job to attend to him.
“You drinking alone tonight?” she asked Calvin when she got to him.
He chortled and looked around. “You noticed, huh?”
“Kinda hard to miss,” she replied. He didn’t seem like trouble, and she relaxed in the knowledge he provided her.
“Yeah, after last night, I told them to take a night off; go burn some steam riding or shooting pool or something,” he told her. “Anyway, it’s just us tonight,” he said and grinned.
She gave him a half smile and leaned on the counter. “So, will it be white Russian again?”
“No, not tonight. I think I need something a bit stronger, so…serve me up some Jack Daniels.”
She was used to the gruff voices and stone faces, but he seemed different. She couldn’t get a read on him, not a full one anyway, but there was something unique about him. “So,” she said when she returned, “the head of the Devils, are you? And here you are judging my job.”
He smiled and placed the glass to his head. He gritted his teeth as the liquor coursed down his throat, and gripped the glass tightly. “I guess we are both victims of our circumstances,” he said.
“Hey, you gonna fuck him too, or you gonna give us some beer,” an angry customer shouted at her.
Trisha rolled her eyes and moved away. Once again, she could not comprehend her present circumstances. What the fuck was she doing working in a bar? Her face grew blank as she went through the motions of attending to the waiting men.
“So, you wanna…”
She moved off before she heard what the idiot who had shouted to her earlier was about to say. He did not deserve her attention.
“Fuckin’ bitch,” she heard him say when her back was turned. But she was used to it, and she simply could not be like Melissa who flirted with the lot. Melissa was the other bartender who worked on weekends and on her days off. She had seen her in action before, and how the men were all over her. She dressed provocatively too, which made Trisha feel like a Hamish woman. She looked down now at her clothing, which constituted skin hugging jeans and a loose sweater top that fell just below her waist. The shoulders were loose, which showed more skin than she would have preferred.
“How are things going?”
She looked up and saw her Uncle Ron standing there. He was unlocking the swing door to come around.
“Hey Ron,” she replied as a genuine smile lit up her features. “I’m hanging in there.”
He came over and scanned her outfit. “I swear you are going to make me lose my customers,” he said and kissed her on the cheek.
“What? What’s wrong with my clothes?” she asked and looked down.
“Nothing. It’s just…blah,” he replied.
“Would you prefer to see your niece dancing topless on the bar?” she asked cheekily.
Ron laughed and ruffled her hair. “Not at all,” he said. “But add some flair to it will you?”
“Whatever. I don’t hear anyone complaining,” she replied.
“I complain,” one of the patrons offered. “I would love to see what’s hidden under all of that. Where’d you get this bore Ron? Now Michelle…”
“Okay Dan, that’s enough,” Ron interjected. “Hey, I’ll be here for a while, so just go on ahead and deal with those customers,” he said, pointing in the direction of Calvin. “I got these.”
Trisha walked back to where the man was sitting, and apparently waiting for her to return. “Another drink?” she asked him.
“Why not?” he asked and smiled. He had grey eyes, and black hair that had silver highlights that made him appear stately. He was wearing a leather jacket as usual, and a single item of jewelry-a gold watch. She could not make out any tattoos, but she was sure they were there somewhere.
“Give me a beer,” the guy next to him said.
“Sure,” she said and moved off. When she returned she handed the men their orders.
“If it’s any consolation, I like your clothes just fine,” he said in reference to her earlier discussion with her uncle.
“Thanks,” she told him.
“So, would you allow me to take you out?” he asked.
She thought about that for about five seconds before replying. “I don’t think so,” she said. She had to move, but when she glanced back, he was gone, and in his wake, a twenty dollars’ tip again.
Somewhere inside she felt disappointed that he hadn’t persisted. But she would not be disappointed. And she was surprised that she had to will herself not to be. For the remainder of the week Calvin appeared every night, ordering the same drinks, and asking her the same question.
On one such night, she stood there and looked him straight in the eyes. “How old are you?”
“Would that make a difference?” he asked.
“It might,” she said and rocked back on her heels.
“Okay,” he replied. “I am forty-four years old.”
“That’s a clear…eighteen years older than I am.”
“What, afraid you can’t handle it?” he joked.
Trisha found his comment amusing and laughed. “It definitely isn’t that.”
“Then, how about it then? Why won’t you go out with me?” he asked and locked his fingers on the counter. He was staring at her and demanding a yes from her.
“You should,” Ron walked by and whispered.
Calvin chuckled. “You should listen to him.”
“Okay, fine,” Trisha answered. “But I want to go to an actual restaurant.”
“What are you suggesting?” he asked and relaxed onto his stool again.
“Nothing,” she said and wrote her number on a napkin. She slid it over to him and he glanced at it and stashed it away inside his jacket pocket.
“Man, get the fuck outta here!” a voice shouted from the back. Closer inspection showed that once again, one of the members of his club was involved in an altercation.
“That’s my cue,” Calvin said and got up. He smiled at her and turned around. Trisha stood there and watched as he grabbed his man by the neck and flung him into the wall. “I am fuckin’ sick of your shit Danny,” he shouted. “No more breaks!” He yanked him from the table he was crouching over and pushed him to the door. The rest of the men followed.
“What the hell have I gotten myself into?” Trisha asked, and then went about her duties like a school girl. She hoped she would find an appropriate exit from Calvin’s world. Very soon.
CHAPTER 4
Trisha was in for a major surprise the following Saturday when she was due for her date with Calvin.
“Are you sure this looks fine?” she asked her mother. She was pacing the floor nervously. She had not been on a date in a long time and she was not even sure what she was in for.
“I think so,” her mother replied. “In my time it was a shame for a woman to go out with so much skin showing.”
By so much skin she meant Trisha’s bare arms that came from the sleeveless black dress she wore; it had a low cut that showed her chest, but was not cut so low that her cleavage showed; she was still self-conscious about her date being Calvin.
“Ma, this is fine, and these aren’t your days. Things have changed a lot since then,” she replied as she fluffed her shoulder length hair in the mirror. She was smoothing her dress and turning about to view her shape when her cell phone rang. “Yes?” she answered quickly.
“I’m in the entrance hall,” he told her.
“Oh. I’m coming down. Give me a second.” She hung up, exhaled sharply and kissed her mother before hurrying out.
She was expecting to see Calvin waiting for her, leaning against his motorcycle and wearing his usual leather jacket. What she didn’t expect was to see him wearing a white button down shirt with black pants. No jacket. No motorcycle. He looked nothing like a biker and she was pleased at the change in him.
“I did not see this coming,” she told him as he opened the door to his Honda sedan.
“I’ve got a few tricks up my sleeve,” he told her.
He was not kidding. He took her to an elegant little restaurant that had a garden setting. They were sheltered by a thatched umbrella nestled on a grassy lawn, and surrounded by a wooden bench. It wasn’t what she had expected, especially since her top half was largely bare, but it was a nice setting.
“I recommend the barbecued ribs,” he said and smiled.
Trisha laughed. “Why am I not surprised? Barbecue ribs does go well with a leather jacket.”
Calvin laughed. “Just try and see how well it goes with a slinky black dress too. You look nice by the way. Not very often I get to see this side of you.”
“Thanks, but I try to keep it under wraps,” she said and blushed. “You don’t look so bad either.”
“Can’t say the same about the feel. I feel like a shark on land,” he said and shifted as if trying to get comfortable in his clothes.
Trisha couldn’t help sputtering over the water she had just sipped. “Oh stop,” she laughed. “You look just fine.” And she meant it. He looked very debonair, and she didn’t feel a hint of regret at allowing him to take her to dinner. She did take his advice and ordered the barbecued ribs, and she could not contain her surprise over the palatability of it. It came with baked potatoes and steamed vegetables, and she savored every bite.
“So, what do you think?” he asked her as he cleaned his bone.
“I concede; this is good,” she said and wiped her mouth. “I must come back here.”
“That can be arranged,” he said and smiled.
The rest of the evening found them laughing and talking about odd things and events. She found she liked his company more than she had anticipated she would, and when the left, he stopped by the park so they could take a stroll.
“I don’t get it,” she said as she walked next to him. He had his hand shoved into his pockets and was all but whistling as he walked.
“Get what?” he asked.
“You don’t seem at all like the man I see coming into my bar at nights.”
“Not any more than you look like the bartender I am accustomed to,” he shot back.
“True, but something you had said makes me wonder still. You said we are victims of our circumstances. How is it you ended up as leader of the Devils?”
“Inheritance,” he told her. “It was something my brother did, and my father before him. It just kind of fell into my lap when my brother ‘retired’,” he replied. “I was accustomed to the life, so the shoes fit. But sometimes I’m not so sure I want to be there, you know.”
“I think I know what you mean,” she told him. They walked together in silence around the lake, before she hinted at the time. “I think I need to get back now and relieve my mother. Aiden can be a handful sometimes.”
“That’s your son?” he asked her.
“My entire world,” she replied and smiled.
“Let’s go then,” he told her. “Wouldn’t want to shift your atmosphere.”
When they got to her building, he reached across the armrest and touched her hand. She looked down at it, and then brought her eyes to meet his. “I really enjoyed your company tonight,” he said.
“Me too,” she smiled. “You really surprised me.”
“So, can we do this again sometime?” he asked hopefully.
Trisha thought about that for a moment and then smiled. “I’d like that.”
And without another word, he leaned in, and ever so softly placed a kiss on her lips. It caught her by surprise, and she was paralyzed for a few seconds. But the kiss wasn’t a bad one, and she found herself responding before she had a chance to fully think it through. She could feel the heat rising within her at the same time her heart began to flutter. His lips glided across hers, so sweet and soft she didn’t dare open her eyes and end the moment. She was almost sorry when she felt him pull away. But then, she couldn’t hide her embarrassment at the fact that he was now aware of her vulnerability.
“I’ll see you,” he told her.
“Yeah,” she said and exited the vehicle. He waited at the curb until she was safely inside, and from the rectangular pane in the door, she waved and smiled as he drove off. The smile she had felt creeping inside her now filled her face, and she blushed as she went to her apartment.
She slept peacefully that night, and where she had dreaded going to the bar before, she was now anxious for it.
CHAPTER 5
Trisha woke up the following morning humming a tune. This did not escape her mother.
“It went well I suppose,” she said as she folded some laundry.
Aiden ran up to her and she lowered herself to scoop him up. “It did,” she blushed and tickled the playful infant. He giggled and she tossed him in the air a few times before twirling with him. “How’s my pumpkin?” she asked.
“Mama,” he giggled and the proceeded to tell her something about the kitchen. He was pointing, but she wasn’t able to make out anything he was saying.
“I think he wants his cereal,” her mother said.
“Oh. Is that what you were saying?” she asked him and buried her head between his head and his shoulder. He squealed and grabbed a handful of her hair. “Ok, you win,” she told him and tried to untangle her hair from his grasp. “Let’s get that cereal.”
Trisha spent most of the Sunday with her son, which ended at the park two blocks from her apartment. Still, all the while she could not get her mind off of Calvin. She caught herself smiling several times, and by the time Monday night rolled around she was besides herself with anxiety.
Her eyes kept roaming the bar, but she saw no sign of him or his men. Her already sour temperament grew to enormous proportions, and by the end of the night she was livid with anger. She yanked the shirt from her body when she got home and slammed it into the laundry basket. Then she stared at herself in the mirror.
“It’s okay Trisha,” she told herself. “It was just one date. Nothing to be so sore about. He will turn up eventually.”
But telling that to herself and believing was another story. Calvin was missing for the other three days, and by the time Friday rolled around she had all but given hope that he would return. Until she saw him walking towards her. She froze in her task of wiping the glasses, and then turned away.
“Double shot of whisky,” he ordered. She didn’t respond, but instead moved to produce his order. He held onto her hand when she placed the glass before him. “Can I talk to you?”
“Oh, so now you want to talk?” she spat. “You wasted the last few days you should have spent doing that.”
She walked away, and half expected that after an hour he would be gone, and she would see the twenty-dollars’ tip he was accustomed to leaving. But instead he remained, and even when the rest of his men left he stayed. Even when everyone else was gone.
“I think now would be a good time to go too,” she said as she closed the cash register and locked up. “I need to get home.”
“Not yet,” he said and pulled her to him. He crushed her in his arms and replaced the words she was about to spill with sweet nothings, and a rabid need for her. “I’ve missed you,” he said between kisses, and though Trisha wanted to resist, she found herself clinging to him instead. The bar was empty, except for them, and Calvin lifted her and brought her to the booth in the back. He had an ache for her he could not deny, and when he looked at her head held back, and saw the vein in her neck pulsating, he registered her base desire for him.
He gripped her soft, warm body and laid her on the leather seating. When his breath touched her skin she shivered, and he breathed her in deeply. His lips found hers again, and she clung to his hair for support, already forgetting the week he had been gone and she had been pining for him. In that moment, she wanted him, and she was not about to deny herself his passion.
And Calvin was not in the mood for flurry and distractions. His hands surfed her body, ending on her firm ass. He gripped her there, and she tensed in anticipation of where they would move to next. She didn’t need to guess for long; he reached up and cupped her breast, and in one deft motion he had her shirt pulled up, revealing her smooth skin. He kissed her to her nipples, and then covered each with the warmth of his mouth.
Trisha was writhing by this, trying to shift in a more comfortable position. He noticed, and in that moment he slid her jeans down, revealing the blackness of her underwear in stark contrast to her skin. He lowered his head and smelled her, closing his eyes as her essence filled him. Then like a mad man, he stood and unbuckled his belt and let his manhood fly free. She rested on her elbows, gawking at its splendor before he pulled her to him. He let her sit on the edge of the table, and with her legs spread wide, he got easy access to her treasure. He slid inside, and she moaned as he filled her, and in the silence of the bar, they ravaged each other. The only other sound that could be heard was the scraping of the table against the floor, and their pants and moans. Calvin buried himself in her repeatedly, and she dug her nails in him as clapping sounds now filled the vacant room.
He pressed deeper into her, gripping her hips as her legs wrapped around him. Then he slowed, brought her face to his, and kissed her passionately and intensely. Trisha was barely able to control her breathing as the emotions swept through her. She could feel the ecstasy rising, and as she melted over him, he shuddered, muttered some inaudible words, and tensed as he climaxed in response to hers. He stood there, her legs still surrounding him and held her tightly to him.
Trisha was lost in the moment, and she rested her head against his chest as she felt him grow limp inside her.
CHAPTER 6
“So, what was that all about?” she asked as she got into his car.
“What, that?” he asked and used his thumb to point back at the bar.
She laughed, suddenly feeling lighter and freer once more. “No, not that,” she said. “I mean, we go out, and then you disappear, and then this?”
He wiped his hand down his face and then turned the key in the ignition. “It had nothing to do with you,” he said and pulled off the curb. “I had some complications with some of the members of the club.”
“So, should I expect this every time there is an issue with some of ‘your boys’?” she asked and quoted the words in the air.
“No, nothing like that,” he said and turned to look at her then. “I do find you attractive Trisha, and you seem like just the kind of woman I want in my life. There is a certain feeling of calm about you.”
“I can see why that would be appealing,” she smiled.
“So, can I take you out again?” he asked.
She looked over at him, but this time there was some level of doubt concerning the man he was and what he was capable of. Immediately, her mind wandered to the intimacy they had just shared, and she began to feel some guilt about it. She had been careless, and she had allowed her need to cloud her logic. She had slept with a man she barely knew, and she wasn’t sure she should continue, or that he would.
“Are you sure?” she asked. “I mean, back there was great, but, can there really be something between us? We come from such different backgrounds.”
“Yet, we are the same,” he replied. “Don’t think too hard about it. Just say yes,” he told her.
She gazed out the window at the city lights rolling by, and she closed her eyes as the warm air caressed her cheeks. She had gone this far; she really had nothing to lose. “Okay,” she said quietly.
But her doubts found no fertile ground, for Calvin showed up every day since then. They went to a club he visited on occasion; one where the Devils were sure not to be. He was surprised at how easily she let loose, and pleased that she was everything he had hoped she would be. He took her to dinner some nights, and on others, they just sat on the hood of his car and admired the stars and the city buzz.
“So, what will it be tonight?” he asked her as he sat on the stool in the bar.
“I was just thinking of staying in,” she told him. “I’ve had a little too much excitement of late.”
“Come on,” he pleaded.
“Cal!” someone shouted from behind.
Calvin turned, annoyance creeping into his face. “What?!” he snarled.
“It’s Johnny,” one of his men said. He had a scar running from just below his left ear to his mouth. “He is fuckin’ around with that bitch from the Hornets again.”
“Where is that piece of shit?” a voice sounded in the bar.
“Hey, whatever this is, take it outside,” Trish shouted. She had seen what these brawls could do and she was not about to subject the establishment to another reminder.
“Now, hold on a minute Sax,” Calvin said and stepped before the man. “There is no reason to…”
“The hell there isn’t. Where is he?” he barked.
“If you was fucking her the way you were supposed to, then she wouldn’t be running to me,” Johnny said as he pushed his chair back and got up.
“Johnny, shut the fuck up!” Calvin said. But the man had already charged, and before he could say another word, the two were tangled. Calvin rushed over and grabbed the man by the collar, yanking him off of Johnny. He placed himself strategically between them, and just as the man was about to charge again, he grabbed his fist, intended for his face, in midair. The act caused the man to stumble, and when he veered sideways, Johnny lunged at him.
“Get out of this Calvin,” Sax warned. “Johnny had this coming.”
Calvin straightened himself and wiped the corners of his mouth with his thumb and index finger. “Let me handle it,” he told the man and pressed his hand into his chest to stay him. The man was snorting fire by then, but he eventually shrugged off Calvin and stepped back.
“This ain’t over,” he told Johnny and walked off.
After he did, Calvin turned to Johnny, and before he knew what was coming, he landed him a punch square on the jaw. Trisha jumped when she witnessed the act, and in the middle of serving a customer she froze. She watched as he collared the man, and pierced him with his eyes.
“This is your last fuckin’ warning Johnny. Get out!” he barked. The man, who had been like an oak tree in the face of Sax, shrank down to the size of a twig. With his tail between his legs, he limped away, his pride, and possibly his jaw, ruined. Calvin stood there for a while longer, seemingly calming down, before he came back to the bar. He barely looked her in the eye just then, but she couldn’t deny she admired his prowess and how in control he was. There was a dark allure to him that intrigued her, and she wore a smile when she went back over to offer him a drink.
CHAPTER 7
“I thought you didn’t like my guys,” Calvin said to her as he played with her hair. They had just spent the evening relaxing at his studio apartment. She had been pleasantly surprised at how neatly he kept his place, and she had felt right at home as she curled up on the sofa with the throw covering her bare feet.
“Don’t get me wrong,” she told him. “I despise what you do, but I can’t say I don’t admire how you do it. I don’t even know how you keep those men in line. I mean, what if someone comes after you?”
He sighed and stroked her face. “I am sorry you had to see that the other night with Johnny and Sax, but no one is coming after me.”
“How do you know that? Any day someone could get angry enough to want to retaliate and then what would happen? I mean, I know you are tough enough to handle your own but…what?” she asked when she saw that he was laughing now.
“It’s just amusing watching how worked up you’re getting,” he told her. “It’s kind of cute.”
“It won’t be when they smash your face in,” she said, and she was developing a pout as she spoke.
Calvin was laughing harder by this, and before she could continue, he pulled her to him. “I’ll be fine,” he told her and kissed her.
She hesitated at first, but like all the other times before in the past month, she either could not refuse him, or she was that attracted to him she didn’t desire to. She opened her mouth and received him in the same moment that his hand found her breast. He squeezed gently at first, and then lowered his head to nip her on the peak. She felt the goose pimples stand at attention as he did, and she trembled when he slid his hand up her skirt to feel her throbbing invite. He sucked in a deep breath, and moved to push her skirt to her waist. He bit his lips and moved his hand up between her skin and the cotton underwear she wore. Then, he deftly pulled back and the thin fabric followed him down her thigh. He did the same with the other side, and when she lay exposed, he buried his face where she desired him the most at the moment.
She quivered as she felt his tongue traverse her slow erection, and she sensed the tenderness when it grew ripe and ready for him. He shifted her legs and pulled the underwear to her ankles, and when she lifted her leg out, he kissed her calf, her inner thigh, and then the soft moist spot that had grown red hot and burning with need. He inserted his two prominent fingers, curling them inside to meet her g-spot, and as she shook, he covered her clit with his mouth.
Trisha grew wild, and her heart pounded inside her chest. She dug her hand into his thick mane of hair. Something about the way the stubble on his face scratched her skin made her hornier, and she pressed him further onto her. By this Calvin had grown ripe with need, and he dipped his hand inside the waist of his sweat pants and pulled out his aching member. He turned her onto her side, and with his hand gripping her ass he forced his way into her. She dug into the fabric of the sofa as he moved about inside. She felt the sensations overwhelm her, and she began to grow dizzy. Calvin gripped her breast as he dug into her, and she moaned loudly as he pulled back and filled her again. And again. And again. Their breathing grew wild in the otherwise quiet space, and Calvin somehow managed to slip under her so that she was now on top of him, and her back towards him. He gripped the outline of her ass as she covered him, and as she rode, he moved her hips in a circular motion. He could feel himself growing larger and larger inside her, and before he did the unthinkable, he felt her flood him with her cum. He gritted his teeth.
“Oh, baby, now I am going to fuck you hard.”
He flipped her over on her knees, squeezing her swollen breast from behind. He plunged deep inside of her, and fucked her with wild abandon. As he felt his force rush from him, he pulled her hips toward his penis, and let her have it all.
Her body still heaved after they were through, and then she moved. She turned to face him, a smile spreading over her entire face, and he brought her back to relax on top of him. She curled up there, without saying a word, and it was then that she acknowledged how much he had grown to mean to her. And how much she never wanted to let him go, despite the number of years between them.
“I should have been with an older man all along,” she chuckled.
“Well, your only mine now.”
CHAPTER 8
Trisha stood looking at the device in her hand, her mouth agape and the color all but gone from her features. She knew what the double lines meant, but she hoped something was wrong with it. As if in answer to her internal questions and doubts, she felt the gastric acid rising inside her gullet, and she barely made it to the toilet bowl before the fluid came pouring out. She heaved as she felt like she would spill her organs. After a few bouts she only gagged and yakked, bringing nothing out but air and fright.
When she was feeling slightly normal again, she slid to the ground and rested against the bowl as the tears trickled down her face. Her mind immediately went on Aiden, and then her mother, and how she was already struggling. How would she cope with a baby on the way? What was even worse was that she had no idea how he would take the news. What would a biker, the leader of a gang, be doing with a baby?
“Are you okay?” she heard her mother call from outside the bathroom.
She quickly wiped the tears away and stood up. “Yeah ma. I’ll be right out.” She leaned against the sink and stared into eyes she did not recognize and then her eyes traveled to her stomach. Involuntarily her hand went there, and she felt the spot where her new baby had already begun to grow.
She trudged through the rest of the day after that, and by the time rolled around for her to get to work, her energy level had hit rock bottom. Calvin came in, like he always did, but she wasn’t sure how to look at him.
“Hey, what’s the matter?” he asked her.
“Nothing,” she told him and went about her regular duties. He kept his eyes on her the entire time, and he noticed how frequently she disappeared into the back room. Something was going on with her, and he needed to know what.
“What’s got you more sour than usual?” a customer asked as he downed his shot glass of whiskey.
She was so close to him the breath he exhaled formed an invisible smog over her face, and almost immediately she felt like retching. She rushed to the back and into the bathroom for what felt like the millionth time that night. Upon her return Trisha saw Calvin looking oddly at her, just before he left the bar. She was relieved she wouldn’t have to face him at the end of the night, but her mood wasn’t lightened in the slightest bit.
The was looking at her strangely when she returned. “If I didn’t know any better I’d say…”
“No one asked you anything,” she snapped and cut him off. She spotted Ron coming in then, and she moved towards him. “Hey, I’m not feeling so good tonight,” she told him. She kept her eyes averted so he couldn’t read what was on her mind. “Would you mind if I left early? It’s only about three hours for my shift to end.”
“Yeah, yeah, sure,” he said. “I got this.”
“Thanks Ron,” she said and hurried to grab her things. The cool night air on her face relieved her somewhat of the nausea. She had just started walking to the corner when she saw him standing across the street. When he saw she had seen him, he skipped across the street and came right before her.
“Are you pregnant?” he asked her.
Trisha’s eyes peeled at the suddenness of his question. And more importantly its accuracy. “Wh-what?” she stuttered.
“I know the marks of it,” he replied. He stood there waiting for her to reply, and she shifted around on her feet and then stared at the pavement. “Did you plan to tell me? How long have you known?”
“I only found out this morning,” she replied. “I mean, I’ve been seeing some signs but I didn’t want to believe it.”
“Wow,” he said and raked his hair with his hands. “Wow.”
“Yeah, wow,” she echoed. She looked up at him then, and she was surprised at what she saw. He didn’t seem at all perturbed by the news. As a matter of fact, he was smiling. “You like this news?”
“Why the hell wouldn’t I?” he asked. “I am just…I didn’t once think it would happen again.”
“Again? You have been trying?!” she asked almost angrily. She didn’t want to think that he had been deliberately trying to impregnate her.
“No, not you,” he told her. She sighed with relief when he answered, but his intentions were not in question now; she was pregnant nonetheless. “So, how do you feel? How far along are you? Should you be around all that alcohol still?” The words flowed from him like water from a tap, but she just stood there looking at him.
“Are you even listening to yourself?” she asked him. “Calvin, I am already struggling to maintain my son and mother, and now there is another baby on the way,” she said as the tears began running down her face again. “I don’t know what I should do, or what I am going to do.”
“Hey,” he said and came over to hug her. She stepped back and held her hands out. “What…what…?” he wasn’t sure what to ask, or what to do as he found himself in extremely unfamiliar territory. “Look, it is a bit chilly out here. Let me take you home.”
She wiped her eyes and looked around. “That’s fine. I think I’ll take cab,” she said and backed away. When she was a few feet off she turned, and Calvin was left standing on the pavement wondering what he had missed. The elation he had felt earlier was suddenly replaced by concern and confusion as he watched her back disappear around the bend. Then he turned and went back into the bar; he needed something strong to drink.
CHAPTER 9
“Hey, you ridin’ today?” Crusher asked Calvin. The man was sitting on his motorcycle with a rag in his hand. He had been adjusting the brakes, and was now rubbing off the grease that had blackened his hands.
“Nah,” he replied and paid undue focus to the simple task of cleaning his hand.
“You sure?” Crusher asked. “Hornets were spotted fishing in our territory. Johnny…”
“If I hear that mother fucker’s name one more time…where the hell is he by the way?” Calvin spat. Ever since he had taken over the club Johnny had been nothing but a thorn in his side. It seemed he was in a permanent state of rebellion since he had wanted to take over ruler ship of the club; a position Calvin would have given to him if he had shown himself capable.
The only reason he had assumed leadership was because his brother had made it out to be an inheritance; something he had to do. But he had grown accustomed to the life, having lived it for several years, and being at the top for a few months. Now, the things he would normally be engaging in were slowly becoming shadows behind Trisha’s news of the baby. Johnny was the last thing he needed to deal with now.
“He’s around back with the guys,” Crusher answered.
“Let him stay there. You and the others can ride; that’s not for me today,” he said and tossed the rag onto the seat.
Crusher stood looking at him for a few seconds before walking off. The man had a distant look in his eyes, one he had never seen before, and he could tell company would not be the thing he needed. “Alright,” he said. When he turned the corner Calvin heard him whistle, then a few murmurs, and later, the sound of thunder as all the engines came to life at once. Calvin watched the cloud of dust that followed them out of the yard, and then took out his phone absently.
Trisha hadn’t spoken to him in days; ever since he had discovered her pregnancy. He slid his hand across the phone to unlock the screen, and dial her number-one he knew by heart. But as usual, it rang and went straight to voicemail. He was not content with waiting on her to show up, and with his heart in his hand, he got on his motorcycle and sped to her home.
The woman who answered the door looked him up and down before responding to him. He surmised she must be her mother, since he had not met her before. “May I help you?” she asked.
“I’m here to…” the words fell short when he saw her approaching.
“Mama, it’s okay,” she said as she hurried down the hallway. “What are you doing here?” she asked him. She stood uncomfortably with the grocery bag across her midsection.
“Do you mind?” he asked as he held his hand out so he could to assist her.
She shifted on her legs and then nodded. He took the bag and followed her inside. Her mother was still sneaking looks at him, but she never volunteered an introduction. It took him by surprise when she ambled over to him.
“Are you the man who got my Trisha pregnant?” she asked directly. She stood there looking at him as she waited for the answer.
“Ma!” Trisha replied as she tried to shut her up.
“I want to know, because you already have a child without a father, so I want to know if this one will do better,” she said, as she folded her arms across her chest.
Calvin stood there, looking from one to the other and not knowing exactly how to respond. “I..” was all that came from him, so stricken was he with embarrassment.
“Well?” the woman asked as she looked him over. “You seem like a capable man, despite those ugly marks on your skin. Do you have any more children?” She was referring to the one tattoo on his forearm that was visible now that he wasn’t wearing a jacket.
Calvin had never undergone an inquisition but he suspected now what one must feel like. “No, ma’am,” he replied, as if choosing his words. “I had one.”
Trisha’s eyes went to him then, as he spilled information she had no knowledge of before. “Ma, just leave him alone,” she defended again. The woman made one last sweep before walking off, just as Aiden came running in. Calvin watched her leave with the toddler, and then he returned his attention to Trisha.
“I didn’t know you had a child,” she told him, as she turned her back to unpack the small parcel of groceries.
“There are many things you don’t know about me,” he replied and made his way over to her. “And even more you didn’t even bother to ask,” he said as he insinuated their unborn child.
“There is nothing to talk about,” she said.
“I think there is,” he said and forced her to face him. “Do you think you have to do this alone?”
“I think I might,” she told him, her voice suddenly getting shaky. “Look at you, and the life you live. It was a mistake to get so caught up, and now we have involved a baby into things and I…” She sighed, as the words died in the air. “I just don’t want to do this.”
“Are you hinting at something?” he asked accusatorily. He could tell in her voice she had been contemplating an abor…he couldn’t even bring himself to think the ugly word.
“I just think it would be better if…”
“Don’t even think about it Trisha,” he almost shouted. “This is my child too! My child! You have no right to do anything without talking with me. You don’t have to want him, but I do.” He was getting more emotional than he had ever known himself to be, and he could feel the fire growing to enormous proportions within him.
“So, what do I do?” she asked, tears coming to her eyes.
“Nothing,” he replied. “Just let me handle this.” He walked off then and she followed him to the door.
“What does that mean? Handle what?” she asked.
He stopped when he was in the hallway. Then he turned and looked at her, and she could see the hurt in his eyes. “Just don’t do anything without me.” And then he turned and walked away.
She stood there watching him as he opened the door to the stairwell and disappeared inside. She felt her mother come up behind her, which meant she had been listening all along too.
“How old is he by the way?” she asked.
“Ma,” Trisha replied in an irritated voice. “Just leave it alone.”
She followed her daughter back inside, and closed the door behind them. “I hope he was wrong,” she said.
Trisha pretended not to hear her, but she was already feeling ashamed of even having thought about it.
CHAPTER 10
The following days she was plagued with a sense of guilt and increasing anxiety. Her nausea had abated, if even for the moment, and she appreciated it. She was half expecting Calvin to show up later that night. But he didn’t. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw Johnny enter, and then some of the other men. But no Calvin. Immediately she thought that he must be angrier with her than she had assumed. She held her head down and was overly attentive to the glass she was wiping.
“Hey!” she heard someone shout. “Refill?” The man was banging his glass on the counter and seemed to have been trying to get her attention for some time.
“Sorry Reg,” she said and moved to the man.
“What’s got you so out of it?” he asked when she got to him.
“Just family issues,” she replied. She poured the drink without another word and he didn’t ask. She kept watching the door, but her hopes were constantly dashed when each time the door opened it admitted another person she was paid to serve.
What she couldn’t ignore was the weird looks she kept getting from his men. They didn’t say much, but they were less rowdy than usual. And that didn’t change for the following three days. On the third night since he had visited her home, she had all but given up hope of seeing him. It didn’t make any sense to her why he would have gotten so passionate before, only to disappear after. She didn’t need another day to make up her mind about what she needed to do, and come the following day she had a necessary trip to make.
Her feet dragged behind her as she crossed the busy intersection. Her mind was swirling when she got to the door to the doctor’s office. She stood there, rooted to the spot as her heart thumped in her chest.
“Are you coming in?” the security guard asked as he held the door back.
She looked at him blankly, almost as if she was looking right through him. Then she stepped back, and started sobbing as she hurried back to the corner. Her eyes were so wet with tears, and the sound growing louder in her head the longer she stood there, that she was blinded to everything else around her. She wheeled madly around when she felt someone touch her, and she blinked rapidly to clear the mist.
“Trisha,” he whispered when he saw her.
“Just go Calvin,” she told him. “As if I wasn’t confused enough, you have made things even worse for me.”
“Oh, but you have been mistaken,” he told her as he gripped her by the shoulders and turned her around to face him.