LYDIA

 

It seemed like every place in Ivory was grassroots. I hadn’t seen much of the town, but it appeared most places were family-owned and operated. Everybody knew who each other was like they’d been friends their entire lives.

The small restaurant Sean took me to later that night wasn’t much different from everywhere else.

It was a quaint restaurant I wouldn’t have looked twice at if I were driving by it. Considering the only other place I’d been to was a rowdy biker bar, it was a nice change of pace.

I looked around the room while Sean sat in front of me.

“What do you think?” he asked.

“It’s… nice.”

He wasn’t wearing the leather vest I saw him in, just a plain v-neck t-shirt that hung over his broad shoulders. His blond hair was slicked back over his head. He was still handsome, in a rugged sort of way.

“This must be different for you,” he said. “Coming down here from the big city… It must be some kind of change.”

“It’s different. Definitely. But it’s something I’m open to. I wouldn’t have come here if I weren’t ready for it.”

“What’s it like?”

“What’s what like? The city?”

“Yeah.”

I was puzzled by his question. But from the look in his eyes, I assumed he was serious.

“You’ve never been?” I asked.

He shook his head.

“Ivory, born and raised,” he said. “I’ve spent all my life here. Sure, I’ve been to different spots but never up north. Not for too long, anyway.”

“I’m sure you’d like it just fine. There are a lot more people there.”

“What’s different?”

“What’s different? Hmm…”

I looked around the room. The atmosphere of the small restaurant wasn’t like any other place I’d been to but it was hard to put my finger on it.

“…I’ll put it to you this way,” I started. “If this were a restaurant up north, all these people around us would be on their phones. They’d be having conversations, text messaging, taking selfies. That sort of thing.”

“People still take selfies here,” he said, chuckling softly. “Ivory’s a small town but we’re not a bunch of backwater hicks.”

“I didn’t mean it like that. I just—”

“I know you didn’t. There’s nothing quite like Ivory-folk. There’s just no way to describe it.”

“Yeah…”

He winked, his smile revealing white teeth behind his lips. Just a smile was enough to make my cheeks redden with embarrassment. I looked down at the ground for a second to try and maintain my composure.

Sean was a mystery that I was still trying to figure out. Every second I spent with him, I found myself wanting to know more about him, for one reason or another.

“What about you?” I said. “You’ve been here all your life. I’m guessing you enjoy life in Ivory just fine.”

“It suits me. This is my life. It’s all I’ve ever known. The people. The places. The weather. The club. I’ve got everything important to me here, so there’s no reason for me to leave.”

“The club… Right… What is that exactly?”

“They have motorcycle clubs back where you’re from?”

“Maybe,” I said with a shrug. “I never really looked into it. It wasn’t something I paid any attention to. Out here, it seems like a big deal.”

“Big deal…”

He burst into laughter. Sean chuckled so heartily that some of the other tables took notice of him.

“I guess that’s one way of putting it,” he said.

“What’s it all about? Just a bunch of guys riding around in motorcycles?”

“It’s more than that. To get patched in… It really means something. You become part of a brotherhood. Bikes are important but it’s more than that. It’s a lifestyle. When you get your patch, you wear that thing with honor. And the people of Ivory understand just how important it is.”

“You’re not wearing it now though.”

He gulped a sip of his beer then set the bottle back down. I could almost see the gears churning in his head. The smile on his face was gone and I worried that I might have offended him.

“I know,” he said. “I figured I wouldn’t wear it tonight. Not around you.”

“Why is that? You said you were proud of being in a club.”

“I am. But you’re different. You’re not like the other girls in Ivory. That shit wouldn’t work on you. No, I want you to see the real me. I want you to see who I really am.”

I slowly nodded in understanding.

Despite his demeanor, I could tell Sean was being sincere. There was something about the way he looked at me that made me want to believe everything he said to me. It felt like I constantly had to be on guard around him.

“Thanks,” I said. “I appreciate that. Honesty is always a good thing.”

“What’s a man if he’s not honest with his woman?”

“His woman? Getting a little presumptuous, aren’t we?”

I raised an eyebrow at him, taking a sip of my beer at the same time. He grinned. For a second, I almost thought he was blushing at me.

But a man like him? Blushing? Not likely.

“In due time,” he said. “Still, I really do want to get to know you better. If you’ll give me a chance.”

“I’m giving you a chance now.”

“I’m glad. So…”

He leaned forward and propped his elbows up on the table.

“Tell me more about Lydia,” he said.

“Lydia is just a girl from up north who came to Ivory to work at Amy’s Bakery.”

“How did you end up there?”

“I used to work at a restaurant in the city.”

“You didn’t enjoy it?”

“I did. I made ends meet. But the city… It just didn’t really vibe with me for some reason. I looked into it and Amy was willing to take me on. I love cooking but baking is a real passion for me.”

I wasn’t looking at him when I was talking, my gaze focused on the table in front of me. When I turned my head up, I noticed that he was just staring at me while listening to every word I said.

“That’s great,” he said. “That’s… amazing.”

“Amazing,” I said with a giggle. “I wouldn’t go that far. I’m just trying to do my part to help Amy. It seems like her business is struggling a bit.”

“Is it? What’s the problem?”

“I don’t know. That’s part of the reason I came down here. For whatever reason, Amy’s sales are down.”

“It’s like that all over Ivory. The economy isn’t what it used to be. Amy’s a good woman though.”

“She is. I’d hate to see her lose her business. Especially when she’s been a fixture in this town for so long.”

“Maybe I can help.”

“You?” I said, my eyes widening. “What can you do?”

“You say that like you don’t believe me.”

“N-no,” I stuttered. “It’s not that. It’s just—”

“It’s all right. But the Reapers are looking to invest in the city. Maybe I can talk to the club and see what we can do to help Amy out. She’s got the best donuts in the city. Our boys go out there for breakfast when they get the chance.”

“Right… The Reapers…”

I considered what he said. Sean was still a stranger to me but he seemed open about everything so far.

“The Reapers,” I said. “How did you end up with them?”

He leaned back in his seat and smiled. His eyes glazed over like he was lost in a memory.

“Every boy growing up in Ivory dreams of joining a club,” he said. “Clubs around here have a reputation for being special. When you’re in a club, it means you’ve done something with your life.

“I was always around cars and bikes. My dad always had something in his garage that he was working on.

“When I started getting older, I worked enough to get my own bike. I met some of the other patches. I got in good with the Black Reapers. That was that.”

Sean smiled at the thoughts running through his head, his eyes staring off into space.

“Your father,” I said. “Where is he now?”

He shifted his eyes back toward me.

Shit.

The way he looked at me, I immediately regretted asking him.

“I’m sorry,” I said. “I didn’t mean to—”

“It’s okay. My father is gone. Shit just happens when you get older. Same with my mom. Sometimes people get sick and there isn’t anything you can do.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. It’s not like it was your fault. I’m doing just fine. I’m still young and in my prime. Twenty-six years old and I’ve got my whole life ahead of me. My parents are still with me.”

“I’m sure they’re proud of you.”

“Yeah…”

He shifted his gaze away from me. The awkward silence between us was broken when the waiter arrived with our food. I looked down at my meal and saw the steak sizzling in front of me.

“Dig in and tell me what you think,” he said.

The smile returned to his face. He gave me a wink and I forgot all about the conversation we just had.

I dug my knife into the meat and ate a piece. It was like eating a home-cooked meal.

Sean hungrily hacked away at his steak. He ate with the ferocity of a man who hadn’t eaten in weeks. It was amusing in a way, like watching an animal at the zoo during feeding time. When he noticed me staring at me, he wiped his mouth off with his napkin.

“Sorry,” he said. “I didn’t mean to—”

“It’s all right. I worked at a restaurant, remember? It’s always nice to see someone enjoying their food.”

“It’s been a long time since I’ve had food as good as this. I just got out a few weeks ago. When they’ve got you eating the same food day-in and day-out, you kinda get sick of it.”

“Right…”

Gina told me he just got out of prison. It was big news all over Ivory, apparently.

My curiosity was getting the best of me. I wanted to ask him about it. But talking to him about some piece of gossip Gina gave me while I was having dinner with him didn’t seem appropriate.

“What’s wrong?” he said suddenly.

“W-what?”

“You’re not eating.”

“Oh, right… I… I was just thinking.”

“About what?”

I remained silent. I focused my attention on cutting my steak. But when I didn’t respond, all it did was make Sean curious.

“You heard things about me?” he said.

“W-what?”

“Sheriff Sutton was in the bakery this morning. I saw him there. And I know Gina. I’m sure it didn’t take long for her to give you the details.”

“I… I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

I distracted myself by shoving a piece of steak into my mouth.

Sean persisted.

“Go ahead,” he said. “Tell me what’s on your mind.”

“I don’t think—”

“Lydia, look at me. Do you think I haven’t heard some shit before? Do you think I’m easily offended?”

“No,” I said, shaking my head softly and giggling. “I guess you have a point.”

“Damn right I do. Go ahead now.”

“All right…”

I kept cutting my steak as I asked him.

“…Did you really kill a man?”

“I did.”

He said it without hesitation.

“Three years,” he said. “They gave me three years. Involuntary manslaughter. Got off lucky if you ask me.”

“Right…”

“I suppose you want to know what happened.”

I shook my head.

“No,” I said. “That doesn’t matter. You did your time. That’s what matters.”

I took another bite of steak into my mouth. I smiled at him while I chewed on it. Sean stared at me for a second before smiling back.

There was more to it than that. Killing someone was a huge deal. But I wasn’t interested in learning about that. For now, all I wanted to do was enjoy the company of the biker sitting in front of me.

“How do you like the food?” he asked.

“It’s good,” I said. “Real good. They know how to cook their steaks here.”

“Wait ‘til you try their desserts.”

He winked at me, forcing me to laugh in response.

“Honestly, I’m still a little tired from the dessert last night.”

“Lydia? I was talking about their peach pie. What are you thinking about?”

“W-what?” I stuttered. “What… I mean… I didn’t—”

As soon as I saw the grin on his lips, my cheeks flushed with embarrassment like so many times before while I was around him. I put my head down to avoid looking back at him then sighed a deep breath through my nostrils.

“I enjoy your company,” he said.

“What?”

I turned my head back up and saw him smiling politely.

“I enjoy your company,” he said again.

“I… I enjoy your company, too. I… I hope this isn’t the last time we spend together.”

“Me, too.”

“Maybe we can share a piece of that peach pie together.”

“That sounds good. After that, I can give you a ride home.”

“Just a ride home. I’m… I’m still—”

“Tired from last night. I know.”

He winked at me again. I was practically biting my bottom lip off at this point, trying not to blush.

Regardless of how embarrassed I might have felt at the moment, I was comfortable all the same.

Sean wasn’t like any other man I’d ever met. I could only hope I would get the chance to get to know him even better.