Chapter Twelve
The Cornish hens were a huge hit, as were the garlic mashed potatoes Meghan had made, and the salad that Rahab had helped with. They also had green beans with bacon, and plenty of bread. Chloe had told her the guys couldn’t seem to eat a meal without bread. Earlier, Rai had made apple pies for dessert, and they intended to top those off with vanilla ice cream.
Liz had been close to tears a few times while helping the women make dinner. The entire experience had been so domestic and normal. Something she’d never had much of. She hadn’t intended to tell them about her past, so when Meghan had asked her where she learned to cook the hens, she’d flat out lied.
The truth was that she had learned how to make them from a guy she dated for a few weeks. He was a chef in a restaurant on the west side of Cleveland, and they served basic foods like that. But she hadn’t wanted to go into detail or talk about other men in front of Rahab. Not that it would matter. They were only having sex. But still…
Right. Only sex. Nothing more.
What he’d said about convincing her to stay here instead of at her apartment had caught her off guard, and it was exactly why she was so conflicted about him. Listening to Chloe and Meghan talk about going back to school had made her more determined than ever to follow through with her plans.
Not that they had terrible lives here. Not at all. They were fun people and obviously very happy, as well as very much in love with their men. It shone through in everything they said and did.
However, she couldn’t help noticing that only a handful of the members had old ladies, and every unattached woman here was a dancer or a sweetbutt. Most were both. This wasn’t a lifestyle she understood, but one thing stood out clearly. The only woman here who had a job other than her assigned domestic duty was Rai. She worked part time for Donny, and used an office here when she did.
And that was fine because these women were content with their lives in this club. It’s just that Liz wasn’t sure she could ever be. Having her independence, and keeping relationships short-term and casual, had also meant no one interfered with her goals.
Rahab leaned close, chipping away at her resolve once more. No one had ever affected her this way, and she didn’t know how to handle it. She had no frame of reference.
“Are you having a good time?”
“Yes. The food is good, isn’t it?”
“It’s great.”
She suspected he hadn’t been asking about the food, but they were at a massive table with about fifty other people. Not the place or time to have a serious discussion.
“Liz,” said Kayla, “what’s the difference between what a paralegal does, and what a lawyer does?”
“Money.” Everyone laughed, including Rahab. “Seriously, they make a heck of a lot more than I do, but there are differences. I can’t give clients advice on the law or on legal procedures, I can’t represent them, and I can’t prepare original documents.”
“But weren’t you working with some sort of contracts over the weekend for Donny?”
“Yes, but under the direction of one of the attorneys at the firm, and none of the wording was mine. In other words, I can type them up, but a licensed attorney has to tell me what they need to say.”
“Don’t you know how they want them worded, though?” asked Rai.
“I’m learning, yes. And in time, I’m sure I’ll be taking on more responsibility, but for now, my work is carefully supervised.”
“Why didn’t you go to law school right away?” asked Natalie.
“Money.” A few people laughed again. “I’m taking the step approach to this.”
“Do you enjoy the work?” asked Janel.
“I love it.”
“Donny scares me.” She hugged herself. “If I had to work that closely with him, I couldn’t do it.”
“He’s a very nice person, actually.”
“He is,” said Rai. “It’s different when you’re talking business with him. He’s like anyone else. Taking care of his family, and making sure he holds onto what he’s worked so hard for.”
She gets it. Liz smiled at Rai. Of all the women here, she probably understood the most what it was like to have a career and independence. Then again, she’d lost her entire business and yet here she was, old lady to Tannin. And she glowed. Clearly, this suited her.
How had she dealt with that? Did she feel as if she’d given up anything? Did she hope to form another marketing firm one day?
Rahab leaned close again. “You look like you have the weight of the world on your shoulders.”
“Just taking it all in.” She glanced up at him and forced a smile to her face. “You’re like a family here, and I’m enjoying the atmosphere.”
The light in his eyes reassured her she’d said the right thing. “We are a family. Any one of these men and woman would do whatever they could to protect the club and the MC. The patched members of this MC would die for one another if need be. All the officers and most of the long-term members grew up together.”
“I didn’t realize that.”
“Most of us are from Creek Ridge or close to it. Tannin was best friends with Gorgon’s older brother, Scotty. The strip club is named after him.”
Liz glanced around. “Which one is he?”
“He died in a fire over twenty years ago, along with other members, and some of our parents.”
“Oh, God. I’m sorry.”
“You didn’t know.”
Russell had given her a vague history of the club, but she didn’t remember that particular detail. “How did the fire start?”
“Arson.” His expression grew cold and his voice soft. “I’ll tell you the entire story later.”
Liz nodded, glancing around again, but no one appeared to be paying attention. There were so many conversations going on she could barely hear Rahab right next to her. After dessert, they still lingered a while, talking. When Rai and Chloe rose, that seemed to be the signal for everyone else to do the same.
“Do you need help with the dishes?” asked Liz, addressing Rai.
“No. You go on and hang out with Rahab. We’ve got this covered.” Liz had been hoping to ask Rai a few questions, so while Rahab was busy talking to Tannin, she moved closer. “Do you have a second?”
“Sure, but grab a stack of plates and follow me. There’s a lot to clean up.”
Liz followed Rai into the kitchen, carrying a stack of plates. “How did you deal with losing your business? I mean, this lifestyle seems so at odds with running a marketing firm.”
Rai smiled. “I fell in love. And, I’m still doing work I enjoy, only now it’s for Donny.”
“But don’t you plan on using your MBA again? I mean, will you start another business one day?”
“Liz, I’m happy. This is my home, and these people are my family. Tannin and I are planning on having children. I’m not sure what it is you want to hear, but I came to terms with everything Vito caused to happen to my business a while ago. I realize now it was for the best. I never would have met Tannin, and I never would have found this place, if all that hadn’t happened.”
Chloe and Meghan were in the kitchen now, too, so Liz and Rai moved to the far end. “Why are you asking? Are things getting serious with you and Rahab?”
“You sound surprised they could be.”
“Don’t misunderstand. It’s just that of all the officers, I would have thought Rahab would be the last one to fall for a woman, if he fell at all.”
“Things aren’t serious. I’m just trying to grasp everything.”
“Well, for the record, living here with one of them wouldn’t prevent you from going to law school.”
“But what would I do with the degree?”
“Plenty of things. They will always need attorneys. So will the firm you currently work for.”
Rahab poked his head into the kitchen. “There you are.”
“Give me your phone number,” said Rai. “We’ll talk another time, okay?”
“Thanks.” After they exchanged phone numbers, Liz walked over to Rahab, putting her arms around him. “They don’t need my help after all.”
“Good.” He kissed her. “Because I have other plans for you.”
That’s exactly what I’m afraid of.