As dawn broke, and the sun’s first rays started burning the fog off the river, Blaine woke and smelled Olivia’s scent before he opened his eyes. He reached his arms around her naked body and pulled her in close to him. Olivia stirred and clutched his hands to her chest. Blaine cupped one of her breasts and kissed her neck. They fell back asleep as big spoon, little spoon, until they were awoken by a banging on the clapboard cabin door.
“What the fuck?” Blaine murmured.
The person was persistent and banged on the door again. “Fuck Off!” Blaine yelled.
To Blaine’s surprise the door opened and he squinted into the sun at Zeb’s silhouette.
“Jesus Christ Zeb.” Blaine sat up in the bed. He tucked the soft plaid sheet around Olivia and reached for his boxer shorts.
“I’ve got to talk to you.”
“Hold on a minute,” Blaine sighed.
“It’s ok. Stay right there. Your old lady needs to hear this too.” Zeb scraped a wooden chair noisily across the floor and plunked himself down.
Olivia pulled the sheets up over her shoulders to her chin.
“I love you like a son,” Zeb started.
This caught Blaine’s attention; Zeb never sounded sentimental.
“Things are getting pretty hot around here and the last thing that I need right now is to bury your dead body. It’s getting tougher losing my brothers.”
“I know how to take care of myself, and I love the MC more than anything,” Blaine murmured. “Well, almost anything.” He squeezed Olivia’s thigh through the sheet.
“I know that you do, and I’ve been trying to figure out a way to get you away from the heat and still represent the MC.”
“Oh, really?” Blaine said. “Don’t you think that’s a decision that I should make myself?”
“It is. I’ve got an opportunity for you. I strongly suggest that you consider it.” Zeb leaned forward and placed his elbows on his knees.
“And, what is this opportunity?”
“Have you heard of Cull the Unfaithful?”
“The band?” Blaine asked. “Yeah, real heavy stuff.”
“Well, they were here yesterday and were blown away by your old lady. They’re taking their band in a new direction and want to meet with Olivia to see if she’d consider joining them.”
“Me?” Olivia gasped.
“Unless Blaine’s fucking some other guitar virtuoso that I don’t know about.”
“Hey,” Blaine said. “Easy now.”
“Just joking with her. If she’s going to hang out with us, she needs to get some thicker skin.”
“I’ve never heard of them,” Olivia whispered.
“Really?” Blaine said. “They’re a big deal. Like stadium gig big deal.”
“Yeah, it’s the big time,” Zeb said. “She’d be crazy not to do it.”
“She’s right here in the room, Zeb. You can speak directly to her.”
Zeb turned his gaze to Olivia and her unkempt just fucked hair, “You’d be crazy not to do it.”
“I…I’d have to think about it.”
“Well, don’t think too long about it. They’re leaving at noon and they want to meet up with you before they go.”
“What time is it now?” Olivia asked.
Zeb pulled out his phone, “It’s 10:45, so you better get a move on. And with these guys, it’s ok to look and smell like you’ve been fucking all night.”
Olivia blushed. Blaine turned to her. “At least talk to them.”
Zeb stood up and interrupted their conversation, “I’ve gotta go. If you want to talk to them, get to the barn before noon. Oh, and I almost forgot, they’ve got an opening in their security detail and the job’s yours if you want it. You two are a package deal.” Zeb turned and left the cabin, the antique latch clicking behind him.
“I’m going to do it.” Olivia swung her legs out of the bed and she patted the sheets down, frantically looking for her panties.
Blaine reached out and grabbed Olivia by the wrist. “Wait, there’s something I need to tell you.”
Olivia stopped pawing through the rumpled covers and stared at Blaine, “What is it?”
Blaine pulled an envelope out of his duffel bag and handed it to Olivia. She took it and he noticed that her hands were trembling.
“Open it,” he said.
Olivia opened the envelope and pulled out the recommendation letter for the selection committee. She looked up at Blaine, her eyes wide, “How did you get this?”
“It doesn’t matter. Liv. If you audition I know that you’ll get in. Isn’t this what you’ve always dreamed of?”
“It is…It was…” Olivia’s voice petered out. “If I go on tour with this band then you and I can be together. If I go to the city to play for the orchestra, what happens to…us?”
“Olivia. I love you, but I don’t want to be the reason that you don’t follow your dreams. Look, everything you’ve been working toward is literally in the palm of your hand. I’m a dirty biker. I always have been, and I always will be. Sometimes I think that I would like to leave the MC, but I know that I never will. You are too good to be pulled down by someone like me. You need to go to the city, play in the orchestra, meet a nice good man, and live happily ever after.”
“Blaine. I love you.” Olivia’s heart was in her throat and her heart was thumping in her chest, “But, that’s not what I want for my life any more.”
“Don’t let me ruin your life, sweetheart.”
Blaine slid off the bed, found Olivia’s white panties and tossed them to her.
“I have to go and organize the cleanup crew. You’re going to go to that audition. Don’t meet with that band.”
“Don’t meet with them? Is that an order?” Olivia asked incredulously.
“Yeah. That’s a fucking order.” Blaine pulled his jeans and t-shirt on and leaned onto the bed to kiss Olivia, but she turned her head.
“Fine. If that’s the way that you’re going to be.” He shrugged. He pulled his hair into a ponytail, grabbed his hat and stormed out of the cabin, leaving Olivia in the bed, teary eyed, clutching the rumpled letter in her hands.