1
Four years later and I hadn’t looked back or thought about chewing on my gun since. Teddy had been right. And, yeah, he told me not to call him that. But the man was like a Teddy bear despite the huff and puff front he put on. Riding on a motorcycle had been the best way to get free of all the problems. It was to the point I was comfortable with letting go of the anti-depressants and the anti-anxiety medicines that didn’t seem to work for me, they only made me a drooling zombie anyway. I was embraced by a band of brothers, each from different branches and each retired or discharged for various reasons. I think the reason why Teddy picked me up off that barstool was because he saw the mess that I was, saw me struggling, and gave me a purpose I hadn’t had since I was discharged. I was taught how to be a civilian by men that had been where I was.
It was a sweet relief. A relief I needed.
I spent the majority of my days working on bikes, someone had learned I was a mechanic while in the Army and that I was pretty good with engines, so I got put to work to an extent. I was back to living with grease and oil on my hands, it was something I was good with and nothing I was going to complain about. My dues got paid by the other members, Teddy being one of them, in exchange for the work I did. I was certain that the club held the look of an innocent gathering for retired military guys, but they also dabbled in other things to raise money. Money raised paid for the building and the chicks that worked the bar and cooked the food. I got a stipend, too; under the table since I did the majority of the work around the bar.
I didn’t really get involved in the illegal shit. Teddy said he didn’t want to endanger my disability, which was essentially what I lived off of now. The injury I suffered that got me discharged had some serious nerve damage in my back and left leg, fucked it up good. So, while I would go out on group rides through the territory and act as general muscle when necessary, I stayed out of anything illegal that the club did. Outside of hitting a smoldering joint when it was passed to me.
I was satisfied with the work that I did, and I steadily let go of the routine I had been clinging to. I let my hair grow out. And although I couldn’t let it get shaggy like some of these bastards did, it wasn’t the buzz cut I used to sport. Along with that, I managed a respectable beard, something I enjoyed to no end. It felt good to not have to shave anymore.
As I got broken in, I started collecting tattoos, an acquired taste. One might say it became an addiction; an addiction to cover as much of my skin as I could. I looked less and less like a broken soldier and more like the hairy bear of a man that picked me up in a bar. In a non-sexual way, just to clarify.
I was doing what I could to make the club shine and keep everyone’s wheels turning. I loved every minute of it. I made sure my gratitude showed through with the work that I did. Even though the bar only serviced the Brotherhood, I made sure it stayed running better than any Navy ship.
“You ever consider getting into custom bikes?” Jimmy, a new member that was working on getting patched in asked.
He served four years in the Air force and didn’t mention what exactly he did or why he got out. For the most part, he hovered around me, running for parts when I needed them and shining other member’s bikes. It took a little bit of work off my hands, but I didn’t complain.
“The fuck do I know about making custom bikes?” I had oil damn near up to my elbows as I was reassembled the engine of Wilson’s Honda. “I just do engines, man,” I paused to shoot him a look. “Remind me to knock a knot in this asshole’s head for letting his shit get this messed up.”
It got a laugh out of the kid, and he shook his head, “You think you can take him? I heard he was into boxing and was a Marine. I know it’s probably been twenty years cuz he’s old as fuck, but I bet he can still beat ass. Fucker is meaner than a pit bull.”
“Probably,” I shrugged it off.
“What were you? A ranger? Green beret or some shit?” He did this occasionally, poking at me as he tried to figure out if I was worth idolizing.
“Nope,” I went back to focusing on the task at hand. I didn’t care if I disappointed him, “Just a mechanic.”
“Oh,” he sounded unimpressed, but I ignored it.
I didn’t need to impress some kid. He’d ask questions about my injuries, but there were some things you don’t ask questions about that. War stories and injuries are a few, Jimmy didn’t always get that.
A car pulled into the little lot that was in front of the bar, its driver seemed to struggle to find a parking spot before giving up and shutting off the engine. I curled a lip, it sounded like it needed some work done. When a woman stepped out of it, I wasn’t surprised in the least. Not to be sexist, but women often didn’t take care of their cars. Jimmy and I watched the little thing approach the door to the bar curiously, she held one of those thick orange envelopes. She was short, at most maybe five three, and probably struggled to weigh one twenty wet. But, still, she managed to have some curves on her. That ass had my undivided attention, even with her trying to hide it.
“Who the fuck is that?” Jimmy asked; she had his attention, too. “She doesn’t look like an old lady.”
No, no she didn’t. She wore a flared black skirt that hung down to her knees and a modest blouse, like she was trying too hard to cover up all her assets.
“I don’t know,” I pushed myself up and started to saunter over to meet her. There was a light limp to my step, and it was something that I would have to live with due to my wartime injuries. I took a red rag from my back pocket and made the useless effort of cleaning my hands. “Hey, Sweetcheeks,” I called out to her. I wanted her attention for a number of reasons. “You need something?”
She stopped and looked at me, green eyes opening wide behind her thick rimmed glasses, and she looked struck. Like a deer caught in headlights. Her face was heart shaped with rosy cheeks and lips that I would kill to have wrapped around my dick. That’s the first place my mind went, and I couldn’t fathom why. With as fucked up as my back was I didn’t frequent erections just at the sight of a pretty girl, but here ole boy was standing at attention; like fucking magic. Her mouth opened and closed as if she were mimicking a fish out of water. I waited, and I felt Jimmy come up behind me to appreciate the girl as I had. Something bristled in me at that, and I shot him a glare. I didn’t say it, but I was calling dibs.
“I uh,” she finally managed words. “I am… I’m looking for Theodore Tillman,” she finally got out looking afraid of the two of us. I know we’re obviously bikers, but we’re not that scary.
“Theodore Tillman?” Jimmy echoed in confusion.
“Ted,” I clarified before nodding at her. “He ain’t here right now. What you got for him? I’ll be sure to get it to him.”
“I,” she started to stutter again and fidgeting with the envelope in her hands. “I-I I need his signature.”
“You servin’ him papers?” Jimmy asked with a laugh like the idea was funny.
He was a kid, he didn’t know better. If the lady hadn’t been here, I would’ve had to give him a hard kick to the ass. Instead, I gave him a hard look, then made a point glance towards Teddy’s chopper in the corner. Hopefully, the kid caught on. I looked back at the girl floundering in front of us.
“He’ll be here tomorrow between ten and six,” I informed her. “After six I can’t make promises. If I can’t drop the papers off for you, you’ll have to come here with that pretty face of yours.”
Jimmy didn’t correct me but sniggered obnoxiously when the girl turned several shades of red. Fucker is ruining my flirting game.
“T-thanks,” she turned to run back in the direction of her car, affording us a better look at her legs and backside. She was short, but she had a pair of legs on her.
“Hey, Sweetcheeks,” I hollered after her. “You gonna give us your name, so we know who to tell him came-a-callin’?” I couldn’t help, but grin when she looked back at me all wide eyed. I got that deer caught in headlights look again. “Or I can just keep callin’ you sweetcheeks.”
“Madison Ells,” she said as she eyed me frightfully, like I was going to bite her or something.
I licked my lips, and I saw her face turn a brighter shade of red, so maybe that’s what she thought. Maybe I would take a bite out of her; I wouldn’t mind getting a taste of her.
“I’ll hope to see ya tomorrow then, Madi,” I grinned at her. She squeaked a farewell and sat back into her car. She backed out of the parking lot and sped off, the squeal her car made gave me a reason to grimace. “What is it with women and their inability to take care of their cars?”
“Are you diagnosing her car?” Jimmy sounded amused looking after her, too. “She was cute but far too meek for me. I prefer a hellcat.”
“Never,” I looked at him with a grin. “Ever judge a book by its cover. You never know how a woman is in bed until you take her for a ride.” I gave his shoulder a pat, not caring about the mess that was on my hands. “Go get me a spark plug or two for Wilson’s bike. I’m gonna go let Teddy know his old lady is finally making the move to cut the chain.”
“You think that’s what it is?” he made a noise, sounding disgusted as he started to make his way to his bike. “You sure it ain’t something more sinister?”
“Pft, like Teddy has a sinister bone in his body,” I opened up the barroom door. “Honda shadow, ‘85. Make sure you get the right part, or you’re gonna have to turn your ass around and get a new one.”
I didn’t give the chance to question it further. Plus I didn’t want to spend the rest of the day working on Wilson’s bike.
“Yea, yea, yea,” he grunted as he started his bike up and wheeled it out of the lot, revving it up so that it made an obnoxious amount of noise.
I didn’t wait for him to speed off; I went into the bar and let out a sigh of relief. Sometimes the kid irked my nerves, and this was a much-needed break. I sauntered over to the bar and gave it a knock, seeing Cindy in the kitchen fussing with what I assumed was the dinner menu.
“Hey, Lady!” I hollered back at her to get her attention. “You got Teddy locked up in the fridge back there?”
“Shit!” she let out a string of expletives that would make a sailor blush, and there were sailors present. I couldn’t help, but grin. “Goddamnit, boy!”
She stood in the kitchen doorway to glare at me. Cindy was older, probably in her fifties, and I was sure she came with the building. Her hair was bleached blonde, despite her age, and she sported a little roundness in the middle and on her hips. It didn’t keep the rest of the boys from hitting on her.
“I damn near cut myself,” she called out. “What do you want?”
“Teddy,” I repeated slowly. She had a temper on her, and I took great pleasure in egging her on. There was something fun about getting her to threaten me. “You finally do him in and hide him in the fridge?”
“No, but I have half a mind to do that to your ass,” she huffed then nodded towards the other side of the bar room. “He’s in the office with Wilson. I think they’re having a serious talk so if you need someone to mouth off to you’ll have to find someone else to do it with.”
“Hey, hey, hey,” I started to back away, raising my hands as if to placate the woman. “I don’t mouth off to anyone but you, Lady. You’re my favorite.”
“I ain’t buyin’ your shit, pretty boy,” she growled in return.
“I’ll wait for you,” I snickered as I ducked back to the office door.
I watched as Cindy went back to the kitchen and I knocked. I played with fire, and I knew it. One of these days I was betting she’d hold me up with one of her kitchen knives. But, women like her were all fire and hard to resist playing with.
“Come in,” Wilson bellowed, and I opened the door. “Redding, the hell are you doing here? My bike better be running.”
Wilson was a Marine sergeant at one point. He served in a war, probably ‘Nam, but I couldn’t pinpoint it for sure because he looked like leather. I couldn’t guess his age to save my life.
“I gotta heads up for Teddy,” I looked at the older man that had ushered me into the club.
Teddy wasn’t near as old as Wilson, he had admitted to serving in Desert Storm, so I figured he was in his mid-fifties. They both looked weathered, and it was hard to guess, the military did that to you though.
“Boy,” he growled at me. “What did I tell you about calling me that?”
“Still waiting on that gut check, man,” I admitted. I cleared my throat and sobered though because I wasn’t sure how he was going to take the news I was about to give. There was no easy way to break it. “A girl drove up a minute ago with papers that she needed you to sign for. I think she was trying to serve you.”
His features went blank, he put on a poker face, and he gave a nod as he looked away. “That … that might be it. Damn,” he breathed out and grimaced. “I didn’t expect her to go through with it I thought it was just an empty threat like all the others.”
I waited in the doorway, my heart going out to the guy. Though aside from the sweet looking girl I just saw, I hadn’t had a steady woman since before I went to Iraq and hadn’t been interested in one. I couldn’t imagine how it felt when the woman you pledged your life to suddenly wanted to call it quits.
“I’m sorry, man,” it was all I could offer. “D’ya want me to get you a beer?”
Wilson reached across the desk to give Teddy a solid slap on the back, “We’re here for ya, brother. You’re not facing this shit alone.”
He nodded, though it was evident that he was going to get emotional. “Nah, Sid, I don’t need a beer. Thanks.”
“Let me get Wilson’s bike back together, and we’ll go for a ride,” I paused then remembering the details. “Girl is going to be back tomorrow with the papers. I told her you’d be here between ten and six. That cool?”
“Why didn’t you just let her bring them to me?” he asked, not sounding angry but looking curious.
“I like you knowing what’s coming before it gets here,” I shrugged. “Plus she was kinda hot.”
“Oh,” he gave me a shark like smirk. “I could use a hot piece of ass if I’m going to be free of the old ball and chain.”
“Sorry, fucker,” I started to step back. “Already called dibs.”
That got a laugh from both them, and I went back outside. Nothing like a night ride to get the feels off your shoulders. I had some work that I needed to finish.