“Hey, Bozeman, where’s your partner?” Alyssa Taylor’s voice grated on Ariana’s nerves, as she took inventory of the shelves inside the bus. She was certain the woman had something to say in an attempt to rile her up.
“I got this, Sal,” she called to her partner. He was in the front of the vehicle, checking gauges. She hopped out the back and came around to where Alyssa was approaching the open driver’s side door. “I’m right here. What’s the problem?” She put her hands on her hips, waiting for the bitter remark she knew was coming.
The trashy woman—whose breasts were purposely poised to pop out of her uniform—smirked. “Rumor has it your juvenile delinquent of a boyfriend tried to do himself in and spent some time in the ER yesterday. What happened? Did he have a stroke of conscience about the guy he shot, or did you get your panties in a twist because he came before you could get off?”
No longer willing to take this kind of bullshit, Ariana nodded. “Well, Alyssa, I can see you get your information from Dr. Bernard. He’s the only one who could twist something like that, and you have been sucking his cock for the last three or four months.”
Alyssa bristled visibly, and some of the other EMTs started closing in, sensing something brewing. Sal put a hand on Ariana’s shoulder from behind her, but she gently brushed it off, glancing at him with reassurance that she could handle things.
Alyssa laughed derisively. “So, you’re not going to hide behind your Latino boy today?”
Heat flooded Ariana’s system. Insults directed at her were one thing, but no one talked about Sal that way. Alyssa had just signed her own exile order, the rest of the room taking poorly to that, as well. “I can take care of my own business, Alyssa. And I don’t have to do sexual favors to get what I want.” She took a step forward, threateningly. “You know, I’m tired of you trying to make me a laughing stock, Alyssa. Maybe you should consider stepping the hell off. After all, I’m not in the best of places right now. My boyfriend was falsely accused of a felony, my father is currently lying in the hospital knocking at death’s door, and I’m a little overwhelmed with school work right now since I aspire to something greater than a glorified medical assistant who assists more with rubbing one out than with taking care of patients. I might just come unglued, and it would be a pity to mar that pretty little face or those ten-thousand-dollar breasts.”
The murmuring and laughter around them had Alyssa’s face heating with humiliation, and Ariana couldn’t help but feel a small sense of pride. This would be enough to get word out. No one would bully her anymore, and maybe she’d finally get a little respect.
“Go suck on a pair of garbage balls,” Alyssa spat, turning on her heel and striding out of the garage.
Ariana knit her brows and smiled in confusion at Sal behind her. “What does that even mean?”
He shrugged, laughing so hard he had to hold his sides. “I don’t have a clue; but, whatever’s gotten into you, I like it.” He patted her on the shoulder. “Really, Ariana, what’s this about?”
Taking a deep breath and trying to stop shaking, Ariana realized she’d been nervous through the whole confrontation. Now, the adrenaline coursed through her like she was on speed. “I’m tired of taking shit from people, Sal. My whole life is a wreck, and I have enough stress without having people think I’m a pushover, or a drunk, or riding my father’s coattails. I’m done with it. That’s all.”
Sal narrowed his eyes and assessed her suspiciously. “I think maybe someone’s had a revelation of some kind.” He hopped down beside her and crossed his arms. “Spill the epiphany, pipsqueak.”
Ariana didn’t want to rehash everything, so she summed up things as quickly as she could. “I talked to Vince, and we’re cool. We’re going to work together and get my dad moved to a private facility with a full time nurse. The hospital wasn’t treating him well, and he doesn’t have long. I want him to be comfortable, and Vince’s going to help me take care of it.”
Sal raised his eyebrows with a mocking grin and said nothing.
“What?” she asked, waiting for the judgment she expected.
He shook his head. “Nothing, I’m just a little surprised, that’s all. I mean, a few days ago, you were enraged and too upset to face the world. Today, you’re a bombshell who’s suddenly hopping on the train to Commitment City. I didn’t expect it.”
“Neither did I,” she said, staring out the open dock doors. But then, she’d never expected to find the tamed beast inside the rabid biker that Vince presented. Just thinking about his generosity made her warm and fuzzy, and no matter how much she thought it best to distance herself from everything Vince was part of, she couldn’t stay away from him. She was madly in love with him, and while she wasn’t going to say it out loud, she was beyond denying it internally.
Speaking in a quieter voice, Sal said, “It’s alright to be happy about it, Ariana. You deserve that. And really, I don’t think he’s a bad guy. Vince strikes me as a guy with a good heart who’s had some bad luck and made a few bad decisions. Overall, I think he’s a stand-up, responsible guy.”
Ariana welcomed the reassurance, but she was skeptical. “Sal, doesn’t it bother you that he’s been in legal trouble? That whole shoot out was like some gangbanger encounter, and I don’t want that kind of violence in my life.”
However, Sal shook his head. “He was cleared of the charges, remember? Plus, I’ve got sources, Ari. I hear that Vince and his crew were attacked and only pulled the guns in self-defense. Would you rather he sat in a cell for a couple of hours or surrendered and died?”
He had a point. Still… “He’s into something illegal if there are men trying to kill him. I don’t want to be linked to that, and I don’t want to worry about him dying every time we’re apart.”
“Honey, you’re going to worry either way—and probably more if you just ditch him. When it comes to clubs like his, all he has to do is look at someone in another club the wrong way, and then he’s a target. Not all motorcycle clubs are into illegal shit. Why don’t you just ask him about it?”
“No way!” That was none of her business, and Ariana liked the idea of plausible deniability. Fidgeting with her hands, she dropped her gaze and muttered, “I’m in love with him, Sal.” It felt weird to say that out loud to anyone other than Vince, but it was like a weight lifted off her chest. Just moments ago, she’d been unable to express it, and now, she wanted to shout it out.
“I know you are,” Sal told her. “Live in the moment, Ariana. You and I both know you only get one chance at life.”
Didn’t she know it! She’d wasted too much of it already. Considering her partner’s wise words, Ariana climbed back into the bus and continued her duties, trying to focus on the moment without worrying about what more damage could be thrown at her later.