by K E Osborn
A rack of ribs, three beers, and a football game later, I’m about ready to call it a night. It’s freaking early in the morning, and I’m tired. But I’ve had a good night here with everyone. Not to mention Frank, who is a wild card in himself, and the other patrons who I came to learn are regulars on a Monday night for the football. I might just have to make this a regular thing.
Frank and I are pretty much the only patrons left in the bar as Scarlett rings up the till, Badass wipes down the tables, and KC sweeps the floor. Yes, I have learned all their names, except the one I want! The security bouncer is half my size. If I am being honest, I’m half the size of the guys at the club, so that’s saying something. I’m not small by any means. I work out, I have muscles, but compare me to Void, even Nycto, and I’m weak in comparison, so their security guy looks more like Screech from Saved by the Bell—they need to do better for the girls here.
The lights at the back of the bar start to flip off. That’s my cue. Standing, Badass walks over carrying her bag. “You heading home?” I ask.
“Nah, going to my other job.”
“Let me guess, bounty hunter? Taking down the bad guys singlehandedly, wearing killer heels?”
“That sounds like me.”
“See, I can read you.”
“Then what am I thinking right now?”
“That you’d really like to go for a ride on my Harley.”
Her eyes sparkle like it’s the best thing I could have said, but her lips turn down. “I don’t think that’s such a good idea.”
“It’s late, I get it.”
“No, you’ve been drinking. And I don’t wanna die on the back of a motorcycle tonight.”
“You’ve left this wide open… so, if I come back another night, don’t drink, you’d be open to the idea?”
“We’ll see, biker boy, but now, I gotta get home on time.”
“On time? On time for what? I thought you had another job?”
She waves her hand through the air. “Never mind. I’ll catch ya around, Dash. Thanks for keeping me entertained tonight.”
“Entertained?”
She snorts. “Scarlett was practically drooling and watching you trying to ignore her advances was utterly hilarious.”
“She does have a nice rack. I have to admit, it was hard to look away.”
Badass bursts out laughing as she starts walking to her car. I take off after her, and she widens her eyes. “You’re not coming home with me, Dash!”
This time it’s me who chuckles. “Geez, woman, calm down. I’m being a gentleman and walking you to your car. It’s late, and there could be an array of dickheads out this time of night.”
She stops and folds her arms across her chest. “I walk to my car every night. Why should tonight be any different?”
“You should have security walk all the girls to their cars. And while I’m on that topic, you need a better damn security guard. I could take him out, blowing him over with a heavy breath.”
“I’ll have you know, Garth has stopped three bar fights in his time working at the Tavern.”
“And how many others got out of control?” She purses her lips. “And who dealt with handsy Harry? Certainly wasn’t good ol’ Garth now, was it?”
She slumps. “Okay, so we need new security, but where do we find that?”
“I’ll do it until you can find someone else.”
Her eyes widen as she gawks at me. “But… why? We can’t pay you much.”
“I don’t fucking care about money. I just want to make sure you girls are safe while working and when leaving.”
“I’ll have to run it past Vince, make sure he’s okay. It’s his place. I mean, we make all the calls, and he generally lets us do whatever we want, but I can’t just okay it without his say so.”
“Let me meet him, I’ll tell him myself.”
She reaches out, suddenly wrapping her arms around me in a tight embrace. My arms slide out around her waist holding her to me. She smells like strawberries and alcohol—the combination, quite pleasurable as I inhale her delicious scent. The intoxicating aroma washes over me like a drug I need more of. She slowly pulls back, and our eyes meet. I never noticed just how beautiful her eyes are. Especially in the hint of light we’re standing in right now, they’re reflecting back at me in just the right way. She stares and a moment passes between us. I don’t know what it is, but my heart starts to beat a little faster.
When a car horn starts honking dramatically, Scarlett drives past us hanging out the window, waving her hand around like an idiot. She calls out, “Goodnight, fuckers!” The woman squeals her tires out of the parking lot, kicking up stones and making us laugh as we break apart.
Badass turns for her car, unlocks it, and opens the door. She spins back to me, her lips turning up slightly. “Come by again tomorrow night. I’ll make sure Vince is here to discuss security.”
“I won’t let you down.”
“I’ve heard that before,” she mumbles under her breath.
“Sorry?” I ask in an attempt for her to clarify her words.
She fakes a smile, moving to get into her car. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Dash.”
There’s a story waiting to be told, I can tell.
“I’ll be here. See you then.”
She closes her car door, and I tap twice on her window as she turns her engine over.
I stand back as she takes one last look at me, then pulls off, driving out of the parking lot. I watch her leave feeling like I might just have found a purpose in all this mess.
“She’s a firecracker, that one!” Frank’s right behind me, hot sauce in the corners of his mouth and beer stains on his shirt—fuck he’s a damn mess.
“Jesus, Frank, you on stealth mode or some shit?”
He curls up his lip pressing the remote for his truck. “Don’t include me in your military action, boy. I got back from Vietnam years ago.” He salutes me, then takes off faster than I’ve seen the old guy move all night.
“Thank you for your service,” I yell out as he jumps in his truck and drives off, speeding out of the parking lot, much like Scarlett and Badass did before him.
Chuckling to myself, I walk over to my ride. The hug Badass gave me was different from all the hugs I’ve had with Ivy. For some reason, it felt… warmer. More welcoming. Is that a thing? Focusing on my ride, I kick back the stand, hammer down and head home, where I have to try to explain to my mother the reason why I’ve taken on a job at a bar working security. Mom hates the club, and I know she’s going to hate this too. But I have got to do something to keep bringing money into the house while I’m out of the club, and honestly, I need to keep busy because sitting around the house all day is just not going to cut it.
Seeing Badass for hours every night? That’s a damn bonus.
I can’t think of anything better to keep me occupied than a feisty, smartassed rebel. That woman—she’s going to keep me on my toes.
I feel it in my bones.
And I freaking love that.
Chapter Four
SHADOW
The Next Morning
The screaming of the alarm blasts as I slam my hand down on my phone to stop it. All it does is send my cell catapulting to the floor with a thud. “Fuck’s sake,” I moan. My head is heavy as hell as it generally is after a long shift at The Drunken Lime. Finishing at two in the morning is hard work, but like always, I put on my attitude, wearing it with pride.
I have to.
Leaning over the bed, I reach for my cell, pulling it from the charger and turn off the incessant alarm. “Stupid fucking thing.” Taking a deep breath, I pull back the covers, stretch, and put on my happy face.
I have to.
Making my way to my attached bathroom, I use the toilet then wash my face, making myself presentable for the morning. It’s already ten, leaving only a half an hour. You’d think I’d learn, yet, every morning it’s the same dance.
I have to.
Brushing my teeth, I p
ull my door back and peer through my bedroom to see breakfast on the table. I smile. Spit. Rinse and walk out still in my long sweatshirt and plaid pajama bottoms. “Morning, baby,” I call out walking to the fridge.
“Hi, Mama!” Cruz answers me, then he spoons cereal into his gorgeous little mouth.
I grab an energy drink from the refrigerator, not the best thing to drink at ten in the morning, but girl’s gotta do. I walk back over to the table and lean down planting a kiss on Cruz’s cheek, squeezing his cute little four-year-old face. “Did you grow overnight? How’d you get so big, huh?” He chuckles into his Frosted Flakes, making a couple of the flakes fly off onto the table.
“I a bwig boy, Mama.”
“Yeah, you are, my muscle man!” I lean in giving his tiny little biceps a squeeze, causing him to laugh again. His spoon full of flakes fall off onto the table as he giggles his little heart out. I love seeing him like this. So carefree. So happy.
This is why I work all night.
This is why I fight like damn hell.
Because I have to.
For Cruz.
Everything I do, I do for my son.
“You have fwun at work, Mama?” His beautiful blue eyes stare up at me, hopeful. He’s so caring. I’m not sure where he gets his good nature from. Certainly not his father, and right now, I question if I have anything decent left inside of me. But my son is pure innocence and kindness. He’s just a delight, and I don’t want anything to taint him. Not my job, not my life, and certainly not his father. So I need to keep Cruz protected from anything that can harm him. That’s my aim—it’s always been my aim.
Hell hath no fury like a mama bear trying to protect her cub.
“I did, baby. Did you have fun with Iris?”
He bobs his head emphatically. “She made me cookies!”
Cracking my neck to the side, I inhale deeply. “Mm-hmm, I bet she did. I need to talk to her about always giving you these cookies.”
“Bwut dere so nummy.” He pouts out his bottom lip like he’s trying his hardest to look sad.
Little shit.
Cruz always likes to be in charge. I’m not sure where he got his assertiveness from, but if he wants to feel like a big boy, I’m going to let him. In the mornings, he lets me sleep a little extra because he knows I am tired from work. He packs his own bag for daycare and gets himself breakfast. My boy is one in a million.
It might not be the normal mother and son routine, but it works for us.
I ruffle his hair as I look at the clock on the wall. “Is your bag packed?”
He does his overzealous nod again. “You have your lunch?” He bobs his head again. “Your extra pair of pants, just in case?” Another head bob. “And Mister Sprocket?”
“Yes, Mama,” he drones.
“You double-checked?”
He huffs, rolling his eyes as if he is a teenager. He sashays on the chair, his legs dangling on the edge as he hops down, racing over to his bag. He unzips it searching through, then his head snaps around to me. “Mwister Sprocket!” he calls out.
I point to the sofa where Cruz obviously left him, and he lets out a relieved exhale. “Well, fank god for dat!”
I let out a huge laugh as he rushes over to his favorite bear, grabs and shoves him into his little backpack. “O-tay, all weady.”
“All right, I just gotta get dressed, and we’re off.”
He places his backpack over his shoulders, ready to go as I walk back to my bedroom. Our apartment is tiny on the third floor of our building. Two bedrooms. One main bathroom and an attached one in my bedroom. Open living and kitchen. Communal laundry area in the basement, which I absolutely hate, but again, I do what I have to.
Across the hall from us is where Iris lives. Over time, we’ve become really close. Thank God. She’s been taking Cruz at nights while I work to bring in money for us to live. I swear we’d be lost without her. She didn’t have any children of her own, so she always said she missed out on spoiling her children and grandchildren, therefore, she loves to spoil Cruz, especially with her home-baked cookies. I don’t mind, honestly. I’m just so grateful to have someone like her helping me out. She’s saved me in more ways than one.
After getting dressed, I grab all our stuff, pick up an apple and head for the door. On the way out, Iris opens her door with her gray and purple-hued hair to greet us as usual in the mornings. “Good morning, dear.”
“Morning, Iris, thanks again for last night.”
She waves her hand through the air. “Honestly, he’s no trouble. We have a great time, don’t we, Cruz?”
He bobs his head smiling at her. “Wots of fun!”
I peek down at the time on my watch.
“Oh, sorry dear, I do this every morning, holding you up. Go, go. I’ll talk to you tonight.”
“So sorry, Iris, you know me and mornings.”
“I do. But you work hard, honey. I’ll see you this evening, Cruz.”
“Bye!” he calls out, taking off down the hall.
I grimace at her, and she smiles. “It’s fine, honey. Go.”
I mouth ‘thank you’ and take off after my energetic son. We race down to my car, jump in with the stereo playing the latest and greatest crappy kids tune. I try to block it out as Cruz sings along happily. As long as he’s enjoying himself, that’s all that matters.
We pull up at daycare, and I usher him out toward the building. He takes off the second we get inside, leaving his bag at my feet. “Have a good day,” I call out, but he doesn’t even hear me as I shake my head, placing his bag on the hook with his name above it.
Making my way to the exit, Katrina steps in front of me with her hoity-toity attitude and stuck-up nose looking down on me. “You’re late again, Shadow. We have specified drop-off and pick-up times… for a reason. So we know when to expect the children to be arriving.”
Biting my tongue, I sturdy my shoulders. “I’m doing the best I can, Cuntrina.”
Her eyes widen as she gasps. “What did you just say?”
“I said, I’m doing the best I can, Katrina.”
She scoffs, then turns her back to me. “Your fees are overdue. We expect prompt payment by the end of the month, or… Cruz is out.”
My chest tightens as she storms off. My eyes glisten as saltwater wells, but I won’t let Cuntrina beat me. Shaking it off, I walk back to my car.
How the fuck am I going to make the payment for Cruz’s semester?
My tips at the bar usually help, but people are being less forthcoming at the moment, and tips seem to be drying up. It’s getting harder and harder to get by each week. I have to focus most on making rent and food—that’s what’s important, keeping a roof over his head and food in his belly.
Racing back to my car, I can’t solve this problem right now. I need to deal with one thing at a time, and right now, the refrigerator is empty, so I need to get Cruz some food. Maybe as I’m grocery shopping, I can figure a way to deal with my daycare payment issues.
Pulling into the parking lot of the Publix supermarket, I jump out, ready to buy the basic essentials from their weekly BOGO specials. Grabbing a cart, I make my way in and start browsing. I tend to eat sporadically, eating whatever Cruz is eating to make life simpler. I go for a couple of boxes of Frosted Flakes, some tinned cans of spaghetti, Dino nuggies, mini pizzas, then some fresh fruit and vegetables. I’m also living on a cheap budget so sometimes the healthy shit simply isn’t affordable.
I never said I was the world’s best mother, just a mother doing the best she can.
Suddenly, a hand slides onto my waist, and a deep voice drones in my ear from behind me. “Are you stalking me?”
I jerk around in fright. The box of cookies goes flying through the air, opening and scattering all over aisle six as I grab his hand from my waist, yank it up, and pull it around.
“Jesus, Badass, stop. It’s just me.” Dash’s voice instantly calms me as my equilibrium focuses back, and I look at him properly, taking in the pain all
over his face as I let his arm go and shove him away from me.
Taking in a couple of deep breaths trying to calm my racing heart, I grip onto the cart. “Don’t… don’t do that!”
He takes a step back, placing his hands up in surrender. “I didn’t mean to scare you… that wasn’t my intention.”
With my pulse returning to a semi-normal state, my eyes meet his concerned ones. I shake it off trying to seem nonchalant. “No, no, sorry… I was just lost in my own world, you just snuck in there, and I didn’t recognize your voice. I went into—”
“Badass mode.”
I laugh a little. “Yeah.”
He doesn’t return the humor, though. “You have to defend yourself like that often?”
My eyes shift to the floor as I turn to the mess on the aisle and start cleaning. “Anyway, who says you’re not the stalker in this scenario? What are you doing here?” I ask, fetching the cookies, deflecting his question.
He leans down helping me. “Gotta get some… umm, feminine hygiene products for my sister.”
My eyes widen as I stand up staring at him. “I can’t tell if you’re being serious or not?”
“Oh no, I’m deadly serious, and I have no fucking clue what I’m doing.”
I let out a small snicker, placing the broken cookies into the packet, then shove the packet in my cart. “Okay, come with me.”
His entire body sags like he’s relieved. “Thank you, so fucking much.”
I giggle walking us around to the aisle. “Okay, first of all, is this her first period?”
He visibly cringes with an exhale. “Her first, I think. She was pretty all over the place this morning when she came running out telling the whole world she got it.”
“How old is she?”
“Fourteen.”
I pick up a packet of pads and hand them to him. He dips his chin. “Appreciate this. I have no clue what I would have done if you weren’t here.”
