by Hope Stone
“A Bonneville?” A voice behind me spoke, barely audible over the music.
Turning away from the sink, I grabbed a roll of paper towels to dry my hands. Swole was standing next to the bike, looking it over. Of all the people in the Outlaw Souls, she and I had the greatest appreciation for European bikes. Everyone was crazy about riding, of course, and every member spent time wrenching on their own Harleys, but I found the Ducatis, BMWs, and Triumphs just as interesting.
“Yep,” I said, nodding. I stepped over to the old stereo on the workbench and turned down the music. “You’re looking at a '79 T140.”
“Nice.” Swole ran a hand down the white gas tank, admiring the machine. “That was back when they still had kickstarters, right?”
I nodded. “She’s a 750cc parallel-twin.” I gave her the basic stats.
After we’d both taken our time examining the bike, she got to the point of tracking me down here. “I’m here on club business.”
“What is it?” I asked, crossing my arms over my chest. When Swole got serious, it was important to pay attention.
“That ride you’re planning, the big one. It can’t happen.”
The big one was a ride to the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument in Utah. It would be the biggest ride the club had taken since before I was a member, spanning a couple of days, but it should be worth it. The beauty of the area was supposed to be something special to behold, and the twisty roads that cut paths through the region seemed as if they were made for adventure riding.
“Why not?” I couldn’t hide the disappointment in my voice, but I wasn’t going to argue with her. When the Sergeant at Arms made a proclamation like that, she usually had a good reason.
“This.” She pulled a small baggie out of her jacket pocket and held it up for me to see. The crystalline white powder was unmistakable.
“Meth.” I shook my head in disgust. That shit was poison. “Where’d you get that?”
“I’ve got a connection through the fitness club that keeps an eye on drug dealings in the area since Outlaw Souls started cleaning this shit up. She brought it to me. I’ll give you three guesses what the source is.”
I only needed one. “Las Balas.”
“You got it. I’ve already talked to Ryder, and we’ll go over it at the next meeting, but I wanted to let you know that the Utah ride is going to have to be postponed. We need all hands on deck to track down the source of this shit and get it out of our city.”
“Fuck,” I grumbled, shaking my head. I understood where she was coming from, priorities and all that, but that didn’t mean I was happy about it. “All right, we’ll postpone. But I’m still taking us. It’ll be a great ride, worth the wait.”
“Deal,” she agreed, bumping knuckles with me.
I decided it was a good time to take a break, so I walked out of the shop at Swole’s side, locking up behind myself since the other guys were still at lunch. The day was a cloudy one, threatening rain.
“So… are you going to ask about her?”
I didn’t have to question who Swole was talking about. Erica hadn’t been far from my mind since I met her two days ago. I found her at the forefront of my thoughts way too often, considering that I barely knew the woman. Even more troubling was the way that my body reacted just at the thought of her. My blood was roaring.
“Are you going to tell me about her?” I responded, earning a rare smile from her.
“Maybe a little. She’s secretive, so I don’t know much.”
“Single?”
“I think so. But she’s got a kid.”
“Really?” I wasn’t sure what to think about that. I’d never dated a woman with a kid before, assuming that they were too complicated. A woman’s baggage didn’t get much heavier than that.
“Little boy. He seems like a good kid, but he’s young, so keep that in mind if you run into her again.”
I was sure that I would. In fact, I was tempted to go join the damn fitness center just to orchestrate such a thing. But did I want to go after her knowing that she was a mom? My cock, heavy in my pants at the thought of her curvy body, wanted to scream “yes,” but I wasn’t so sure. She was hot, but I didn’t know anything about kids. What if she expected me to play the part of dad? I didn’t think I had it in me.
Some bars thrived only on the weekends, but The Blue Dog wasn’t like that. It seemed that there was always a crowd here, even on a Wednesday night. I never sat at the tables that were scattered around the place, preferring to perch myself on a barstool.
“Another one?” Carlos asked, nodding to the empty beer bottle in front of me. I nodded.
Carlos had started working at The Blue Dog five years ago, and became a Prospect almost immediately, sponsored by Hawk. He’d finally been voted in as a member and received his patch last year.
Carlos sat another bottle on the bar in front of me, twisting the top off. I let my eyes roam the bar as I took a swig and let out a contented sigh. The first sip was always the best.
There were several Outlaw Souls in the bar, but also others from the community. Some I recognized, some I didn’t. You didn’t have to be a member of the motorcycle club to enjoy this place, but there were always patrons that stuck out, ones that didn’t quite belong. I watched a group of women that fit that bill crowded around a table, knocking back tequila shots and giggling way too much.
That was common here, young women that came in to satisfy their curiosity about the club members. Usually, they stayed in groups, flirted with anyone in a leather jacket, and left with a story about how daring and wild they were for visiting a known biker bar. Sometimes they were legitimately looking for a hookup. Those women were bold and, in my experience, great for a round or two in bed, but the thrill wore off quickly for them. This lifestyle wasn’t for everyone, and it would be delusional to make more out of a bar hook-up than there was.
I saw Pin at the pool tables, getting his ass kicked by the girl that he’d been seeing for a year. A pang of loneliness echoed in the center of my chest. Not long ago, I was content with the single life. There were always women around to fulfill my sexual needs, and I had never had a more meaningful relationship, so I didn’t give much thought to what I might be missing. Then Ryder fell for a girl that made him a better man. Not long after, Pin met Claire.
I could see a change in both men since they found their significant others. They hadn’t necessarily been unhappy before, but now they were… fulfilled. They had something that I never knew I wanted.
The evening sunlight spilled over me as the door of the bar opened. The two girls that walked in definitely belonged in the “don’t quite belong” category. They were young, with manicures and mile-high heels. Heavy makeup coated both of their faces, which I suspected was an attempt to make them look older than they were.
The girls approached the bar, where Carlos was already watching them with pursed lips and narrowed eyes. “IDs, ladies,” he demanded, holding out his hand.
They didn’t hesitate. Reaching into tiny handbags, they each produced a driver’s license and handed it over. Carlos looked them over for a moment, unsure.
“Let me see,” a voice said to my right. I glanced over and saw that Hawk had appeared at some point, taking a seat beside me.
Carlos gave Hawk the IDs, looking relieved. Hawk earned a hell of a lot of cash in the fake ID business himself, and it was common knowledge that he could make the best papers in La Playa. A smile stretched across his face as he looked at the girls’ IDs.
“Good ones, I’ll give you that,” he said, looking at the pouting minors. “But not good enough. They’re fakes.”
“No, they’re not,” one of the girls replied, glaring.
“Should we call the cops to be sure?” Hawk asked. The girls couldn’t know that he was bluffing. We’d never willingly call the cops here.
“We’ll leave,” the other girl hastily cut in, reaching for the IDs. Hawk pulled away, tucking the IDs into his pocket.
“
I’ll hold on to these. To teach you a lesson.”
The first girl looked like she wanted to argue, but her friend placed a hand on her arm and shook her head.
“Asshole,” she muttered under her breath as her friend practically dragged her out the door.
“She has a point,” I said once the girls were outside. “Kind of an asshole move to take the IDs.”
Hawk shrugged. “The last thing we need is to get popped for serving minors. The next ones might think twice about pulling this shit in here if word gets around that they lose their fake IDs.”
I grinned. “Genius.”
“Asshole genius.” Hawk clinked his beer bottle against mine. “I’ll take it.”
We both drank to that.
Erica
It was Friday afternoon, and I’d just completed my final yoga class of the day. As everyone cleared out of the room, I stayed behind to tidy up. Rolling up my yoga mat, I tucked it into my duffle bag before pulling out my water bottle and taking several big gulps.
I had done it. I had made it through my first week of yoga classes, and I was pretty sure that it had gone well. At least, I hadn’t gotten any complaints. A heady feeling of accomplishment had me grinning like a crazy person as I walked out of the room.
“What’s put that look on your face?” Tammy, Swole’s wife, asked as she caught sight of me. She was a pilates instructor, and we had become friends in the past week.
“Just happy about this job,” I said honestly. I had met Jeff when I was eighteen years old and married him a year later. I didn’t have experience in the working world, and it surprised me how much I enjoyed knowing that I was earning my own money doing something that I enjoyed. I had never had that before.
“Oh, to be young and hopeful like that again,” Tammy replied wistfully. I laughed as we started walking toward the locker rooms.
“What are you talking about?” I asked, looking her over. “You can’t be any older than thirty-five.”
“Thirty-eight,” she corrected, “but thanks for that.”
“Anyway, I like this job. Are you saying that you don’t enjoy teaching pilates?”
“Sure.” She shrugged. “But the excitement has faded slightly after six years. I’m glad that you’re happy here, though. The last yoga teacher was a real bitch.”
That was what I liked about Tammy. She was always straight with you, saying what she really thought. After years of mind games from Jeff, I found that I appreciated directness above anything else.
We stepped into separate shower pods, and I quickly went through the process of washing my hair and body. By the time Tammy was done, I was already dressed in jeans and a T-shirt.
“What are your plans for the evening?” she asked as she dried her pixie-cut blond hair.
“I’m picking Dominic up from daycare at five.”
She waited a moment for me to continue. When I didn’t, she frowned. “And then?”
“And then, nothing. I’ll make dinner and maybe read a book or something when he’s asleep.”
“Oh my God, I almost died of boredom just listening to that. It’s Friday night.”
“I know that.” My voice sounded defensive, even to my ears. “I’m a mom. I can’t just go out and party every weekend.”
“I’m a mom, too.”
“I’m a single mom.”
“All the more reason to go out. It’s tough being a single parent. You need a break every now and then.”
“I love Dominic.” There was that defensiveness again. The truth was, I did like the idea of an evening off, a chance to go out and enjoy myself for the first time in years. But didn’t that make me a bad mother?
“We all love our kids. That doesn’t mean that we stop existing as individuals once they’re born. You are a twenty-something single woman in a new town. You can’t tell me you have no interest in exploring the nightlife.”
I nibbled on my bottom lip. “My babysitter only does her in-home daycare during the day. And you’re right I’m new in town. I don’t know anyone that I trust to watch him last minute like this.”
“Swole and I are going out for a couple of drinks tonight. Will you join us if my niece, Heather, will watch Dominic along with my son? She’s a great girl. I trust her completely.”
“I don’t know…”
It did make sense. If Tammy trusted Heather to babysit her son, Emory, then surely Dominic would be okay for a couple hours, right? I wasn’t sure why I was so reluctant.
Tammy placed a hand on my shoulder and leveled me with a serious stare. “You are not irresponsible if you go out tonight.”
I felt myself relax at her words. I could tell she was sincere, and somehow she’d hit the nail on the head. I was feeling like a reckless, irresponsible mom, but that wasn’t fair. Dominic was my entire world. I would do anything for him. All that didn’t get erased just because I wanted to have a girls’ night. I’d never gone to a bar with friends before. Jeff and I had married before I was even old enough to legally drink. By the time I turned twenty-one, he was completely running my life. I didn’t have any friends.
“Okay”—I nodded—“but only if Heather is okay with watching him too.”
Tammy called Heather to confirm while I packed away my shower things, nerves and anticipation battling for dominance in the pit of my stomach. I couldn’t wait to see how this aspect of my life turned out.
“Can I bring my walking dinosaur toy? And my nerf guns? And my Gameboy?”
Dominic was practically bouncing with excitement as he loaded up his backpack with as many toys as he could fit. He was eager to meet a new friend, even if he was a couple of years younger than Dominic. I was starting to realize just how important interaction was for a child and how much of that Dominic had missed out on.
“Not the Gameboy. That’s really a one-person gaming system, and I don’t want you guys fighting over it.”
“Okay,” he complied easily, taking the Gameboy out of the bag. The thing was so old, and I only had one Mario game for it, that I thought I should look into getting him a more recent gaming system. Maybe one with two players. I hadn’t done it in the past because I didn’t want him to spend all his time staring at a television screen, but he was getting older now, and I thought he could handle it now.
I left him in his bedroom stuffing that backpack and went into my room. It was sparsely furnished, with just a queen bed and a chest of drawers that I’d gotten cheap at a second-hand store because it was pretty badly scuffed up. Going to my closet, I looked through the clothing there, trying to find something that would be fitting to wear to a bar, since Tammy had told me that we were going to The Blue Dog. Apparently, all the bikers that were in the Outlaw Souls motorcycle club hung out there. That explained why I’d seen Swole and Trainer going over there just days ago.
Flicking through the hangers of clothing, I finally stopped when I came to dress that I’d never worn. It still had the tags on it, even though it was bought two years ago. I wasn’t sure why I’d even purchased the thing. It was a black dress that was short and hugged my curves. Jeff would never have let me go out in public dressed in that. He’d tell me that it would make him look bad if I dressed like a whore and that no one was allowed to see me except him.
Fuck. Him.
Grabbing the dress, I pulled it out, looking it over. No frills or accents, just soft black fabric. I closed my bedroom door before stripping down and pulling it over my head. The hem of the dress came down to my mid-thigh, exposing much more leg than I was used to. I looked myself over in my full-length mirror with a critical eye, but then Dominic pushed open the bedroom door and walked in.
“Wow, Mom, you look pretty.”
His blunt honestly melted my heart. “You think so?”
“Yeah, but I like your red hair more.”
So did I, but the dark brown was growing on me. I would have to keep the roots touched up so that no one knew it was dyed at all.
Tousling my hair so that it fell in waves around
my head, I put on minimal makeup and slipped into some low-heeled shoes. No need to break my neck with a towering heel.
Grabbing my purse, I glanced inside at the envelope that held the cash I’d brought with me when I left Jeff. It was thinner than I would have thought possible after such a short period of time, but at least I had a job. I wouldn’t get my first paycheck until next week, so this cash had to last until then.
“Let’s go, Bud,” I called out to Dominic. He came hurrying into the room, his backpack full to bursting. “You know you’re only going to be there for a couple of hours, right?”
“Mom, you don’t understand.”
Well, he had me there.
Leaving the house, I paused to lock the front door. When I turned back around, Talia’s—boyfriend? baby-daddy? whatever he was—was walking up the steps on their half of the porch. He stared straight at my breasts, and I suppressed a shiver of disgust at the unmistakable lust in his expression. This guy was such a creep.
Looking away, I acted like he wasn’t there at all. Dominic was waiting for me at the car, so we climbed in and took off for the babysitter’s place. I didn’t look back at the duplex, but the hairs standing up on the back of my neck told me that he was watching me until we finally turned a corner and were out of sight.
When I dropped Dominic off at Heather’s home, which was a ground-floor apartment, he jumped right into playing with Swole’s little boy, just giving me a quick goodbye hug. He was growing up so fast.
I traveled the now familiar path toward work, but instead of parking in the lot of the fitness center, I continued further down the street and turned into The Blue Dog’s parking lot. It was packed. Motorcycles took up the spaces closest to the building, and there must have been twenty, maybe thirty of them. A sea of shiny chrome exhausts and black leather seats were being watched over by a thin man with a bandana tied around his head. Much of the rest of the spaces in the lot were taken up by cars, and I added my own to their number.
