by Harlow Brown
"I'll have coffee with half and half, and a water too, please."
"I'll be right back."
We both scoured the menu, trying to find something to fill our bellies. He stopped looking at the menu and started looking at me. I could tell he wanted to say something but he was unsure of what actually came next.
"So, do you have plans when you get back to Rudy?"
"Depends on what you mean."
"I mean, do you just work at the resturaunt or do you attend school? Do you just work and play ball?"
"Honestly, I am very exciting. I work the same shift from eight to six Monday through Friday, and on weekends when they need me. I play ball and read in my spare time."
"Sarcasm much?"
"Clearly. Doesn’t that sound like an exciting life? I’m seriously one of the oldest young people you will ever meet."
"Not boring, just simple."
He had a point. I did like the simple things in life. Simple car, simple house. I appreciate the simple joys in life, like sunrises and sunsets.
"I would say that simplicity is easier to live with than excitement all the time. I for one get tired of all the hoopla."
"What do you mean?"
"When one has Magnum in their life, things are never boring. Let’s just leave it at that."
I could see that. He is very loud, and attention driven. He seemed like a nice enough guy, but one that a little bit of goes a long way.
Pearl came back to the table and took our order. I had eggs benedict and he had waffles.
The meal went smoothly. I did enjoy this lighter, nicer side of him. I wonder why he couldn’t have been more like this in the beginning. It didn’t cost him a thing to be nice to me. Perhaps he sees that now.
"What do you do other than your sales?"
"Ride my bike."
"You are as exciting as I am."
"Simple."
Truth. I couldn’t argue with him there. I did at least read, and I like HGTV shows. I giggled out loud at the thought that crossed my mind.
"You care to share what is so funny?"
I didn’t realize I had giggled out loud. I felt the blush that was covering my cheeks.
"Uh, just thinking about the oldest young person that I am. I was thinking that at least I liked to read and watch HGTV. Then it hit me that your life may, in fact, be more exciting than mine."
"Who knows, maybe all of that HGTV will come in handy one day. Were your eggs benedict good?"
"Yes. Thank you." I looked at him and gave an appreciative nod. "Why could this not have been how we started things?"
"Because I'm kind of an asshole."
I wasn’t going to argue with him on that. He most certainly had been, though he has shown a softer side to me now.
"This has been nice. Thank you."
I meant it. Talking with him was easier than I thought it would be. He didn’t say much, but he wasn’t totally mute. He had a nervous demeanor about him.
"You're welcome. So, what now? If this is a date, then I don’t know what is next. I have never had a breakfast date. What happens at 9 a.m.?"
"First for me, too. What do you want to do? This is your town, I don’t know what there is to do."
"We could go on a ride, and I could show you Front Beach Road."
I stared blankly at him.
"It’s the highway along the coast. Miles and miles of beaches. Sound okay to you, or is there something else you would rather do?"
I could stand to take in the white sands, salty air, and ocean view. I nodded my head in agreement. We gathered our things, left a tip and headed out to see the scenery. He started up his bike and I hopped on with more grace than I figured I would have.
"Hang on," he said as he slowly eased onto the road. Between the blue sky hitting the crystal-clear water, the white sand, and the sound of his pipes, I completely lost myself. I thought about everything and nothing all at the same time. It was so therapeutic. It gave me a reprieve from ball, Crosby, Creed, and even Fury, as odd as that sounds. I didn’t have to think about whatever this is or isn't. I was just riding.
Chapter 11
Fury
RIDING WITH HER felt good. I felt like I could do this Rumor thing. She wasn't so bad and this wasn't the worst thing I could be doing at the moment. I took a minute to give myself a pat on the back for not making her hate me again.
LATER THAT MORNING when we were back at the house, I mentioned there was going to be a poker game tonight, and the girls were welcome to come. I assumed that they would say no, because poker is a guy thing, but I was wrong. I got confirmation from Rumor, Charlie, and Haze that they wanted to attend. I assumed that Raige would come, too.
I looked around to make sure we were stocked with booze and snack food. Riddick had everything ready for, hopefully, the demise of our business dealings with Jay, and ultimately, Sully. I hated doing business with them, knowing that he tried to set up the club. He had fucked with the wrong club. No one screws over the Chosen Legion and stays in our good graces. What kind of message would that send to potential business partners?
The ball team was out at the beach and there was Magnum as well with his tongue hanging out. Charlie and Haze were waist deep in the water while Rumor was laid out reading a book. Raige was walking around talking on her phone. She had a bit of mystery about her and is also the one Magnum thinks is his next notch on his bedpost. She looks wild and reckless, just like him. She looks tough as nails, but I can’t help but wonder if its all a façade. Either way, he wants her, and I have no doubt he will try to have her.
"Mag, roll up your tongue so you don’t trip over it, and come here."
"They are so hot. Look at them in their bikinis. Especially that red head."
"Yeah dude, it’s a good view for sure. Now, business. Jay is coming over tonight. I hope he tries something, so we can officially end business with him. I hope Chief is right and he hangs himself." I tried to get Mag's head in the game.
"Jay is a dumbass. You know this. Stop worrying about it." He said as he gawked at the ladies nonchalantly.
"He almost trapped me, and I don’t take kindly to being fucked over."
"Almost only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades," he said with a satisfying smile, like he was proud to say something worth hearing. His head just couldn’t focus on our conversation, because he constantly turned his head back and forth to Raige.
"Hey dumb shit, pay attention. I need your head in this tonight. The girls are coming, too."
"What?" That got his attention.
"Well, I ain’t going to kick them out in a town they don’t know, for hours on end."
"What? Did I just hear that right?"
"Hear what?"
"You're worried about the girls? Since when?"
"Look, we offered, or better yet, y'all offered, them accommodations. It would be real shitty to kick them out for a night and leave them to fend for themselves."
"She’s getting to you, isn’t she? You are getting soft on us aren’t you?" he gouged, obviously trying to get a rise out of me.
"No, I'm not getting soft on you. No one is getting to me. We did go to breakfast today, and for a ride up the beach. It’s not going to amount to much."
I didn’t know if that last statement was true or not. I hoped not, and I hoped so all at the same time, but hopefully that would shut him up. I do want something with her. I just haven't figured out how far I am willing to take it. There are things that have to be settled, and things that she must never know about, and that still haunted me.
The day rocked on as we watched the girls and discussed the evening’s plan. As day turned to night, the girls decided to come in and get ready for the night’s game.
"HEY, HOW'S IT going?" Jay said as he shook hands with Chief and Shooter, careful to avoid Whiskey and Charlie. He hadn't forgotten what she did to him. I must admit, when I heard the story, I laughed so hard at his expense.
It’s not lost on me that feelings are being bro
ught to surface since the girls arrived. I hadn’t been this relaxed and, dare I say, happy, in a good while. I’d been so busy being pissed off at the world that I had forgotten how it felt to laugh, and it all started with Charlie. Without her situation with her ex, none of this would have happened.
"Good, grab a seat and let’s get to betting. You're the guest, you pick your game." Chief stated with no trace of suspiciousness in his voice.
"Five card stud then, fellas. Are the ladies staying, too? Sure would be fun to look at that all night."
"You so much as breathe in the direction of that blonde," Whiskey tossed his head in the general direction of Charlie, “and I'll make sure you never see again. Do we have an understanding? She isn't over here right now to beat me to the punch this time. Although, it was worth it to see her kick your ass," he seethed as he leaned over the table. His hands were gripping the sides so hard his knuckles were turning white.
"Man, I said I was sorry. I didn’t know she was your girl."
"I know you are. Now apologize." Whiskey snapped back.
"Guys, enough. Let's try to have a civil game of poker, drink, and gamble. How 'bout it?" Shooter suggested sternly.
An hour or so into the games, Rumor came around and played hostess and asked if she could grab a beer for anyone. When she gets to me, I smiled at her briefly, and after she brought us a round of beer, she sat beside me and asked if she could watch.
"And who do we have here?" Jay asked. He was starting to slur his words.
"Name is Rumor. Nice to meet you."
"For sure." He said, as he eyed her like an object, he could get his hands on.
I wanted so badly to tell Rumor that he was a worthless piece of shit, and she shouldn’t waste her time being polite to him, but I also needed him to fuck up, so we could have a reason to cut ties. I sat idly and waited for him to make his mistakes.
I shot a glance over to Chief, and he winked one eye at me and grinned, pretty much telling me I told you so. I flipped him off and looked at the hand I was dealt.
"I'll take three," I said as I gave back an eight of hearts, four of spades, and a two of clubs. This was clearly not the best hand, but I felt like I should see what everyone else had, and as it turns out, I have a pretty good poker face.
I held a six of diamonds and a ten of hearts. The dealer handed me three more cards. I kept my face stoic, and I held the bottom of the cards on the table. I peeked at the corner of the new cards and revealed a seven of hearts. Better than I expected. I looked at the next card and saw a nine of diamonds. What are the odds? Feeling sure that lady luck was not on my side, as she really hadn't been in years, I fully expected my final draw to be a wild, random card like a four of clubs. Instead, I was surprised at what I held. I was holding a small straight. Six, seven, eight, nine, and ten. Not in the same suit, but still enough to raise the bet on.
"Raise fifty bucks." I said with confidence. Of course, I knew that they thought I was bluffing, and they would all call my bet or raise it. Not one of the guys folded, but instead, tossed out money, which is exactly what I wanted.
"Show 'em boys," Chief shouted.
We all flipped over our cards. Whiskey had a pair of aces, Chief had two pairs, Jay had a straight as well, but mine was better. He revealed a five, six, seven, eight, nine. The ten high wins. Serves the bastard right to get beat by one number. Shooter had a hand full of junk and should have folded.
"Boys, this one belongs to Fury." Chief said as everyone discarded their cards.
I dragged my pot from the center of the table and grinned at Rumor. Perhaps, lady luck is on my side tonight. We would see. The night was still young.
"Charlie girl, get me a beer, yeah?" I heard Whiskey call out.
She came over and I watched as the love birds exchanged a look of lust before she got up and went to the kitchen. It was only a few minutes before I heard the top pop on a can. "Thanks wife."
"Welcome. Now win me some money. Fury has taken enough from you," she said with a wink.
"I’ll try, Babes. Fucker has a poker face that gives nothing away. I never can tell what he is up to."
"Hey, you there." Jay said loudly.
No one paid him any mind.
"I said, 'hey, you there’, blondie."
Heads turned now.
"Get me a beer, would ya?"
"I know you ain't talkin to me." Snapped Charlie. "I sure would hate to whip your ass again, but this time in front of a bunch of dudes."
"Nah, I'm talkin' to this one here," he said as he nudged his head at Rumor.
"Me?" she asked, shock evident in her voice.
"Yeah, you. You sat there and looked pretty long enough. You need to do something more productive."
I can’t believe this jack ass has the balls to talk to her like that. Anger consumed me, and I felt heat rise from my toes all the way to my ears. Just as I stood up, Rumor made her way to me, put her hand on my shoulder, and pushed me back down. She got really close to him and said, "And what kind could I get for you, Sir?" She asked with a straight face. Now who was the one with a poker face? She sashayed her way to the kitchen and fetched the slime bag a beer.
I was trying to wrap my head around what was going on but kept coming up short. I started to get up to make my way over to him, and Chief shook his head one time, and cut his eyes at Rumor, then back to Jay. I knew he was telling me to see what played out. Clearly, I wasn’t going to let anything escalate too much, so I let it unfold in front of me, and it was quite a show.
She sashayed back from the kitchen with Jay's beer.
"Do I need to open it for you too, Sir?"
"Nah I will…"
"Oh no, I insist. After all, I need to quit looking pretty and be more productive. What better way to be productive than to open the beer for Sir?" She took the can and popped the top on it and then poured the ice-cold Busch into his lap and said, "Oh, I am so sorry Master. I feel like I have disappointed you."
"You bitch!" He started to get up and go after her.
"You lay a finger on me, and I will end your reproduction capabilities. Be careful what you wish for. You just might get what you desire. Now, Jay, if you ever talk to me like that again, I will personally see to it that you don’t walk for a few hours."
"Oh, this ain't over. I will get you back for this."
"I think he is threatening your girl, yo." Magnum piped up. He had been sitting quietly trying to make conversation with Raige.
My girl? No. She isn't my girl.
"Jay, meet me outside. Now." I demanded.
Chief nodded his head, as he knew that I was about to end things with Jay and that there would likely be a punch… or seven thrown.
Alas, he couldn't take his drunk ass away from the table, so what's a guy to do? I helped him…forcefully. I gripped the back of his shirt and drug the punk outside. I contemplated beating him to a pulp but realized that wouldn’t be fair. What kind of man takes advantage of someone in this state? That didn’t stop me from getting a few licks in and blacking his eyes. I did let him walk away, so that’s a plus, right?
"Get your sorry ass out of here, so I don't pulverize you. Find someone else to get your liquor from. The next time you think about setting us up, you should remember who you’re dealing with. What are you snitching for anyhow? You know what? It don’t matter. Get the fuck off this property and don’t come back. If I see you around again, you won’t be walking. You'll be lucky to be breathin', and that is a fuckin' promise."
I turned around and left him there on the ground so that I didn’t beat him into an oblivion. I needed a breather, a timeout, so that I could gain my composure again and sort through why I was feeling this pissed. Sure, I had had a few drinks and felt alright, but I think this was more than a pissed drunk thing. But what was it? I walked around to the back deck and lit a smoke and enjoyed the cool night air. Thoughts of what had transpired were circulating in my head, crowding each other and causing confusion and chaos. As I was sitting out on the
deck, with the cool ocean breeze blowing, all I could think about was Rumor. My thoughts were so loud, I never heard her come out, until she said my name. I shot up from my seat on the lounge, startled and frustrated. I snapped, “What?”
“Fuck you too, grumpy ass.”
“Shit, I’m sorry, you caught me off guard.”
“Ah, so the fearless biker can be shaken.”
I looked over and saw that cute little smirk. I couldn’t help but grin back with a little laugh, “Smart ass.”
Now the smirk is a full blown smile, “Momma always said 'I’d rather be a smart ass than a dumb ass.'”
“Well... she kinda has a point, don’t ya think?”
“Why yes, yes she does.” she responded with a giggle. As I stare back into those icy blue eyes, all I can think is how beautiful she is. Before I knew it, I blurted, “You’re beautiful.”
“I know.”
My jaw pops open, and she laughs again. That sound, it’s almost magical. Then I do the unthinkable. Before I even realize it, I’ve moved. I’m in her space, leaning in, and, to my surprise, she closes the distance and our lips meet in a gentle, hesitant kiss. I pull back almost instantly with an apology on my lips, “Damn I…”
“What? You're sorry, you didn’t mean to? You tripped? What the fuck? You're drunk? What excuse are you going to use? I mean, am I not good enough? Hell we’re adults, we’ve had a few drinks, what the fuck’s wron…”
Before she could finish I kissed her again, this time letting myself go, my hands went into her long blonde hair, fingers tangled, I pulled back slightly, silently asking for permission, and when she didn’t say anything, I pushed forward. She opened her mouth just enough for my tongue to enter and intertwine with hers. When the kiss ended, breathing heavily, I stared into those icy blue eyes, and I leaned in to kiss her again. This time slower, gentler, but with a sense of urgency she seemed to recognize and accept. I slid my hands to her lower back, pulled her closer, and depend the kiss. Her soft moan of approval urged me forward, so my hands started to travel under her shirt and up her soft curves, as her hands were making a descent of their own under my shirt, up my stomach then up to my chest. I broke the kiss long enough to tug her shirt over her head, as I leaned back and mumbled, “Son of a bitch, woman.”
