Labor of Love Anthology: 10 Anecdotes of Love and the Struggles Within

by Aliyah Burke

  “Ten-four, Eric,” I say as I hang up.

  I don’t give a damn what he says about it either. I need something that’s still my own free will and hanging up on that piece of shit will do.

  After serving eight years in prison for a crime that did the whole world a fucking favor, they stuck me with Eric as a parole officer. He thinks his shit don’t stink and he keeps forgetting what I was put away for.

  I stand up from my desk and drop my head back. There is no way I can get out of this shit hole. No way at all.

  “Jordan!” Lisa yells.

  Her voice grates on my ever-loving nerves. I wish I could fire her ass, but I can’t because Eric is also her father. He would violate me and back to the pen I’d go. Her daddy is really starting to piss me off. He demanded I hire her as my office lady and now he’s demanding I bring in some Dave guy as well.

  “Jordan!” she yells again.

  “Jesus, Lisa, get off your fucking ass and walk in here. Stop yelling so much,” I grumble as I walk out of my office to hers. She’s enough to drive any man insane. No wonder the girl is fucking single.

  “What, Lisa?” I stop in her doorway.

  “Why don’t you come in and have a seat?” says the tall brunette with mile long legs, high cheekbones and big brown eyes. If she wasn’t so fucking annoying and bitchy, she would be every man’s wet dream.

  “I don’t want to have a seat. I got things to do before the new guy shows up and all the work stops to babysit his ass.” I level a look at her, knowing she will catch my point.

  Whenever I bring up her dad she gets all sorts of pissy. I call her “Daddy’s girl” every once in awhile just so I can see her face flush red with anger. She acts like she hates the man, but every single time he calls, she runs right to him.

  “You sound grumpy.” She pouts. “I know what can fix that.” She purrs and I refrain from banging my head against the fucking wall.

  “Yeah, me, too. I’ll be a lot less grumpy when the next four months is up and I’m off fucking parole. What did you need, Lisa? I got shit to do and your ass will never be one of ‘em. So, quit with the shit, alright?” She is right, though. I am in a shitty mood today.

  “Jesus, Jordan, you don’t have to be mean.”

  “Fuck this shit. I’ll be in the back working on Ed’s Hog.”

  I turn on my heel and head out back. It’s a sunny day so maybe it’ll put me in better spirits.

  Fuck this fucking shit today.

  Chapter Two

  “Dad, come on! You’ve been out for a week and you still can’t grasp the concept that I got shit to do other than drive you around everywhere!” I holler up the stairs.

  “I’m coming, Kayla. Hold your damn horses.” He grumbles as he runs down the stairs.

  “Eric got you this job, Dad, so let’s try and not fuck it up.”

  “When will you realize Eric isn’t a fucking good guy and he’s not helping me out? He is doing it for a reason.”

  “Well, all I know about him is he got you a job. Not just any job, but one you love. So, be a bit thankful, yeah?”

  “Sorry, sweetheart, but I’m going with my gut here. Something ain’t right about the dude.”

  “Well, worry about it another day; one where we ain’t running late, okay?”

  “Yes, boss,” he says sarcastically, while kissing me on the cheek. “When did you get so bossy?”

  “When you were in prison,” I reply without thinking.

  His face falls and he nods as he bends down to tie his boots up.

  “Oh my god, Dad, I didn’t mean it like that. I’m sorry.” I try to plead with him.

  “It’s okay, sweetheart. I missed a lot in those five years.” He shrugs.

  “I know, but I don’t need to throw it in your face like that. I didn’t even mean it in a hurtful way. I just dealt with some shit when you were in there so I kinda had to toughen up a bit. Lord knows it’s only ever been me and you so while you were gone, I had to grow up a bit more.” I shrug. My heart hurts for inflicting the pain on him, but what I said is the truth. I was hurt when he left and I didn’t have anyone to stand strong for me. I was it.

  I won’t be sorry for that. I won’t.

  “I know, princess. It kills me that I missed that time with you. What am I supposed to do? How can I make it up to you?” he asks, shaking his head.

  He’s sitting on the couch with his elbows on his knees and his head hung. I sigh out loud, because I know it’s not his fault. I mean it is; he did commit his crime. But it’s not his fault I was hurt in his absence.

  “We just need to get to know each other again. It’s been seven years. Our weekly visits and random phone calls only allowed so much to be said. It’s okay right now, though? We are running late. I’m supposed to have lunch in twenty minutes with Mary and Stephanie.”

  “Okay, let’s get going then.” He stands and waves his hand to the door. “I can’t believe you still talk with those girls.”

  I smile as I think about Mary and Steph. They have been by my side since I was in middle school. They let me cry for days on their shoulders when my dad got locked up. They didn’t judge me like the rest of the town. Poor Kayla, the girl whose daddy went to prison. Steph used to tell them they would have my dad beat their ass when he gets out, if they kept it up. I would giggle because that’s not my daddy, but it would shut them up for a while. They have had my back on everything; my boyfriend crushing my heart, my dad going to prison and me learning how to live on my own. They are the ones who told me about the job opening at the bar I work at. I started there as a bartender and worked my ass off to being the boss. That place is mine now, thanks to them.

  “I know. I don’t know what I’d do without them. They miss you, too, you know.”

  “I know. They have been your best friends for what? Twelve years?”

  “Around that, yeah; my whole life basically.”

  As we drive down the road, my dad wipes his hands on his jeans.

  “Nervous?” I ask.

  “Yeah, I just don’t want this guy to think shitty of me because I’m a convict.” He looks out the window.

  “I think once he sees your work, he won’t even care.” I smile.

  I pull my car into the tiny parking lot of the mechanic shop.

  “Well, thanks for the ride,” he says.

  “You think they have a bathroom I can use in there?” I nod to the building.

  “I’m sure they will let you use theirs if not.” He opens the door and steps out. He lowers his head into the doorframe. “You coming or not?”

  “Fuck it, yeah.” I put my car into park and then hop out, leaving the car running.

  As we walk in, a brunette girl stands by the door, writing on a huge dry erase board.

  “Hi, can I help y’all?” she asks in a sweet voice, but her eyes deceive her. She is judging and my gut screams she is conniving.

  “I’m here to start work, ma’am.” Dad nods to her.

  “Oh! Okay. Walk right through there. Jordan is on the other side of that door working. He will show you around and train you on how to work on stuff.” She smiles sweetly.

  “Do you guys have a bathroom I could use?” I ask politely.

  After my dad walks away, she lifts her finger and points to a door to my left, not saying a word.

  Well, alrighty then.

  I walk into the bathroom and have to smirk to myself. This is a typical mechanic shop bathroom. It’s tiny and has grease caked on the sink. The toilet is surprisingly clean; must be the tall brunette who keeps it this way. The toilet paper hangs off of plumbing pipe. I can’t hold the snickers in. How crafty. Paper towels were hanging on a piece of PVC pipe and a rope.

  I rip some off the roll to dry my hands and have to smile at how simple it is, yet functional. I would have never thought of doing it that way.

  I open the door to the bathroom, my smile still in place, and head for the front doors.

  Before I leave, I lift my head to look b
ack into the tiny shop area to maybe get a little glimpse of my father.

  The sight I see is not my father, but someone that has my mind at war. It’s battling back and forth if I want to see that sight. A mountain of a man walks out of double swinging doors and his eyes zero in on me. He stares at me and then his gaze travels down my body, slowly undressing me in the most intimate way I could think possible.

  I put my hand on the door to exit the shop and force my feet to move out that door. I drop my head back and groan. Judas Priest, that man is perfection. He is tall with dark hair, broad shoulders and an ass I would grasp and never let go. Not to mention, dear sweet baby Jesus, his smile. The smile on that man makes me want to do bad, bad, bad things. But since I am a good girl, I can’t be thinking those bad things.

  Okay, maybe I’m not a good girl… but I’m trying to be one, damn it.

  That man in there would be the man to wreck every single good girl thought I have about myself.

  I own a local watering hole and bartend there most nights. Copper Top is the place to be on most weeknights in this town. The man my father now works for is one of those people that come in for a good time every weekend. His buddies and him walk in together and all leave with someone else at last call.

  He’s tried to pick me up countless times but I am trying my damndest to be a good girl. With a man like that, I wouldn’t be able to do the normal hit it and quit it. I would have to stay away from that one. I’d already been hurt by someone once. I wasn’t gonna let myself walk into that all over again.

  Nope. I learned the hard way and I was not doing that kind of shit again.

  Chapter Three

  Fuckkkkkkk. I groan in my head. That was not who I think, was it? No way Kayla’s pretty ass was in my shop. Nope. No way.

  I turn my head around keeping my face impassive and nod to Dave.

  “Was that your daughter?” I ask.

  “Yeah. Her name’s Kayla. Why?” he asks with a tilt to his brow and I notice his eyes darken a bit.

  Ahh, Daddy is protective of his sweet baby girl.

  “No reason. Just making sure she wasn’t a new customer. That way I don’t have to go talk to Lisa.” I roll my eyes to drive my story home.

  “Don’t like your office lady?” he asks, completely forgetting his daughter.

  “Nope. She’s a whiney little bitch.” I shrug.

  “So why do you have her in your office?” He laughs, like it’s a no-brainer.

  “Long story for another time I guess.” I laugh, too.

  As I turn around, I see Lisa walking out of the office toward me. I groan to myself wondering why she keeps working here, knowing I hate her.

  She’s not a bad girl. Not really. She is nice and caring and all that jazz but she tries too hard to get in my damn bed.

  “What’s up, Lisa?” I nod to her.

  “Nothing really; just wanting to give you a few notes before I leave for the day.” She keeps eyeing Dave behind me.

  “Okay. It’s only one o’clock, though. Why are you leaving so early?” I have no fucking idea why I even asked that. I couldn’t care less, but her whole personality right now is off. She’s not her usual snippy self and that has me curious.

  “Just gotta go meet with my dad. I told you last week I was leaving early today. You said it was okay.” She gets red in the face like she thinks I’m about to yell at her or something. What the hell?

  “Oh yeah, that’s right. I forgot. Tell your pops I said to ‘go fuck himself’.” I nod as she lays the notes on the table next to me.

  “I know you wish you could say that, but I’ll tell him you said ‘hey’ instead.” She laughs, relieved I didn’t yell at her.

  “I guess that’ll work,” I holler behind me right before the door slams shut.

  That was strange as fuck. I lift my head up and sigh.

  Usually she is bitchy when she talks to me, but today she seems defeated. I have no idea what the hell is going on with her. Something is up though. I’m going to find out what it is.

  “That didn’t look so strained.” Dave says with a tilt to his shoulder.

  “That was weird as fuck to be honest with you.” I run a hand down my face.

  He walked in the back-shop area and jumped right into installing an exhaust onto Ed’s Hog. I knew he was gonna be alright here.

  “So, tell me your story, Dave. Eric is a pain in my ass and I’m assuming since you know him, he’s also a pain in your ass as well.”

  He lets loose a humorless laugh and nods to a couple shop stools, walking over to them.

  “Better have a seat for this one, I guess.” He takes his seat and waits for me to take mine.

  “So about eight years ago, there was this boy harassing my daughter. The dude started out lovey-dovey and all that shit little girls like. She was seeing him for about a year and then she lost her fire. Know what I mean?”

  I nod, knowing what he means in general but not in Kayla. I’ve known Kayla for a few months now and she seems alright to me, I guess. I don’t really know her personally though.

  “She lost the thrill of helping me around the shop. We lost her momma a few years before this and I had no fucking idea how to even talk to the damn girl. She’s my daughter and I knew her, I thought, better than herself. But I couldn’t figure out how to ask her ‘what’s wrong?’” He shakes his head and swallows hard.

  My heart hurts for this girl. Her mother passing away, her father in prison. She’s not older than maybe twenty-five. She must have had to work damn hard and learn fast how to be an adult. “So one day, my princess comes in the house and I’m in the kitchen, so I don’t see her. But I could hear her crying. And I was like ‘what the hell?’ She doesn’t cry. Ever. What the fuck is going on, ya know? I holler down the hall asking if she’s okay. She mutters that she had a bad day and would see me later; she was going to take a nap. I’m like ‘okay.’ That sucks, but everyone has bad days so nothing to fret over, right? Fast forward a few hours and the house has been quiet as a mouse. I go upstairs and open the door to the bathroom and there stands my daughter, the girl who was so fierce and brave and so many other things…” he trails off and gathers himself before starting again.

  “She was standing there in the mirror trying to cover up her black eye with makeup. At first, I was like, ‘oh.’ Who did she get into a fight with? But then I saw her eyes. They were defeated, beaten down, broken. So I walked up to her and pulled her into my arms and she just broke further down and told me the story. The guy she was dating, James, had beaten her up. I waited for her to give me some excuse for his behavior; to give me a reason of some sorts of why he touched her. It never came. She was just hurting and scared.”

  My heart beats so fast and the anger in me rises to the surface. I have not gotten the pleasure of knowing Kayla in the personal sense. I have, however, met her and tried my damndest to get her to go home with me. There is something about her, though. I know it wouldn’t be a one-night stand. She wouldn’t be the kind of girl I would kick out in the middle of the night. For the first time ever, she’s someone I want to share my demons with.

  “After she went to bed that night, I went out to the little fucker’s house and I beat him. I beat him within an inch of his life and told him if he ever laid a hand on my daughter again, I would come back and finish the job. Right before he lost consciousness, I told him the only difference between us was that the little bitches I beat up ain’t female.”

  He runs his hand down his face and takes a deep breath. “So to make a long story short, his daddy was some fancy big-wig lawyer and got me on camera at his house. The judge was his buddy, too. They didn’t go light on me with my time. I ended up getting twelve years for whooping his woman-beating ass. I did eight and got out on good time.”

  “Holy shit, man. They didn’t even care that he beat up Kayla?” I try to keep my tone flat to hide my inner rage.

  “Nah, they cared but if I would have beat the dude while he was beating her, then I co
uld have gotten off. But since I went back after, she wasn’t in immediate danger.” He rolls his eyes.

  “That is a load of such bullshit.” I growl out.

  “Yeah, I know. So, I went to prison; she was left alone and now she punishes me nearly every day for making her live alone. And I deserve it, but damn… I don’t regret beating that fucker. Not for one moment.” He has a smug smile on his face as he lifts his shoulders in a shrug.

  “I don’t blame you there, man.”

  “So, tell me about your story. You said Eric was your pain in the ass, too. Is he your PO?” he asks.

  It’s been a hell of a long time since I told anyone my demons. But this guy seems like someone I could let them out to.

  “Well, let me grab us some beers and settle in. It’s a long, fucked up, beautiful story.” I laugh.

  “Ain’t they all?” he chuckles behind me.

  Chapter Four

  “Cally! Your break was up ten minutes ago!” I holler to the back.

  “Girl, you know what she’s doing back there.” Gabby rolls her eyes.

  “Ugh. How can she do that on shift?” I groan.

  “You know damn well if you had a hunk of a man like hers, you’d be climbing him like a tree whenever you got the chance.” She laughs.

  She does know me so well.

  “Yeah, you’re right. We’re just so damn busy right now.” I sigh as I pour another beer.

  “It’s okay, girl. Give her a few more minutes and she should be done. We got this shit, boss.” She winks at me.

  I hand the beer to the customer and his hand touches mine as he grabs it. The touch lingers and I resist rolling my eyes. I smile at him, rather, and he gives me a five-dollar tip for his three-dollar beer. Some people try way too fucking hard in a bar.

  Speaking of so, the door swings open, the creek of its old hinges ringing out over the live band in the corner and in walks my own personal hell.

  Jordan and Jeff. I wonder where the other triplet is.