“How are you today?” asked the woman behind the counter. She was in her fifties, had short white hair, and a warm, friendly smile.
“Good and you?” I asked.
“Very good,” she replied, picking up the pregnancy kit. “Oh, my. Someone might be a mother soon? How exciting.” Her eyes sparkled. “Is it for you?”
I laughed nervously and then lied, telling her that it wasn’t. I wasn’t even sure why I even did it, but somehow, admitting to the test made me feel irresponsible. Right now, being pregnant would be devastating. “It’s for a friend.”
As if she could read my mind, she gave me a sympathetic look. “Oh, well I’m sure that whatever the outcome is, your friend will be just fine. Children are a blessing.”
“Right,” I said, digging into my purse for a credit card.
“By the way, if your friend is pregnant, remind her to start taking prenatal vitamins and folic acid. I’m sure her doctor will also recommend it as well,” she commented as I handed her the card.
“I’ll let her know,” I replied, as the line behind me grew. It was quiet and I felt as if all eyes were on me, that they also knew that I was lying and were shunning me for being so careless.
After she finished ringing me up, I dashed out of the store, my eyes lowered, and got into my car. As I headed back to the campus, my cell phone rang. It was Tiffany.
“Hey, girl, how’ve you been?”
“Fine,” I replied. “What about you?”
“Pretty good, actually. Remember Jeremy?”
“Jeremy Stone? The detective?”
“Yeah.”
“What about him?”
“We went out on a date last night.”
“You did? Wow, how did that go?”
“It was fabulous. He bought me dinner and then we went dancing.”
“And then…?” I asked, waiting for her to tell me that she’d screwed his brains out.
“That’s it. We have another date planned for Sunday. He has these crazy hours, so we have to wait until then.”
“So, you didn’t bring him back to your apartment?”
“No. I wanted to, believe me, but he said we should wait before we take that step.”
That was a shocker. She’d offered herself to him and he’d refused? “He’s the one who suggested it?”
“Yeah.” She giggled. “Wild, huh?”
“He sounds like a decent enough guy,” I replied, impressed.
“I think so, too. Anyway, the reason I was calling was to see if you wanted to meet up with me and Amber for dinner tonight? We haven’t seen you since Tiffany’s funeral and we miss you, dammit.”
“I’m sorry but I can’t,” I replied. “I’m meeting Trevor and then I have all this homework. What about Friday? I miss you guys, too.”
She was silent for a few seconds. “Yeah. That might actually be better, anyway. Then Monica can meet up with us, too.”
“Sounds great. I’ll call you later in the week and we’ll plan something.”
“Okay. How are you and Trevor, doing, by the way?”
I hadn’t told anyone about Brandy being at his house or her being pregnant. They would have told me to kick his ass to the curb. Although I was deeply annoyed about Brandy, I loved Trevor and wanted to be with him. Needed to be with him. I just couldn’t fully understand why he had allowed her to move in after everything that had happened. “We’re good,” I told her.
“Well, leave him at home Friday. It’s just going to be us girls. Okay?”
“Sure. No problem.”
“I have to go. I’ll talk to you soon.”
“Goodbye, Tiff.”
“Bye.”
After she hung up, I actually started feeling better and even a little hungry. Relieved, I purchased a sandwich and a lemonade from the college’s cafeteria. Fortunately, I was able to keep it down and the rest of the day went a lot more smoothly. By the time I was finished with the last class, I felt like myself again, which made me feel silly for spending twelve dollars on a pregnancy test when I could have just as easily spent it on a bottle of wine, or even an eyebrow wax. In the end, I decided to return the test as soon as I got my period, which I hoped wouldn’t be until after my evening with Trevor.
Thinking about him, I wondered what kind of surprise he had for me.
Maybe Brandy is moving out?
I could only hope.
Trying to remain positive, I turned on the radio and headed home.
Chapter Five
When I reached Griffin’s, Misty and Brandy were both behind the bar in some kind of deep discussion.
“What’s up?” I asked, stopping next to a couple of familiar faces. It was shortly after two and the lunch rush appeared to have dwindled down to the usual bar-flies, including Horse and Buck.
“Raptor,” said Horse, raising a beer to me.
“No work today?” I asked him. He was a mechanic who usually put in over fifty hours a week at his shop, so it was a surprise to see him hanging out at Griffin’s on a Monday afternoon.
“I took the day off,” he said, the smile on his face receding. “Had to drive my Old Lady to the airport this morning anyway.”
“Where’s she off to?” I asked, sitting down next to him.
“California. Her sister has cancer and she’s going down there for moral support. Fuck, I should have gone with,” Horse mumbled, staring at his beer. “I’m an asshole.”
“You can still fly out there yourself, can’t you?” I asked, looking over his shoulder. “Hey, Buck.”
“Hey, Raptor,” he answered, barely looking at me. Misty was standing in front of him and leaning over in a way that gave him a great view of her cleavage. She was talking to Brandy about keeping inventory and showing her a checklist.
Horse nodded. “Yeah. She told me I didn’t have to go, but I could tell she was just trying to be nice. She knows how busy I am.”
“Yeah, you’re real fucking busy,” laughed Buck, tapping Horse’s beer with his.
“Actually, I am,” he said, looking serious. “I’ve got three cages I’m supposed to be working on and look at me. I’m sitting here wasting time. I just…” he rubbed his forehead. “I just felt like such a prick for letting her go by herself. I needed a drink.”
“Don’t you have other mechanics helping you out?” I asked, remembering him complaining about a couple of them in the past.
“I fired Mikey last week for fucking up one too many times and the other mechanic, Bob, he’s doing what he can.” He looked at Misty. “Hon, can you pour me a soda. I should probably clear my head and get back down there.”
Smiling, Misty grabbed a glass. “Sure, anything for you, Horse. Coke?”
“That’ll work.”
“What about you, Raptor?” asked Brandy, who was wearing a white camisole under a denim vest that emphasized her fake tits. She put her hand on her hip and smiled seductively. “See anything behind the bar you want?”
“If he doesn’t, I sure do,” laughed Buck.
“I’ll just have what Horse is having,” I said, taking out my wallet.
“A soda for you too, huh? Busy day ahead of you?” asked Misty, sliding his over.
“Something like that,” I answered, turning around to look at the stage as a popular song from the eighties started, “Hey Mickey.” A voluptuous pig-tailed blonde dressed in a cheerleading outfit began shaking her pom-poms and moving to the music.
“I wish she’d blow my mind,” said Buck, as the singer shouted the familiar lyrics. He sniggered. “Among other things.”
“I should strip,” said Brandy, leaning over the bar toward me. She lowered her voice. “Maybe I’d get more of your attention then.”
“Don’t start,” I said tightly, my back to her. “I’m not in the mood.”
“What are you even doing here?” she asked, sounding annoyed.
I turned back around. “Checking on things for Slammer. He has some appointments this afternoon and won’t be in until later.�
�
“Where’s Tank?” asked Brandy. “I’m surprised he isn’t here with you.”
“He’s busy at the clubhouse,” I replied, as she filled up a glass of Coke for me.
Misty swung her hair over her shoulder. “Did you say that Slammer has some appointments?”
“Yep,” I said, opening up my wallet. I handed Brandy a five dollar bill and she walked over to the register.
“Anything major going on?” asked Misty.
“Major? Like what?”
“I don’t know… with the bar? Or any new club recruits?” she asked, grabbing a white towel. She began wiping down the bar with it. “Prospects?”
“You’ll have to wait and ask Slammer about it. I know there are some things in the works,” I replied, enjoying the way her eyes gleamed after I mentioned the news. I knew that she was probably dying to give out more information to that douchebag, Mud. “Although, it’s club business. So he probably won’t divulge much to you, darlin’. You know how it is.”
“Things in the works, huh? Sounds mysterious. You know what’s going on?” she asked Buck.
He burped. “If I knew, you’d have to work harder than that to get it out of me.”
“I think we both know that I’m quite capable of working hard,” she replied with a wink.
“Damn, girl. I wish I knew something. I’d let you try to finagle it out of me,” he replied, winking back.
I wasn’t sure what she may have finagled out of him in the past, but I knew that if Buck was aware of her affiliation with Mud, he’d rather take a bullet than divulge anything else to her.
Misty looked back over at me. “I understand. Business is business and club stuff is club stuff. I’m just an employee and I don’t expect to know everything, unless it has to do with my job. I guess I’m just worried about him selling this place.”
“He’d better not sell this place,” said Horse, frowning. “They’ve got the best burgers in town.”
“Yeah, and not to mention the pie here is phenomenal,” said Buck, grinning wickedly.
“Don’t worry, if it was something that affected your position here at Griffin’s, I’m sure he’d let you know,” I answered.
“I’m sure you’re right,” said Misty.
My phone vibrated; I took it out of my leather jacket and checked the screen. It was Tank.
“What’s up?” I asked, turning away from both Misty and Brandy.
“We didn’t find any wiretaps or anything else that looked suspicious,” he answered. “I think we’re good here.”
“Chopper’s there already?” I asked.
“Yeah, I got ahold of him. He’s going to be leaving here shortly, to check Pop’s computer and inspect his office at Griffin’s. See if there’s anything there. Is the bitch there?”
I got up and walked away from the bar. “Yeah, they both are.”
“Both? Oh,” he laughed. “Brandy.”
“Yeah.”
He was silent for a few seconds. “Maybe we should go to Misty’s place and take a look around before she gets off of work. See if she’s got anything on her computer, like emails or other stuff that would give us a clue as to what the fuck she’s up to.”
Misty didn’t seem like the type of person that would spend a lot of time online, but I figured it couldn’t hurt to look into it. Especially with Mud living out of state. Hell, maybe they even Skyped. “You know where she lives?”
“Yeah. I’ve been there. I even know where she keeps a spare key.”
I walked into the bathroom where it was quieter. “Huh. You sure that she even has a computer?”
“I saw her laptop last spring. She showed me a shitload of nude pictures that someone took of her. I guess she sells them online for extra money.”
Someone flushed the toilet, startling me. “Somehow, that doesn’t surprise me. Why don’t you head on over there, then, and I’ll let you know if she leaves here,” I said in a low voice as I headed back out of the restroom
“Sounds good.”
I hung up and walked back over to the bar.
“Raptor, can you do me a favor?” asked Misty. “We need some beer brought up from the cooler downstairs. Can you grab a few cases?”
I took off my jacket and hung it on the back of the stool. “Sure, what exactly do you need?”
“Actually, I’ll come with you. I’d better grab some more vodka and rum, too,” she answered, walking around the bar. She looked back at Brandy. “You good?”
“I think I can handle it. We’re not exactly busy,” she said, nodding toward the tables in front of the stage. There were only a handful of customers, and they were too engrossed in watching the naked stripper do cartwheels.
“See you later,” said Horse, standing up. “I’m taking off.”
“Me, too,” said Buck. “I’m heading over to the clubhouse. Check on things.”
“See you guys,” said Misty.
“I’ll catch you two later,” I said, following Misty toward the stairs.
The basement was dark and musty, but cool, so it was a perfect spot to house most of the supplies for the bar. Slammer kept the canned and bottled beer in a large walk-in cooler and I followed Misty inside.
“So, how’s she doing?” I asked.
“Brandy? Pretty good. She learns quickly.”
“Good.”
“She wants you back,” said Misty.
“I couldn’t care less,” I answered, hoping this wasn’t going to turn into an attempt to help Brandy.
“I figured, but she’s been talking about you so much, it’s driving me crazy.”
“She drives me crazy, too.” I nodded toward the stacked cases of beer. “Which ones do you need?”
She showed me.
“I’ll take these up and come back for the rest,” I replied, grabbing two cases.
“What’s going on with you and that other gal with the red hair?”
“Adriana? She’s my Old Lady now.”
Her eyebrows shot up. “Does Brandy know that?”
“I told her,” I said, walking past her.
“You might want to tell her again,” she called behind me.
I grunted. “She only hears what she wants. I told her twice already. I’m done trying to explain shit to her.”
“She loves you, you know.”
“Fuck that. She doesn’t know the meaning of the word,” I replied, walking up the stairs. “Now, unless you have a complaint about her that is not related to me specifically, I’d rather not discuss the bitch.”
Misty grabbed a bottle of vodka from one of the shelves and laughed. “Okay, I hear you loud and clear. What I don’t get is why you’re living together.”
“You don’t have to ‘get’ it. It’s just how things are right now,” I replied, glancing back at her over my shoulder.
She looked up at me from the bottom of the stairwell. “Adriana must be pissed as hell. I know I’d be.”
“Fortunately, you aren’t her,” I mumbled to myself, walking away. “Or I’d have to shoot myself.”
Chapter Six
After Trevor followed Misty downstairs and Buck left with Horse, I quickly reached into his jacket and pulled out his cell phone. I knew it was wrong, but was curious to find out what exactly was happening between Trevor and Adriana.
As I was scrolling through his text messages, a customer I’d served earlier set an empty glass on the bar. He was in his thirties, clean-cut, and very attractive. As I looked closer, I could see that he had money because of his expensive suit and the Rolex on his wrist.
Hoping for a big tip, I smiled warmly. “Yes?”
“Hey, doll, can I get another drink?” he asked, smiling back.
“Sure,” I answered, slipping Trevor’s phone into my apron.
“Thanks, just put it on my tab.” He sat down at the bar and looked around. “No waitresses to help you out?”
“Most of them don’t come in until around four and one called in sick today. I’m all you’ve
got right now,” I said, noticing that he had thick lashes, large puppy-dog brown eyes, and a dimple that made him that much cuter.
“Don’t get me wrong, beautiful. I’m not complaining. If you’re all I have then as far as I’m concerned, it’s my lucky day,” he flirted, his eyes dropping to my cleavage. “Hell, I’d rather watch you pour drinks than look at what’s on stage right now.”
Enjoying the attention, something I’d been trying to squeeze out of Trevor, I giggled at this man’s boldness. “Thanks. You’re very sweet. What can I get you?”
“A rum and Coke. Please.”
I quickly mixed a drink and slid it over to him just as Trevor stepped back behind the bar. He set down two cases of beer and without even a glance in our direction, turned around, and went back toward the basement.
“What’s your name?” asked the guy in the suit.
“Brandy. What’s yours?”
“My name is Jake. Brandy, huh?” he asked, stirring his drink. “Is that your real name?”
I nodded. “Mom had a weakness for it in her younger years. Anyway, I used to hate the name, but now I kind of like it.”
“You should. It’s nice. ‘Brandy’ feels good on the tongue,” he said, his eyes holding mine.
I smirked. “It does, huh?”
“Definitely.”
“So, what’s your wife’s name? Is it something that feels good on the tongue, too?” I asked, nodding toward the ring on his left hand.
His smile fell. “It used to. Now I have a hard time even saying her name.”
I had been hit on by several married men in the last few days. I didn’t mind at all, they usually tipped better, especially if I laid on the charm. I could tell that this guy was about to use the “Woe is me; my wife is a bitch” card. I could feel it coming. “What is it?”
“Cara,” he said, looking away.
“Will she be joining you soon?”
Jake laughed grimly. “You mean here?”
“Yeah. Some couples get off on watching each other getting lap dances. We also get a lot of swingers in here. I’ve seen it all.”
“Is that right?” he said, taking a sip of his drink. “Well, these days she only gets off by fucking my brother.”
Surviving The Biker (Motorcyle Club Romance) Page 3
