Dirty Cowboy

by Alycia Taylor

  “It’s cool here, isn’t it?”

  “How long have you been here?” I asked.

  “Oh, I’ve been here for three years already. Wow, time flies. And I have no intention of leaving. I think the best part about this job is that it changes all the time, depending on the client. I like the fact that every job is different. I’m the kind of person who gets bored very easily. Anyway, this place has been doing so well lately. I guess people are just too busy to plan their own parties, which is fine by me. Trust me; we work on a commission basis, so the more jobs, the better.”

  I loved Mae’s enthusiasm, and for a while, I forgot all about my situation and the fact that I’d run away from my problems. It was a nice place to run away to.

  “Okay, well, that’s about it. John should be in soon. Oh wait, there he is now. Come on, let’s go talk to him.”

  I hadn’t met or spoken to John yet, but I hadn’t expected him to be so young. I pegged him to be in his mid-thirties. He was a handsome man, with a friendly face and when he saw Mae rushing toward him, he greeted her with a broad smile. From a distance, anyone would swear they were dating.

  “John, this is Eliza. Oh, sorry, Eliza, I don’t know your last name?”

  “Eliza Hammond. It’s a pleasure to meet you, sir.”

  “Sir? Oh, no. Call me John. Great, it’s good to have you here. We certainly need the helping hand. Mark said the interview with you went great. And I trust Mark wholeheartedly with these kinds of things. I’m a terrible judge of character, so I leave that part up to them. Come into the office. Mae, you can come, too.”

  Mae looked like she was skipping as we made our way to the office and I wondered if she was always this energetic. John seemed to notice the same thing because he started laughing when we got to his office.

  “Mae, you’re like a bunny or something today. What’s up?”

  “Too much caffeine,” she said. Then she looked at me and smiled apologetically. “I really should stay away from the stuff.”

  “How much did you have?” I asked curiously.

  “Three cups.”

  “Three cups?” John asked. “But it’s only nine in the morning. You shouldn’t stay away from caffeine; you should just stop drinking so much.”

  She sighed. “I know. But it’s so delicious. I can’t help myself.”

  I chuckled. Mae was a lot of fun to be around.

  “Okay, so I have a job for you, Mae. It’s happening this Saturday, and I’d like Eliza to help you. It will be a great way to show her the ropes.”

  “Oh, cool; what is it?” Mae asked.

  “It’s for the local biker club. They’re doing some party to raise money for one of their members. Apparently, the wife has cancer or something. One of the guys called me in a panic. He was going to take on the whole thing by himself, but he has no idea what he’s doing. Anyway, I said we’d help. I know some of the guys personally, and I think we’re going to do this one for free to help raise the funds. I’ve budgeted for a few of these, so I want you to put in just as much effort as you would with any paid job. Don’t worry, the two of you will still get your commissions.”

  “That’s awesome. Send me the details as soon as you have them, and I’ll sit with Eliza and go over the plans. We’ll do something great.”

  “Good! Looking forward to seeing what you come up with, Mae. And Eliza, welcome to our company!”

  “Thank you for having me!” I said and grinned.

  “Okay,” Mae said the moment we were out. “How about some coffee?”

  I laughed. “More?”

  “Nah, I’ll get some decaf. But you’ve got to try some. I’ll run a few things over with you about the company. We should get the details from John in about an hour or so once he’s settled in, and then the two of us can start planning. Ah, I’m so excited to finally have someone to do this with.”

  I’d assumed by ‘come in for a meeting’ that I was only going to be in for an hour or so today. I’d had plans to look for an apartment, but I couldn’t exactly tell Mae that. Which meant that I was more than likely going to spend another night in the car. But it was okay. This job was far too important right now, and I was actually looking forward to my day for the first time in a long while.

  “Man, this coffee is amazing. No wonder you had so much.”

  She laughed. “I told you. And, better yet, it’s free.”

  “Ah, nothing tastes as good as free coffee.”

  “The food is free, too.”

  “What? Are you kidding me?”

  “Nope. I have to work out extra hard because everything here tastes so good.”

  I thought of the gym I’d gone to this morning and didn’t use and laughed, “I might have to do the same, then.”

  “So, what do you think of John?” she asked and leaned forward on the table.

  “John? He seems like a cool guy. Nice boss. My last boss was a real idiot, so this is a nice change. And he seems to really get along with you.”

  “I mean, what do you think of him in a romantic way?”

  I was so taken aback by the question that I almost spilled my coffee. “What? Are you trying to set me up?” Goodness, what sort of job had I just walked into?

  “No!” she said, horrified. “I like him!”

  “You do?”

  She giggled. “I mean, he’s so hot, don’t you think?”

  Was he? “I guess so. I mean, he’s very good-looking. I just don’t think he’s my type. But then again, I have no idea what my type even is right now. So, have the two of you hooked up yet?”

  She sighed. “No. Right now, he’s just fun to look at.”

  That made me laugh. “That’s true. At least it makes coming to work interesting.”

  “Tell me about it.”

  “For what it’s worth, he looks like he might be into you, too. His eyes lit up when he saw you. Unless . . . he’s not married, is he?”

  “No way!” she said horrified. “Definitely not.”

  “That’s good, then. Drool away, in that case! So, what’s the deal with this biker club? Have you heard of them? This is the strangest party I’ve ever had to plan, I have to admit. Talk about being thrown into the deep end.”

  “Don’t worry,” she said sincerely. “I’m going to be doing most of it. If anything goes wrong, I will take the blame. But nothing will go wrong. I love working for non-creative types sometimes. They think that everything you do is fabulous. I’ve heard of these guys before. They had quite a reputation at one time. I’ve heard some horror stories. But that was a long time ago, so maybe they’ve calmed down. Who knows? Either way, it’s certainly going to be interesting.”

  Oh great, I thought. My first assignment and it’s with a dangerous biker club?

  Chapter Five

  Ian

  The last thing I felt like doing on a Saturday night was to go to a fundraiser with my father. I’d far prefer to go to the bar with Chris and throw down a few beers. After the week I’d had at the shop, I really wouldn’t mind that. But my father had been insistent. Thankfully, all the other members of the club were coming, too, so maybe it wouldn’t be all that bad. I wondered if by ‘all the other members’ it also included my brothers? They were a part of the club, but they didn’t seem to get all that involved. It really annoyed me—probably a lot more than it should.

  The only good thing about tonight was that I didn’t have to dress up in some sort of fancy gear. I’d been to a wedding recently where my father had made me wear a suit and tie, and I’d been uncomfortable all night long. I put on my usual t-shirt and jeans and looked at myself in the mirror. It was the only thing that I liked wearing, and I didn’t care how many white shirts or black jeans I owned. I’d never be the kind of guy that was into fashion. To me, clothing was all about comfort and utility. I put my jacket on and immediately ran my hand over the patches that had been sewed on many years ago. The patches were of the club’s emblem, and made the jacket something that I was very proud to own. Unlike m
y brothers, who were the most neglectful club members in the world. I sighed and put them out of my mind.

  The fundraiser was taking place at a nearby pub, which had been hired out for the evening. I hadn’t realized it until I’d made my way to the address on the invitation. I’d expected some sort of hall where everyone milled about uncomfortably, and I’d been dreading it. But a pub? Now that I could deal with. I parked my motorcycle next to the row of bikes that were already there and made my way inside.

  “Gunner! Good to see you!”

  I turned around and saw Tommy, also known as Big Bull, headed my way. He was friends more with my father than he was with me, but I’d grown up with him always around, and he felt more like family to me now. I tried not to laugh when I saw how his stomach had expanded since the last time that I saw him. He was still wearing the same shirt as always, and the shirt was now stretched beyond belief.

  “Yo! Big Bull! Good to see you too, man. How you keeping?”

  “Ah, the usual. The usual. Working hard, riding harder. How about you? I hear things are going really well at the shop.”

  “They are going well. You should tell my father that. He’s adamant that we need some help, but I don’t want to hire some stranger. We’re doing okay on our own.”

  Big Bull laughed. “You and your father are exactly the same. Both of you as stubborn as always.”

  “Nah, I’m right. He’s stubborn,” I said, and Big Bull laughed.

  “Anyway, let me go. I spotted some food doing its rounds, and I don’t want to miss out on it. I’ll see you around, Gunner.”

  “Sure. See you,” I said and watched as he made his way directly to a waiter carrying a plate of food.

  I made my way through the crowd, talking to a few of the members. It wasn’t as bad of a night as I had thought it would be. All my buddies were around, people who loved motorcycles as much as I did, and there was plenty of food and beer to go around. I almost fell over when I saw Patriot standing alone in the corner, and I made my way over to say hello.

  Grant, also known as Patriot, was one of my older brothers, a retired SEAL who had a temper just like my father’s. He hid it well, but I’d seen it come out a few times. He was holding a beer and staring out into space. He looked lost in thought.

  “Patriot? This is a surprise,” I said.

  He looked at me and blinked a few times in confusion before coming out of his reverie. “Gunner. Man, good to see you. Been a while.”

  “Yeah, tell me about it. I don’t see you and the other guys much anymore.”

  “Well, yeah, we’re busy I guess. Not all of us are in the family business.”

  It felt like an insult, but I wasn’t sure why, and I felt my back stiffen in defense. “You don’t need to be in the business to be involved in the club, though. Anyway, what brings you here today?”

  “Oh, I was talking with Pop, and he told me to come by. So I did.”

  Everyone called my father Pop, except for me. He was always Dad to me. Just the same way everyone called me Gunner except for him. I’d always be Ian to him. I wasn’t sure what that said about our relationship, but I wasn’t going to spend time analyzing something I’d rather not know.

  “Cool, well, it’s nice to see you.”

  “Yeah, man, you too. I need to come by the shop sometime. See how it’s going.”

  “Yeah, you do that.”

  I knew he wouldn’t.

  “There’s Dad. I’m going to go say hi,” I said.

  “Cool.”

  I walked away shaking my head. Since when had things gotten so weird between myself and my brothers? I was thinking about how antisocial Patriot was when I remembered my dad saying the same thing about me. Perhaps us Maxwell brothers were all the same.

  “Hey, Dad. Nice turnout here.”

  “Yeah, I’m glad you came. Did you see that Patriot is here?”

  “I did. I told him to come.”

  “And the others? Have you heard from them? Oh, what? Where is Patriot going? Look, he’s leaving already. Didn’t he only just get here? What an idiot!”

  My father looked sternly at me, and I knew I’d said the wrong thing. He hated it when I spoke poorly about my brothers, even though I was sure that he was hurt by just how little attention they paid to the business. It annoyed me that he stuck up for them when I was the one that was busting my chops just to keep the place alive.

  “Ian, don’t talk about him like that. He’s your brother, and you should have a bit more respect for him. At least he showed his face. And as for the others, it’s not any concern of yours where they go or what they do. Sometimes there is more going on than you think, and you should take the time to find out. You don’t always have to get so worked up about these things.”

  “Really? Doesn’t it bother you? Not even the slightest?” I was in the mood to rile my father up, but I wasn’t sure if it would work. He was not the sort of man that got riled up easily. Unlike me.

  “Not at all. It’s a silly thing to worry about. This night has nothing to do with them. It has to do with one of our best members and his lovely wife. Now, go and enjoy the fundraiser. It’s such a great turnout, and there are so many people to say hello to. And do me a favor, go to the table over there and put some money in the jar. They need all they can get, okay? Now go on, wipe that scowl off your face and get yourself another beer. I know how much you enjoy that stuff.”

  I walked off feeling annoyed and looked for Chris. But then I remembered that Chris wasn’t a part of the club and probably wouldn’t be there. It annoyed me. He was my best friend, and probably the one person that could calm me down. Now the only thing I had to make me feel better was another bottle of beer, and that wasn’t exactly going to last long. I walked over to the table, put money in the jar, and got myself another beer.

  I had just spotted an old friend that I wanted to talk to when two beautiful women walked right past me. I hadn’t expected to see anyone good-looking at the fundraiser, but they were both gorgeous. The one in particular caught my eye. She was slim and toned, like she spent a lot of time outdoors, and she had long, silky brown hair. I couldn’t see what color her eyes were, but it didn’t matter. She was beautiful, and I wondered why she looked so nervous to be there. Or even why she was there in the first place. I didn’t know anything about her other than the way that she looked. But I did know that I wanted to take her back home with me and fuck her. That would certainly make my night a lot better. Screw you, Patriot, and all you other good-for-nothing brothers! I’ll make this a good evening if it’s the last thing I do. My eyes followed the brunette around the room as I contemplated my first move.

  Chapter Six

  Eliza

  Turns out I didn’t have all that much time to worry about an apartment. Planning my very first party in such a short space of time was chaotic—but in all the best ways. I couldn’t believe how quickly I had fallen into work, and how easy I found it to work alongside Mae. She was incredible at showing me the ropes, and the two of us were becoming fast friends. We were at the venue, looking around at what we had done and taking a moment to breathe. Mae took my hand and led me to the bar where she ordered us both a glass of wine.

  “I don’t normally drink on jobs, but I think we both deserve this. It’s been a crazy few days trying to put all of this together, but I think it’s come along nicely. Don’t you?”

  I looked around and grinned. The place looked fantastic, and the crowd seemed to be loving it. “It’s perfect. And you know what? These guys seem a lot better than I thought they would be.”

  “Yeah, tell me about it. They’re actually really nice. Well, except that weirdo that hit on me earlier.”

  I laughed. “I’m not even sure if he was a part of this crowd. He’s like, the only guy not in a leather jacket.”

  “Yeah,” Mae said, looking around. “The testosterone is high in this place tonight. So, are these your type of men?”

  “I don’t know. I honestly don’t have a type right
now. How about you? Oh, probably not. These guys are like, the complete opposite of John.”

  “Yeah, I like my guys soft around the edges. I like them to be clean-cut. There are some very good-looking guys here, but nobody I’d take home to Mom.”

  I chuckled. “Yeah, that’s true. Well, I’m feeling good about being here. I was worried, but this has been great. Thanks for helping me out.”

  “Are you kidding me? I’m the one that should be thanking you. Honestly, I don’t know what I would’ve done without you. I think you and I should team up as often as possible. What do you think?”

  I grinned. “I like that idea!”

  “Well, look over there. Some guy is looking right at you.”

  I looked to where Mae was gazing and saw a man staring our way. He was every bit the typical motorcycle rider—muscular, tattoos all over, dark hair, five o clock shadow. He was everything that John wasn’t. I chuckled.

  “Maybe he’s looking at you?” I suggested.

  “Nah,” she said knowingly. “Guys like that never go for me. I think they sense that I wouldn’t be interested. Oh, he’s coming this way. That’s my cue to go.”

  “What?” I said. “Where are you going?”

  “To give you guys the chance to talk. I’m nice like that.”

  “Mae!” I said, but it was too late. She had gone, and the good-looking biker was coming my way.

  He was even better looking up close, and I noticed that his eyes were bright green and incredibly seductive. I felt immediately annoyed by him. This was a guy who clearly knew that he was good-looking. I thought of Raymond and sighed. I’d had enough of having men in my life for a while. But I wasn’t one to be rude, so instead of walking away, I stood my ground and smiled right back at him.

  “Hi. I couldn’t help but notice you,” he started.

  “Oh yeah? That’s probably because I’m one of the only females in this whole place. Don’t these guys have wives?”

  The man laughed. “They do. And they’re all probably on their way. The guys like to ride on their bikes everywhere. Their wives and girlfriends will probably follow in a car.”