“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 my 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 b
it 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.”
“Is that what your girlfriend is doing?”
“If I had a girlfriend, I wouldn’t be talking to you.”
I raised my eyebrows and nodded. “Well, that’s good, at least. I’m Eliza, by the way.”
“Nice to meet you, Eliza,” he said. “I’m Gunner.”
“Gunner? That’s an interesting name.”
“Well, my name’s Ian. But everyone calls me Gunner. Pretty much everyone at the club has a nickname. You’re given one when you become a member.”
“I like that. I wonder what they’d name me.”
Gunner looked me up and down with so much intensity that I shivered. Not even Raymond had looked at me with that much scrutiny in a long time.
“Probably ‘Lashes,’” he said. Then he grinned. “Yeah, that’s your name. Lashes.”
“Lashes? Why on earth are you calling me that?”
“You have the most beautiful eyelashes I’ve ever seen on anyone.”
I groaned and blushed at the same time. I was equally embarrassed and annoyed by the comment. “Seriously? Is that a line you use on most girls?”
“It’s not a line. It’s the truth. And if you’re so revolted by the compliment, then why are you blushing?”
“I’m not blushing. I’m just . . . well, fine, I’m blushing. I’m not used to compliments. That’s all.”
“You’re not? That’s hard to believe.”
“Okay, let’s stop this. I’m going to be as red as my shoes soon.”
He looked down. “They’re very nice shoes.”
I tapped them together like Dorothy and wondered if he’d even get the reference. “Thank you. I think so, too.”
“So, what exactly brings you to this fundraiser, Lashes? Or are you looking to become a part of the motorcycle club?”
“Oh yeah, I can just see myself riding a motorcycle!” I laughed at the thought. “Actually, I’m the party planner. I helped to put this whole thing together.”
“Oh, cool. Well, you did an awesome job. I must say, doing it in a pub was a good move.”
I beamed at him. “Really? That was my idea. I’m glad to hear it. I figured you guys would like it. It’s actually my first assignment at my new job, so I was a bit nervous about it all. Not only that but we only had a few days to put the whole thing together. But I’m feeling good about it now that everyo
ne is here.”
“Is that why you’re having a glass of wine?”
“Yes, it’s all in the name of celebration.”
“We should celebrate some more.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean I should take you out for dinner after this.”
He was good-looking, and pretty smooth, but I wasn’t ready to date anyone just yet. I shook my head. “There’s food here,” I said. “And seeing as though I’m the one that organized it, I’d actually like to see everyone eating it.”
“Fair enough. Well, how about drinks after?”
“I’m actually leaving after this glass of wine. We were just here to make sure that everything was running smoothly. But we’re leaving soon. But thank you, that’s nice of you to ask.”
“Fine. Then how about tomorrow? I’ll pick you up for dinner. And if you have plans for tomorrow, then we can make it the day after that, and so on and so on. In other words, I’m not giving up until you say yes.”
I looked at Gunner in surprise. I wasn’t used to being hit on like this. Usually, men backed off when you said no. I’d also been with Raymond for such a long time that I had forgotten what it was like for another man to pay me attention. Gunner took my hand, and I felt a jolt run up my arm.
“It’s just one date. And if you hate me, at least you would’ve gotten a nice dinner out of it.”
He let go of my hand, and I was surprised by how nice it had felt. It was his gentleness that had surprised me. Especially from a man who looked the way he did. I was so used to Raymond’s abuse that this soft touch had taken me by surprise.
“Okay,” I found myself saying, even though I’d been adamant that I would be saying no.
He grinned. “Wonderful. I’ll pick you up tomorrow. Can I get your number? I’ll send you a text, and you can reply with your address.”
I gave him my number and then excused myself to find Mae. A sinking feeling had just come over me as I realized that I had no address to give him. And would he really want to know that I was living out of my car? Mae saw my face and sighed.
“Was he a jerk?” she asked.
Dirty Roomie Page 26
