Alright that was it. He was doing that just to irritate me. “What the hell, Damon! When did you start liking fucking doughnuts? You’re late. And the reason better not be a certain girl with green eyes. Damnit, Damon I want answers.”
He finished chewing the bit of doughnut in his mouth and put the rest of it back on the plate. Almost as if to irritate the piss out of me, he grabbed a napkin to wipe the remaining frosting off his hands, taking his sweet time. Once thoroughly done he threw the napkin in my direction.
“You’re right, it is a green eyed girl.”
“Jackass!”
Surprised at the vengeance in Dean’s voice I watched in surprise as he attempted to punch his brother in the side while still sitting in the booth. Damon grabbed his side, blocking his brother from hitting him where the sun didn’t shine. Which to me, he probably deserved. For the first time since we got to the diner, Damon actually seemed pissed about something this morning. While I finally got to crack a smile and Damon hid his crown jewels. Maybe now he’d actually talk a little, instead of eating damn doughnuts.
I slammed my hand on the table to get their attention. “Explain.”
Still holding onto his crown jewels, Damon straightened while glaring back and forth at me and his brother. “I said a green eyed girl made me happy, and what happened last night is nobody’s business.”
Was he saying what I thought he was saying? Him not denying anything all but confirms what he did, didn’t it?
“Damon, I swear if you messed up everything with Kelly, I’m gonna hit something worse than your jaw.”
Damon continued to scowl. “What the fuck is yours and Dean’s problem? Kelly asked me to stay last night because she was scared.” He looked over at Dean. “Hell, you were practically nodding your head along with her when she told you I was staying when we came back from the vet.”
The people closest to us had finally gone back to eating their breakfast or tried to appear that they were eating their breakfast. This whole damn town was a bunch of gossips and whatever was said at this table would be around the entire town by supper.
I coughed loudly to gain both of their attention, whispering, “That was before we thought that you would sleep with her.” I rubbed my hands through my hair. “And can you guys be a little quieter, I bet Kelly doesn’t want all her business being told around the whole damn town.”
Damon glanced around the room taking in the customers pretending to eat. “You’re right, and maybe I did sleep with her, maybe I didn’t. That’s up to her to tell you two.”
“I can respect that.” Dean who had been quiet since his jackass comment, jumped in before I could agree.
Damon who seemed happy about what Dean said grabbed what little of his doughnut was left and crammed the rest in his mouth.
Nice.
As much as I hated to admit it, Damon was right. It was up to her to tell us and as much as I hate that Duchess got hurt, that catalyst had brought us together.
And maybe just maybe, we would stay together this time.
Stomach twisted with hope, since Dean had talked to her, I knew we needed to figure out what to do next. What could we do to keep her in our lives, because I could admit that whatever we were doing before hadn’t worked. But whatever Dean had said to her and whatever Damon had done last night, it had shifted for the good in our direction.
“I agree with respecting her, but what do we do now. I don’t want to lose her, I can’t lose her again.”
Damon rubbed the back of his neck, watching us beneath hooded eyes.
Dean who had been sitting so stoically, was now back to his usual self, leg bouncing beneath the tables as he started popping his knuckles.
Hope was in the air.
Damon put his hands out in front of him. “We know she was shaken up last night, but before I left to come here she said she wanted movie nights with us again, except on Saturday, so that’s a good sign, right?”
Dean still popping his knuckles, leaned forward. “Why Saturday, we always do Friday movie night, did you get her to change it?”
Damon rolled his eyes. “No, I didn’t dickhead, she’s taking more kickboxing classes with Ben. She actually likes them and I’m sure soon she’ll be able to kick your scrawny ass.”
Shoving his brother, Dean replied, “Well at least she could kick your ass now everytime you’re an ass, Pooh Bear.”
“Enough.”
Both brothers turned towards me. These past few weeks I forgot how childish they could be, but with us on the cusp of getting our girl back I remembered. Though we were all pushing thirty, they still acted like they were seven sometimes.
“We need to be serious, I want to make sure she knows where we all stand. Do you understand? Like what is she doing tomorrow, maybe we can all go see her then. Damon did she mention what she’s doing or since you two are talking, why don’t you text her?”
He pulled his phone out of his back pocket, swiping across the screen and started texting.
It was weird that Damon out of all of us would be texting her, I figured if anyone it’d be Dean, but Damon was the last one with her, so it made the most sense for him to text. And I was man enough to admit that I was jealous, jealous of his night with her and of him texting her right now. But if it got me my girl, then I could stand back.
But I’d still be jealous of the Lucky Bastard.
Damon put his phone on the table, drawing me out of my musing. “She said today she’s picking up Duchess and tomorrow she’s got some sort of book club thing at the library.”
“Did you ask her what time?”
He rolled his eyes at me. “Of course, it's from two to three.”
I nodded as an idea started to form. “Why don’t we meet her there at the book club, pick her up and take her someplace?”
Settled down somewhat now, Dean jumped in. “Skating, let's take her skating.”
Damon swore, mumbling the rest under his breath.
Dean catching what I assumed were snippets of what he said elbowed him sharply in the rib. “What was that Damon, speak up I can’t hear you.”
Damon turned his head openly glaring at his brother. “I said asshole, you know I can’t skate, you’re only doing that to watch me fall on my ass.”
Dean, not denying the accusation winked at me. “Admit it you deserve it, asswipe, what you did could’ve screwed everything up. The least you could do is fall on your ass a few times.”
When Damon didn’t reply with a biting remark I clarified my proposition. “Okay, so tomorrow after book club we are gonna take her skating? Do we want to surprise her?”
Dean, had a giant smile plastered on his face, I think from realizing that we were getting our girl back, or an image of Damon falling on his ass, replied, “Yeah, let's surprise her, what’s the worst that could happen?”
Nine
Kelly
1. Should I really call Damon?
2. I love Duchess, but getting in the garbage has to stop.
3. I might like to shop online…too much
I can’t believe I slept with Damon Timbers. Mr. Rollercoaster himself. And it wasn’t out of vulnerability. It was out of love. I watched as he took care of my dog, and stayed with me through it all. I knew the others couldn’t go with me and they helped in their own way, but seeing Damon and finally talking with him about Camille...it just seemed right. And it was. I mean just like Damon, it was a roller coaster and it was fast and hard, but it was...perfect. He left to meet the guys the next morning to tell them of the development and I’d be lying if watching him walk out the door with a slight swagger didn’t make my heart skip a beat.
Yesterday, I went alone to pick up Duchess. I knew that the boys would have gone with me, but having some stranger come into my house left me vulnerable and I needed to take back my power. So, I picked her up and stayed by myself the next night. I hated feeling that way. And I wasn’t going to let this change me or my goals. Which is why Duchess was at home and I was here. At the
library, sitting in my car, melting and debating on getting out of the car.
I could do this.
It was just a book club.
Albeit a strange one, but those old women didn't scare me.
Okay, maybe they did a little.
It’s just those old women seemed off their rocker.
Maybe they were off their meds, old people took meds,right?
Was I really thinking of being a chicken? Me, the lady who stayed at her house after a break-in. Albeit not alone. Me the girl who ran naked through my dorms in college and was threatened with suspension. I mean if I could do that then those old ladies should be easy.
Right?
Yeah, I could handle this. Determined, I wrapped my hand around the handle of the door. I was doing this.
Lord Jesus.
The hot humid air wrapped around my body like a moist cocoon, as I exited the car. My once fixed hair now stuck to the back of my neck like a monkey on his mama’s back.
Great.
I hated summer.
And summer hated me. At least it hated my hair.
My next major buy should probably be hats, just to cover up the damage done by the humidity.
Hmm...doughnut hat? That could be cute.
I mentally wrote the idea of doughnut hats down for further investigation.
Mental note taken, my mind went over the book that I read for this week,The Vixen’s Lead by Tate James.
It was interesting.
Different.
Thought provoking…
A few week ago, I researched the words reverse harem on a whim, but I didn’t know there was a whole genre of books dedicated to what my life entailed. It was like they were speaking to me.
Who knew?
After reading my first reverse harem book I found myself flipping through my tablet finding more, and I caught myself clicking download before I could stop myself. I had, without meaning to, become addicted.
It seemed like there were millions of different stories that were reverse harem. Cowboy? Here have three. Dragon shifter? Let’s throw four more at her. The more the merrier.
What had these old ladies done to me? Not saying I didn’t enjoy steam and multiple men, apparently I did. Very much. Dean, Damon, and Kasper were my secret fantasy come to life.
I guess, I just never thought I could get so turned on from a book. Or pulled in. And I did. A lot. But I’m not going to tell the old ladies that. Hell would freeze over first before I let them know they had corrupted me.
I bypassed the library desk and made my way up all three flights of stairs without stopping.
Huh, not so out of breath this time. Maybe kickboxing did work.
Go me.
“How stupid are you Gertie, now they’re onto us!”
And it had started.
A sigh escaped my lips as I acknowledged that I’d already made my decision on the book club. And I couldn’t back out now. I knew I had to jump in feet first, so I walked into the fresh hell that awaited me.
“It wasn’t my fault you dumb heifer, my grandbaby got my kindle and showed her mama. That woman was always too nosy for her own good.”
Who called anyone a heifer anymore?
Ninja style, I crept into the room, trying not to draw attention to myself until the last possible second. Like sharks, these ladies could smell anxiety and desperation a mile away. And at the moment I was both. Sideways I wedged myself between the many round tables that covered the floor, realizing seconds too late that hips and thighs made this endeavor difficult.
Damn you doughnuts and your sugary goodness.
Why did they have to make ninja walking so difficult?
The tables squeaked against the oak floors as I found myself lodged between two heavy oak tables as I tried unceremoniously to heave myself through the small gap between tables.
Too late I noticed the name calling and bickering had stopped and all eyes had zeroed in on me.
Mission fail. Abort. Abort.
In their red chairs they sat like queens upon a throne, judging me.
“Did you get stuck? Too much chocolate?”
“Leave her alone, it’s more cushion for the pushin’.”
“I thought it was pushing into the cushion.”
Ignoring them and their commentary, I pushed myself through the rest of the way the creaks and groans marking my movements as I freed myself slowly from the wooden prison of my own making. Freed, I made my way to the one lone empty chair that had been added to the circle of women, that seemed to be waiting for me. The ladies watched silently as I sat slowly into the chair and listened to it creaking loudly under my weight. I looked up catching their eyes. “Not one word, not one single word.” With a nod of their agreement I settled into my seat comfortably and waved my hand for them to proceed.
Betty grabbed her shot glass rolling her eyes, as she took a large swallow of its contents. It still amazed me that these women had liquor to drink during book club. Where did they get it without being noticed? I have a feeling four elderly women stocking up on liquor would be noticable.
How did they get it here with no one noticing? What was their secret? In many ways, these women annoyed me. In others they were my hero.
The shot glass echoed with a bang across the room as she set the glass down while looking around the room.
“We wait, we don’t admit nothing about what they saw. We deny, deny, deny. We play the elderly card. We’re senile old farts that don’t know what they’re doing. They’ll forget the whole thing.”
I had entered the mob.
I didn’t want to join a book club mafia. And yes, I knew how crazy that sounded, but with these ladies all things were possible.
Still confused with what was going on, I figured now was a good time as any, to make sure I wasn’t an accessory to some illegal gang. I raised my hand. “Permission to speak. Why exactly are we playing the elderly card? If you can’t tell me, I don’t think that’s gonna work for me.”
Gertie, who sat on my right wearing a tight purple dress and matching pumps, covered my hand with hers and replied, “Don’t worry, dear, you can play the stupid card. Which I’m sure you’ve done before.”
She insulted me. I think.
Their default settings must have been set to degrade and sarcasm. Musing, I wondered which angel in heaven, decided to flip the wrong switch when making them?
“Ha, ha. Funny, funny.” I slipped my hand out from under hers as I looked around the room at each lady and asked again. Maybe this time, I might get an answer.
“Seriously, what’s going on, what has y’all up in arms.”
Iris leaned forward in her seat pointing to her sister and scolded, “Einstein right there let her grandbaby get ahold of her tablet. And the baby showed her mama the books on there.”
Apparently, I wasn’t that smart.
Maybe Gertie was right, pretending to be dumb wouldn’t be that hard after all.
Since everyone was still glaring daggers at Gertie, I decided to push for more information.
“And?”
Betty huffed, but explained, “Because crème puff, our tablets have our book club books on them.”
Nope, still didn’t get it. They were adults, right? Albeit wrinkly but still adults.
“And? I’m still not following.”
Prudie catching me unaware, slapped her hand down on my knee, causing me to jump.
“They saw our erotica, reverse harem, menage, romance, those ring any bells? We read the hot and smutty, and if you ain’t figured it out yet, our kids and grandkids don’t know.”
I looked back at Betty. “What’s the big deal, I mean you’re grown women, you can read what you want.”
They stared at me in silence. “Right? You do get to do what you want, right?”
Iris the sweeter of the clan, though not by much if I was honest, tried to explain, “We might act slightly different in our book club than we do around people in the town and with our children.”
<
br /> She gestured at the shot glasses as she continued, “They don’t really know about all this.”
The whole picture became clear. “You mean y’all have been doing this for how many years, and no one ever suspected what y’all do? Cause I mean the shot glasses and whiskey has got to be hard to hide.”
Prudie, who had been quiet until now, leveled me a look that if younger I would have run for a hickory. But no self-respecting twenty-seven year old ran for a hickory. He just ignored or denied the issues at hand.
“Smartass, of course people suspect, but we’re also retired teachers, secretaries, and nurses. So, people including our children, just turned the other way. It's kind of hard to turn the other way, when your five year old daughter shows you a picture of a man grabbing a bare ass on the cover of a book!”
Before I could answer a quick come back, which I could admit at the moment I had none, the distinct sound of buzzing came from my phone.
I knew who it was before I looked at the screen and I wasn’t ready. I hadn’t talked to them since the break-in or my night with Damon.
Phone in hand, I swiped across the screen.
Four pairs of eyes watched as I clicked on the messenger. Nosy old ladies. If they knew the whole story they were going to have a field day. Maybe they took pleasure from my discomfort.
I ignored the eyes burning into my head as I read the message over again. Gah, what do I do?
“Is something wrong, dear? You’re making an unusual sound with your mouth.”
Closing my mouth I tried to figure out what to do as the four ladies waited on me to say something… anything.
I didn’t feel guilty for asking Damon to stay the night. In fact, after the break-in and taking care of Duchess, Damon was the one thing that kept me sane. Having him there and talking to him...well, it put a lot of things into perspective.
Though having this conversation about our relationship in front of four elderly women was not how I pictured this going.
Maybe something more sweet and romantic. Candle light dinner..wait we’ve done that and that went bad. Okay, maybe something normal. Not with four questionable ladies across from me holding their shot glasses.
Road to Them: The Road Series Book Two Page 7
