Mom blinked. “Absolutely not! David, he is your brother, and you should love him, but I don’t think he’d be a good influence.”
“Don’t be so harsh on him,” said Father, “Hunter’s not that bad. It’s you who won’t visit his home.”
“Because he’s got Satanic paraphernalia all over the house. I dread to think how the baby’s room looks!”
David sighed. “It’s normal, Mom. It’s quite colorful actually.” Except for the ‘Satan is watching’ poster. It freaked him out, but it wasn’t like he’d get infected by demons by just living there.
“But why? Can’t you find a job around here?” asked Mom.
“There’s not much out here, and I’d have to commute. If I lived at Hunter’s, maybe I could find work somewhere more interesting than a fast food place.”
Father shrugged. “Maybe it could be good for him. It would be like a transition period before college.”
Mom scowled but didn’t come up with any counterarguments for now. David needed to call his brother and seal the deal before their parents got in touch with Hunter. “Thank you both so much for having faith in me,” he said quickly.
Father nodded, and Amy looked up from her game. “Does that mean I can have your room?”
Mom would have probably growled if it weren’t so unladylike. “We repainted yours pink just last year.”
“But his room’s in the attic! That’s the best one, and he’s not gonna be using it anymore,” said Amy, looking between David and their parents.
David smiled at her. “I could box up the less essential stuff.”
Amy squealed in delight, but as soon as David looked down at his phone, his mood soured again.
Nothing.
Chapter 5
David clung to Hunter’s back as the powerful bike rode down a viaduct, spiraling to join a different highway. it had been almost two weeks since David moved into his brother’s guest room, and even with the baby crying at night and chores he needed to help out with, he already was much calmer than he’d been just days ago. Both Asty and Hunter were laid-back, and they welcomed him into their home as if the ten-year-long rift between Hunter and the rest of the family had never happened.
The Satanic and magical decoration elements freaked David out, but he was relieved to hear that there would be no black masses in the house. Apparently, despite keeping all the esoteric paraphernalia, neither Asty nor Hunter actually worshipped the devil. David was trying very hard not to be judgmental, and with all the kindness he was receiving so far, it was much easier than he expected. Truth be told, he found the way Asty and Hunter rejected traditional beauty standards fascinating and scary all at once. David sometimes toyed with the idea of what it would be like to have a piercing. To look different. Asty had at least ten. And those were only the ones in her face.
And today he would be receiving yet another helping of kindness. Hunter was taking him to his clubhouse, so he could meet Asty’s brother, who supposedly had leads on a job opportunity for David. He was a barber and it amounted to lots of connections in the area. Exactly what David needed. But David wasn’t above admitting to himself that he chose to arrange the meetup for today because he’d heard the club president of the other Coffin Nails chapter nearby would be over to do some business at the clubhouse. David remembered every detail of Raja’s patches and the word ‘president’ had definitely been there.
The last few days, when he’d been busy with the move and settling in an exciting new place, really helped David reevaluate his attitude toward Raja and realize that his lust was a misguided craving. Just because he liked marshmallow spread didn’t mean he should eat a whole jar of it. His life was actually better and healthier without marshmallow spread. Marshmallow spread was off his menu for good, and he actually needed to confront marsh—Raja about that. Just to get some closure, because the lack of response was eating at his gut. He wanted to make sure that Raja understood David wasn’t available.
When they finally drove past the fence surrounding the clubhouse, David breathed a sigh of relief. There was something frightening about rushing past cars with no protection around his body, except for a helmet that could hardly save him were he to be flattened by wheels. He slid off the bike and pulled off the helmet, self-conscious of his flattened hair. He didn’t know where Raja was, and even if the ruthless bastard wasn’t interested anymore, David wanted to make him feel at least a tiny bit sorry.
He wore a forest-green short-sleeve with a fox print, and he had struggled to choose between gray and camel pants but went with camel in the end, finishing the look with a pair of ankle-high green Converse.
Hunter parked his bike in front of the entrance to the two-story building, pulling back his long hair as he too got rid of the helmet. “Okay. Lucky will be around in about half an hour. You want to wait outside? We will be having a meeting soon,” he said, glancing at his watch.
David patted his shoulder bag. “Could I wait inside? I’ve got a book.”
Hunter nodded and pushed the door, walking into a large space with beat-up leather sofas gathered around a coffee table and a bar on the other side. Two men David had seen at the baby’s welcome party looked up at them from their places, but Hunter only greeted them with a nod.
“What are you reading?” he asked, walking David all the way to a chair by the window.
"Ah, this book on job interviews." It was the Maze Runner actually, but David didn't want to seem like a slacker when he lived at Hunter's rent-free.
Hunter stared at him for a whole two seconds and patted him on the shoulder. “You need to loosen up sometimes, you know? Maybe when Asty visits her dad, we could go into town. Just the two of us.”
David nodded, but was secretly mortified that Hunter’s idea of fun could be taking him to a prostitute. “I suppose. I just don’t want to have too much fun before I get a job. It wouldn’t be fair on you guys.”
Hunter chewed on his lip but was distracted when one of the men, a giant with wild long hair and a chunky beard, called him over.
“It’s time for church,” he said, getting up.
“Not what you think,” said Hunter before David could ask. He patted David’s shoulder and went off toward a set of doors at the back of the lounge. “Don’t snoop around.”
“I won’t!” David frowned and plopped down onto the leather couch, instantly curling up his feet on the seat. He wondered if he’d get to see Raja storm in late, or if he was already waiting where ‘church’ was.
The doors closed behind the bikers, and he was left completely alone someplace that reminded him a bit of the parish’s common rooms, only the clubhouse smelled of beer and grease, something he wasn’t accustomed to. He was like an alien on some bizarre planet that had somehow naturalized his older brother.
He hadn’t gotten any further into his book when the front door opened and in came Lucky, to whom David had already been introduced to at the party. His long, smooth hair was completely straight when it fell down his back, and he was wearing big, black, beat-up boots with his skinny jeans, a studded belt, and a tight-fitting T-shirt with some scary-looking creature print.
“Hope you didn’t have to wait too long,” said Lucky, getting to his toes when he stretched, as if the drive here had given him cramps. Despite the rocker outfit, Lucky had a wide smile that made him seem approachable.
David got up, and they shook hands. “No, no, I just came with Hunter. I’m David. My brother said you might have some leads on a job?”
Lucky sized him up and down. “Looks like you’re ready for the interview.”
David pinched his own shirt. “This? Nah, it’s just this casual thing…”
Lucky smirked. “Yeah, right. More like trying to look fuckable. That’s not how you get jobs, unless you wanna pole dance.”
David drew in a sharp breath, taken aback. He couldn’t believe Lucky had just dropped an F-bomb for no reason. He didn’t look like the kind of person to do that. “Uh... I didn’t hope for an interview
right away. I just like the shirt,” he mumbled, but his face was flushing at a rate that could put cartoon characters to shame. Lucky was so right. Was David really that obvious? “Besides, I don’t think there will be any ladies here.”
Lucky waved his hand. "Yeah, yeah. Come on, let's have a drink and chat." Lucky led him to the bar and walked in behind the counter, as if it were his second home. “So you’re looking for a lady-boss? To boss you around, walk all over you in ten-inch heels?” Lucky snorted and reached out for a vodka and two shot glasses. At 1:00 p.m.? David didn’t think that was the kind of drink Lucky had in mind.
David stumbled over the smooth floor and held his shoulder bag close to his chest. He was overwhelmed by the tasteless jokes. None of his friends talked about those things so casually. “I have no idea what you’re talking about. Are you saying there’s something wrong with me?” he asked in the end, standing halfway through the room from Lucky.
“You’re the one talking of getting dressed up ‘for the ladies’.” Lucky prompted David closer with his hand.
“I never said that,” said David. Harsher words were at the tip of his tongue. You’re making me uncomfortable was there too, but he couldn’t bring himself to say any of them out loud. “I’m new here.”
Lucky propped his elbows on the counter and eyed David again, as David finally sat down on a barstool. “I can see that. Are you a whiskey on the rocks, or a raspberry martini kinda guy?”
David licked his lips and looked at the bottle cap-shaped clock on the wall. “I’m eighteen.”
Lucky squinted. “I’m pretty sure it’s a martini.”
David tried to laugh, but it came out flatter than the Netherlands. He didn’t have the vaguest idea what Lucky was referencing but preferred not to ask. Something told him it wasn’t anything proper. “I’ve never had any. Is there any orange juice that I could have?”
Lucky grinned and pointed a finger at him before turning around to the fridge. “Nice cop-out. Okay, so I know this guy who runs a flower shop, and he’ll be doing some arrangements for my wedding once the date is set in stone and all that. He told me he’s looking for someone to work in the store. He’d train the new employee himself, so all you need is a nice phone manner and customer service skills. Hunter said you were nice, so I figured I could suggest you.” He turned around and poured David a glass of orange juice.
David exhaled and accepted the drink with relief. At least the conversation was back to normal. He hated when people talked in riddles. “That’s so nice of you. I really need some experience.” He closed his mouth, suddenly ashamed that he hadn’t asked about Lucky’s future plans. “And by the way, congratulations on the engagement. Who is the lucky girl?”
Lucky was making himself some elaborate drink with mint. He closed the shaker and rattled it vigorously. “I’m Lucky.” He winked at David.
David swallowed. He needed to step up his small talk game fast! “Okay. Which girl made you Lucky and agreed to marry you?”
Lucky’s face went slack. “David, I’m gay. I’m the lucky guy, because I’m marrying Tooth, the vice president of this club.”
David had trouble breathing, and he leaned back, very carefully keeping his ass on the seat, because his first reaction was flight, just like it had been almost two weeks ago in Father Joseph’s room. “You’re having... a gay wedding?” he muttered. This went against everything he believed in. It wasn’t that he hated gay people, but he didn’t believe that they should impose their minority issues on everyone else. Everyone in David’s circle would be uncomfortable at that notion.
Lucky cocked his head to the side and tapped his fingers on the counter once his drink was ready. “I’d rather call it a wedding. And if you wanna work at that flower shop, you better be comfortable with that.”
David slurped some of his juice, wishing Hunter were here with him. He’d never mentioned that Asty’s brother was gay and was marrying another man! “You just caught me by surprise.”
“Many things will catch you by surprise soon,” Lucky grumbled and had a big sip of his drink. “The owner’s gay too, so are you fine with that, or should I not recommend you? Don’t want you to be uncomfortable after all.” Lucky’s pout suggested he didn’t care about anyone else’s comfort but his own.
David cleared his throat. Of course, gay people were friends with other gay people. “I mean... as long as he doesn’t make any advances... it’s fine. I’m assuming you know he’s an honest employer.”
“Advances?” Lucky shook his head. “Your innocence is safe with Lindell.”
David slouched, drinking his juice in silence. He couldn’t help but wonder at how relaxed Lucky was in this macho environment. Since when were biker clubs gay friendly? And he was getting married to one of the bikers, as if it were the most natural thing to do. David’s mother wouldn’t think so. He had actually heard her make crude jokes to another friend about the way gay men had sex, and how it was a bastardization of the real act. He’d never tell her that, but it hurt something deep inside him, even though he planned to never act on his fantasies.
His eyes were drawn to the door, which opened suddenly, and just like that, he completely forgot about Lucky.
Raja’s thick hair was in disarray, but instead of looking like a bum, he reminded David of fashion models smudged in fake sweat and coiffured into the perfect image of carelessness. He was wearing a dark blue vest top underneath his cut, and his powerful, tattooed arms shone with their bronze tint. Their eyes met, and Raja stopped for a split second, rocking his body on one foot before going straight toward the doors on the other side of the room.
Lucky laughed. “You look thirsty. Let me pour you another glass.”
David cleared his throat and shoved his glass toward Lucky over the counter. His skin was burning where Raja’s gaze had touched it, his mind flooding with images of that six-pack twitching underneath his touch as Raja fucked his mouth. The images were imprinted on his brain so deeply he would never wipe them away.
Lucky raised his eyebrows and leaned toward David over the counter. “He’s single,” he whispered.
David grabbed the wooden countertop and tried not to wheeze through his clenching windpipe. Oh, God, how did Lucky know? Did gay people have a way to recognizing one another? “I—it’s none of my business.”
Lucky watched him and leaned back, having more of his drink. “I guess it’s for the better. He’s a total manwhore anyway. You don’t wanna get all up in that.”
David’s heart trembled, and he covered his mouth, clutching his knee with the other hand. Oh, God, he was just another conquest, another tally mark documenting Raja’s sex life. “I... what? Are you saying he’s ill with something?” he asked, already getting nauseated.
He’d swallowed it. He’d just swallowed it all, no questions asked.
Lucky made his drink swivel in his glass as he watched the back door where Raja had disappeared a moment ago. “He could be. I’ve heard some stuff about him. It’s all fun and games until you get gonorrhea.”
“Or AIDS,” muttered David, already getting chills all over his body.
Lucky nodded. “Actually, you get HIV, but that’s some serious shit right there.”
David sucked his lips in with a frown. He needed to talk to Raja.
Chapter 6
With Lucky’s number in his phone, David was left alone with his book in a lounge that was so silent he could hear each tick of the clock on the wall. No sounds came from the room where all the bikers gathered, which made David wonder whether they had it soundproofed. As little as he wanted to think of it, his older brother was part of a biker club, and who knew what went on down here when there were no outsiders around. Cold shivers were trailing up and down David’s back as he awaited some kind of movement. He needed to make himself look good when Raja came out of there. He should know what he missed out on by treating David so poorly.
What did a biker club president even do? Did he take care of the stock at the bar, organize par
ties? David didn’t want to think about more shady possibilities, but he couldn’t focus on his book at all, instead planning what to say to Raja. He needed to inform the guy that he wasn’t available, and Raja shouldn’t even try calling him.
His heart leapt when something thudded behind the doors across from him, and as soon as he heard voices, he frantically positioned himself in what felt like ‘casually relaxed’. His throat clenched, and his palms broke out in sweat when the bikers slowly poured out of their meeting. All of them seemed to gravitate toward the bar, but when David looked up, searching for black hair and dusky skin, he spotted Raja talking to Hunter, who had his arm around Raja’s shoulders and spoke lively about something that David couldn’t hear with all the commotion around.
David needed to speak to Raja alone, so this wasn’t good at all. Should he just walk up to him or would that raise suspicions? In the end, he got up and stuffed his book into the bag, trying to look chilled out as he loitered around the coffee table. Hunter waved at him, but when one of the older members pulled him aside, David recognized it as his chance and tried to catch Raja’s gaze. But as soon as Hunter was away, Raja stormed toward the exit, oblivious to David’s attempts.
David watched that beautiful monster go and gave his brother a quick glance to make sure Hunter was busy. He had no idea when he’d see Raja again, and the guy could keep ignoring David’s texts forever, but face-to-face, he’d have to say something. David made a dash for the exit and slipped out before anyone could notice him.
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