by Watkins, TM
“So is that guy code or biker code?”
Archer looked at me, lifting his shirt from the floor.
“Biker. I don't fuck and ditch Roxy.”
“Can you please stop calling me that?”
He leaned over with a grin, his lips pressing against mine as he whispered it again.
“Bastard.” I said as I whacked him with the pillow.
The pillow was pulled from my grip and tossed back to the bed as he laid beside me.
“Lucky for you, your naked body is a distraction.”
Fingertips skated over my stomach, trailing up to my breasts. He murmured appreciatively as he cupped the swell, his index finger washing over the erect nipple.
“I'll be back for breakfast. I'm thinking that chocolate icing here, I'll lick you clean.”
Leaning up on one arm, I wrapped the other around his neck and kissed him hard. His hand splayed out over my waist and moved over the small of my back, continuing to my backside.
He pressed our hips together, I wanted to groan. He was ready to go again.
“You make it very difficult for a man to leave, you know?”
“But you have to, don't you?”
Archer nodded, looking rather annoyed.
“I thought you weren't in the club anymore.”
“Just filling in for Wolf, it happens from time to time. His missus isn't well so he has to watch the kids.”
Wolf looked a little too old to have children that were young enough that they couldn't be left alone. Then again, he could have a young wife.
“Is she okay?”
Archer shrugged one shoulder as he laid on his side, his gaze squarely on my breasts as his hand found a path to them again.
“Cancer. Just had uh... what do you call it?”
He gestured to my breasts.
“Mastectomy.”
“Yeah both of 'em. So he watches over the brats until their mother finishes her shift.”
I frowned with confusion, lost in the dynamics of this family and Archers confusing statements. He chuckled and sat up from the bed, putting his phone in his pocket.
“Wolf and Thumper look after the grand kids while their daughter works at the pub. The kids father buggered off a few years ago so she lives with her parents now.”
He looked at his watch and leaned over to kiss me.
“Got to go for real now, have to pick Leigh up from the pub. Wolf doesn't like her walking home in the dark.”
“Can't say as I blame him.”
I found my clothes and quickly dressed, following him out to the door.
“Breakfast?” He asked as he wrapped his arms around my waist.
“Sure.”
With another kiss that left me wanting so many more, he was gone. I shut the door and bolted the locks, there was three of them in total. That was my father at his best, instilling fear into me and himself.
As I wandered through the apartment turning off the lights I heard Archer start his motorcycle. In the darkness of the lounge room I watched him pull out of the driveway and drive up the road.
I didn't want to be an irrational and dependent woman this early on but there was just a fraction of jealousy that when he collected Leigh and took her home, she'd have her arms around him.
The jealousy kicked into overdrive, imagining her to be some goddess and everything that I wasn't.
I needed advice and I knew where to get it.
Standing at the kitchen bench I looked across into the darkness, waited, waved and waited more. Nothing. Okay so maybe the popcorn had gone cold and they were elsewhere now.
Though it was entirely possible that they were in the kitchen and I couldn't see them. Maybe I didn't want to see them. Maybe we both needed to get window coverings.
I found my phone and quickly tapped out a message, within a minute the light in the kitchen went on and Eddie was at the window.
“What's up girlfriend?”
“I have some questions for you two but uh...” I pointed to the ceiling.
Eddie shook his head with a frown.
“Be over in a tick.”
The window was shut and the light went off. His reluctance to continue the conversation at the window meant that Ken and Elise had their window open.
It was only a few days away from the first official day of summer and it was like it had been here for months. Soon it would become unbearable and the air conditioning would get a good workout.
I wandered over to the door and unlocked it, waiting for Eddie and James.
“Well you look like you've been horse riding.” Eddie offered with a cheeky grin.
“Shut up cupid. I know you were behind the whole scheme so don't be playing dumb about it.”
“It worked though.”
With a grin that I could not get rid of I shut the door and followed them to the lounge.
“Where did he go? We heard his beast and thought it was a little strange.”
“Gone to do stuff for Wolf.” I shrugged.
“I thought he said he was out.” Eddie said rather confused.
“I don't think out is ever fully out.” James returned.
The statement was something that was already swimming around in my mind. Not knowing how motorcycle clubs worked I wondered if it was entirely possible that he was still technically a part of one.
“So he had to go and get Wolf's daughter from her work so that she wasn't walking home by herself. She works at a pub and her name is Leigh, heard of her?”
“Lots of pubs in this town Faith.” James offered with a sympathetic smile. “But after spending the afternoon in his house and getting him in shape to meet your specific requirements, I'd say you don't have much to worry about.”
“Specific?” I said rather shocked.
James and Eddie looked at each other and they both nodded.
“Ed went through the list of the failings of the previous. Too hairy, too much aftershave, not enough aftershave, terrible personal hygiene, no dress sense, too much dress sense, too quiet, too talkative, too boorish, too scared to meet the parents, too scared to meet the best friend. Did I miss anything?”
“I think that covered everything.” Eddie muttered from behind his phone. “Hey do you know what his surname is?”
I looked at Eddie, his eyes never raising from the screen. I had no answer, James leaned back on the lounge and looked at Eddie's phone.
“Saw some paperwork on the kitchen bench, had AM Morrison.”
“What are you doing? Are you searching for him on Facebook?”
“Of course I am.”
Total hell, why didn't I think of that?
“Did you know he was at Honey's on Friday?”
James looked at me rather surprised.
“He was at the bar but I don't think you served him. After that he was upstairs at the pool tables.”
“That's where the Howling Devils hang out. Must be his former club.”
I was out of my chair and at my desk before I could stop to think about it. Waiting for the stupid computer to load was painful.
“You are crazy Faith.” James said as he leaned on the bookcase.
“Yeah probably.”
Searching motorcycle clubs on the internet wasn't easy, it came up with a lot of general information but nothing specific which wasn't surprising. I then searched Howling Devils motorcycle club, finding nothing of value.
“Found him.” Eddie cooed from the lounge room.
I nearly knocked James over as I got up from my chair. Eddie held the phone back with a worried look on his face.
“Do you dare take this leap Faith? What happens from here can make or break.”
“Have you looked for yourself?”
“I have and I sent him a friend request.” Eddie grinned broadly.
Which means that he'll get to see all of the lovely photos that Eddie has taken of me. I was yet to get hold of his phone and delete them. I was also yet to learn not to fall asleep around him.
&
nbsp; His wall was graced with photos of me with cheese doodles up my nose, asleep at the beach with a giant penis drawn in sunscreen on my rather pink and badly sunburned back and of course my favorite, getting waxed.
Yes, Eddie was a great friend.
“So what's the verdict?”
“Well, he has a lot of male friends that are likely to be all part of the group. Female friends consist of a lot of older women, I guess with a little research we would find that they are probably partners.”
“Young women?”
Eddie and James looked at each other.
“Faith why are you going there?”
“They're gorgeous, aren't they?”
He rolled his eyes and handed his phone over. My obsessing over this was going to kill whatever I had with Archer for sure. I did a quick flick through of his friends, surmising that Eddie was right, there were a lot of older females and they were probably all wives of the members.
As for the younger females well, there were some of them too which I guess was to be expected. I found Leigh in the list and she wasn't that bad in terms of looks but she looked nothing like me which I was secretly grateful for. Not sure why but I was.
With a heavy sigh I flicked back to his time line and noticed the notification.
“You've got a notification.”
Eddie was looking over James' shoulder as he looked at his phone.
“Well click on it and tell me.” He said as he flicked his hand dismissively.
I tapped on the icon and gasped.
“He accepted it. Oh my gawd.” I muttered under my breath.
“Of course he did, he knows when he's looking at an awesome friend.”
After changing pieces of his information, I handed his phone back and went searching for mine. Where it might be was dependent on where I was and my mood when I had it last. In the kitchen, trying to get Eddie's attention.
The light was blinking away, I'd not heard it beeping because I had put it on silent to eat dinner in peace. I opened up Facebook and there was one little friend request that made me smile.
After accepting it a message came through that there was something wrong with my personal information.
I could hear Eddie gasping from the lounge room because Archer in his infinite wisdom wasn't using the private chat.
“Oh my gawd, he changed it!” Eddie gasped happily.
He almost skidded on the wood floor as he came barreling into the kitchen.
“He's gone from single to in a relationship. Wow. You need to change yours fast or he is going to get pissed.”
“How so?”
“Because he's put it out there and so early on too. Give me your phone.”
Eddie huffed and swiped the phone from my hands, changing my relationship status.
“There, one happy camper. You know...” He said casually as he handed my phone back. “Maybe he's just as worried as what you are. That's pretty damned fast, I didn't change mine until lunch time yesterday.”
James walked into the kitchen and leaned on the bench beside Eddie.
“How many guys are you friends with? Because I saw a lot when I went fishing through your profile yesterday.”
This is what I get when I go onto social media. I wasn't a fan of it and I wasn't a fan of having my information out there for the world to see. Sure James was okay but there were so many unknowns that could see so much.
“Well my personal one has a few from high school, one or two ex's that I haven't blocked as yet.”
“Maybe you should.” Eddie muttered.
I nodded and went through my account, removing the unnecessary people from my life. It wasn't as if it was a big thing, I didn't talk to them anyway.
Chapter Eleven
The problem with social media is that when you do something it tells all of your friends. Not only had I added a new friend and lost several more, all of the male variety but I had also changed my relationship status.
Alexis was the first to call me, bright and early at seven am. She'd been sitting at the breakfast table trolling through her Facebook as she drank her first coffee of the morning. Said first coffee of the morning was spat across the table as she looked at the changes I'd made overnight.
So I had to listen to and answer all of her questions instead of her visiting me which I did not want. Not when Archer said he was coming back for breakfast.
Somewhere between last night and this morning Saffron had checked into an area that had good coverage and had seen what I had changed. Then she messaged my mother who was rather inept when it came to social media. But that's where her inabilities stopped, after much coaxing from her first born my mother went on and had a look at what was going on.
The concern? Oh well that might have been my darling older sister who had been fishing through Archer's pictures and time line and then through his friends as well. So the cat was out of the bag as to the true identity of my new boyfriend.
Saffron was in a panic, thinking that I'd run off with some motorcycle club and become a biker's bitch. She was threatening to get on the next plane and come back to kick my ass into next week except that it would take her several days to get back.
My mother was now in a frenzy, thinking that I was going to have all manner of dastardly things done to me. I'd barely got off the phone from Alexis when my mother rang. Having to convince Alexis not to come over was hard enough, my mother was worse.
Even though she sat at the table and ate dinner with him, had a pleasant conversation and enjoyed his company, my mother was fraught with worry. I reminded her of these things and the fact that I was not stupid, I could look after myself and there was no worry. Eventually she calmed down.
By the time I got off the phone to her I realized it was eleven am and I had not seen nor heard from Archer. I also hadn't heard his motorcycle either which meant that he wasn't home. I looked across the street to his house and saw no sign of life.
There were no changes to his status or time line nor any messages on Facebook. My stomach rumbled and I made my way into the kitchen, changing my status to feeling hungry. Hopefully he would get the hint.
Coffee in hand I made my way to the study with the hope that the changes in my life will help the flow of words and thoughts.
One pm came and went and I'd done nothing more than drink the coffee and stared out the window. A message came through a few minutes after the turn of the hour, Eddie telling me to look up some chick called Kira Lewis. She was friends with Archer and as I went through the motions of finding her I could feel my heart thumping harder and harder. My arms became like dead weights as I looked at the recent additions of photos.
With a bit of effort I managed to copy the photos to print them out. Tears rolled freely, mostly at how stupid I had been. It was last night, he was wearing the same shirt, the same everything. She had her arms wrapped around him, his around her. Another photo of her planting a big kiss on his cheek.
It could have been innocent, easily misconstrued. Except his hand was precariously close to her backside in a photo of them hugging. Another photo his hand was on her waist, the fingers underneath the waistband of her jeans.
I guess that Eddie and I had misinterpreted Archer's change of status. It wasn't for me, it was for her. So I changed mine back to single and my status as pissed off. I then wrote on the print-outs that he wasn't to come near me again and then delivered them to his letterbox.
Eddie was at work and James had gone home for the first time since Friday night. I guess that's what true love is or maybe it was lust. Either way he wanted to be around Eddie and didn't go wandering off into the night chasing after someone else.
When I returned to my apartment I stripped the bedsheets and washed them, wishing that I could burn them. I couldn't, I only had two sets which was a little ridiculous. With the second set on the bed and my bedroom now voided of all remnants of the amazing night I'd had with Archer, I went back to my laundry.
There I sat on the floor, leaning agai
nst the cupboard door as I watched my sheets swirl around and around in the water.
My phone lit up, a message from Archer. At least this time he'd had the sense to use the chat program rather than my time line. If we were still something I would have suggested he message me using the phone rather than Facebook but we weren't something.
I ignored him when he asked if I was okay because my status and relationship was wrong again. Then Eddie messaged me, wanting to know what I had done because Archer was asking if I was okay.
I told him exactly what I'd done and that he wasn't to tell anyone or I really would find a hole to dump him in. Like always, he was on my side and responded that he wouldn't say anything other than he got no response.
Sick of seeing the flashing light I took my phone as I wandered out to the kitchen, turned it off and left it on the bench. Then I grabbed a bottle of red that was open from last night and wandered back to the laundry.
It was almost full, in fact it looked like it had been opened and not had a glass poured from it. So I sat and watched the sheets rolling around and drank straight from the bottle. I was too classy for a glass.
Half way through the bottle I heard the ominous thunder of Archer's motorcycle, my body tensed at the sound. I tried to ignore it by drowning it out with drinking more.
The reality of the situation was that I was a fool. I'd known Archer for less than two days and I'd fallen into bed with him. It was a mistake.
I'd never gone to bed with a guy before the second date, aside from Friday night of course. Again, drunkenness. But Archer and I hadn't even gone on one date and he somehow managed to get into my pants.
He was smooth and charming, a little dangerous and a deviate as well. I'd been played. In fact, Eddie and James had been as well. They'd been roped into helping him ready for the dinner, ensuring that he met my overbearing standards with perfection.
He'd conned my parents and had them eating out of his hands, thinking that he was perfect for their little girl. And by the end of the night she was so ready for him that she gave him what he wanted without a second thought for her own ideals.
I sank back more wine, over thinking things again. Ideals? What a joke, I didn't really have many. Second date before intimacy was generally a rule, this weekend really was a write off. Meeting family and friends by maybe third or fourth date, blown out of the water in one sitting. Staying the night, well I guess considering that he pissed off to be with his girlfriend that one didn't count at all.