by A J Love
I’m standing over the kitchen counter, confused and frustrated, when I hear her behind me. I ignore her, trying to concentrate on what I’m doing. I hate cooking. All the ingredients I bought are looking back at me like they hate me too. I haven’t even started yet.
“Can I help with anything?” Layton asks, coming to stand beside me.
“Cooking isn’t really my thing.”
“Hmm,” she starts picking up things. “Let’s see.”
I watch as she moves the red peppers, onions, and tomatoes over to the other side of the counter, then turns to face me. “Do you have a wok?”
All I can offer her is a raised eyebrow. She laughs a little. “Okay, I’ll be right back. Don’t touch anything.”
Layton grabs her keys and leaves the apartment, only to return a couple of minutes later with a really big frying pan and some other things. She dumps them on the counter and puts the big one on the stove. She moves back to the counter and smiles at me.
“What in the hell have you been eating if you can’t cook?”
“I can do some stuff,” I say, a little offended.
“But not pasta?”
“Never tried. I like sandwiches.”
She laughs, and fuck me, it’s damn near music to my ears. “How about I cook tonight?”
“I can watch you,” I move to stand behind her, placing my hands on her hips. “And then I’ll know for the next time.”
“Okay,” she gasps as I kiss the back of her neck. “But if you don’t stop that, then we’re never going to eat.”
I chuckle and push away from her. “Yes, Ma’am.”
Layton shakes her head and then grabs for the chicken. I pass her a plate when she asks for one and move to the fridge to get us a drink as she slices the meat into long strips. She lights the stove, splashes olive oil into the wok thing, and then tosses the chicken in there. I pass her a bottle of beer and try not to come in my pants when she takes a long drink of it. There’s just something about a girl who can chug down a beer and doesn’t ask for fruity cocktail shit.
I leave her to the cooking and drop down at the table with a notebook and pen. “What are you working this week at the store?”
Layton looks over her shoulder to me and smiles. “I’m off tomorrow. Then I think I’m on from eight until twelve through to the weekend.”
“Are you working at the weekend?”
“No. It’s Jackson’s weekend. We alternate them. He works one, I do the other.”
This gives me an idea. “Okay, well keep your Saturday free. We’ll go get some stuff for the shop.”
She nods her head, tossing more things into the wok. “Okay, no problem.”
“And Colin showed me how to do all the accounts for the shop for taxes and shit, so I can show you that this weekend as well,” I laugh. “You’ll need to add yourself to the payroll, so I guess we better discuss your salary, huh?”
Layton turns to face me, chewing her lip nervously. “I guess so.”
“You know I can’t pay you what you got from the club, but I can cover your rent and other bills.”
“You don’t have to do that,” she says, quickly. “It’s enough you just providing the job to keep the club off my back.”
I stand and walk around to her. “You work, you get paid. No arguments.”
She nods her head. “Okay.”
“So, we’ll work on a set weekly figure that covers your bills and when you’re not at the grocery store Monday to Saturday, you’re at the shop. That work?”
“That works.” She turns back to the stove and tips the fresh pasta into the wok now. “Dinner will be ready in a few minutes. Where is your stuff for setting the table?”
I place a kiss on the back of her head. “I’ll take care of that.”
Layton finishes off cooking while I set the table. I almost moan in appreciation as she puts a plate of food in front of me, sitting opposite me with her own plate. “Well, I don’t know how nice it will be, but I did what I could.”
I take a mouthful and nod, swallowing. “It’s good.”
She smiles, taking her own bite, and all I can think is that I could happily get used to this. What the fuck is wrong with me? I didn’t want this. But now she’s here, I don’t want to let it go either.
“What do you think you’ll do with the space I’m giving you?” I ask, hoping to stop myself from begging her to never leave me.
She shrugs. “I don’t know.”
“What about the stuff you make? The curtains and clothes and shit.”
“Yeah, I mean I have a lot of things already made that I could probably sell, but that all depends if people actually like them. I’m better at making to order rather than designing myself.”
“So, do that. Get orders, make the stuff.”
“I don’t think it’s that simple. I’d have to find a way of getting people through the door.”
“That’s easy,” I shrug. “You said you have some stuff already? You put that out in those fucking window displays that people have at stores and stick a big sign above the door. They like it, they come in.”
She looks like she might throw up. “I don’t know how to start a business. It seems like a lot of work and it could cost a lot of money. I’d need to set the store up, make a fitting area, add a counter.” She shakes her head. “And I don’t know what else, but I know there’s more.”
I reach for her hand across the table. “It is, and there will be. But you’re not on your own.”
“I’m not?”
“No.” Lord help me, “I’m with you.”
Layton
“Do you not think this is all a bit too good to be true?”
Jackson frowns at me. “No. I do not. I think this is all probably happening to the person who deserves it the most. And that person should stop being such a pussy.”
I huff out a breath and open another box. We’re sitting on the floor of the store next to Kane’s shop, attempting to organize my stock. Over the weekend, Kane took me to a department store to buy shelving and then we managed to find a couple of mannequins on Craigslist that were going cheap to help me display some of my stuff. Nolan came and fitted some better lights, and Kane and I spent the beginning of the week painting the walls and turning one of the alcoves at the back into a fitting room. My savings have become my 'starting a new business' fund and they’re getting low. Kane wanted to pay for a lot of the stuff, but I wouldn’t let him. It’s more than enough that the job he created for me is paying my bills and he’s refusing to charge me for the space. Plus, it had taken a while for me to get on board with starting my own thing, but by putting my own money into it, I’ve become determined to make it work. It helps knowing that Kane seems to be in my corner with the whole thing. Things have really changed with us over the last week or so. I no longer feel like he’s just babysitting me, and instead we’re starting to feel like a team. We haven’t had a conversation to say whether we’re together or not, but I spend most of my nights with him and have even been back to his mom’s place for dinner. I don’t know what we’re starting, or if we’re even starting anything, but I know I feel better when he’s around. More comfortable.
As if reading my mind, he appears in the doorway.
“Lay, you got a minute?”
I stand from the floor and follow him through to the shop to find Jimmy, one of the guys from the MC, and a young girl. “What’s up?” I ask.
“Hey, Layton,” Jimmy says. “This is my eldest daughter, Karie.”
“Hi,” I smile, a little confused.
She smiles wide. “Nolan was at the club telling us all how you’re opening up a store next to Kane’s and how you make dresses. I’m getting married in a couple of months and I’d really love to have the perfect dress made just for me,” she grabs my hand and squeezes it. “Is that something you can do for me? I know it’s short notice but we’re willing to pay whatever the hell you say if you can just help me.”
Shit. I’ve never made a weddi
ng dress. That’s a big deal. “Uh, I mean, are you sure? I’m just starting out.”
“But she is amazing,” Jackson appears behind us. “She’s the absolute best. Come through and look at some of her stuff.”
Karie squeals and rushes off to follow Jackson, whilst I stand stock still, not really knowing what to do with myself. I can hear them laughing and giggling. Jackson sounds like he’s in his element with this.
“What do you think then, Lay?” Jimmy asks. “I don’t care about the cost, just as long as my girl is happy.”
Kane is looking at me with eyes that say I should take the job or he’ll kick my ass. “I guess I can.”
“Layton Parks, get your fine ass in here,” I hear Jackson shout from the store.
Kane snorts a laugh. “You better go.”
“Yeah.”
I leave them and head back to the store, amused at the way Karie is rifling through the boxes. “This stuff is the fucking ult, Layton.” she all but shouts as I approach them. “Can I try stuff on?”
“Sure,” I gesture to the fitting area. “Help yourself.”
She dashes off in that direction with a handful of items. “A fucking wedding dress,” I whisper harshly at Jackson.
He smiles wide. “It will be amazing. Now come on, let’s get your stuff on shelves and pick stuff for the window. We'll make this baby look like the best damn store in the state.”
After making arrangements with Karie for her to come in next week and discuss design ideas, I slump down on the desk chair in Kane’s shop. I’m exhausted, but the store finally looks like an actual store. I have Jackson to thank for a lot of that. He’s far too excited about the whole thing, but it helped to get everything done so I can’t complain.
We’ve set out all the ready-made items on the shelves and picked a couple of dresses to show off in the windows. Then as a stroke of brilliance, I remembered I had some pretty drapes and curtains in one of the boxes and so we managed to dress the store front window and the big side window with them.
I glance around Kane’s place. My little haven next door is a far cry from this dirty warehouse. I wonder how he’d feel if I told him he wasn’t allowed to come over to the store without showering first. I almost laugh. He’d never listen.
I flip open his appointment book to see what his day is looking like tomorrow. I’m at the grocery store in the morning so I want to check if I need to do anything to prepare. After a couple of people not showing up this week after being booked in, Kane wants me to start calling them the day before as a reminder. He says that if he did it, he wouldn’t be as nice to them as I am.
I find the details for the first job he has booked in and dial the number. They answer on the first ring.
“Hi, is that Charlie?”
“Yeah, who’s this?”
I roll my eyes. “It’s Layton calling from Thatcher’s. You’re booked to bring your vehicle in tomorrow at eight. We’re just checking that’s still all right.”
“Ah yeah, that’s all good. Can I just drop it off and come pick it back up later after I get off work?”
“That shouldn’t be a problem,” I answer, checking what the space is like. “You’ll just need to leave your keys with Kane so that he can move it where he needs to.”
“Okay, yeah. That’s fine. I’ll see you then.”
He clicks off before I can say bye. Men.
I have a similar conversation with the next one on the list, and the one after that. He has another couple of people booked in for the afternoon, but it’s only the MC guys and I don’t need to call them. They’re always here anyway and never miss their appointments. I store the appointment book away and move to tidy up the cups and trash around the place. It’s become my habit to clean up after the guys that have been in here. They’re so messy. I don’t know why I bother because it will only end up a mess again.
Kane is still working on something, so once I’ve finished cleaning I sit at the desk and begin to make a list of the things I still need to do for the store. The top of that list is naming the damn thing. Part of me wants to use something pretentious like Chapeau Chic, but then at the same time what’s the point in having a store name that no one can pronounce. All I know is I want to make it an ode to my grandma in some way. I mean, she is the one who taught me everything I know. Jackson thinks I should shove my own name up there in lights. But somehow, I don’t think Layton’s Good Shit is going to work for a store name, which is what he had in mind.
I’m still pondering over names when Kane drops an envelope in front of me. My first week’s pay. We’d decided after I got all flustered trying to understand the money side of things that Kane would still deal with all of that. It’s for the same reason I've asked if he’ll also handle mine for the store. I don’t know what the hell I’m doing with taxes or anything financial. Luckily, he has agreed to help me.
“Thanks,” I say, then shove the envelope in my purse.
“Aren’t you going to count it?”
“Why?” I smirk. “It’s not like I don’t know where you live if you’ve short changed me.”
Kane tuts a few times and shakes his head. “Layton Parks, where has all this sass come from?”
I wish I knew. The truth is, because I feel like I’m getting to know him more, I’m no longer swallowing my own tongue when he’s around. I mean, sure, he still makes my jaw drop whenever he appears. But I’m finding more and more that I can actually relax around him.
“I’m a changed woman,” I joke, then stand. “You all done?”
“Sure am. How did things go with Jimmy’s daughter? You going to take the job?”
I nod my head and let him lead me out the building. “Yeah. She’s going to come by and go through some designs with me. I don’t know, Kane. I don’t know if I’m good enough for this.” Climbing into the truck, I slump back on the seat as he climbs in beside me. “I mean, I can’t even come up with a name for the store.”
“You will. One day at a time, Lay.”
I turn to him and smile small. “Yeah, I know.”
“It looks good,” he nods towards the store front.
Yeah, I think. It does.
My mind is on the store and all the things I have to do for it as we walk up to our apartments, which is why it takes me a minute to notice the small bundle of a human sat outside my door. It’s snoring softly with curly brown hair covering the face. Kane takes a step in front of me, as if to shield me from them, but I stop him. I’d recognize that hair anywhere. What is she doing here?
“Mellie?” I say, not quite believing it. I crouch down in front of her and brush back the hair from her face. “Mellie, wake up.”
She stirs, yawning a little, and then smiles. “Layton,” she croaks.
“Hey, sleepyhead,” I pull her into me, overwhelmed with joy at seeing her. “What are you doing here?”
She pulls away from me. “Lay, I’m so sick of them. I just needed to see you.”
I help her stand and shake my head a little. “You should have called me. What’s going on?”
Mellie looks from me to Kane and then back to me again. “I knew you’d stop me. Can we go inside?”
I curse. “Yeah, of course.” I fish my keys from my purse and open the door, gesturing for her to go in. Kane follows us and we all sit in my living room. I sit on the table in front of my little sister and take her hand. “I’m so happy to see you, but Mom and Dad are going to be worried sick.”
Again, she looks at Kane and then back to me. “I left them a note before I got on the bus. They know I’m coming here.”
Shaking my head, I curse again. “They’re going to want to kick my ass even more now then, huh?” I turn to Kane. “This is Melody, my sister. Mellie, this is Kane.”
“Are you Layton’s boyfriend or something?” Mellie asks him.
“Or something,” Kane coughs. “Do you want me to get you drinks?”
Poor Kane. He looks so uncomfortable and confused. “Please,” I answer, deciding
I’ll ignore his or something comment until later. When he stands, I drop onto the sofa besides her. “So, you got the bus all the way here?”
“Yeah. I snuck out at two this morning and caught the bus here. I just needed to see you. Everything is a mess and I can’t speak to Mom.”
“I would have come and gotten you if you needed me.” I release a long breath. “You know I have to call her, right?”
“I know.”
“But it’ll take them until tomorrow to come get you, so you can stay here tonight, and we’ll straighten you out, okay?”
“Thanks, Lay,” she whispers.
Kane puts the sodas on the table and excuses himself to go shower. I expect him to go home, but instead he walks down my hallway and into my bathroom. If he’s planning on staying here tonight, then I don’t know where I’m going to have everyone sleep. I can hardly share my bed with him and my little sister.
Pulling all the courage I have available, I pull out my cell phone from my pocket and find my mom’s number. I’m still pissed that she never replied to my last message. Mellie curls into my side.
“Before I call her, is there anything I should know?” I ask.
She hides her face against my arm. “I had sex.”
Sweet mother of shit. “Oh, Mellie,” I sigh. “Do they know?”
She pulls back and shakes her head. “No, and you can’t tell them, Layton. You know how they are.”
“Yeah, I’m not that stupid. Of course, I won’t tell them. But please tell me you used protection? Do I need to get you in to see a doctor before they get here?”
Her face flames red. “We used a condom,” she mutters. “I don’t want to talk about that stuff.”
“I don’t care. You have to. This is important, Mellie.”
“I know. But we used protection and I loved him. But then he told all his guys and now they’re making fun of me.”
The instant anger at myself for not being there to protect my sister knocks me off balance a little. This is why I should still be home; this is why I should never have left.