Hot Bastard Next Door: A Boy Next Door, Second Chance Romance

by Rye Hart

  I missed her everyday. If only I could tell her that.

  I’m just a few months from my 21st birthday now. Mike managed to remember all my birthdays, leaving me a cupcake on the dining room table and a weird gift I never really understood. Alteast he tried when it came to my birthdays, even if it was half ass.

  He had a habit of buying me presents that I’d never use. For the longest time it was nail polish, all kinds of nail polish, mostly in baby blues and pinks; colors I would never dream of wearing. He finally got the hint at some point and he bought me black. Now it was black everything, which I didn’t really mind.

  I rolled onto my stomach and glanced down at the hard wood floor, running my hand over it for a moment, almost wincing at the heat that emanated from it. I liked the south, but I didn’t like the heat. Not one bit.

  The sun was high in the sky now, and I figured I ought to get out of bed. I was up all night cramming for finals the night before and luckily didn’t have to be to work today but that wasn’t an excuse for me to lay in bed. I changed into black skirt and a shirt that I got at some concert I could barely remember. I threw on some boots and then I placed a black beanie over my blonde hair.

  Just as I was grabbing a Pop-Tart from the sparse pantry my phone began to buzz. I pulled it out of my back pocket and answered without looking at the screen.

  “Yo,” I gave my standard greeting.

  “Alex?”

  “Hey Gina! What’s up girl?”

  Gina was my best friend. A Southern girl through and through with a kick-ass punk attitude. I loved her dearly. Being around Gine made this heat almost bearable.

  “Are you working today?” she asked.

  “No ma’am. I actually just got out of bed,” I hummed, popping my breakfast into the toaster. “Why?”

  “There’s a big biker rally this weekend! People are coming from everywhere, even as far as Nashville. How fucking rad is that?”

  “A biker rally? What would be so fun about a biker rally?” I grumbled.

  I had an aversion to bikers as it were. In my mind bikers represented a community of bad news. They were dangerous, unpredictable, and had no redeeming qualities as far as I could see. I had goals of paying my way through college and graduating on time. That meant going to community college at night and working full, so I wasn’t stupid enough to get tangled with bikers. Not like my mom in her wild years. She ending up regretting every minute of it and that made a lasting impression in my life.

  “Don’t be such a baby, Alex. It’ll be fun,” Gina whined.

  “I don’t think so.”

  “God, you’re such a downer. Fine, let’s go grab lunch and hit up some bars? That sounded like a better idea. I could use a break.

  I grabbed the Pop Tart as it popped from the toaster and stuffed it in my mouth. “Where are we going to meet?”

  “Did you really just ask me that?” she drawled.

  “Majestic?”

  “Duh. I want a milkshake. See you soon boo.”

  I chuckled and hung up the phone, tucking it away in my pocket. Let’s see where this takes us.

  Chapter Two

  It was just as hot outside as I expected it to be. The air was oppressive and sweat was already starting to bead on my forehead. I brushed my fingers through my blonde hair, secretly thankful to Gina for talking me out of dying it a dark color. She warned me that it would attract the sun and get way too hot and I was grateful to her for the warning, though I’d still acted petulant about not having dark hair.

  The streets were as busy as you’d expect on a hot summer afternoon. A few people were walking up and down the street in shorts and tank tops, but most people were holed up in the mall or at home where cold AC units offered relief from this fucking heat. It was the one thing I hated about Atlanta. I hated the heat. I hated the way that even the branches on the trees seemed to droop in utter defeat against it.

  Luckily I didn’t have to walk too far. I lived close to a tram station and hopped on happily. I sighed with delight as the cool air hit my face. I collapsed into one of the seats and stuck headphones in my ears, not really interested in talking to anyone. People had a tendency to think that public transport was a place to make friends. They would talk your ear off if you didn’t have headphones in. It was the most annoying thing I’d ever experienced in my life.

  I’d grown up in a small town just outside Boston and I wasn’t used to people poking around in my business for no reason. Folks in small towns do love to gossip but they have a tendency to do it behind your back and never to your face, so it was less invasive than what I faced here in the big city.

  I got off in the heart of downtown Atlanta and walked through the street, taking in all the people. One of my favorite parts about living in a big city was people-watching. Coming from a small town where everyone looked the same, and there was little to no variation, Atlanta people-watching was like hitting the jackpot. I couldn’t go more than five feet without seeing a new look. There were Goth kids, glamour moms, and even the occasional drag queen. I loved taking in all the colors and looks.

  I took evening classes at a local community college because it was all I could afford with my retails job and financial aid. I never talked about my hopes much, but I had hopes of being a fashion designer. It was my dream since I was a little girl, nose deep in Vogue and Marie Claire magazines. It was the story of my life, really. I had a tendency to curl inside of myself and block the world out. I was always good at being on my own and making things work for myself.

  My mother loved me in her own way, but she loved me at a distance. She was always a guarded woman who struggled to express herself in a healthy way. Her fling with my father and subsequent marriage was her attempt at shaking things up. Obviously, that hadn’t worked out too well.

  Growing up with a woman like her made me clam up just like she did. I didn’t want to be around people - I wanted to watch from a safe distance so no one could hurt me. It had affected my life in a way I hadn’t really noticed until I got into high school and really started to try and make friends. I was suddenly very aware of how isolated I was and how alone I felt.

  I sighed and frowned, looking up at the brightly colored diner. The Majestic was Gina’s favorite restaurant and I couldn’t really blame her. It was an Atlanta staple and they made the best damn milkshakes.

  The second I entered the diner I heard a distinct voice call for me through the relatively small building.

  “Yahoo!”

  I laughed and crossed over to the booth where Gina had already made herself at home. She was leaning against the wall with her feet kicked up in the booth while she sipped on her orange milkshake.

  “Took you long enough,” she teased.

  I shrugged and smiled as I settled across from her and stole a few fries. “You know I take the tram.”

  “Subway?” she asked.

  “Tram,” I corrected.

  Gina was an Atlanta native and considered the monorail system a subway. I did not, seeing as how it was above ground. It was an argument we’d never solve. She smiled and turned to face me, putting her chin in her hands. Her grin was infectious and I couldn’t help but return it.

  Gina was my best friend and one of the most beautiful girls I’d ever met. She had naturally dark hair and skin that was the color of deep mahogany. Her eyes were almost gold and reminded me of honey. She could have been a damn model if she wanted to. Too bad she was more interested in biology.

  The average person wouldn’t expect us to be friends. Gina got herself into her fair share of trouble, but she made up for it with her ridiculous intelligence. She was a freshman at the University of Georgia and lived on campus. She came home during the weekends, but I didn’t see her as much as I would have liked. Gina was one of my only friends and when she wasn’t in Atlanta this massive city felt so damn lonely.

  “You don’t look like you’re ready to go to the bar,” I murmured, eyeing her fitted jeans and tank top.

  Gina sn
orted a little and crossed her arms over her chest. “Girl, you know my mama wouldn’t let me leave in club gear,” she said holding up her backpack. “What about you?”

  “You know I don’t dress up for that shit,” I said, tapping my foot.

  “And why not?”

  “I’m just not interested in drawing the attention of guys at bars, especially if the city is going to be full of bikers,” I murmured, shrugging.

  Gina didn’t really understand my aversion to bikers. They came through Atlanta often enough that the locals didn’t think much about them. They were an expected nuisance like fire ants or mosquitos. They might nip at your legs and arms, but they weren’t going to cause any real damage. I just didn’t see them that way.

  I knew about the things my dad had done in his ‘wild years’. My mother told me all about the stores he burned down and the fights he started. There was even a rumor that he was involved with a drug ring and some possible murders. I wasn’t sure about the last two but I wouldn’t put it past him. He’d been an addict his whole life and never managed to break the cycle of addiction. My mom thought he was clean but I’d caught him using more than once. I’d considered telling her about this, but I didn’t really want to go back to Boston.

  “You’re no fun,” Gina said with a pout, dipping her fries in her milkshake.

  “I’m plenty of fun. You just like going to dangerous places and I end up being den mother. I always have to save your ass.”

  “Yeah. Like that time you stopped me from going home with the guy in the Ferrari?” she snorted, rolling her eyes.

  “Rich guys murder people too,” I pointed out, stealing some more fries. I didn’t want to spend my own money, so I wasn’t above stealing Gina’s food. “You’re too trusting.”

  She sighed and shook her head. “No, you’re too paranoid. You have this ‘bad girl in a leather jacket’ persona, but you’re scared of your own damn shadow.”

  I hated when she read me like that. Gina was going to get herself kidnapped one day and I couldn’t help but worry about her overly trusting nature.

  “It’s not fear. It’s caution,” I murmured.

  “Whatever you call it, it’s no fun,” she said simply.

  “You say shit like that and it makes me want to go home.”

  Gina sighed and got in on the same side of the booth, draping her arm around me. “I’m not being mean. I just want you to loosen up a little and have some fun.”

  “I’m plenty loose.”

  “No you aren’t. I can tell by those clothes. Now, let’s hit the mall so we can get you something decent to wear.”

  “You aren’t going to let this go, are you?” I asked, frowning a little.

  “Not until I see your perfect ass in a dress that actually shows it off.”

  I rolled my eyes but sighed and nodded. “Fine. If it’ll shut you up.”

  Gina squealed and threw her arms around me, kissing my cheek excitedly. “You’re going to be so pretty!”

  I didn’t know if I should take that as a compliment or an insult and I wasn’t quite as excited as she was - but I didn’t like the idea of Gina going a place like that without me so I guess it wouldn’t hurt to pretend.

  Chapter Three

  “You seriously expect me to walk into the bar looking like this?” I hissed, pulling at the hem of the incredibly tight black dress.

  It was made out of a fake leather and hugged every curve of my body in ways I wasn’t really enjoying. This black leather dress was a big change from my normal attire. I fucking hated it.

  “You look so good! Quit whining and put your heels on!” she said, handing me heels that looked more like booties.

  “I draw the line at heels,” I said quickly, turning away from her and crossing my arms.

  “You’re going to look ridiculous if you wear Converse in that dress!”

  “Then I’ll look ridiculous. I already told you that I’m not out here to find a man. I don’t want anything to do with those bikers,” I growled, turning away from her.

  “You can be so damn stubborn,” she sighed, crossing her arms as street lights blurred past us.

  We were back on the tram and heading across the city. The bar we were headed to was on the outskirts of town since biker bars didn’t normally last long in big cities. There was enough crime in downtown Atlanta and the police didn’t want to complicate the situation with a damn biker bar.

  “You always throw a fit when I want to go to a biker bar.”

  “It’s dangerous, okay? I know you think the world is all butterflies and sunshine but there are sick people out there and bikers can fall under that category” I said simply, still unhappy about the situation.

  She sighed and took my hand. “Look, it’s not that I think the world is perfect. I know there are fucked up people out there. I mean, I grew up in Atlanta, girl. I had to deal with racism and sexism every day of my life. I got bullied, threatened and everything else. I know there are bad people, but you can’t let those people define your world. I’m not going to give up on everyone because of a couple of bad eggs. I’d rather believe that people are good until they do something bad.”

  I sighed and looked over at her for a moment. “But what if the bad thing they do is to you?”

  “It’s a risk you take. I mean every time you get out of bed you run the risk of breaking your neck!” she said with a soft smile. “It’s always so strange to see you like this. You’re so outgoing and fun with me. You’re always taking risks, but when it comes to people, you’re just so damn hesitant.”

  I set my jaw, not wanting her to know what was really going on in my head. I was hiding again. Even now I was hiding from my best friend. I shrugged a little and shook my head.

  “I guess it’s just one of my quirks,” I said simply in a tone that indicated the conversation was over.

  Gina opened her mouth to continue but shut it after a moment, sighing and shaking her head. “Whatever you say darling,” she murmured.

  She didn’t bring it up again for the rest of the trip and we rode in silence, tapping away at our phones in order to avoid uncomfortable conversation. When we finally reached our destination, we shuffled off the tram and started walking down the sidewalk, our hips swaying and Gina’s heels clacking on the cement.

  Gina smiled and looped her arms with mine, “Are you going to be angry with me all night?”

  “Not all night. Just most of it,” I said, though I offered her a small smile and kissed her check.

  It was Friday night and the streets were busy with people, laughing a little too loudly and drinking a little too much. That was probably going to be a running theme for the night, but I tried to not let it bother me.

  We wandered to the doors of the bar and flashed our IDs. The man glanced at them before handing them back, not even giving us a second look. Our IDs weren’t great (though Gina insisted they were flawless) but bouncers didn’t really pay much attention at the end of the day, especially to girls in short dresses.

  The bar was crowded and a bit too loud. As we walked through, I could feel all eyes on us and it made me more than a little nervous. I gripped Gina’s hand and followed her through the bar, less afraid for myself and far more afraid of letting her out of my sight.

  “Girl, will you calm down? It’s going to be fine.”

  Chapter Four

  It was as if the cruel forces of the universe took my fears and transformed them into physical reality. We were barely there for two hours before I lost track of Gina. I prided myself at being able to reel that girl in and tonight I was failing miserably. I’d already pulled her off a complete stranger in the bathroom, but at some point between then and now, she’d disappeared and I was in a bit of a panic.

  I was walking through the dimly lit bar on my own, trying to ignore the stench of whiskey that completely filled the bar from floor to ceiling. Despite my ‘leather jacket wearing bad girl persona’, I wasn’t much of a drinker. I’d watched both my parents suffer with alc
oholism and a range of other problems so I wasn’t really interested in booze.

  As if the smell of liquor wasn’t bad enough, every step I took was accentuated by a cat call that made my skin crawl. Most of the men in the club were old enough to be my dad and the ones that weren’t looked like heroin addicts. This was not the kind of crowd I wanted to be in to find a partner.

  I walked along the bar, looking around the crowd and trying to spot my friend. I was so wrapped up in my search that I didn’t notice the man that reached for my ass. The slight pinch made me scream and I turned around, my hand snapping out on instinct. I connected with the man’s face and my nails managed to dig into the skin a little.

  The man stared at me, blood starting to trickle into his beard. I immediately felt my heart start to beat a million miles a minute. “You little-” his words faded as he raised a glass and aimed it at my face.

  I ducked just in time but the glass slammed into the back of another man’s head. This wasn’t good. Soon enough there was a heady brawl going on. People were yelling and screaming and others were starting to throw things. Glass broke overhead and pool cues started snapping.

  Everything was happening so fast and I had no idea what to do or where to go. This was everything I’d been afraid of. Every fear I’d ever managed to come up with in my head was coming to fruition now and I didn’t know how to handle it.

  My eyes darted to the bar and I gasped, managing to crawl over to it and crawl under the little piece of wood that swung up to let the bartender in and out. I pressed my back against the bar, my heart racing and eyes wide. I could hear men screaming and glass breaking. I wanted to make sure that Gina was alright but my heart was pounding in my ears and tears were starting to stream down my face. I felt like a coward but I was too scared to move.