by Erin Osborne
“It’s not as chaotic as you think. I mean you see what the fuck we do most of the time. Yeah, we got some shit goin’ down right now. But, it’s not always like that. And for someone that’s not part of the club, you’re the most loyal fucker I know,” Psycho tells me, nodding his head as Rusty walks by so we can get another drink. “Does this have anythin’ to do with Callie?”
“In a way it does. I’ve been hearin’ that Silvia wanted us to end up together. I’m not sure if that’s the case and I feel like she’s untouchable because of who Silvia was to all of us. But I can’t shake her from my mind,” I answer honestly, sitting back as Rusty sets our drinks down in front of us.
“That why you’re not takin’ her up on her offer?” he asks, watching her walk away.
“I wouldn’t touch her. She’s one of the clingy ones. I’m guessin’ that’s why Smoke decided to go with someone else,” I respond, laughing at the pissed off look on Rusty’s face.
“How do you know she’s clingy?” Psycho asks, relaxing once again so he can listen to what I have to say.
“Because she won’t leave the guys alone. The babes usually leave the guys alone until they’re called for. Rusty doesn’t do that. She’s lookin’ to make one of you make her your old lady. I’m guessin’ she wants to work her way up to Renegade since he’s the President and she feels like she’s top bitch in here,” I answer, sitting back as I feel my phone vibrate in my pocket.
Pulling it out, I see that it’s an unknown number. “Jones’ Garage,” I answer.
The guy on the other end of the line is requesting a tow and that’s my cue to leave. Since I’m always the one that goes out on the tow calls, I decide that one of the other guys can handle this one. So, I tell the customer that I’ll send a guy out to pick his car up and take it back to the garage. After hanging up, I text Carson and give him the details he needs. He’s been out on a few tows with me and he knows what to do. Might as well let him handle this one tonight.
Psycho and I continue to sit at the table we’ve been at until the pool table is empty. Then we head over to play a game. I ignore what’s going on around us. Some of the guys are already fucking a babe out in the open while others are partaking in their drug of choice. None of that means a damn thing to me as long as no one expects me to do that shit. My business is just that.
Callie
I’ve had a pretty good week. The house is getting clean one room at a time, and I’ve been putting in applications for a job. It’s hard because I’m in my early twenties and I’ve never had a job. Not many people want to take a chance on someone that’s never worked a day in their life. But that all changed today when I got a call back from Corrinth to let me know that I got the job as a waitress. My first day is tomorrow. I’m nervous as hell, but I’ll make it work.
My grandma left me a good amount of money. More than I’ll really need in this lifetime. But I want to spread my wings and fly. Part of doing that is experiencing things that I’ve never had the chance to do before now. So, I’m going to work my ass off and find out what I’m good at and what I like doing so that maybe I’ll have a better idea when I decide to go to college. I know my grandma would want me to get a degree in something so that’s what I’m going to do. That was made more apparent when I went into her room yesterday and saw the stack of college brochures sitting on her dresser. She never had the chance to give them to me.
A little while I was sitting outside on a break from cleaning and I heard the rumble of a bike go by. When I looked up, I could’ve sworn that it was Bear riding by, but I couldn’t be sure. In my entire life, I’ve never felt such a pull toward someone that I’d just met. One look at Bear changed that for me though. In the week that I’ve been here, I’ve been trying to think of a way to go see him. Nothing has seemed like a good enough reason though. With having no experience with the opposite sex, I don’t know what I should do in this situation. And it’s not like I have any friends that I can talk to about this either. We weren’t allowed to have any friends growing up.
Once in a while if we were at an event that my parents had to attend for appearances, we would be allowed to associate with the other kids there. That’s as far as our interaction went though. The only other time was when they found a guy that they deemed appropriate and we were introduced to him. Mainly that was Anna though. My parents knew that I wasn’t interested in any of the men that they would think were appropriate, so those times were rare for me. Unless an event was coming up that I needed to have a date to. Those nights, I would have a headache or not being feeling well. After the fifth time of doing that, they gave up and made sure I knew that I was hopeless, and they didn’t know what to do with me.
The one time that I tried to get them to send me to live with my grandma, my mom slapped me so hard that I saw stars for a little while. My father locked me in my room and told me that would never happen. The punishment I suffered was being locked in my bedroom for two days. If I got anything to eat it was when my mother brought it in to me and then she’d immediately leave. The only words I heard were those uttered in disgust against my lack of caring about the kind of man I married.
Now, I want to experience all of those things. I want to have my first date, first kiss, learn to dance, and experience what it feels like to be with a man. A man that I know is going to respect me and love me for me. Even if I’m still trying to figure out what that means to me. It would be nice to have someone by my side as I go through this change. Someone to talk to about things I don’t understand to help me figure out the best way to go about doing something. There’s a lot I don’t know anything about, and I want to break down in tears when I can’t figure something out. But my grandma didn’t want me to be weak or not know what path I want to go down.
The main person that comes to mind as being by my side is Bear. I can tell that he knows a little bit about me. There was a look that crossed his face when he figured it all out. But he withdrew at the same time. I know enough to know what that looks like. It was something I saw on a daily basis when my mom finally realized that I wasn’t going to just comply with her demands and the path that she wanted me to take. Bear is different though. Something is holding him back. I’m not sure what that is or how to go about making sure that I can get over that obstacle.
From the second he helped me up into the truck, I could tell that he was different. I’ve never known a man to hold a door open for anyone, let alone make sure they didn’t fall on their ass like a dumbass. Whenever I glanced over at the man sitting next to me, I got a weird feeling running through my body. I can’t even describe it because it’s like nothing I’ve ever felt before. There’s a gentleness about him that calls to me because I know that I won’t have to be afraid of what I feel or think if we were to have a conversation. The only thing stopping me is that I’m shy because I don’t know what to say to anyone.
Thoughts of the man aren’t going to get me anywhere though. So, I push them to the side and walk back inside so I can lay in bed and read a book. My grandma used to read all the time and I’m going through the books she had piled up in her room. There’s such a vast array of them that I just chose one and went back to my room. It’s a romance and I can’t help but fall in love with the characters as the story flows through their pain, happiness, and everything in between. What really gets me is when I read the sex scenes. Since I’ve never done any of that before, I try to gain any knowledge I can from the pages before me.
Chapter Four
Callie
I GOT UP EARLY AS HELL THIS MORNING SO THAT I could get ready to go to work for the first time in my life. Taking a shower, I spend time making sure that I wash everything and make my hair shine as I wash it twice. Once I dress in a pair of jeans and a loose-fitting tee shirt, I go through my new routine of doing my make-up and hair. Since I’ll be working around food, I decide to throw it up in a messy bun so that it’s up and I know it won’t be in the way of anything. The only make-up I applied consisted of some lip gloss a
nd a sweep of mascara. I’m not sure what to expect, so there’s no point in doing much more than that. Once I decide that I look as good as I’m going to, I head down and grab my sneakers from by the door where I left them yesterday.
There’s enough time left for me to have a light breakfast of a bagel and some fruit out in the backyard. I listen to the birds and watch as squirrels chase one another through the yard and up the trees. While I feel free, I wish I could fly away like the birds or run free like the squirrels. But I have to learn new things and there’s so much that I want to do that I have no clue where I should even start. Well, besides the obvious of getting a job so that I can pay the bills around here and start to save money so that I can go to school.
Finally, I know that I can’t put it off any longer and I wander through the house making sure everything is off and locked up tight. As soon as I step outside, I take a deep breath to help calm my nerves as I begin to walk toward my car. Unlocking it, I climb inside and start it. You Could Be That Girl by Brantley Gilbert begins to blare through the speakers. After I’ve rolled the windows down, I back out and make the short drive to the small diner in the middle of town. Corrinth’s Corner sits on the end of a block that allows the diner to have a decent size parking lot behind it. She told me to park against the fence so that the customers could have plenty of spaces. So, I do as I’m told and park the car.
Looking in my rearview mirror, I notice the number of bikes sitting along the side of the building. Oh my! I’ve never seen so many amazing machines parked together at one time. They’re all so different and I can see the glare coming off of them as the sun already beats down. My breath seizes in my chest as the different colors and chrome shine bright back at me. Wow! Getting out and making my way toward the diner, I make sure to give the bikes a wide berth so that I don’t accidently knock one over or damage them in any way. I can’t seem to pull my eyes from them though. It’s an amazing sight and I wonder if they belong to the guys that my grandma knew so well.
Stopping as soon as I enter the door, I let my eyes adjust and slowly assess the number of customers sitting down for breakfast. There’s a group of older men sitting along the windows in one of the booths. They look to be talking and enjoying their coffee. One of them looks over at me and flashes a quick smile before returning his attention toward his friends. A few tables away I see a young mother with a baby in a highchair and another little one sitting in a booster seat next to her. She’s helping one eat while trying to pay attention to the baby, so they don’t get fussy. What I don’t see is any hint of impatience on her face; she lovingly looks at both of her children. Finally, I see a group of men sitting in the opposite corner of the diner. Grave, Renegade, and Bear are really the only ones I recognize. Renegade is looking at me with a smile on his face which causes the rest of the men to turn their attention toward me as well. They all look like guys I don’t want to meet in an alleyway in the dark. Some of them have tattoos covering their arms going all the way up the side of their necks while others simply look like they’d be happy to rip someone limb from limb. Those are the guys that send a shiver through my body. Each and every one of them would be able to break me apart without breaking a sweat as they’re easily two to three times the size of me. And that’s with them sitting down so I can’t see how tall they are. But, in their own way, every man sitting at the tables are good looking.
Bear’s eyes widen as he takes me in, and I feel a stutter in my heartbeat before he flashes his own smile at me. His eyelids lower slightly as the corners of his mouth turn up. There’s a day’s worth of growth covering his face. I notice a light shining from his eyes as his entire face lights up with the smile. Grave is sitting next to him and I see that he keeps his head nodding back and forth between Bear and myself. Before I can even begin to process what’s going on, I scamper toward the counter where Corrinth is pulling a coffee pot from the burner it’s sitting on and makes her way toward me.
“Go behind the counter, stash your bag under there with mine, and pull on an apron. I’ll be right with you sweetheart,” Corrinth says as I quickly do what she tells me to. The last thing I need is for her to fire me on the spot because I can’t follow her orders.
I feel my hands shaking as I tie the apron strings behind my back. My nervousness is causing me to second-guess taking this job on when I’ve never done it before. There’s no time to try to figure out a way to leave though as my new boss makes her way back over to me. At the same time, a small group of ladies that look to be the same age as my grandma would be make their entrance and head toward a table at the end of the booths lining the front of the restaurant.
“I can see you shaking from here sweetheart,” Corrinth says, wrapping her arm around my shoulders. “You’re gonna do just fine. Now, I knew your grandma and all about you. I’m happy to have you here with us. Let’s start out slow. The ladies that just came in are going to all want coffee. I’ve already put their cups on the table so all you need to do is make your way over there and fill them. Give them a few minutes and go back to take their order. Check on the rest of the customers before coming back with the coffee. I’m gonna go back and help Roger cook.”
Taking a deep breath, I square my shoulders, grab the coffee pot, and make my way over to the five ladies that arrived a minute ago. I offer them a smile as I greet them and begin to pour their coffee. Two of the cups I almost completely overfill, and I can feel the heat flooding my cheeks and my hands begin to shake even more.
“Honey, slow down and take a breath,” one of the ladies says, pulling out a few napkins and wiping up the mess I made. “We’ve all been there. Just be yourself and take the time that you need.”
“Th-thank y-you,” I tell her, giving her a small smile as I begin to make my way to the rest of the tables.
The guys sitting together want more coffee and I don’t mess up this time. As I make my way over to the table with the mother and children, I pull the coffee pot away from myself and the table so that one of the little ones don’t accidentally get hurt. The young women smiles at me and says that they don’t need anything else but the check. Assuring her that I’ll bring it right over, I make my way to the table filled with bikers. Once again, butterflies fill my stomach and I can visibly see myself shaking like a leaf. There are so many questions regarding these men that I have from going through my grandma’s belongings and I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to ask them. Not with an entire group of them that seem to dominate the small space filling three tables.
“Hey Callie. How are you doin’ today?” Renegade asks me as he sits back against the booth and nods to his empty coffee cup.
As I begin to pour his, shaking hands and all, more guys begin to push their cups toward me. I don’t allow myself to look at Bear as I concentrate on the task at hand. Remembering what the lady at the other table told me, I take my time and don’t make a mess. I want to say something to Renegade so bad, but I don’t know how to bring the subject of the pictures up or ask him to talk to him about what they mean. So, I keep my mouth shut and walk away once the cups are filled. As soon as I place the pot back on the burner, I grab a notepad I see sitting on the counter and turn to the little window where Corrinth and a guy are cooking like crazy.
“Um, the lady over there would like her check,” I begin, my voice sounding high pitch and wobbly to my own ears. “Which one is it?”
“Oh, sorry sweetheart. I’ll be right there to get it for you,” she answers, finishing up what she’s doing before walking back out to the front.
I nod my head and make my way over to the table of ladies. As I pass the mother, I let her know I’ll be right back with it. She nods and smiles at me as I continue on my way.
“Ladies, what can I get you this morning?” I ask, still hearing the wobbly quality in my voice as I look at them.
They give me their orders and thank me as I turn to walk away. Corrinth is standing there waiting for me. She shows me what to do with the ticket I just wrote out for the ladie
s so that Roger can cook the food. Then she shows me what to do with the checks that I take to customers. I can feel eyes on me the entire time she’s talking to me. Glancing up, I see Renegade, Grave, Bear, and a few other men looking at me. Corrinth follows my gaze and shakes her head slightly.
“You don’t worry about them boys,” she says, looking their way once more. “Renegade and Psycho are my boys. They’re harmless really but don’t tell them I said that. If they give you any trouble, you let me know sweetheart. Most of those boys have been in my house more than their own.”
“Oh. Did you know my grandma well?” I ask, looking at her as I take the check from her hands and begin to make my way toward the mother.
“I did. We’ll talk when it gets slow,” she answers.
After dropping the check off for the woman, I hear the men ask for their checks as well. Grabbing them off the countertop, I make my way over to them and lay them down on the table since I’m not sure what man ordered what meal. As they sit back, I begin to grab the empty plates and silverware from the table. Corrinth watches me as I make my way back behind the counter. Just as I’m about to place them in the empty tub she showed me, I step in something slick on the floor and try to correct my balance. Unfortunately, the plates fall out of my hands and crash to the floor. I stand there and stare down at the mess as tears begin to fill my eyes. Corrinth rushes over to me and sees the mess I’ve made of things..
“Honey are you okay?” she asks as every single person in the restaurant has turned their attention to me. It’s now so quiet that you could hear a pin drop.
“I’m so sorry!” I blurt out, dropping to my knees so that I can begin to pick up the pieces of the shattered plates.
I let out a gasp of pain as a shard of glass slices into my knee. Corrinth tries to pull me up so that I can get out of the mess as I hear a commotion coming from the other side of the counter. My vision is blurry as I try to hold back my tears.