by Sam Crescent
Chapter Nineteen
Paris stood at the sink clearing away the breakfast dishes. Celia had gone to school with Butler, and Paris had opted to clean up and then start her school work. She’d been talking with Natalie on the phone about the choices she could make for the future. Paris really didn’t know what she wanted to be. Growing up she’d wanted to be a variety of things: a vet, a hairdresser, a nurse, author, and even someone who just ate food all day. That would be a pretty awesome job, and even now she thought so.
Taking care of her sister in the past couple of years was all she’d ever known, so she hadn’t yet experienced the luxury of thinking of a career outside of taking her clothes off.
Andrew entered her mind. She’d been stripping and then he’d come into her life, ruining her. Gripping the edge of the sink, she closed her eyes, trying to forget about him.
“You’re not important to me. You’re dead, and you’re gone.”
She took several deep breaths, and started to focus on the now, not the past. Annie had told her that memories and fears would sometimes bleed into one another. Paris liked to think they were few and far between now. Andrew didn’t control her. There were only moments when he seemed to invade her thoughts, and scare her. All she had to do was remember that he was dead and gone.
Once she finished with the dishes, she sat down at the laptop, and started to go through the lists of different careers available to her. A therapist was the last thing she wanted to be. She could only just about abide her trips with Annie, and they were annoying to her at times.
An author would be kind of cool. She used to write stories growing up about princesses and monsters. Then as she grew older, the more cliché of the not-so-hot girl getting the guy. Maybe she should do something like that? She was taking English, and she could try writing a few words down, see how she felt.
Opening up a fresh document, she started with chapter one, and stared at her screen wondering if this was complete and utterly stupid. After another ten minutes of nothing, she headed upstairs to her closet where she pulled out a large box filled with her old notebooks and journals. When her parents died she’d stashed them all together, and decided against doing anything with them.
Taking the lid off, she saw at least twelve different kinds, and picked out the last one, opening it up. She started to read through the last page of her journal that told of the funeral of her parents, and the pain of seeing the pity in their closest friends. No one had come by in the last few months to help.
Pushing the journals aside, she grabbed one of her notebooks, and took out the story “Princess”. She was very original at the grand old age of thirteen, and yes the story was just as lame.
She loved reading, though, and had even bought herself an e-reader in the last couple of months to read some stories.
The sound of her doorbell being rung made her put them all away, and head downstairs once again. She never expected Spider to be on the other side, nor did she expect him to be holding a large bouquet of red roses.
“Spider?”
“In case you didn’t know, I’m Stuart Cox, and I have been a total asshole to you. I haven’t given you what you deserve. I was hoping that we could start over. Instead of me lurking outside a strip club like a creeper, or me showing up where you work, I think we could do this the good old-fashioned way.”
She leaned against the doorframe, not caring about the chill or anything else.
“I’m listening.”
“So, I think you’re the most beautiful woman on the planet, and being away from you is the worst thing in the world. I want to change that, and the only way to do that, is to move forward. Paris, will you go out with me? It’s just a date. Nothing scary or overly new.”
“A date?”
“Yes. I’d like to take you to dinner, or to a movie.”
“I can do a dinner.”
“I can talk to one of the guys about watching Celia.”
“Lexie has said she’d take her.” She looked at the roses, then back at him. “Are those for me?”
“I guess seeing as you said yes, they’re for you. I was going to give them to the next woman I asked out on a date.”
“You better not. I said yes.” Biting her lip, Paris couldn’t help but smile. “Would you like to come inside?”
“I’d love to.”
Moving out of the way, she watched him cross the threshold, and in her heart she knew they had finally crossed that final step. “Would you like anything to eat?” She’d done the dishes, but she’d gladly do them again for him.
“Celia’s gone.”
“I know, but I make a large batch of pancake batter, and store it in the fridge. It’s awesome like that.” She went to the fridge pulling out the batter she’d made that morning. This would last for at least another day. “I’ve got nuts, chocolate, or I can flavor it with whatever you like.”
“Blueberries?”
“You like blueberries?”
“In pancakes, I think they’re the best.”
Looking into her fridge, she did see a small box of them leftover. She’d made some lemon and blueberry muffins the other day, her favorite. Putting the ingredients on the counter, she grabbed a spare bowl, and dolloped out several spoonfuls before adding in a large handful of blueberries. Stirring them together, she put a non-stick skillet on the stove, and heated it up, adding a little bit of butter.
“I like watching you in the kitchen.”
She smiled at him. “Thank you. I like being in the kitchen. Even when my mom was alive, I’d always be in here.”
“Lexie’s a damn good cook.”
“Tell me about it. Did you taste her Sunday lunch? One word … amazing.”
“Yeah, Devil’s been complaining that he’s piling on the pounds. Lexie bakes enough that she has to bring the excess to the club. There’s always a pile of brownies or a chocolate fudge cake.”
“Sounds like heaven. She brought me a chocolate pie the other day. Between me, Celia, and Sinner, we ate all of it.”
“You and Sinner have gotten quite close?”
“It’s not like that. He’s a friend. I promise.”
“It would serve me right if you ended up with someone else.”
“Why are you speaking like that? I finally got your attention, and you’re making out that I want something different. I don’t.” She looked over at him. “I’m happy that you finally came to your senses.”
“I am, too. I’m really sorry.”
“It’s okay. At first I thought you were being really selfish, and then I had it explained to me. I imagine I looked really rough.”
“I hated that I couldn’t save you. I’ll never be able to take away what happened to you, but I want you to know I’m not going anywhere. Never again.”
“You’re here to stay?”
“I’m here to stay.”
Turning back to the stove, Paris smiled, dolloping out pancakes as she did.
“What are you doing here? Chapter one? Are you going to write a story?”
“Ugh, I don’t know. To be honest, I haven’t got a clue what I’m going to do with the rest of my life. On the one hand, I used to love to write. I’ve got an entire box of a lifetime of journals. Then I think about that kind of commitment, and writing is hard.”
“It is, but you don’t have to worry about money or anything like that. We’ve got you covered.”
“Then there’s Celia. I’m not ever going to allow her to go in a special facility. She’s all the family I have.”
“I don’t expect you to. I already figured out that you and Celia were a package deal.”
Paris smiled, and looked toward him. “And you’re still here?”
“I told you, I’m done walking away from this. I’m going to be the man you deserve, and there’s no getting away from that.”
Looking back at the pancakes, Paris couldn’t stop the little flutter from occurring.
The sound of the door opening and closing let her know that Sinner had a
rrived. “Fuck me, it’s fucking cold. My balls have frozen solid.”
“We’re in here, Sinner.”
“We? Who is we? Do you have a hot chick in there with you?” he asked.
His footsteps getting louder allowed her to hear him getting closer.
“Spider, you finally got your head out of your ass.”
“Yes.”
Putting the cooked pancakes onto a plate, she handed them to Spider. “He’s even asked me on a date.”
“Yeah, I got a call from Lexie. She told me not to worry about sitting for you tomorrow. She’s more than happy to have Celia.”
“Did you talk to Lexie before coming over here?” Paris asked.
“Yep, I wanted to make sure that we’d be able to go out together. I know Celia’s care means a lot to you.”
She couldn’t fault him on that. “So you assumed I’d say yes?”
“I hoped that you’d say yes, and then I prayed a little.”
“Will you be wearing a tux?” Sinner asked.
“Maybe.”
“He’s going all out for you, Paris.”
“Leave him alone, Sinner.”
“Oh, Lexie wanted to know if you’d gotten in touch with Lola.”
“Not yet. She works at her local library during the day. She packs the shelves. She doesn’t deal with the computer.” The staff knew about Lola’s aversion to technology, and were helping her to grow accustomed to working there.
Paris had gotten quite close with the woman, and they talked regularly on the phone. It was one of the reasons why she didn’t believe she needed to talk about what happened with a stranger. She talked about it with Lola, a woman who went through the same ordeal. They helped each other.
“What’s this about?” Spider asked.
“The building you bought, we’re going to turn it into a clothing store.”
“I know that.”
“Oh, well, most businesses are more successful if you take your work to the internet, and that’s what we’re hoping to do. Expand it onto the internet, and of course, Lola is perfect for that.”
“She can’t touch computers,” Spider said.
“Well, the grand opening isn’t for a few months. We’re hoping to have some time to convince her. It’ll be good to get her back into technology. She had a bright future ahead of her.”
“Let us know if she needs anything,” Sinner asked.
Paris would, but she doubted Lola would. Her friend had become very reserved in the last few months.
****
“You’re going out with him tonight?” Lacey asked.
Paris nodded, and then remembered she was on speakerphone. “Yes. I’m going out with him tonight. Was I wrong to have caved so quickly?”
“I’m not the expert on making a man wait. I went hunting for Whizz, not the other way around.”
“Ugh, this is so frustrating. I’m nervous, and I’m excited. Is that even normal.”
“Sweetie, I don’t know what normal is. I spent a great deal of my time on the run, remember?”
Paris did remember. Lacey had confided the truth of her life before The Skulls, and before Whizz. Even thinking about it, Paris’s heart went out to her. She understood the pain that Lacey had gone through, or at least part of the pain.
“I want to look pretty.”
“You’ll be pretty. I’m sure of it.”
Paris looked in the mirror and twirled. “How’s Sally doing?”
“She’s doing much better. She worries me all the time.” Lacey did some moving around. “She’s made a friend in Drew. He was some kind of jock that blew out his knee. It’s interesting watching Steven.”
“He still got feelings for her?”
“Yeah. He doesn’t like Drew, and he worries about Sally. It’s cute.”
“I bet.”
“Whizz also likes to let him know that no man is going to be taking advantage of Sally. He really does care about her, and he’s worried about her.”
“He takes his fatherly role seriously,” Paris said.
“Yep. I’m the cool mom. I’m awesome.”
Paris giggled. “I bet you are. How is everyone?”
“Everyone is doing great. Lash is proving to be a pretty rock on leader. We’ve got a couple of Prospects that are looking, um, challenging.”
“Challenging how?”
“They’re weak. I think they want the title of MC Prospect. They won’t last two minutes with the boys. How about you?”
“I’m doing good. Date, remember?”
“Oh yes, date. Sorry, we were talking about me that I totally forgot about you.”
Paris laughed. “Ha, it’s always about you.”
“The sooner everyone realizes it, the better they will be.”
Glancing at the time, Paris saw she didn’t have much time, and said her goodbyes. Lacey promised to talk to her soon. She’d grown close to The Skulls women, and talked to them all regularly. They were good women, strong.
Paris paused as she recalled why she didn’t feel so strong.
Andrew once again invaded her thoughts, and she sat down on the edge of the bed, gathering her thoughts. Twice in one day. It wasn’t good, and she wasn’t going to allow Andrew’s memory to come between her and Spider. He’d already taken too much from them. She had to fight a little harder.
****
The following night Spider stared at his reflection, and winced. He hated wearing formal wear, and a tuxedo was too fucking tight. Spider had already booked a seat at the French restaurant in the city, and they had told him there was a dress code. He’d even gone to find Paris an appropriate dress for the night. It was a long black evening gown that molded to her curves, and he’d even gone the extra bit and given her some jewelry.
“Wow,” Butler said, leaning against his doorframe.
“If you’re only going to say some wise-ass shit, I suggest you fucking leave,” he said.
Butler held his hands up. “You look dashing. Paris is a lucky woman.”
Staring at his brother, Spider finished his tie, and sighed, taking a step back. “I look like a fucking penguin.”
“A dashing penguin. You really did go the extra mile.”
“I wanted Paris to have an experience she’d never forget. The first time I spoke to her, I scared her.”
“How did you scare her?”
“I was hanging around the back of the club, and I talked, she didn’t know I was there. I looked like a creepy stalker.”
He fisted his hands and turned to look at Butler.
“You look a lot better than some kind of stalker.”
“I don’t want to show her up tonight.”
“You’re nervous?”
“I’m fucking terrified. I’ve fucked up every single way imaginable with this woman. I don’t want to do that again.”
“Then relax. Take a deep breath, and just chill,” Butler said. “Paris is a good woman. You’ll do right by her.”
“You think so? I think I’ve been fucking up at every turn.”
“We all fuck up in our lives, and you’re being given a second chance to turn all of this around.”
Spider nodded. “I’m not expecting sex either. It’s too soon.”
“Then beat off in your own hand when you get home. None of us are going to hold this against you. You and Paris, it’s a special circumstance.”
“You’re not going to rib me for being pussy-whipped.”
Butler shook his head. “The club is in agreement about this. You and Paris have been through so much. None of us are going to pressure you into taking the next step.”
“Wow, you guys are being mature?”
“Blame Devil. I think Lexie had a talk with him. No, we’re to be nice, and considerate to you, and to Paris’s feelings. It helps that we all like her. She’s a keeper, Spider, and she’ll be one hell of an old lady.”
Spider took a deep breath. “I’m fucking nervous.”
“Don’t be a pussy.”
“You will, but not for being a pussy. Our girl is waiting for you.” Jessica, Brianna, Mia, and Judi had offered to stay with Paris to help get her ready.
“Okay, I’m going to go and get her.”
Grabbing his keys and wallet, he saw a condom wrapper peeking out, and he threw it into the trash can. He didn’t need a condom tonight. He was going to enjoy this date with her, and not even worry about later tonight.
Spider intended to be a gentleman for a long time yet.
Leaving his room, he walked down the long staircase, and paused as he saw Mandy making her way up them. She was wearing latex gloves and an apron.
“Spider, you look rather dashing tonight.”
“Thank you. Where are you going?”
“Devil asked me to clean out the loft space. They’re thinking of building up with the club getting bigger, and he interviewed a couple of guys as a prospects. There’s some junk, and he’s given me the job of going through it. Hey, Butler.”
“Hey.”
Mandy passed them, humming as she did. Spider saw Butler staring at her ass. He waited for Mandy to be out of earshot before he said anything. “Why don’t you tap that?”
“She doesn’t even know I exist.”
“So, make her see you exist.”
“Devil has a ban on fucking the cleaners. Mia also asked that none of us harass Mandy.”
“Harassing and taking an interest are two different things.”
“Tell that to Mia, and to Devil. Besides, I’m an ex-addict. I don’t have much to offer her.”
“Stop that shit about being an addict. Look at Dick, and he’s a fucking prick when he starts. If he can find love, then why not you?”
“Hey, I heard that, and I have a lovely personality,” Dick said, coming downstairs.
“Where’s Martha?”
“Having drinks with her friend, Lynne. I’m going to go and pick her up. It has been a while since they had a chance to chat. See, I have a personality of a saint,” Dick said.
“Yeah, that’s because you’re in a good mood, and constantly getting your dick sucked.”
“There’s nothing wrong with enjoying getting your dick sucked.”
“Being an ex-addict, did it hold you back from Martha?” Spider asked.