by Sam Crescent
“Showtime,” he said.
Grace grabbed a pot that she could carry.
“What’s going on?” Teri asked.
Drake sighed, resting his hands on his hips. “We’re going to stick to being friends.”
“What? Why?”
“The guy she was with was a serious asshole, and has scared her.”
“So? You’re a Dirty Fucker. Some guy treating her like shit shouldn’t bother you.”
“It doesn’t.”
“You’re just going to give up?”
Drake glared at her. “No, but I’m not about to start bombarding her with shit she’s not ready to deal with. I can handle friends.”
Teri laughed. “You? You can handle being friends?”
“I can handle a lot. For instance, friends go shopping, friends have dinner, friends go to the movies, and friends hang out.”
“That’s a pretty big list.”
“Yep, it’s a pretty big list, and I intend to become Grace’s new BFF.”
“What’s going on, guys?” Grace asked.
“Nothing. Watch my muscles at work, women.” He removed his jacket, draping it over Grace’s shoulder. Giving both women a view of his flexing muscles, he winked, and started to carry the pots.
James and Cora were standing with Sharon and Thomas in the main hall. There was a large table set up with food.
“Thank you so much for doing this,” Sharon said.
“No problem. The men don’t mind,” James said.
“It’s easy for you to say. You’re not the one carrying all this fine food.” Drake walked over to them. “What did you to?” He looked at Thomas.
“I fixed all the tables and set up the decorations.”
Sharon reached out, holding Thomas’s hands. “He’s done wonders, don’t you think? He also built the stage outside for the graduation ceremony.”
“You should have been there,” Thomas said.
Drake scrunched his nose up. “Nah, kids don’t do it for me. Besides, it would have looked a little strange if a man who didn’t have a kid suddenly turned up watching them graduate. Thinking about it freaks me the fuck out.”
James laughed. “Ryan graduates next year.”
“Then I will be here to see the kid, not before.”
He nodded to the women, and went back to the car to help unload the food. Once that was done, he parked the car, and lost Grace in the throng of people. Tourists and locals had all come out for the good weather, and his plan to spend the time with Grace was screwed. He saw Lucy had arrived with her oldest son, Ryan, and the two youngest. Their father, Dane, was part of the Dirty Fuckers MC until he just left without a reason. Until he came back, the brothers had taken it turns to help the woman out. He gave Lucy a wave, and Ryan headed toward him.
“Hey, Drake,” Ryan said.
“How’s your mom?”
“She’s fine. She’s been a lot happier since you guys have been coming around. I even see her smile now.” Ryan held onto the loops of his jeans.
“We’re all one big happy family, and when Dane gets back, I’m going to kick his ass.”
Ryan’s smile dropped. “I hope he doesn’t come back.”
He paused to look at the kid. “What? I thought you wanted your dad back?”
“In the beginning I did. Mom was so hung up on him, and she was working all the time to make ends meet. Before Dad left, I didn’t tell James this, but they would argue all the time.”
Drake frowned. This was news to him. Whenever he saw Dane before he left, the fucker would talk constantly about being a Dad, and a husband. “They argued?”
“Yeah. She used to shout at him smelling of another woman’s perfume, and of him spending his days screwing and drinking. I want Mom to move on. I want her to be happy and not think about my dad. She’s not been on a date since she left.”
“You’re now trying to pimp your mom out?” Drake asked.
“No. Dad, he’s an asshole, and I accept that now. Mom, she’s beautiful, and young still. She had me when she was young. I don’t want her to wait around for a guy that didn’t even care to divorce her.”
Drake sighed. “Do you have someone in mind?”
“There’s Lewis Corn. He’s a rancher just on the outskirts of town. They’re friends, and he lost his wife to cancer three years ago.”
“Around the time your dad left?” Drake asked.
“Is it wrong to want to arrange a date between them?” Ryan asked.
“It’s not wrong, but it’s not exactly right, either.”
“I want her to be happy.”
“Then keep getting good grades. That will work.”
Several guys shouted Ryan’s name, and Drake urged him to go and have fun. When he turned around, he saw that Leo and Paul were helping Lucy, taking them around the fairground.
Entering the main hall, he saw James was still with Cora talking to Sharon and Thomas. He spotted Teri removing the wrappings from the food, and there was no sign of Grace. Moving toward the woman, he grabbed a spicy potato wedge, biting into it.
“Did you see where Grace went?”
“Suzy’s here, and they went off to get some cotton candy.”
“I thought she was supposed to be working today?”
“What? Grace? No. It’s her day off. The diner is closed. Besides, she helped me make all of this. She’s one hell of a cook. Look for Pixie. He still won’t take no for an answer even though she doesn’t give him the time of day. Personally, I think he scares her, and I don’t think Suzy’s ever had sex, let alone sweaty, dirty sex.” Teri shrugged.
Since settling down in Greater Falls, Teri had really grown to love the place, and she made her mark on the little town. The whole town adored her, and through her, they accepted the club. Without the club, Teri wouldn’t be here, so it all worked out.
“Pixie?”
“He seems to know where Suzy is. Haven’t you ever noticed he’s always there when Suzy is? Besides, I’m getting tired of him buying me new underwear. With how much he’s gotten me, I could open my own underwear stall, it’s that bad.”
Drake laughed. “He has to find a reason to buy shit?”
“If he wants to go to the shop where Suzy works.”
Taking another potato wedge, he gripped Teri’s shoulder. “You did good, more than good. This is all amazing.”
“Thanks. I really do love it here.”
“It does work for us, doesn’t it?” Drake asked.
“You could settle down here, you know? Start a family. Sharon’s a great principal, and I even heard the preschool and primary school rock as well.”
“Are you trying to convince me? Dirty Fuckers are not going anywhere.”
“It’s what I like to hear,” Teri said.
“We got out of all that shit years ago.” The Dirty Fuckers didn’t want any kind of shit that other MCs had. He’d heard of The Skulls and Chaos Bleeds, and they had more than enough crap to last them a lifetime. Dirty Fuckers were content to own their small piece of land, the club, the diner, and their other businesses. The only thing they had in common with the other two clubs was Ned Walker. They had worked for that mean motherfucker at one time. “I’m going to find some brothers.”
Kissing the top of Teri’s head, he left the main hall, heading out into the heat. He became aware that he didn’t have his leather cut on, so all he had to do was look for the woman wearing his jacket.
Moving toward one of the first stalls, he saw Richard, the lawyer who came to the club to unleash his Dominant side, shooting at a target.
“Wow, I didn’t know you did anything but work,” Drake said.
“Raising money for the school, having some fun, even I have to relax at times.” Richard lowered the gun, taking the stuffed bear that he’d won. If Richard wasn’t a lawyer, he’d have been one of the brothers, easily. He was a tough guy.
“I thought that’s why you came to the club.”
“It’s one of the reasons.” Richar
d held onto the stuffed bear. “What’s Chloe up to these days?”
Drake stared at the lawyer. “You’re wanting to know about Chloe?”
“I’ve not seen around the club for a couple of weeks. Didn’t know if you let her go.”
“Chloe’s still at the club, Richard. She also works at the diner.”
“I’ve not seen her in the back.”
Drake sighed. “Chloe’s pulled away from going to the playroom. She only plays in the main room.”
“Why?”
“She was worried that she was falling for you.” He didn’t see a reason to keep that kind of stuff secret. Chloe was a sweet woman. Her heart was in the right place, and he’d even seen her getting close with Grace and Suzy.
Club whore or not, Chloe’s heart was that of an old lady. She just didn’t see it, which sucked.
Drake would have taken her himself but they were friends, and he didn’t want to commit to her like that.
“She didn’t have to stop coming to see me,” Richard said.
“Yeah, she did.” He wasn’t about to tell the man that Chloe had cried when she saw Richard with another woman, how he was dressed up, treating her with respect. None of the brothers would ever allow anyone to hurt one of their own, but matters of the heart were a lot harder to control.
****
“You’re wearing a leather cut,” Suzy said.
“I know.” Grace gripped the lapels of the jacket. It was hot, but she liked the scent of Drake around her. He made her feel safe, and protected. “I like it, and he was doing a lot of carrying so I held onto it for him.”
“Will he want it back?”
“Yeah, we’re friends.”
“I’ve seen Cora wearing James’s jacket,” Suzy said.
They were in the queue for some cotton candy, and everywhere Grace looked, there seemed to be a Dirty Fuckers leather cut. She hoped to see Drake again, but so far, no sign of him.
“Cora’s an old lady. Chloe told us how things worked.”
“Speaking of Chloe, I was thinking we should invite her over to our place. Have a girly night.”
“What about Teri?” Grace asked.
“Her too. I like her, and her food is amazing. You should really let her taste some of the stuff you create.”
“It’s Teri’s diner, and she has some awesome skills. I love watching her, and tasting her food.”
“With you moving in with me, I’m going to have to get a bigger size. I’m ballooning, and soon I’ll fill the space a size of a tank.”
Grace frowned, looking at Suzy’s size sixteen. The woman was gorgeous. She had large tits, and hips that were an hourglass figure. Suzy rocked the fifties style dresses, which was what she was wearing now. Her red hair was left to cascade around her body. The length looked so soft and glossy. She was a beautiful woman, who caught several men’s gazes. What did Suzy see when she looked in the mirror? She behaved like she was some kind of ugly person. Grace had seen the way Pixie stared at Suzy, as did several other men.
“Don’t put yourself down.”
Suzy chuckled. “I’m not. I just know what I look like.”
Before Grace could say anything, they were the first in the queue, and Daniel, the Dirty Fuckers prospect, was serving them up some cotton candy.
“I didn’t know you were going to be here today,” Grace said.
“I help out where I can. It’s the role of a Prospect within the club.” Daniel handed them both some candy and a soda.
“I’ll take care of this,” Pixie said, handing over some cash.
Suzy tensed up. “That’s okay, we can affor—”
“Don’t you worry about it, babe. It’s the least I can do. Cheeseburger,” Pixie said.
Grace stood while Suzy looked like she wanted to say otherwise.
“Thank you,” Grace said, moving away from the queue. No one in the long line mentioned the fact Pixie had moved in. “He’s got a thing for you.” She made sure to speak in a whisper so no one could hear.
“I don’t know. I think he just can’t handle the fact I said no.”
“Well, ladies, what are you doing today?” Pixie asked, coming to stand with them.
“What are you doing?” Suzy asked.
“Spending some time with you. Do you have a problem with that?”
Grace glanced around at all of the women staring at Pixie as if they wanted to strip him naked, and have his babies. This wasn’t uncomfortable at all. Not.
Suzy frowned. “Sure, fine.”
Staring at Pixie, he saw that he looked perplexed at the lack of excitement from Suzy.
Feeling like a third wheel, Grace stared around the large football field wondering what the hell to do.
“I’ve got to go to the bathroom. Will you hold these for me?” Suzy asked. She was gone a second later, and Grace held her soda and candy.
Pixie sighed. “She’s really a tough cookie, isn’t she?”
Grace tilted her head to the side, watching the large biker. “Do you even like her?”
“Yeah, I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t.”
“How do you know if you like her?” Grace asked.
“What?”
“I’ve not seen you trying to get to know her.”
“I’ve tried asking her out.”
“She’s said no, and you just leave.”
“This is the hardest I’ve ever worked for any pussy,” Pixie said.
Grace scrunched up her nose. “You’re not going to get to Suzy with that attitude. If you just want to fuck her, walk away. She deserves better than you.”
She moved away, leaving Pixie to his own, single minded attitude. Waiting outside of the toilet, she smiled at customers who came into the diner.
“Is he gone?” Suzy asked.
“Yeah. Don’t worry about him. He’s an asshole.”
Suzy cringed. “He’s persistent, but he just wants to fuck. I don’t like him.”
She told Suzy what he said to her, and they both looked disgusted. “See, why would I want to be with him? He’s gross.”
“I told him he didn’t deserve you.”
They walked around the large playing field, eating, and talking.
“I’m thinking we should get a dog.”
“A dog? We’re working all the time,” Grace said.
“I know, but I’ve always wanted a dog, and at the trailer it was impossible to have a pet.”
Grace didn’t want her friend to go without, so she tried to think about it. “We could take turns walking it.”
“It will be fun. What kind of dog?”
“Labrador?” Grace suggested. She loved dogs but hadn’t owned one herself either.
“It’s too big. Our apartment is nice, but not that nice. A Labrador needs a lot of space. What about a beagle?”
“Nope, they require a lot of exercise, more than we have time for.”
“Fine, Pomeranian it is.”
“Aw,” Grace said. “They’re going to be so cute and fluffy.”
“You think so?”
“Yeah. We’ll have to be careful though so we don’t mistake it for a cushion. Do you want to pick one up next week?”
“I’ll look online, and see if there are any breeders,” Suzy said.
They rounded a corner, and there was Drake with another man carrying a bear.
“Grace, I’ve been looking for you,” Drake said.
“I’ve been here.” She turned to the man with the bear, giving him a smile.
“Richard, this is Grace. Grace, this is Richard.”
“It’s nice to meet you.” Her hands were full.
“This is Suzy,” she said, looking toward her friend.
Once the introductions were done, Suzy left the group as she found someone to talk to, leaving Grace alone with Richard and Drake.
“Nice bear,” Grace said.
“Hey, guys,” Chloe said, walking up to them.
Richard turned toward the other woman, and he seemed to tense u
p. Turning toward Chloe, Grace was surprised to see her in a conservative pale pink dress. “Have you seen Suzy?”
“I just passed her. She had seen someone she wanted to talk to.” Chloe joined them, and her smile dropped when she saw Richard. “Hi, I didn’t see you there. I didn’t think you’d come here,” she said.
“I live in Greater Falls, and I used to go to this high school.”
The once bubbly woman looked totally uncomfortable.
“Can I talk with you?” Richard asked.
“Erm, sure, I guess.”
Grace moved beside Drake, watching them.
“There’s tension between them, right? That’s not just me?”
“There’s a shitload of tension between the two.”
“I like Chloe. He better not be hurting her.”
“The club will hurt him if he even tries. Chloe, she’s a darling, sweet, and caring. Don’t worry, we’ve got her back, and we’ll take care of her.”
Grace nodded, taking a bite of her cotton candy.
“So, I was wondering if you’d like to go and see a movie with me?” he asked.
Glancing up at him, she bit her lip. “Like a date?”
“No, not like a date. Like two friends going out, watching a movie, of your choice, of course, and maybe getting some dinner afterward.”
She was a little disappointed. Why are you disappointed? This is what you wanted, duh!
“I’d like that.”
“How about Monday night?”
Grace shook her head. “I’m working the evening shift. I don’t get off ‘til midnight. I’m good next Friday if you can wait. We don’t even know what’s showing.”
“Something good should be showing. I’ll pick you up around seven?” Drake said.
“Sounds good to me.” She offered up some candy. “Seeing as you’re my friend, and you can’t take your gaze away from my candy, have some.” He took a bite while staring into her eyes. “Tastes good.”
“Hell yeah.”
Offering him a drink of soda, she walked beside him as they continued to enjoy the fun.
****
“You look different,” Richard said.
Chloe glanced down at the pale pink summer dress and felt her cheeks heat. Richard had only ever seen her in club clothes, the short skirts, and fuck me jeans. The dresses were part of her more normal life when she didn’t want to draw attention to herself. “We’re not in the club.” Pausing near the bleachers, she turned to him. “What did you want to talk to me about?”