The ride to the club house is smooth and relaxing. This is one of the many reasons that I love to ride the rocket. Mira is pressing her body so tight to mine; I can almost feel her heartbeat. Crouching down even further, I hit the throttle, sending us speeding past Skylar and Kylee. The grip on my waist tightens and I swear Mira is playing with my dick through my pants. If she keeps this up, we’re not going to make it to the clubhouse and we’re both going to experience fucking on the bike. Not a bad idea.
When we get to the clubhouse, we don’t have to wait long before the gates open. I’ve done this many times but bringing Mira here feels weird. This isn’t a place I want Mira to be. These are good guys, but if we’re being honest, they aren’t always on the up and up. They don’t go around killing people or anything, to the best of my knowledge, but they spend their nights screwing around with patch whores. I don’t want Mira thinking this is how I want to live my life, because it’s not.
A girl like Mira is too good to be in a place like this. I should have just said no when Skylar brought up this genius idea, but no. I can’t tell Mira no about anything. The girl runs my universe. If she wants it, she gets it.
The Hooliganz clubhouse isn’t like most others. Typically, the clubhouse is just for members of that specific club, but the Hooliganz open their clubhouse to other clubs and the public one night a month to make extra, legal money. We walk through the front doors and find an open table, which is a surprise. There must be over a hundred people crammed in the small bar. Seeing Mira’s face sets me at ease. She looks totally comfortable and smiles genuinely at people, regardless of how terrifying or slutty they look. This girl continues to surprise me.
From the corner of my eye I see Kink, the President’s wife, walking over to our table with a shit eating grin on her face.
“Look at you boys and these pretty girls you came with,” Kink says, pulling me in for a hug and then patting Skylar on his shoulder.
“It’s good to see you, Kink. Is Prowler around?” I ask.
“Yeah, he’s around here somewhere. Got a few new prospects in the last week or so and he’s breaking them in. I think Lance is with him. If I see them, I’ll send them over. Get these girls some drinks.”
“What do you want to drink?” I whisper in Mira’s ear. For the first time tonight, she looks uncomfortable.
“I don’t know what to order. I’d usually get a beer, but I want to try something different.”
“I got just the thing. I’ll be right back,” Kink says, maneuvering around the bodies and heading back to the bar.
“Are you okay?” I ask Mira.
“It’s a little different that I imagined. It’s weird, but I feel really comfortable here. It’s different than a regular bar. I know it’s supposed to be scary and intimidating, but I feel like I’m safe here. Like nobody will let anything happen to me. Does that make sense?”
“Yeah, Pea, it makes sense.” I kiss the top of her head. As much as I don’t want her to feel uncomfortable in a place like this, the way she does feel, makes my stomach turn a little. This isn’t the life I would imagine for us and the fact that she feels so happy here bothers me. This is the life that Skylar wants when we finish school. Would she be happier with a guy like Skylar? Just as I’m starting to over analyze my relationship status based off of a ten second conversation, Kink comes back over with a tray of drinks.
Setting two glasses filled with clear liquid in front of Mira and Kylee and two beers in front of Skylar and me, she pulls a chair up to our table. Mira takes her glass and takes a small drink through the straw.
“This is really good. What is it?”
“Oh honey, that’s only my favorite drink. Sprite and cotton candy vodka. Careful though, those fuckers tend to sneak up on you.”
“I’ll be careful,” Mira giggles, taking a cautious sip.
At least an hour goes by before we see Lance and Prowler walking through the bar.
“There’s my old man. Better go see if he needs anything,” Kink says, bowing out of our conversation in search of her husband.
I make eye contact with Lance and nod my head at him, saying hello. His crooked teeth are visible through his grin as he starts to make his way over to our table. It’s like every step he takes, he’s being clapped on the back by someone. He’s really a big deal around here and a great guy to have on your side if you ever need it.
When he approaches, I stand to shake his hand. Skylar does the same, but instead of a handshake, Skylar gets a firm hug. Lance looks around our table, confused, as he doesn’t know who the girls are. I’m about to introduce Mira and Kylee, but Skylar takes the lead, and I let him.
“Lance, you remember Danny. This is Danny’s girlfriend, Mira,” Skylar says pointing at Mira, “and her best friend and roommate, Kylee.”
Skylar and Lance share an awkward look after Sky introduces Mira. Almost like Lance knew who she was, somehow.
“Well ladies, it’s nice to meet you. If you need anything, let me know. My house is your house,” Lance says, patting me on the shoulder, “But I have to get back to the prospects. Sometimes those new boys are dumb as dirt.
“I’ll follow you out,” Skylar says, leaving with his uncle. This night just keeps getting weirder and weirder. Why does he need to leave with his uncle? Is he thinking of patching in still?
Another round of drinks goes by. I think Mira forgot about Kink telling her to take it easy because she’s lit. Her and Kylee both. The clubhouse has a DJ on open nights and he’s playing music that the girls apparently like. They are both dancing around in their seats, dying to stand up and let loose.
“Danny, come on let’s dance.” Mira’s still bouncing in her seat.
“You guys go ahead; I’ll hang back and wait for Sky.”
“Fine by me,” Kylee says, jumping out of her seat, wasting no time to grab Mira by the hand and drag her to the makeshift dance floor.
Watching these two is hilarious. You know the saying dance like nobody is watching? Well, yeah, that’s what’s going on here. Kylee is bouncing around, arms in the air, and spinning in circles while Mira puts her hands up as well but is grinding on an imaginary guy.
Hold the fuck on.
As I’m admiring the view of my girlfriend and her best friend dancing -- having a few impure thoughts about a possible threesome -- a guy comes up behind Mira, placing his hands on either side of her hips. This is where the political side of this world comes in. We’re not in a regular bar where I can deck a guy for putting his hands on my girl. I’m in a clubhouse, with other clubs, and my actions will be judged harshly especially by other clubs that look up to the Hooliganz.
I glance around the bar, looking for Lance or Prowler. I spot Lance across the room with Skylar and they’re deep in conversation. Lance almost looks disappointed in Skylar. Fuck their conversation.
“Lance!” I yell across the bar. He turns his head in the direction of my voice and I use my hand to summon him over to the dance floor.
When they get across the bar, looking nervous, I turn to show them the spectacle the guy is making with Mira. What I see catches me so off guard, I almost forget to breathe. Mira has turned to face the guy violating her personal space and she’s smiling at him. I feel like I’m going to lose the contents of my stomach all over the dingy tiled floors. Until Mira leans into the man and grabs his crotch. I almost lose my shit right there, so angry at the both of them, but then I see what’s going on.
The man has lost the grin on his face and almost looks terrified of Mira. Stepping closer, I get the full picture. Mira has his junk in a vice grip, squeezing the life out of his balls. She puts her mouth to his ear and whispers something that turns his face as white as a ghost. With a quick motion, she lets go of him and shoves him backward, only to turn back to Kylee and continue dancing.
“What the fuck was that about?” Skylar asks, just as shocked as I am.
“Mira was dancing with that fucker,” I say, motioning in the direction of the temporarily
crippled man, “so I asked you guys to come over here. I didn’t want to start any shit with another club or make you look bad. Next thing I know, Mira has the dude in a ball grip. I don’t fucking get it.”
“Looks like your girl can take care of herself, Smash,” Lance says, chuckling.
“I guess she can.”
I walk over to where the girls are dancing and pull them back to the table. I need to get these two out of here. That was a close call on the dance floor and I won’t take any more chances. I knew bringing Mira here was a bad idea. The girls gather their purses from the coat check and I nudge them out the exit.
“What’s going on? We’re having a good time.” Kylee must not have any clue about what could have happened.
“That guy was trying to get up on Mira. I don’t know what happened but it could have ended badly. Mira, you can’t go around dancing with strange guys and then gripping them up by the nuts.”
“Danny, really, I’m fine. I was dancing. He thought it was an invitation. I kindly reminded him that I do not belong to him nor is he welcome to touch me ever again. He agreed. End of story.” Mira stops dead in her tracks and just stares at me.
“You vice gripped his balls and then said something to him. Mira, that’s dangerous. Don’t you get it?”
“When we got here, didn’t Prowler tell me that this is my house too? I didn’t take him as being serious, but I thought, if I was at a bar back home, what would I do? And that’s what happened. I meant every word I said to him.”
“I have to know what you said,” Skylar chimes in, grinning ear to ear. At least one of us finds this funny.
“I told the fucker that I’m not one to fuck with. The next time he touches me, all I have to do is call Lance over, and he’s fucked. Or I can handle it myself and rip his dick clean off his body.”
Skylar bursts out laughing, “That’s my girl. Keep ‘em on their toes.”
The ride home is relaxing. That is the exact reason I didn’t want Mira at a clubhouse. The guys don’t know how to act and neither do their girls. She seems to have had a good time and isn’t freaking out that someone put their hands on her. I have to say, I’m pretty impressed, but I don’t see us going back to the Hooliganz for quite some time.
When we get back to the apartment, everyone starts talking about Mira’s actions. It’s like she’s Wonder Woman or something. Kylee sits in the counter laughing about the conversation that Mira and Skylar are having in the kitchen. Skylar is apparently teaching Mira self defense techniques and telling her to use them any time she feels threatened. Mira’s laughing so hard she’s clutching her stomach.
“Mira, stop laughing this is serious. Next time, grab his balls and twist them. Drive the point home,” Skylar says, trying to be serious but laughing because Mira is laughing.
“Okay, you can be my test dummy,” Mira says. Wait. Did she just insinuate that she’s going to touch Skylar’s junk? Shit!
“Oh no you don’t. You’re not getting anywhere near my dick with that kind of thinking.”
The banter between these two continues until whatever snack they are making is finished. They come into the living room and sit on the floor. All of the furniture will be delivered in the next day or two, so we all take the comforters and make a pallet in the middle of the living room floor.
Mira and Skylar keep going on and on about how to take a man down that is getting too fresh with her. I take the paper plates into the kitchen to throw them away and put the glasses in the sink, when Mira’s statement catches me completely off guard.
“Skylar, do you know how much I love your face?” Mira asks, making me open my eyes to see his reaction.
“Yeah, Sweets, I know and I love your face too. Get some sleep.”
“Come on, Pea. Get over here,” I say, pulling her into my body possessively as I sit down next to her. I don’t know why I’m being like this, other than I feel some weird vibe coming off the two of them. I know neither of them would do that to me, but at the same time, I can’t help it. Call it the caveman in me, but she’s my girl.
“Night guys,” Mira says, snuggling into my side and that’s how we fall asleep; together, in a large empty room, with our best friends.
Chapter Nine
By the time Christmas break rolls around, we’re all restless and need to get out of town. I asked Mira last week if she wanted to come back home with Skylar and me since her mom was going on a cruise with a few girls from her work. She had the cutest grin on her face when she agreed.
With an hour to spare before I have to pick her up from campus to head home, I run into Skylar coming in from his last class before break.
“Hey man, what are you doing?” I ask.
“About to take a shower, pack and go with you to get Mira.”
“Wanna skip the shower, pack quick and go with me to get her a present?”
“You didn’t get her anything yet?”
“I got her a few little things, but I want to get her something really special. I might need your help,” I tell my friend, knowing he won’t tell me no.
“Give me ten,” Skylar says, rushing to his bedroom to throw together a weekend bag.
As promised, Skylar is ready to walk out the door in ten minutes. Since it’s still early in the day, in the middle of the week, the mall isn’t as busy as it is in the evenings or weekends. We find a parking spot close to the main entrance.
Looking at my watch, I know we don’t have much time. I’ve been thinking hard about what I want to get for her. I don’t want it to be so cliché, like a bracelet or a necklace, but I want it to mean something. And I want her to be able to have it with her all the time and be practical.
Standing just inside the jewelry store, I glance around at all the different counters holding the precious jewels and potential gifts. I look at my watch again, and then a light bulb goes off. After I mentally face palm myself, I walk over to the case holding the women’s watches.
The only watch to catch my eye is an elegant, dainty watch but still simple enough to wear daily. The band is a thin, adjustable metal. The face is what catches my eye. The outer ring matches the band and the center piece is a pale pink that reminds me of the color Mira’s cheeks turn when she blushes. The hour and minute hands look like they’re encrusted with tiny diamonds. This watch was made for Mira.
I motion to a sales clerk who wastes no time ringing up my purchase. The money doesn’t matter so much to me, but I think it’s a little overpriced for a watch. Something is missing though. I’m trying to figure it out what it is when Skylar speaks. And his words hit me right in the chest and I know that he can read my mind.
“You need to get it inscribed. A quote or something. That would make this the perfect present.”
“Hell, Sky, you’re a fucking genius,” I say, walking out of the store, bag in hand, looking for the kiosk that does the engraving. I just pray they have time to get this done in under a half hour.
It’s like the universe is on my side. The young girl working the kiosk says she can get it done in twenty minutes, in exchange for Skylar’s phone number. I swear, the girls just fall to their knees for this guy. He obliges the girl, handing over a piece of paper with his number written on the inside. I hand over the watch and then go blank, yet again. What do I have engraved?
“Something that says how much you love her. And it should be about time too, dude.” Skylar reads my mind yet the fuck again.
“What would you put?” I ask, hoping he is quick on his feet.
“Something short and sweet,” Skylar says, looking at the girl who’s fawning over his every word, “Can you fit ‘our love is timeless’ on the back of the face?”
“I can make it work,” she says, taking the watch from my hand and getting to work.
In twenty minutes we leave the mall with the most perfect present in hand. We pull up to the school just as Mira is walking down the sidewalk, ready to go. She packed her bag the night before and dressed comfortably for the hour drive to m
y mom’s house. She climbs in the back seat, flinging her backpack to the opposite side of the car.
“Thank God that’s over. I need this break. This semester was a bitch.” Mira sounds frustrated and exhausted.
“Is everything okay?” Skylar asks, leaning over the seat to look at her. She smiles at him and nods her head.
“Yeah, I’m good. Just happy we have a few weeks off.”
We make it to my mom’s just in time to grab dinner before dropping Skylar off at his parents’ house. Christmas hasn’t been the same in my house since Dad died. Mom tries to make it happy and joyful but it always feels like we’re missing an important part of our family. And we are. Christmas was Dad’s holiday. He loved climbing the roof to hang the lights and make sure the plastic Santa was front and center in the front yard.
Mom ushers Mira in the house, leaving Skylar and I to carry in our bags. Mira and my mom have met before, but this is the first time I brought her home. Hell, this is the only girl I’ve ever brought home, especially on such a big holiday.
When I walk into the dining room, I see Mira and my mom talking and laughing at the kitchen table over coffee. Both of them look so happy and peaceful; I almost don’t want to intrude. Skylar ruins that when he walks in to the dining room, kissing my mom on the cheek and taking a seat at the table.
“What are you making, Ma? It smells good. Danny didn’t feed me today.”
“Skylar Landon, I’ve known you since you were a tot. You know damn well how to make yourself something to eat,” my mom jokes, slapping Skylar across his back, “But I made some chicken and dumplins. Figured you guys would want something warm and a taste of home.”
Just the thought of chicken and dumplins has my stomach jumping for joy. I never realized how much I would miss my mom’s cooking when I left for college. Granted, I do cook at home most nights because mom taught me how, but it’s just not the same.
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