by Amber Burns
“Theodore Tillman?” Jimmy echoed in confusion.
“Ted,” I clarified before nodding at her. “He ain’t here right now. What you got for him? I’ll be sure to get it to him.”
“I,” she started to stutter again and fidgeting with the envelope in her hands. “I-I I need his signature.”
“You servin’ him papers?” Jimmy asked with a laugh like the idea was funny.
He was a kid, he didn’t know better. If the lady hadn’t been here I would’ve had to give him a hard kick to the ass. Instead I gave him a hard look, then made a point glance towards Teddy’s chopper in the corner. Hopefully, the kid caught on. I looked back at the girl floundering in front of us.
“He’ll be here tomorrow between ten and six,” I informed her. “After six I can’t make promises. If I can’t drop the papers off for you, you’ll have to come here with that pretty face of yours.”
Jimmy didn’t correct me, but sniggered obnoxiously when the girl turned several shades of red. Fucker is ruining my flirting game.
“T-thanks,” she turned to run back in the direction of her car, affording us a better look at her legs and backside. She was short, but she had a pair of legs on her.
“Hey, Sweetcheeks,” I hollered after her. “You gonna give us your name so we know who to tell him came-a callin’?” I couldn’t help, but grin when she looked back at me all wide eyed. I got that deer caught in headlights look again. “Or I can just keep callin’ you sweetcheeks.”
“Madison Ells,” she said as she eyed me frightfully, like I was going to bite her or something.
I licked my lips and I saw her face turn a brighter shade of red, so maybe that’s what she thought. Maybe I would take a bite out of her; I wouldn’t mind getting a taste of her.
“I’ll hope to see ya tomorrow then, Madi,” I grinned at her. She squeaked a farewell and sat back into her car. She backed out of the parking lot and sped off, the squeal her car made gave me a reason to grimace. “What is it with women and their inability to take care of their cars?”
“Are you diagnosing her car?” Jimmy sounded amused looking after her, too. “She was cute, but far too meek for me. I prefer a hellcat.”
“Never,” I looked at him with a grin. “Ever judge a book by its cover. You never know how a woman is in bed until you take her for a ride.” I gave his shoulder a pat, not caring about the mess that was on my hands. “Go get me a spark plug or two for Wilson’s bike. I’m gonna go let Teddy know his old lady is finally making the move to cut the chain.”
“You think that’s what it is?” he made a noise, sounding disgusted as he started to make his way to his bike. “You sure it ain’t something more sinister?”
“Pft, like Teddy has a sinister bone in his body,” I opened up the bar room door. “Honda shadow, ‘85. Make sure you get the right part or you’re gonna have to turn your ass around and get a new one.”
I didn’t give the chance to question it further. Plus I didn’t want to spend the rest of the day working on Wilson’s bike.
“Yea, yea, yea,” he grunted as he started his bike up and wheeled it out of the lot, revving it up so that it made an obnoxious amount of noise.
I didn’t wait for him to speed off; I went into the bar and let out a sigh of relief. Sometimes the kid irked my nerves and this was a much needed break. I sauntered over to the bar and gave it a knock, seeing Cindy in the kitchen fussing with what I assumed was the dinner menu.
“Hey Lady!” I hollered back at her to get her attention. “You got Teddy locked up in the fridge back there?”
“Shit!” she let out a string of expletives that would make a sailor blush, and there were sailors present. I couldn’t help, but grin. “Goddamnit, boy!”
She stood in the kitchen doorway to glare at me. Cindy was older, probably in her fifties, and I was sure she came with the building. Her hair was bleached blonde, despite her age, and she sported a little roundness in the middle and on her hips. It didn’t keep the rest of the boys from hitting on her.
“I damn near cut myself,” she called out. “What do you want?”
“Teddy,” I repeated slowly. She had a temper on her and I took great pleasure in egging her on. There was something fun about getting her to threaten me. “You finally do him in and hide him in the fridge?”
“No, but I have half a mind to do that to your ass,” she huffed then nodded towards the other side of the bar room. “He’s in the office with Wilson. I think they’re having a serious talk so if you need someone to mouth off to you’ll have to find someone else to do it with.”
“Hey, hey, hey,” I started to back away, raising my hands as if to placate the woman. “I don’t mouth off to anyone but you, Lady. You’re my favorite.”
“I ain’t buyin’ your shit, pretty boy,” she growled in return.
“I’ll wait for you,” I snickered as I ducked back to the office door.
I watched as Cindy went back to the kitchen and I knocked. I played with fire and I knew it. One of these days I was betting she’d hold me up with one of her kitchen knives. But, women like her were all fire and hard to resist playing with.
“Come in,” Wilson bellowed and I opened the door. “Redding, the hell are you doing here? My bike better be running.”
Wilson was a Marine sergeant at one point. He served in a war, probably ‘Nam, but I couldn’t pinpoint it for sure because he looked like leather. I couldn’t guess his age to save my life.
“I gotta heads up for Teddy,” I looked at the older man that had ushered me into the club.
Teddy wasn’t near as old as Wilson, he had admitted to serving in Desert Storm so I figured he was in his mid fifties. They both looked weathered and it was hard to guess, the military did that to you though.
“Boy,” he growled at me. “What did I tell you about calling me that?”
“Still waiting on that gut check, man,” I admitted. I cleared my throat and sobered though, because I wasn’t sure how he was going to take the news I was about to give. There was no easy way to break it. “A girl drove up a minute ago with papers that she needed you to sign for. I think she was trying to serve you.”
His features went blank, he put on a poker face and he gave a nod as he looked away. “That … that might be it. Damn,” he breathed out and grimaced. “I didn’t expect her to go through with it I thought it was just an empty threat like all the others.”
I waited in the doorway, my heart going out to the guy. Though, aside from the sweet looking girl I just saw, I hadn’t had a steady woman since before I went to Iraq and hadn’t been interested in one. I couldn’t imagine how it felt when the woman you pledged your life to suddenly wanted to call it quits.
“I’m sorry, man,” it was all I could offer. “D’ya want me to get you a beer?”
Wilson reached across the desk to give Teddy a solid slap on the back, “We’re here for ya, brother. You’re not facing this shit alone.”
He nodded, though it was evident that he was going to get emotional. “Nah, Sid, I don’t need a beer. Thanks.”
“Let me get Wilson’s bike back together and we’ll go for a ride,” I paused then remembering the details. “Girl, is going to be back tomorrow with the papers. I told her you’d be here between ten and six. That cool?”
“Why didn’t you just let her bring them to me?” he asked, not sounding angry but looking curious.
“I like you knowing what’s coming before it gets here,” I shrugged. “Plus she was kinda hot.”
“Oh,” he gave me a shark like smirk. “I could use a hot piece of ass if I’m going to be free of the old ball and chain.”
“Sorry, fucker,” I started to step back. “Already called dibs.”
That got a laugh from both them and I went back outside. Nothing like a night ride to get the feels off your shoulders. I had some work that I needed to finish.
2
At ten on the dot little Miss Ells showed back up at the bar. I was surprised, but happy be
cause I was out in the yard cleaning up my own bike. For some reason I wanted her to see me next to my pride and joy. A ‘94 Dyna Wide Glide, I slaved and saved every penny I could pinch for this beauty. She was a brilliant silver and if I could make love to a motorcycle I would definitely be trying to shove my cock into my silver girl.
Sex with inanimate objects aside, the current object of my attention pulled into the lot just like she did the other day, parking right in the middle of it. We didn’t really cater to cars. Hers still sounded like it was riding like shit. She got out and gave me a cautious look. I did nothing but offer her my best grin. At least I still had all my teeth, not all the fuckers in the club can say that.
“Morning, sweetcheeks,” I winked at her.
She flushed, it was so pretty, and gave me a nod.
“Morning. I told you my name yesterday,” she tried to go for stern, but it faltered as her voice quaked. “So you wouldn’t call me that.”
“Oh,” I gave the gas tank one last swipe of the cloth before stuffing it into the back pocket of my jeans. “You sure did,” I said as I approached her. “Do you think I forgot it?”
She laughed shakily then shrugged, “Honestly, it wouldn’t surprise me.”
Today she chose to wear another long sleeved, button up blouse and a pencil skirt. Looking as if she was trying to blend in and not catch any attention. Only, she caught my eye.
“Miss Madison Ells,” I put on my most charming grin. “I wouldn’t say that’s forgettable. C’mon let’s get you to Teddy,” I gestured towards the bar door. She started forward and I instantly put my hand to the small of her back, guiding her along. She tensed and paused so that my hand was against her with a bit more pressure. I looked down at her and raised an eyebrow, “Okay?”
That pretty blush of hers had me thinking all kinds of wrong things. Another day that my pecker decided that he’d been down and out for long enough. She had his full undivided attention in a way the vibrating engine of my bike never did. She didn’t protest, but she looked up at me with those big green eyes. Shit, I was in trouble. What was I going to do when she served her papers and got her signature?
We started moving again and I struggled to think of a way to get her to come back. Maybe I could find out where she worked and pay her a visit. Was that too much? Would that put me right into creeperville? I stepped ahead of her and opened the door for her so she could go in first.
“I’ll take ya right to him,” I promised.
“This is a bar?” she asked looking away from me and around the room.
“Kinda,” I didn’t bother to elaborate. I nodded towards one the doors in the back part of the bar, close to obvious bathrooms. “Teddy’s in the office. But, piece of advice, dude gets pissy if you call him Teddy.”
“Why do you call him Teddy?” she asked, eyeing me curiously. I hoped that I got her attention like she got mine.
“I think it’s fun to piss him off and I can take punch,” I tapped on the door. “If you called him Teddy and he started swinging I’d have to lay him flat and I dunno how he’d handle that.”
“What?” Wilson barked.
I didn’t bother reporting anything I just opened the door. “Teddy’s got a visitor.”
“I’m really starting to regret dragging your drunk ass out of that bar,” Ted groaned from the other side of the table. He sat up when he saw the girl I brought with me and I could see the appreciation in his gaze. Though, I had to admit. Madison looked like she could probably be his daughter. “This the girl you told me about yesterday?”
“Yep,” I ushered her further into the room so she could handle her business. “You remember what I said yesterday?”
He snorted and eyed Madi, as I’d taken to call her, with a more serious expression.
“What have you got for me?”
“I'm a representative of Mister Fredrick Stevens who is representing Doris Tillman,” her voice quaked a little and I suspected it had something to do with being in a room with three bikers. She offered him the thick, orange envelope. “I can imagine the frustration and I'm very sorry for inconveniencing you, but I need your signature to prove that you received this.”
He gave her a hard look and I thought for a second he was going to give her trouble. I glowered, edging closer to her. Teddy noted the movement and raised an eyebrow. “You gotta pen, Private?”
I snorted and fished one out of my back pocket before I offered it to him, I watched Madi curiously as she waited patiently for the slip of paper that said she had done her job. Teddy handed it over before giving me a look, “Alright, you got your shit. You can go.”
“Th-thank you,” she stuttered.
“You’re such a gentleman, Teddy,” I grumbled as I opened the office door.
“Tell that to my soon to be ex wife,” he gave me the one fingered salute before he turned back to the papers on the desk before him.
I’d have to check on him later, but first, there was something more important. I ushered Madi out of the office and closed the door behind us.
“Sorry about that,” I apologized on Teddy’s behalf. “He’s usually like a teddy bear and not so damn ornery.”
She cleared her throat and had my full attention, “The reaction was appropriate. I assume you don’t understand because you’ve not been in his position. There’s nothing pleasant about getting served divorce papers.”
She carefully folded the paper that held Teddy’s signature. She fidgeted and made no effort to meet my gaze. Her shyness appealed to me in a way I didn’t understand, but I wanted to explore just how shy and innocent she was. Only, I wasn’t that much of an asshole that I would push her out of her comfort zone in a public place.
“Divorce,” she began again as I walked her through the bar. “Is not a pleasant thing.”
“I guess I’ll find out with the way Teddy handles it,” I made sure to hold the door open that led outside for her. I would be a perfect gentleman even if I didn’t look it. “Hopefully it’s not something I’ll ever find out about first hand.” I followed her to her car and I couldn’t tell whether or not I was making her uncomfortable.
“Thank you,” she said uneasily, speaking without stumbling over her words. “I appreciate your help.”
I guess being outside must be helping. Maybe it was the fact that there were less people out here. She went to her car door and opened it, getting ready to drive off and I’d probably never see her again.
Fuck that. I told myself. Not gonna have that.
I stood at the front of her car and gave the hood a slight knock, “This thing is running funny. You need to get it looked at.”
I got a deer caught in headlights look from her again. She shook her head before dropping her gaze from mine.
“I don’t have the money for a mechanic right now,” she frowned and I felt like an ass for pointing it out. “I know it sounds bad, I keep putting it off in hopes it’ll last me a little bit longer.”
“Well,” I tried to give her my best grin. “It’s your lucky day, sweetcheeks. I just so happen to work on engines. You take me to lunch and I’ll take a look at your car free of charge.”
“I thought if I told you my name you weren’t going to call me that,” she looked at me again, her brows drawing down together and the look she gave me wanted me to tug her out of her shell. There was potential here with her and I definitely couldn’t let her get away.
“Force of habit,” I shrugged. “It means you have a nice ass. If it bothers you we’re good with me calling you Madi, right?”
She did have a nice ass, from what I could tell with the clothes that she wore. They weren’t tight and didn’t show off her figure, I had to use my imagination. Her face flushed as I translated and I leaned forward onto the hood of her car.
“M-madi’s fine.”
“Am I gonna get lunch out of you to look at your car?”
She looked hesitant and I was afraid that I lost my chance with her. She pulled out her phone from her bag and looked
at it, “I take lunch at one.”
I took the opportunity to pull my own phone from a pocket and offered it to her, “Gimme your number and we can arrange for me to give your car the once over and see what it takes to get it fixed.”
She looked uncertain, but took my phone and swiped it to the contacts. I watched as she programmed her name and number into it before she offered it back to me.
“Do you have an idea what it is?” she asked.
“It could be your transmission,” I said honestly as I took my phone and gave the phone number she put in there a text. I kept it simple, a ‘hi beautiful’ seemed to be just enough. “Have you had any problems shifting gears or anything like that?”