by Jade Kuzma
He leaned back in his seat and smiled. His eyes glazed over like he was lost in a memory.
“Every boy growing up in Ivory dreams of joining a club,” he said. “Clubs around here have a reputation for being special. When you’re in a club, it means you’ve done something with your life.
“I was always around cars and bikes. My dad always had something in his garage that he was working on.
“When I started getting older, I worked enough to get my own bike. I met some of the other patches. I got in good with the Black Reapers. That was that.”
Sean smiled at the thoughts running through his head, his eyes staring off into space.
“Your father,” I said. “Where is he now?”
He shifted his eyes back toward me.
Shit.
The way he looked at me, I immediately regretted asking him.
“I’m sorry,” I said. “I didn’t mean to—”
“It’s okay. My father is gone. Shit just happens when you get older. Same with my mom. Sometimes people get sick and there isn’t anything you can do.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. It’s not like it was your fault. I’m doing just fine. I’m still young and in my prime. Twenty-six years old and I’ve got my whole life ahead of me. My parents are still with me.”
“I’m sure they’re proud of you.”
“Yeah…”
He shifted his gaze away from me. The awkward silence between us was broken when the waiter arrived with our food. I looked down at my meal and saw the steak sizzling in front of me.
“Dig in and tell me what you think,” he said.
The smile returned to his face. He gave me a wink and I forgot all about the conversation we just had.
I dug my knife into the meat and ate a piece. It was like eating a home-cooked meal.
Sean hungrily hacked away at his steak. He ate with the ferocity of a man who hadn’t eaten in weeks. It was amusing in a way, like watching an animal at the zoo during feeding time. When he noticed me staring at me, he wiped his mouth off with his napkin.
“Sorry,” he said. “I didn’t mean to—”
“It’s all right. I worked at a restaurant, remember? It’s always nice to see someone enjoying their food.”
“It’s been a long time since I’ve had food as good as this. I just got out a few weeks ago. When they’ve got you eating the same food day-in and day-out, you kinda get sick of it.”
“Right…”
Gina told me he just got out of prison. It was big news all over Ivory, apparently.
My curiosity was getting the best of me. I wanted to ask him about it. But talking to him about some piece of gossip Gina gave me while I was having dinner with him didn’t seem appropriate.
“What’s wrong?” he said suddenly.
“W-what?”
“You’re not eating.”
“Oh, right… I… I was just thinking.”
“About what?”
I remained silent. I focused my attention on cutting my steak. But when I didn’t respond, all it did was make Sean curious.
“You heard things about me?” he said.
“W-what?”
“Sheriff Sutton was in the bakery this morning. I saw him there. And I know Gina. I’m sure it didn’t take long for her to give you the details.”
“I… I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
I distracted myself by shoving a piece of steak into my mouth.
Sean persisted.
“Go ahead,” he said. “Tell me what’s on your mind.”
“I don’t think—”
“Lydia, look at me. Do you think I haven’t heard some shit before? Do you think I’m easily offended?”
“No,” I said, shaking my head softly and giggling. “I guess you have a point.”
“Damn right I do. Go ahead now.”
“All right…”
I kept cutting my steak as I asked him.
“…Did you really kill a man?”
“I did.”
He said it without hesitation.
“Three years,” he said. “They gave me three years. Involuntary manslaughter. Got off lucky if you ask me.”
“Right…”
“I suppose you want to know what happened.”
I shook my head.
“No,” I said. “That doesn’t matter. You did your time. That’s what matters.”
I took another bite of steak into my mouth. I smiled at him while I chewed on it. Sean stared at me for a second before smiling back.
There was more to it than that. Killing someone was a huge deal. But I wasn’t interested in learning about that. For now, all I wanted to do was enjoy the company of the biker sitting in front of me.
“How do you like the food?” he asked.
“It’s good,” I said. “Real good. They know how to cook their steaks here.”
“Wait ‘til you try their desserts.”
He winked at me, forcing me to laugh in response.
“Honestly, I’m still a little tired from the dessert last night.”
“Lydia? I was talking about their peach pie. What are you thinking about?”
“W-what?” I stuttered. “What… I mean… I didn’t—”
As soon as I saw the grin on his lips, my cheeks flushed with embarrassment like so many times before while I was around him. I put my head down to avoid looking back at him then sighed a deep breath through my nostrils.
“I enjoy your company,” he said.
“What?”
I turned my head back up and saw him smiling politely.
“I enjoy your company,” he said again.
“I… I enjoy your company, too. I… I hope this isn’t the last time we spend together.”
“Me, too.”
“Maybe we can share a piece of that peach pie together.”
“That sounds good. After that, I can give you a ride home.”
“Just a ride home. I’m… I’m still—”
“Tired from last night. I know.”
He winked at me again. I was practically biting my bottom lip off at this point, trying not to blush.
Regardless of how embarrassed I might have felt at the moment, I was comfortable all the same.
Sean wasn’t like any other man I’d ever met. I could only hope I would get the chance to get to know him even better.
Chapter 7
LYDIA
Sean was a perfect gentleman. I had a bit of trouble getting over the fact that he didn’t push me into sleeping with him again. But I was only just beginning to get to know him and he was respecting my wishes. I was sure I would find out more about what he was thinking soon enough.
I woke up bright and early the next day. I headed to Amy’s Bakery to get started with more of the work that was in front of me. Gina was nowhere to be found but Amy was already hard at work.
The older woman surprised me with the way she made her way around the kitchen. She was doing so many things at once but that still didn’t stop her from preparing and baking every single pastry to perfection. The flavors were just right. It was surprising to think that a small bakery like this was struggling to make ends meet.
Being in the bakery early in the morning meant I got a chance to get a glimpse at the early morning rush, if you could even call it that. It was mostly people just trying to get there day started, as I expected.
They all spoke to Amy like she knew each of them personally. It was a welcome pleasure to meet so many different people. After a few days in Ivory, Gina and Sean were the only two people I had any real interaction with.
But after the morning rush, things started to calm down. That’s when I started to see how much of a toll it had taken on the older woman.
It was near noon. Amy finally took a moment to herself.
“If you’ll excuse me,” she said as she took a seat. “I’m not quite as young as I used to be.”
“Of course,” I said. “You don’t have to explain yo
urself to me.”
“Why don’t you join me?”
“I should probably mind the counter in case someone comes in—”
“Nobody’s coming in. Sheriff Sutton won’t be in for his usual for a little bit.”
“Right.”
I took a seat at one of the tables with Amy right across from me. The only sound came from a nearby fan that rotated back and forth in the corner of the small bakery.
Amy sighed a deep breath.
“It’s nice to have you around,” she said. “Gina has been just begging me for a day off, so it’s nice to finally give it to her.”
“Gina’s a sweet girl and she works hard. I’m sure she deserves it.”
“She does. And I’m sure you’ll deserve a day off, too, one day. I’m afraid I’m gonna have to ask you to work a little harder for me.”
“It’s not a problem,” I said, chuckling softly to myself. “That’s why I came here. You know… Back when I was in the big city, I used to work 12-hour shifts non-stop.”
“Non-stop?”
Amy raised her eyebrows skeptically at me. Her narrowed eyes made the wrinkles on her face more pronounced.
“Isn’t that illegal?” she said.
“Absolutely,” I said with a laugh. “But the place was always so busy, it couldn’t be helped. Bosses compensated us under the table. Some of the waiters even split tips with the chefs. I didn’t mind though. It was hard work and I was glad to have it.”
“That must be why you left.”
“That was part of it. There’s more to it than that.”
“It must be some story if you came to a place like Ivory. How is it treating you so far?”
“Well…”
I leaned back in my seat and sighed. So far, the most eventful times I’ve had were with Sean. I wasn’t about to admit to an older woman that I slept with a near-stranger my first night in town.
“I like it,” I sighed. “The city is always moving so fast. As soon as you finish something, you’re on to the next thing. You never get the chance to enjoy the moment.”
“It’s just you, isn’t it?”
“It’s just me.”
“You’re a sweet girl, Lydia…”
She reached forward and put a hand on top of mine. I didn’t even notice that I had it resting on the table.
“…This place can treat you real nice if you do the same,” she said. “A lot of good people here. Some of the citizens can get a little rowdy but I’m sure you’ll enjoy your time here.”
“I’m already enjoying my time here. Thank you for having me, Amy.”
“Of course.”
“Oh, before I forget… I spoke to someone about possibly helping.”
“You did?”
“Yes. I spoke to someone in one of the motorcycle clubs. They said they could help business. I wanted to run it by you and see if you were interested.”
Amy pulled her head back. She had a skeptical look on her face but she wasn’t upset. All she could do was sigh and shrug at me.
“I don’t see how they can help,” she said. “But I’ll let you use your best judgment. I can use all the help I can get.”
“Great. I’ll always run everything by you. It’s your bakery.”
“My bakery… Lydia, there’s something I wanted to tell you.”
“Oh?”
My eyes widened in curiosity. Amy slumped in her seat and looked down at her hands.
“I didn’t just hire you to help around the bakery,” she said.
“What do you mean?”
“I’m getting old. I can’t keep this up for much longer. I was thinking about closing up the shop.”
“What?” I exclaimed. “You can’t—”
“That was until you came around. Now I can pass it on to someone.”
“Pass it on to someone? Wait… You want me to take over the bakery?”
She smiled politely at me. I was too stunned by her revelation to think of anything to say.
“Gina doesn’t seem like she has much interest in being in charge,” she said. “And with so many regulars still here, I’m sure they would crucify me if they couldn’t get any of my donuts anymore.”
“But me? I don’t know why you think I could be in charge.”
“Because I know you’re capable. You work hard. You’ve picked up all the recipes quickly. People seem to like you. I think you can do it. I would never force it on you but I would like you to think about it.”
“Right… Of course… I just… It’s all so sudden.”
“Think about it.”
She patted my hands on the table and stood up from her seat.
“I’m afraid it’s my time to take off for the day,” she said. “My body is used to resting around this time. Don’t worry. There won’t be very many customers. You’ll be able to handle it.”
“Sure. Take care now.”
Amy excused herself, leaving me alone in the bakery for the first time since I arrived in Ivory.
I got back to work, prepping some of the ingredients that would be needed for the rest of the week. I kept myself busy while thinking about what Amy suggested to me.
Working at the bakery was just supposed to be a job. I knew she needed help but I never imagined she would give me such an offer. I wasn’t sure there was enough time in the world for me to figure it all out.
A few customers came in over the course of the afternoon. They were all polite and friendly like all of the other citizens I’d met in Ivory.
I was working in the back near closing time when I heard the bell on the front door ring. I made my way out and saw a man in uniform walking up to the counter.
He was a cop I didn’t recognize. I remembered all of the cops that stopped by.
He was young, like it was his first day on the job. His brown hair was combed neatly on his head like a schoolboy. He had a baby-face that made me wonder if he even needed to shave.
He walked up to me with a smile, his teeth big and white. Innocent brown eyes staring right at me.
“Hello,” he greeted me. “How are you doing?”
“I’m doing just fine. How can I help you?”
“My name’s Ben.”
He said it and stuck his hand out to me. I shook his hand, slightly puzzled at the way he introduced himself to me.
“Lydia,” I said. “It’s nice to meet you, officer.”
“Officer Rose. Ben Rose. But you can call me Ben.”
“Sure,” I said with a giggle. “How can I help you, Ben?”
“I was just talking to Sheriff. He’s always raving about the place. I’m not much for sugar but I figured I would stop by and check it out.”
“Is that right? What can I get for you?”
“He said I can’t go wrong with the donuts. How about one of those and a cup of coffee?”
“Sure thing.”
I prepped his order as fast as I could. The entire time, Ben kept his eyes locked on me with a smile that made me feel a little unnerved. He put his money down on the counter and picked his things up, still smiling at me.
“I’m new in town,” he said.
“Oh?”
“I’ve been here for about a month.”
“Oh… Okay… How do you like it?”
“It’s not bad. It’s not what I’m used to but I’ve always heard that Ivory isn’t like any other city.”
“Yeah, that’s not surprising. Why would you come to a place like Ivory?”
“The Sheriff’s Department needed some new personnel. Investigations are underway and they need more manpower.”
“Investigations? That doesn’t sound like a good thing. Is something happening?”
“It’s nothing you need to concern yourself with. But they’ve noticed an increased amount of biker gang activity.”
“Biker gang activity?”
My ears perked up as soon as he said it. Ben talked about it with the enthusiasm of a young child.
“Motorcycle clubs,” he said.
“They’re really more than just clubs though. A lot of them are just fronts for a lot of illegal activity. One-percenters. I’m just here to do my part to snuff ’em out.”
“Really…”
“Like I said, it’s nothing you need to concern yourself with. The gangs around this town never do stuff out in the open and they’re not concerned with regular citizens like you.”
“Yeah. I’ll keep that in mind.”
It was nice to get some information from Ben.
He stood there and smiled at me, his hands full with a donut and a cup of coffee. I smiled politely back at him, waiting for him to say something else.
He didn’t.
He just remained where he was with the same look on his face.
“I should probably get going now,” he said finally. “I’m working the late shift and it’s starting pretty soon.”
“Of course.”
“It was nice meeting you, Lydia.”
“Take care now, Ben.”
I watched as Ben awkwardly made his way to the door. He struggled with the handle for a moment, his hands full with his order. He chuckled nervously at me before finally managing to get the door open and walk out.
I chuckled softly to myself as soon as he was gone.
“What a strange man…”
Chapter 8
SEAN
I sat at the end of the meeting desk in the chapel. Needle sat off to one side, leaning back in his seat with his arms crossed. He always acted like he owned the place, even in the chapel.
Ghost sat right next to me. He was staring off into the distance and lost in his thoughts. Ghost was the smartest man in the club. Hell, he was the smartest man I’d known anywhere. I knew he was thinking hard about what was about to happen. That meant this was serious.
The other members around the table were silent. Everybody seemed distracted. Even after spending a night getting to know Lydia better, even I had to admit that there was a lot on my mind.
Garnet took his place at the head of the table. The president of the club was older than everybody else, though he wasn’t really old. His hair was still jet black and he still took the time to groom his goatee like a young pretty boy who was trying to get laid.
The look on his face was as serious as everybody else’s.
“All right, listen up,” he said. “Last time we were here, we talked about working on clubhouse funds. I told you to get some ideas and figure some things out. I said pushing weight is on the agenda if you guys are interested. Before we take a vote, I wanna hear if you got any ideas.”