Unexpected Chance

by Annalisa Nicole

  I get dressed in an old t-shirt and jeans and walk Aiden out to his bike. He opens the garage door, then walks over to his bike, lifts a leg and straddles the bike. Holy hotness, he’s sexy as hell wearing an expensive suit sitting on top of a motorcycle. He grabs his helmet from the handlebar, and lifts his chin at me with a sexy grin, wanting me to come over to him.

  I walk over to him slowly, not trusting myself. My mouth waters at the thought of unzipping his pants and sinking down on top of him and doing him right here, right now, sitting on top of this Harley. But I contain myself. He puts on a black leather jacket, a pair of black leather riding gloves, then grabs my chin and kisses me. He puts his helmet on his head and I back away from the bike as he starts it with a thundering roar. He walks the bike backwards until he’s out of the garage. He gives me a wink that sends goosebumps down my arms, then closes the visor on his helmet. He gives me a backwards glance and a low wave, then roars down the street.

  I leave the garage door open while I walk back into the kitchen, grab my purse and Aiden’s keys, then head back out into the garage. I slip into Jade and run my hands on her soft, green, leather steering wheel. I’ve never driven a car this nice before. I slowly back out of the garage and stop in the driveway, then hit the close button on the garage door opener.

  I decide to go to Max’s PI firm first. No sense in quitting at the bar if I don’t have another job lined up first. I pull into the parking lot and see Jax’s H3 and Ava’s little red sports car parked side by side. Aww, isn’t that just cute. Their two cars look exactly like the two of them. Jax’s H3 is this huge, muscular, powerhouse of a vehicle, just like him. Ava’s little red car is petite, cute, and tiny just like she is. I think their cars may have known they were perfect for each other before they knew it themselves. Next to their cars are four identical blacked out, matte black Explorers, lined up in a row like ducks.

  I walk into the building and see my desk in the reception waiting area. Man it looks like someone needs to do some filing. There are heaping stacks of manila files and copious amounts of miscellaneous paperwork sitting on top of my desk. Funny, I just said my desk. I’m kind of putting the cart before the horse, just a little.

  Max’s office door is cracked open and I can hear him, Chloe, Jax, and Ava having a conversation. Chloe must have driven in with Max, because I didn’t see her car out in the parking lot. I hear paper bags rustling; they must be having a breakfast meeting about Ava’s case.

  “Dude, when are you going to hire a new receptionist? It looks like a bomb went off out in reception,” Jax says.

  “Never. If I keep bugging Aiden long enough, maybe Savvy will come back to work for me,” Max answers. I do a quiet little dance and think, oh yeah! Momma’s home! “This office ran so smooth when she worked here. She even knew how to keep Levi and Chase in line. Don’t ever tell her I said that though,” he continues. Gosh, I had no idea Max valued my employment so much.

  “Maybe you should actually tell Savvy how much you need her back instead of bugging Aiden all the time,” Chloe says. Yeah, what she said.

  I decide not to bother their meeting. I head back to my desk and the Mt. Everest of paperwork that needs to be done. I sit down in my chair and smile. I start by filing the closed cases, then collate the open case files and set them to the side for now. I work for about thirty minutes, then I start to feel like someone’s watching me. I look up into the eyes of Ava.

  “Uh, hi,” I say sheepishly, setting down the file, standing up.

  “Hi, yourself,” she replies with a smile. “I needed to get something out of my car. What are you doing here?” she asks.

  “I just came to talk to Max about getting my old job back, but I heard you all having a breakfast meeting and decided to just talk to him later. But then I sort of couldn’t help myself. I kind of just hired my own self back.”

  “Welcome back. I know it will make Max’s day. Hey, have you and Aiden decided where you two are getting married?” she asks.

  “Actually, we did last night. We’re going to get married at Palisade on the marina,” I tell her.

  “Get out!” she says, taking a giant step forward, then shoves me into my seat. What is it with these women with shoving and pushing people in their seats? “Does my mom know about this yet?” she continues.

  “No, not yet, you’re the first one to know,” I tell her.

  “Oh, this is so perfect! Just wait until everyone else finds out! Just tell me what you need me to do and I’m all over it,” she says.

  “Actually, there is something,” I tell her, sitting up straight in my seat.

  “Name it,” she says, sitting down in the chair at the end of my desk.

  “I don’t know what to get Aiden as a wedding gift,” I tell her.

  She thinks about it for a second, then answers, “I got Jax a watch, and he loves it. He wears it every day. I had it engraved on the back with something special. Willow got Asher a pocket watch as a wedding gift, too. I think Aiden will love that, too.”

  “Aiden has watches. Like really expensive watches. Like, I’d have to donate plasma for a year just to afford them, expensive, kinds of watches. I can’t get him the kind of watch he’s accustomed to,” I tell her.

  “Accustomed to? Are you being serious right now?” she asks.

  “Sugar, I’m dead serious,” I reply.

  “Number one, Aiden’s money is your money, you’re getting married. I have no doubt he’s already told you that. And B, Aiden may have watches, but none will be as special as one that you give him on your wedding day that’s engraved with something personal,” she says.

  I think about it for a second and come to the conclusion that for a wedding gift, I’d rather pay for it with my own money. Using Aiden’s money to pay for a gift for Aiden, just doesn’t seem right. But how can I get enough cash on such short notice to get Aiden something he’ll be proud to wear and won’t turn his wrist green? I don’t have anything of value that I could pawn, and I don’t even think there’s anything in the stuff from the storage unit that’s worth selling. I’d even sell Ruby, if I still had her, just to get cash for Aiden’s gift. God, I miss Ruby.

  “You don’t want to use Aiden’s money for his own gift, do you?” Ava asks, putting her hand over the top of mine.

  What is she, a mind reader?

  “Eh-hreehmm,” Max says, clearing his throat from beside us.

  I stand back up and look at him shocked. I wonder how long he’s been standing there.

  “I was just . . .” I start to say nervously.

  He looks around at the semi-clean desk, then smiles. “Write down what hours work for you and your schedule, then put it on my desk before you leave today, alright?” he says with a wink.

  Ava stands up, smiles, then follows Max back into his office. Didn’t she have something to get out of her car?

  After about half an hour, Jax and Ava come out of Max’s office. She walks over to me and gives me a hug.

  “We’ll talk more about the Palisade Saturday at your house. I’ll bring all the wedding magazines I have, and of course, wine,” she says, then they both leave the office together.

  I guess Ava’s coming over Saturday.

  I work for about another hour, write down the hours I can work for Max, then head into his office. Max is sitting behind his desk by himself. Chloe is nowhere to be seen. I wonder where she is.

  “Here are the hours I can work,” I say, and slide the piece of paper on his desk. I can swing working for Max about twenty-five to thirty hours a week with school right now.

  “Great,” he says, glancing at the schedule.

  “I’ll see you tomorrow,” I say, and turn around to head out of his office.

  “Savvy,” he calls, just as I’m at the door frame.

  “Yeah,” I say, turning around.

  “This is for you,” he says, as he slides an envelope across his desk.

  “What is it?” I ask.

  “We’ll call it an advance on yo
ur paycheck,” he says.

  “Max, I just couldn’t,” I insist.

  “Alright then, we don’t need to call it an advance. We’ll call it a re-signing bonus.” No, that’s worse than an advance! Damn it, he heard Ava and me talking about a wedding gift for Aiden. “You wait any longer to take it, it’s going to turn into a straight up gift in about five seconds,” he says, looking at his watch.

  “Alright,” I say, rushing over to his desk taking the envelope. “I’ll only take it if it’s an advance.”

  “Nope, that ship sailed ten seconds ago. It’s a re-signing bonus,” he says, pointing to his office door for me to leave.

  Gah! Why did I want to work for him again? He’s annoying and arrogant and just about one of the most selfless, kind-hearted men I know, aside from Aiden of course.

  I grab my purse, look at my neat and organized desk, and head out of the office. Sitting in Jade, I open the envelope from Max. I scream out loud, then quickly close the envelope, then shove it into my purse. I think I may need an armed guard to protect it. That’s more than enough money to get Aiden something really nice.

  On my way to the bar, I try and think of the right words to say to Gary. He’s always been there for me and I’m feeling extremely guilty for quitting. He’s always made sure to give me extra shifts when I needed them, and I’ve thought on hundreds of occasions there was more money in my tip jar than there should have been. I never actually caught him with his hand in the cookie jar, so to speak, but I’m positive there was more money in there because of him at least a few times a week. He’s always made sure I was taken care of. He’s been the father I never had. I pull into the parking lot and sit in the car. This is harder than I thought it’d be. Then while thinking about Gary, it hits me what I’ll have engraved on Aiden’s watch. I can dream, can’t I. Written with a period at the end, not a question mark.

  There’s a loud tapping noise on the driver side door, and I again scream out loud grabbing my heart. I look out the window and see Gary. He waves his hand, then gestures for me to come inside.

  I get out of the car and follow him inside. Once inside, that smell that can only be described as Deuce’s hits my nose, and it feels like my second home. The bar is still closed, so there are no customers yet. Gary grabs a bar rag and flips it over his shoulder. He pats his hand on a bar stool, then continues around behind the bar. He grabs the soda gun, fills a glass with soda, then places a square napkin in front of me and set’s it down. He places both elbows on the bar top, and rests his chin on the heels of his hands. I lean back on my stool, furrow my eyebrows at him, and wonder if the hospital gave him some good drugs for his concussion.

  “Why are you looking at me like that?” I ask, grabbing my soda.

  “Savvy . . .” he starts.

  “Gary,” I reply back in the same tone, then take a drink.

  “You’re fired,” he says, standing up straight. He takes the bar rag from his shoulder, then wipes at an imaginary stain on the bar top.

  “What?” I ask surprised. “You can’t fire me! I quit,” I say, slapping my drink down, splashing soda onto the bar top.

  He turns to me with soft eyes and looks at my left hand. He’s looking at my cast. He doesn’t feel bad about everything that happened, does he? It wasn’t his fault at all. Oh, God. He does. He blames himself. But his face and eyeballs look soft and loving, not like he’s torn over guilt. I’m so confused.

  He takes my left hand and rubs his thumb over my engagement ring. Oh, now I get it. Gary was the one reading eyeballs. He must have seen me sitting in the parking lot and knew what I was coming here to do today. That sentimental old fool, he fired me so I didn’t have to quit. He was making my decision easier for me.

  “I still want to give you a two week notice and help train someone for you,” I say.

  “What part of you’re fired didn’t you understand?” he says with a smile.

  “Gary, can I ask you something?” I say, taking the bar rag from him to clean up the soda I spilled.

  “You can ask me anything,” he replies, taking the bar rag back.

  “Will you do me the honor and walk me down the aisle?”

  Chapter 13

  Aiden

  My cell phone buzzes on my desk. I look at the display and see that it’s Max calling. I smile to myself and answer, “Yo,” just because I know how much it irritates the fuck out of him when I say it.

  “What did I tell you about answering your phone that way? I was calling to say I owe you a beer, but now I think you owe me a beer,” he says.

  “Why do you owe me a beer?” I question.

  “Savvy just left, she’s taken her old job back. I wanted to say thank you for talking to her about it by buying you a beer.”

  “That was all Savvy. I had nothing to do with that. But I’ll still take that beer,” I tell him. “Is Savvy still there?”

  “No, she left a little bit ago, is there anything else?” he asks.

  “What do you mean is there anything else? You called me,” I remind him.

  “Right, later,” he says.

  “You’re still going to buy me that beer, right?” I ask, but Max hangs up on me. I smile and shake my head while I pack up my briefcase, then I head to Deuces to meet up with Savvy. I park my bike next to my car and head inside. Just as I enter the bar, I hear Savvy ask Gary if he’ll walk her down the aisle. Gary just stands there stunned silent. I watch as his eyes fill with tears. I don’t know much about Gary’s life. I don’t think he’s ever been married and I know he doesn’t have any children. His eyes move from Savvy to me as I walk toward the both of them. Savvy swivels the stool around to see what Gary is looking at. Gary quickly wipes his eyes with his bar rag, Savvy’s face lights up, then she jumps off of her stool and runs into my arms.

  “I didn’t expect to see you here. Hey, guess what? Gary fired me!” she says excitedly.

  “That’s great news,” I answer happy for her, then look at Gary like she’s lost her mind. Savvy takes my hand, then leads me back to her stool. Gary smiles, then winks at Savvy. She bends down to grab her purse from the floor, quickly opens it like she’s lost something important, smiles and closes it back up holding it to her chest.

  “I’ll talk to you soon, Gary, about the wedding, alright?” she says, then downs the rest of her drink.

  “Yeah, sure, no problem. If you need anything, just ask,” he says, taking Savvy’s glass and napkin from the bar.

  I can tell by the look on Savvy’s face that she has the weight of the world lifted off of her shoulders. I thread my fingers in hers as we walk to Jade and my bike. Now I’m calling my own car Jade.

  “Bike or car?” I ask looking at Savvy.

  “Really? Bike for sure!” she says excitedly.

  I reach in the saddle bag and retrieve a second helmet, then hand it to her as she jumps up and down on the balls of her feet.

  “Chloe has a sparkly purple helmet. Do you think they make a sparkly orange helmet,” she says, taking it from me.

  I straddle the bike, then hold it steady for her and answer, “I’m sure they do, babe.”

  She brings the helmet down over her smiling face, places her hand on my shoulder, then gets behind me. She wraps her arms around my chest and presses herself to my back. I take off out of the parking lot and onto the road, and head to a restaurant for lunch.

  All through lunch, Savvy talks about organizing her desk at Max’s and how she pretty much just hired herself back at his firm. She also talked about what a great guy Gary is. She told me she told Ava about Palisade, and I’m sure by now Amelia and the rest of the women know, too. I’m surprised they’re not blowing up Savvy’s phone bugging her about planning. Hell, it wouldn’t surprise me if one of them has the Alani room and the courtyard terrace at Palisade already booked.

  After lunch, we get back on my bike and head to her condo. I pull up and park directly in front, at the exact same spot her and Ruby pulled up the day my world stood still. Not because I neede
d to have a full circle moment, but because there wasn’t anywhere else to park. It’s the exact same spot that I watched Savvy get shoved in her trunk at gunpoint. Savvy still doesn’t know that I saw it all on video surveillance. I turn the bike off and my heart skips a beat. The thought of a different outcome floods my brain. The thought that I really did lose her that day flashes through my brain. I shake it off and place my hands over hers around my chest just to make sure she’s really there, and that my mind isn’t playing some sick, twisted game.

  “I guess we didn’t think this thing through when we took the bike. How are we supposed to take stuff back to the house on your bike?” she asks, getting off. She flips the helmet off her head and places it back inside the saddlebag.

  “Babe, I needed to see for myself that you’re really alright coming back here. We can pack things up today, then I’ll borrow Max or Jax’s truck and we can move it all this weekend,” I tell her, calming my own breathing. I take off my helmet and set it over the handlebar.

  She steps closer to me, puts her hand on my cheek and smiles. “You want to know what I think?” she asks.

  “What?” I reply, getting off.

  “I think I love you more and more each day,” she replies, then kisses me softly.

  The front door opens, and Quinn comes out wearing an apron, waving a dish towel in the air. Black smoke pours out of the condo.

  “Is everything alright in there?” I ask.

  Quinn’s eyes come to us; she flings her dishtowel in the air, then squeals.

  “Savvy!” she shrieks, as she runs down the walkway. She wraps Savvy in her arms, then drags her into the condo.

  I follow behind them and enter a smoke filled condo. The smoke detectors are blaring, but neither Quinn nor Savvy seem alarmed.

  Quinn turns back around and says, “Oh, leave the door open for a bit. I burned some cookies. Don’t tell Jax though. It’s a good thing I want to be a dentist, because the chef gene clearly skipped right over me.”