by Blair Grey
“How’d you know what size to get?” she asked as she walked back to the bathroom to hang up the towel. She dragged the comb through her hair before coming to sit down at the table.
“A friend picked them up for me. One of my buddies has a girlfriend who’s really good at this sort of thing, so I asked her what she thought you’d like. She went and picked it all out, so I figured it was a pretty safe bet that they’d be right,” I smiled.
“Will you thank her when you see her again? I’ll pay her back when I get a job,” Brooke said.
“I bought them,” I replied. But then, I quickly added. “But I don’t want you to pay me back. I really just wanted to help you get out of there and back into society as easily as possible.”
She gave me another small smile. I knew she appreciated all I was doing for her, but I was afraid it was starting to be too much. Hell, she had gone from having to fight for all that she had, dealing with only a change of clothes a week, to this.
How else was she supposed to react? I didn’t blame her for being a little uneasy about things.
“Thanks,” she said as I put her food down in front of her. “It looks delicious.”
“I’m sure everything is going to for a while,” I replied as I took my own seat. “After what you’ve been through, you’re going to have a hard time finding anything that doesn’t taste good.”
She nodded, and I decided to lighten the mood further. “That was part of the reason I’m glad you came to stay with me. I wanted to show off my cooking for someone who didn’t have anything good to compare it with. Now you think I can cook, when this is really shit.”
She finally laughed, and I felt a lot better. I liked to hear her laugh. I felt I was doing my job right when she did, and the tension in the room broke. The TV was still playing in the living room, but that was close enough to the kitchen and dining area we could hear what was going on.
“Sounds like a lot has happened in the world since I got locked up,” she commented.
“I’m afraid so,” I said. “Things are always moving forward. They aren’t waiting for anyone.”
“Unfortunately,” she said. “I’m going to have a lot of catching up to do.”
“You’ll be fine,” I said. “There’s not a lot going on out here in California, anyway. We try to stay away from the rest of the world, you know that.”
She laughed again, and I decided the best thing to do would be to tell her about some of the antics I’d gotten in to with the MC. She was interested in the vest, and while I didn’t want to tell her too much about what we did, I did want to keep the conversation going.
And the more I could get her to laugh, the better. She needed that right now. She had been through Hell and then some, and to bring back a glimpse of who she had been before, I knew we were going to have to get through the layers she’d put around herself.
I wasn’t sure who we were digging for, but I knew she was in there, and if I could uncover the layers of hurt, I’d bring her back to the surface. I was willing to put in the time and effort to make it happen, and she was clearly willing to respond.
So the challenge was accepted.
8
Brooke
At first, I thought I was going to have a tough time falling asleep under a new roof. I’d spent night after night on that thin, prison mattress for as long as I could remember. Sure, it may have been just over a year, but it felt like an eternity when it went on and on with no end in sight.
My original sentence had been for eight years. I was only the first one in, so I was happy to be out so early. I was having a tough enough time getting back to the way the world worked, and I’d only been to a single diner and one man’s house. I hated to think of what it must be like for those who got out after decades of hard time.
But, I fell right asleep the second my head hit the pillow. Things were so different here. They were quiet. I’d gone to bed before Spencer, exhausted after the day. When I did, all I could hear was the sound of crickets chirping in the grass outside.
He was far enough away from the rest of town, all we could hear was the occasional semi-truck passing on the highway. I could get used to this, that was for sure.
You better not. This is only going to last for as long as you’re staying here. As soon as you’re out, you’re back to the real world, and that’s not nearly so pretty.
The thoughts tried to keep me awake, but they didn’t work. I ignored them. Tonight, I was going to rest easy. Spencer was in the house, and he’d take care of anything that had to be taken care of.
I felt good, and I was going to make the most of it. Whoever this friend of his was managed to find the perfect clothes for me. I wasn’t picky, of course, but she had managed to come close to the style I’d had before I’d been locked up.
She even went so far as to get pajamas I liked. They were shorts and a tank top – something that I could wear in front of anyone and feel comfortable. I had to admit, I blushed when I went through the lingerie bag. She clearly didn’t see the need to wear undergarments for function.
I wanted to act like I didn’t care, but I was blushing as I saw them. It had been so long since I owned sexy lingerie, I hardly knew what to do with myself when I put them on. I paused, looking at myself in the full length mirror on the back of the door, just imagining what Spencer would think if he saw me in them.
Vanessa didn’t know me, but she had to figure I would be horny when I got out. Hell, who wouldn’t be after that long? I dreamt of men more than I wanted to admit when I was in that bunk.
It was hard for me to admit that to myself now, knowing what Hanserd did to me. But then, I knew that was also something I’d have to work through. I wasn’t a victim, that was for damn sure. I refused to think of myself that way, and I wasn’t going to let what happened to me stop me from feeling sexy now.
I’d chosen the royal blue to wear under my jeans and t-shirt the night before, and they now sat on the floor in a neat, folded pile. I was comfortable in my pajamas, and I was just about to roll over and go back to sleep when the smell of bacon wafted into the room.
It was impossible for me to go back to sleep once that happened. I threw the blanket off my lap and my feet hit the floor. I flew out of my room and had to consciously slow myself down in the hallway. I hadn’t even realized I was running until I was halfway to the living room.
I laughed. Arbor Hall rarely had bacon, and when it did, you had to watch your plate like a hawk. I’d learned to eat mine first despite the fact I wanted to save and savor it. Someone was bound to steal it otherwise, and when it was gone, it was gone.
Unless you had something really worth having, there was no sense in even trying to barter with anyone. The answer was always the same. If you weren’t giving them something out of the canteen, you didn’t have anything they wanted.
And after my mother passed, I didn’t have the money to trade things out of the canteen. So, I learned to shove my bacon in my mouth on the way to the table, savoring it for as long as I could before I sat down.
Here, however, things were clearly different. I had a feeling there was more bacon than I could possibly eat, and even more after that. With the way Spencer had been treating me so far, it wouldn’t have even surprised me if he wanted to bring me breakfast in bed.
That was where I’d have to draw the line. I might have been through Hell, but there was a part of me that knew it was my own fault. I might not have asked for all the shit that had happened, but I was still guilty of what got me in there in the first place.
I walked into the living room as calmly as I could, looking over the breakfast bar and into the kitchen. Dear God! Spencer looked even better than he had the day before, and I almost melted on the spot.
He was standing near the stove, a spatula in his hand. There was bacon in the pan in front of him, and a pile of eggs on the plate next to him. His shirt was like a second skin, and his jeans were slung low on his waist. I was glad his t-shirt was long enough to cover
what I imagined would be a V cut at his legs, and I forced myself to quickly look away before he caught me staring.
“Morning,” he said as I walked into the kitchen, hoping he didn’t see the way I’d stopped short as soon as I reached the living room.
“Good morning,” I replied. It felt strange. This was the first morning in as long as I could remember that I didn’t have to get out of bed and stand up at the ass crack of dawn, waiting for a guard to walk by and make sure we were still in our cells.
In fact, I could walk right up to the chair and sit down. There was no waiting in line, no rushing to get some of the only coffee that was provided…nothing but breakfast.
“I thought breakfast sounded good for breakfast, too,” Spencer said. “You know, if you cook the eggs differently, it’s like you have two different meals instead of the same meal twice in a row.”
“Except you made them the same way last night,” I said with a laugh.
“That’s because scrambled is the best way to have them with pancakes,” he said. “We’re getting around that fact with bacon. We didn’t have bacon last night.”
“True,” I said. My mouth was watering. The bacon smelled better than anything I could imagine. This wasn’t prison bacon, either. This was good, crisp bacon that was cooked long enough, but not too long. Just what I was hungry for.
“You drink coffee?” Spencer asked.
“Always,” I said. He poured me a cup and set it on the table, then pointed to the fridge.
“Cream in there and sugar over there if you want it,” he said.
“I can’t remember the last time I had anything but that shitty creamer that comes in those packets,” I said with a smile.
“You’re going to find that happening a lot,” he grinned. “But the novelty will wear off, and then you’re just going to think of it as ordinary again. Or, you’re going to start having standards again, and some things aren’t going to be good enough.”
I laughed. I couldn’t for the life of me imagine that happening. But then, he’d clearly been out for a while, so he likely knew what he was talking about. He said that he had gone in for a few years when he was in his early twenties, and now I’d guess him to be in his thirties.
That meant he had to have been released more than five years ago. That was a long time. But then, I had a feeling it didn’t matter how long ago it was, there were some things I imagined just stuck with you no matter what.
I served myself the cream and sugar, sitting down to enjoy the coffee. It was just pot coffee, but it was the best coffee in the world. I could have drunk the entire pot if he didn’t want to share. But then, there was likely more in the cupboard. It was going to take some getting used to – knowing that there was more where that came from.
Once I got a job, I could buy all this stuff myself, and I’d always make sure that there was enough to go around. After a good night’s sleep and a few sips of coffee, I was feeling far more alert than I had been the day before. Spencer was cooking breakfast with his back to me, so I took the opportunity to really look around the kitchen.
It felt so strange, being in a place where no one was watching me like a hawk. I could walk out that door and just keep going and no one would stop me. They couldn’t. I was a free woman. The thought of ever going out that door on my own to face the world terrified me, but the fact that I could have as much food as I want, sleep as much as I want, and do whatever I want made me feel a lot more powerful than I had the day before.
My eyes settled on the clock hanging in the wall, and immediately, the good feeling I had faded.
“Oh, I’m so sorry! You must be incredibly late for work!” I said quickly.
Spencer looked at the clock for a brief second before he shook his head. “I took some time off to help you get adjusted back to the real world.”
“Oh,” I replied. I couldn’t believe it. Just when it thought this stranger had done everything he could to make my transition easy, I find out that he also took time off work. That meant he had to be losing money doing this, in addition to the things he was buying me.
I had to find a job soon to pay him back. I didn’t care how much he said he was just doing this to give me a hand. I couldn’t accept all this from him and not give him a little something in return.
My mood shifted as another thought took over.
Something is going on here. Somehow, the other shoe is going to drop, and you’re going to find out this isn’t what you thought. He’s got to have something up his sleeve he’s not telling you, that always happens.
Don’t get too attached – to him or the situation. This is going to be temporary, and as soon as you start to feel comfortable, it’s all going to come crashing down on top of you, leaving you just as bad as you were when you went into that prison in the first place.
“Something wrong with the coffee?” Spencer asked, bringing me back to the moment. I quickly shook my head.
“No, I just got lost in thought again,” I said with a smile. “Sorry.”
“What do you say we go for a jaunt today?” he asked. “It might do you some good.”
“What’s that?” I looked at him with raised eyebrows.
“You know, get out of the house, go for a walk or head out around town? I’ll take you out on the Harley if you want. Something that’ll get you out of four walls and a door,” he said as he put the food on the table.
My high spirits were quickly returning. That sounded like the best idea I’d heard in a long time. As I put the eggs on my plate along with several slices of bacon, I smiled.
“I’d love to.”
9
Spencer
After coming out of prison, I knew there would be a thousand things Brooke would want to do with her day. She was limited, of course, by finances and lack of transportation, so she wasn’t too vocal about any of it. Of course, I would have given her anything she asked.
Hell, I would have driven her straight to Disneyland if she’d wanted. But, she was already feeling as though she was taking advantage, and I didn’t want to make it worse for her by suggesting we do anything like that.
Instead, I decided it would be best to take her downtown and let her pick out some things she’d like to have around the house. I had primarily breakfast food as I often ate at Zach’s diner for dinner. But, I didn’t want to take her out all the time, so I’d take her to the grocery store and let her grab a few things.
It didn’t take much convincing to get her to go with me. After breakfast, I did up the dishes, while she brushed her hair and washed her face in the bathroom. Vanessa had surprised both of us by putting makeup in one of the bags of clothes, and soon Brooke emerged with eyeliner and mascara around her gorgeous eyes.
She took my breath away. Her low-cut top and hip-hugging jeans only did her curves favors, and she walked with a confidence that told me she felt good. Hell, Vanessa had insisted she get a few things that would bring out the sexiness. That was one thing they didn’t want to be in prison, but on the outside, she could look however she wanted.
I was glad I’d gotten my friend involved. It was clearly speeding up the process for Brooke.
“Do you want a hand?” she asked. I shook my head.
“I thought we could go grocery shopping when I was done, so why don’t you grab your shoes or something?” I suggested.
She headed toward her bedroom, and I grinned. I couldn’t wait to take her to the store and let her pick out anything she wanted. So many things from my own past kept flooding back to me, and I was glad for the chance to be the person able to help this time.
I knew exactly how she felt, and I couldn’t wait to see the things she picked out. Hell, she had been living with the generic prison supplies for so long, she was likely being driven crazy. Now, she could get back to the way things used to be in her life.
Flowery, sexy, aromatic – anything she wanted she could now have. And that was just the tip of the iceberg. She was going to come home with more possessions tha
n she’d had in years, and I would be the one to provide them for her. I had to admit, the idea did turn me on.
I’d hide my arousal and never mention any of it to her, but I liked being the one to provide everything. It made me feel powerful, capable. Wanted, even. I hadn’t even thought of the guys in the MC for the past twenty-four hours, and they were normally the ones on the forefront of my mind.
Though I tried to ignore it, the feeling of understanding crept back into my mind. No wonder Zach had done what he did to get Vanessa. No wonder Nathan had risked it all. I’d put my life on the line for this girl, just like Adam had for Erika. There was just something about the right woman that drove men crazy.
And the thought of that scared me. Was this the right woman for me? Is that why I suddenly felt the need to do anything and everything for her? I suspected that might be the case, but I hardly dared think in that direction.
After all, she was so fresh on the outside, and I didn’t know what she was going to do once she got a job. Hell, for all I knew, she didn’t even consider the chance of us as a possibility.
And, it was far too fresh to bring it up. She was just out of prison the day before, I wasn’t going to start hitting on her. That was the last thing she needed on top of everything else she was dealing with. But, I would be kind to her. I’d be the perfect gentleman and see where it got me. For all I knew, it was the ticket I needed to getting her trust and taking this entire thing in a different direction.
It was the small things she’d notice and understand, and those were the things that were easy to do. I’d show her what it meant to be protected and taken care of by a real man, and see how she reacted.
Though it was a dangerous thought, I had a feeling it just might get her attention. Maybe she’d want to give us a shot at something real, after all. I’d do my end and wait for her.
Only time would tell.
“Vanessa got me so many things in that bag, I’m not sure what else I need,” Brooke said as we walked through the doors of the grocery store.