“Woah!” I say and lift my hand. “I’ve only just met Axle.” Would I like to get to know him more? Possibly.
“Lucy said you were kissing him,” Jasmine says, pouting.
My eyes flick straight to Lucy, but she looks away, avoiding eye contact.
“I’m just saying, we’re all friends, so don’t forget about us,” Jeremy says.
“I can’t believe you went on a date with him. Those bikers don’t date. Are you seeing him again?” asks Jasmine.
I’m not a liar, but a part of me wants to lie to them. “I’m seeing him today, after work.” Lucy and Cindy squeal in unison, making me flinch.
“I’ve never known any of them to go on dates. They only have sex,” says Jasmine matter-of-factly. Lucy swats her arm.
The coffee machine beeps, signaling that my coffee is ready, but the conversation has put me off, so I grab the mug and empty the drink down the sink. I’m not sure whether Jasmine was suggesting that I was lying or that I was sleeping with him, so I say, “Well, I told Axle I’m not having sex with him, and he still wants to see me.”
Lucy shakes her head. “Don’t worry about Jasmine. She’s jealous. I’ve heard Axle’s a wild one, but have fun, and I want to hear all about it when you get back from your date.”
Cindy sighs. “He’s got heartbreak written all over him.”
“If you think he wants anything more than a quick fuck, you’re sorely mistaken.”
I step back, puzzled by Jasmine’s snappishness.
“Just let her have her fun,” Lucy pipes up.
Jasmine rolls her eyes. “You’re heading for disaster. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
I give them a forced smile and hurry out. My breaths are shaky as I get in my car and pull the door closed. They’ve made me doubt myself, but it still doesn’t make sense. Why would Axle waste his time when I’ve said I won’t sleep with him if that’s all he wants? He evidently has no issues getting women.
After my short drive to work, I walk into the restaurant to see Mel and Cameron at the counter. When they look up at me, Mel’s eyes narrow and Cameron shakes his head. My stomach drops. What have I done wrong? I frantically think back to the last shift. I don’t recall making any mistakes.
Despite the leisurely pace with which I approach them, my heart races. I need this job. I’ll just apologize and tell Cameron that whatever I’ve done wrong, it won’t happen again.
“You’re a liar,” Mel says bitterly.
I sharply inhale. “What did I lie about?”
“You said your date was uneventful. I didn’t realize hooking up outside your house with Axle was uneventful for you. If he’s so boring, I’ll have him.”
That’s what they’re annoyed about. I was stressed out, thinking I had done something wrong at work. I exhale slowly. She’s testing me, even though I hate conflict. If she likes Axle so much, I can't understand why she told me to talk to him.
“I didn’t feel it was necessary to share every detail about the date.”
“I’m surprised you’d associate yourself with the likes of him.” Disgust drips from Cameron’s every word. “He’s a criminal... the whole MC is bad news.”
Mel scoffs. “You don’t know that. What do they do to make them criminals?”
Cameron crosses his arms in front of him. “Everyone knows they are.”
Mel gives him a pointed look. “You can’t even answer the question. You don’t know what the MC does.”
When Cameron turns to me, his gaze softens. “I’m worried about you. I don’t know why you’d put yourself in danger like that.”
Mel puts her arm around my shoulders and walks me away from Cameron. “Just ignore Cameron. He’s jealous that the MC members get more ass than him. If I thought Axle was dangerous, I’d tell you. It surprised me that you’re going on dates with him because I didn’t think he dated.” I experience a slight sense of relief until she says, “The good girl falling for the bad boy. God help you!”
“I’m not falling for him.”
She raises a brow. “Are you planning to see him again?”
