“There isn’t supposed to be a hierarchy among the girls, but Dolly thinks since she’s been here the longest, she can tell us what to do. She also is convinced Crow is gonna make her his Old Lady, and then they’ll take over the club together.” I hadn’t liked that idea, but it at least cemented my decision to steer clear of both Dolly and Crow.
Seeing the girls now, they both looked stunning. Star had that all-American girl vibe about her in tight denim shorts and a fitted pink top cropped to show off her stomach. Her bleach-blonde hair hung in waves over her shoulders, and she had done her makeup so it drew attention to her blue eyes. Her lips looked pouty, but the colors somehow looked natural.
Roxie was in a red dress with cutouts on the sides and back. Every inch of exposed skin was covered in tattoos, and she had her auburn hair twisted up into a knot with what looked like onyx chopsticks. She had heavy boots on, giving the entire outfit a punk rock vibe.
I looked up to see both of them still peeking at me, so I waved them over, pushing Match to move and pointing to the seat next to me. The beers were catching up to me, and I was a little overexcited to see people I actually knew by name.
“Roxxieee! Staaaar! My new friends! You guys look awesome!” I greeted them enthusiastically, while the rest of the table gave a nod or one-syllable response, causing Roxie to lean over in an attempt to talk only to me.
“Are you sure it’s okay if you’re seen with us? We can go somewhere else.” I was surprised at the statement, but at the same time, understood their hesitation after our earlier conversations. I elbowed Bull in the gut, causing him to grunt and look down at me.
“Hey, Star, Roxie. You guys enjoying the cookout?” Bull asked as the rest of the table just watched us with curiosity.
“Yeah, it’s been great. Do you need anything? We can go grab you more beers,” Roxie offered.
“No! You’re not working right now. We’re hanging out,” I demanded.
Roxie had told me earlier that she was a bartender for the MC. She rotated between working the bar in town and the one at the clubhouse, depending on where she was needed most. After working as a bartender for a few years, she was, according to her, one of the best workers the club had.
“Match! You should talk to Roxie. Her tattoos are AMAZING. Roxie, Match is gonna start working on tattoos. His drawings are so good,” I said, waving across the table.
Match gave a nod of acknowledgment before turning to the Brother next to him, instantly dismissing us. Everyone seemed unsure of how to act around each other. I wondered if anyone took the time to actually get to know the club girls before fucking them.
I still didn’t fully understand the motivation or desire behind becoming a club girl, but both Roxie and Star were incredibly sweet and normal. Had I met them outside the clubhouse, I may have been intimidated by their looks and confidence, which was why it was bewildering to see them retreat into shells around the Brothers.
I didn’t want to cause a scene, and sensing they were already uncomfortable, I decided to focus on Roxie and Star. The three of us chatted for a bit. I was forced to give a recap of my showdown with Trish. Eager to change the subject, I told them about my other unfortunate run-in of the night; my front-row seat to Crow and Dolly going at it in the hallway. I was sure I made a face of disgust because both women broke out laughing.
“Oh, yeah, Crow loves to make a spectacle. I’m not sure he can even get it up if people aren’t around to accidentally walk in on him,” Bull added.
“Ew. What about his parents? I would assume having your mom walk by would be a mood killer for most people,” I replied as I spotted Reaper and Seph across the room with Guard and Bash.
“He’s gross. I bet that just turns him on more. The more perverted, the better for him,” Charlie said, and both Roxie and Star nodded in agreement.
Soon, everyone around the table was giving their best caught-in-the-act stories. As Star filled me in on gossip about the Brothers from the SC charter, I noticed that the rest of the table was finally paying attention and not completely ignoring the girls. I did a silent victory dance when, from the corner of myeye, I saw Match step closer to Roxie to check out the brightly colored tattoos covering her arms.
“So, Roxie, do you see the same artist for your tattoos? They look to be in a similar style,” Match said, and I watched excitedly as she moved closer to discuss her body art with him.
To my left, Star and Charlie were complimenting each other’s outfits and starting to talk about different hair techniques. I smiled at the interactions, grateful that everyone seemed to relax and integrate the girls into conversation.
As time passed, the mood lightened, and I was enjoying hanging out with my self-appointed bodyguards, as well as Roxie and Star, who had remained mixed in with the group. Three members of the SC Charter had joined us at some point, and I was surprised to realize I had finished the beer in my hand.
Everyone was involved in different conversations and debates, so I hopped off my stool and slipped away. I was hot and thirsty, my focus solely on the bar across the room and the bottles of water I knew were hidden behind it. I got halfway to my destination when I heard my name called.
“Fiona? Is that you?” a familiar voice rang out. I turned around, and the room spun. The emotions and memories I kept locked tight were banging against my chest and brain.What was he doing here? Why now?
I looked across the room, making eye contact with Bash. He must have seen something on my face because he stopped mid conversation to head over, but he wasn’t fast enough.
“Is that really you? What are you doing here?” the man asked as he reached for me, pulling me in for a hug as I kept my body stock-still.
My hands curled into fists as they hung by my sides. As soon as he loosened his arms, I jumped back. I looked him over. It had been over ten years, but the face staring back at me wasdefinitely the older version of the first boy to leave me, to break his promise.
“Fee! Come on, it’s me. Do you—I mean, don’t you know who I am? Did you forget about me?” he joked awkwardly.
“Hm. You do look slightly familiar.”
A small crowd had gathered around us, making me even more uncomfortable, but out of everything, rage engulfed me.He has the audacity to ask if I forgot about him?He looked upset, confused by my response.
I used that to my advantage and adjusted my posture and stance. Feigning a calmness I didn’t feel, I finally looked up at this practical stranger, whose features were so similar to mine. Before he could react, I hit him in the face with a solid right hook, just like he taught me.
