Natalie gets a crafty look on her face. “So if you aren’t going to work…”
“Yes?”
“I’m taking you along to the Harem Brunch Club later.”
“No.” At some point, all the old ladies who are juggling multiple bikers decided that what they needed was to get together at leastonce a month to vent, gossip and generally chat about their lives. “I’m not an old lady.”
“Yet.Trust me, most of the members start out saying that.”
“I just remembered that Jerry’s dropping off Junkyard later. I was going to bring her to the club so Piston could take care of her for a few days.”
Natalie beams. “Even more perfect! We’re grilling at the club today. See? It’s meant to be.”
I pick up the whole plate of cookies. “I love you, and now these are mine and I’m going to go sulk in my room until I’ve had enough sugar to deal with this.”
“But you’re coming later?”
“Of course.”
24
SANDRA
If you'd askedme even a week ago if I could imagine myself riding on the back of the motorcycle of one of my biker boyfriends, next to Natalie, riding behind one of her old men, on the way to the Screaming Eagles clubhouse, I'd tell you that you were crazy. Or at least that it was very unlikely. And yet, here we are, me behind Beast, and her behind Animal. Between the two of us, we have a small zoo.
And then there's Badass with three-year-old Clark sitting in the sidecar of their family bike. Biker life is a little different.
Amazing what clearing the air a little will do. I feel way more confident that Nat and I will find a balance where we aren’t constantly hurting each other without meaning to than I did this morning. And if dragging me along to the Harem Brunch Club meeting helps her feel better, who am I to say no?
I dig my fingers a little deeper into Beast's cut, pressing myself up against his back and loving how the bike makes him vibrate between my legs. Even Natalie had to agree that if I was going to have a trial run with a set of bikers of my own, I picked well. Or maybe they picked me. I’m not quite sure.
Does it mean our relationship is fixed and we won’t end up in a knock-down drag-out fight next week? No, not really, but I think it will be a little easier now that we’ve said some of the hard stuff. We’re sisters. We know all of each other’s buttons because we installed most of them. That’s just part of the deal.
We park outside the clubhouse, Natalie grabbing my arm to pull me along the moment we dismount, and Clark already running ahead, apparently knowing the way. Badass hands us a pink and white striped cardboard box from out of the sidecar, which I get to carry under my arm.
I wave to Beast. "If I'm not back in two days, call the police."
"We'll find you, babe. No worries about that." He salutes as he and Animal head into the clubhouse.
I'm a little nervous as Nat leads the way around the clubhouse towards Emily's house. I've met her a few times, but it feels strange to not know if I’m coming here as Natalie’s little sister, or as a potential old lady. We head to the backyard where there’s a full barbecue going on, taking advantage of the nice weather. The backyard isn’t very big, but it’s open to the yard next door, and from the way the kids are charging around, they are used to sharing the space.
The women are gathered near the grill. No guys in sight.
"Natalie!" a short, curvy woman in her late twenties yells and waves as we approach. That’s Emily. A few of the others turn and wave, too.
Suddenly I feel like I'm back in school, trying to figure out who to sit with and how to talk to a bunch of strangers I have nothing in common with. Except this time, I do. Everyone here has a story of their own. Some came to the club with trauma behind them,some found it on the way, but they’re all used to this world and have found a way to not just be happy, but thrive in it.
That's actually kind of reassuring, in a weird sort of way.
Faith separates from the group and comes our way. "Sandra! So glad you came to the madhouse." She leans in to whisper. “I’m glad to see you and Nat have talked. From the rumors I’ve been hearing, we might end up seeing more of you now. Is that true?”
“Maybe? I think I’d like to.”
“Good!”
Emily is the first to throw her arms around me and pull me into a hug that I'm completely unprepared for. "Welcome to the Harem Brunch Club! I know it’s not brunch time, but brunch is more of a vibe, right? Sometimes we just have to take advantage of the weather and let the kids run around and exhaust themselves so we can have some drinks in peace afterwards." She winks.
"I brought cookies!" Natalie points at the box I'm still holding. All the kids, almost as one, turn in her direction. She laughs. "For afterwards!"
