Did I? Jesus, at this point, I had no idea. What I did know was that I’d put her first. Always and for the rest of my life. If she didn’t choose me? If she never chose me? I might hide from seeing her daily again, but I’d still be her rock, her saviour. I’d still run if she needed my help.
“I’m such a pussy. I’m literally a doormat for her.”
Rocket slapped my back, nearly chipping my tooth on the beer bottle I’d just raised to my mouth.
“Fuck’s sake!”
“Ask her to kiss it better.”
“It’s not LIKE that!”
Someone stepped up behind us in the corner of the demolished yard, where we were both sitting facing the empty field to the left of the grounds, and we both froze. We were supposed to be on prospect duty, and we were slacking. By the sound of those heavy boots behind us, we’d just been caught. We both wanted our forever cuts, we both wanted Phoenix colours for the rest of our lives. For me, it was a new thing, a new goal, but for Rocket, it was him trying to regain what he’d thrown away. Over, you’ve guessed it, a woman. Maybe all we did was make ourselves doormats for women, because if we have to beg for their love, maybe we’re willing to do whatever it takes.
“Prospects. You’re needed back on gate duty.”
I groaned, struggling up from the dusty ground, and turned to face Micro, the Club President.
“What about Joey and Simon?”
He shrugged. “Sent them on a run for more building supplies. Get over there.”
I sighed heavily, starting on my way to the gate, while Rocket grumbled to Micro.
“Nobody’s coming and going until they get back, Pres. Can’t we just take a breather for five?”
“Why don’t you take that question to the prospect complaints department, dickhead?”
I grinned. We both knew that was his way of saying suck it up and do your job. Rocket at least only had two weeks of this. I had almost another two months after he was done. Still, it could be worse. I’d heard horror stories of some of the things they made prospects do, and even back at my old club, when I was younger, I’d had a fairly easy run. Of course, back then, I’d also had Gloria to complain to each time we got together. She was my ‘prospect complaints department’ and she got righteously angry on my behalf, and laughed over the funny moments with me.
Fuck, I’d missed her, and now she was back. Here in town, here in my life. Always in my heart. What the fuck was I supposed to do about that?
Ihad the eveningfree after spending all day manning a gate that barely needed to be opened, and intermittently helping out with clearing rubble away from the site. The place was literally just rubble and the barest mapping out of foundations right now, but one day it’d be amazing.
I dug out my phone as I arrived back at my flat, and dialled the number for my assistant.
“Hey, Na…Henley. Did I get that right?”
I grinned as I leaned against my kitchen wall, waiting for the kettle to boil.
“Almost, yeah. Look, the club compound is ready for us to set up temporary housing, how are we doing with getting that organised?”
Libby laughed, tapping away at her keyboard, because when you run a business like mine, you have people on standby day and night, and she’s currently working the evening slot.
“Okay, so we have five glamping sets packaged and on the truck for delivery tomorrow. Is that not soon enough?”
I pushed away from the wall and grabbed a coffee mug as the kettle boiled, making it strong and black, the way I preferred it.
“Nope, that’s perfect. Any issues though? I know we had some people wanting to hire them. I just… the club needs priority right now. These guys are pretty much homeless.”
“It’s all fine. We were able to convince those few pesky people to use one of our static camps, so they’re sorted. They justwanted somewhere they could have a retreat to, but Shady Lakes was perfect for that.”
Thank god. I didn’t want to turn business away, but that’s what Libby and the others in my team were for. Keeping people in our camps.
“Amazing, thank you. I’m not on duty until lunch tomorrow, am I needed anywhere?”
I could hear her clicking her mouse as she checked the calendar.
“No, we’re fine. I’ll need an in person meeting later in the week to sign off some upgrades, but that’s about it. How’s it going at the club? You said you were doing a temporary thing there?”
