Taking a quick breath, I introduced myself. “Hello, I’m Roxy, and I’ll be your waitress for lunch.” I smiled, giving myself an imaginary pat on the back. So far, so good, I thought as I started placing the silverware on the tables at their elbows.
“Be nice. She’s new.” Lulu winked at me as she ran past, running food towards the front of the dining room.
“She spits rocks pretty well,” the biker from the side of the road commented drily. Our eyes met across the table. “Don’t ya, Roxy?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Only at men old enough to be my daddy.” I didn’t know why that was the first thing that popped into my mind. The table went silent, and even if they got me fired, it would have been worth it just to see the stunned expression on his face.
The man at the far end with the dark, shoulder-length hair laughed, and everyone else followed suit. “I like her,” he said.
“You would, Scorp. Lay off.” Angelica appeared, standing next to the bald-headed biker. She placed her hand on the back of his chair, confirming she was comfortable with them. “Lulu’s right. Be nice to this one. We’re trying to keep her.”
“She’s temporary. Right, Rox?” I could feel the tire changer’s eyes following me as I moved around the table, but when he called me Rox, I stopped.
“Ro-xy,” I corrected automatically. “Someone needs to sew your names into your club cuts. No one wants to be mistaken for Prick.” I let the insult roll off my tongue, returning his gaze. Neither of us looked away as another round of laughter floated around the table. If I was getting fired, I was going out with a bang.
“Roxy.” He smirked. His handlebar mustache twitched at the ends, but I thought it was weird when he stroked his pointed beard.
I quickly worked the rest of the table, and when I stood next to Angelica, I asked if I could bring them something to drink. They rattled off beers in no particular order, and I wanted to tell them they’d have to do better if they were trying to test me. I made an excuse, saying I’d be back to take their food order, before heading towards the register furthest from them. I needed a minute to calm down.
Angelica stepped up next to me. “How do you know Cactus?” she whispered.
“That’s his name?” I swiped at one of my bangs, not surprised. “I had car trouble on the way here, and he stopped to help.” While nothing had happened when he’d changed my tire, I didn’t want to be involved in a lover’s quarrel.
“He did what?” Her mouth puckered as if she couldn’t believe what I was telling her.
“He stopped and changed my tire, but I took off before he could look under the hood. I wasn’t about to become a statistic in the middle of the desert.” I tried to explain as best as I could without jeopardizing my job.
“I would have, too.” She laughed. “The daddy comment was priceless, though.”
“Thanks, but I’ll do better. It slipped off my tongue a little too easily, but I don’t want any trouble.” I had just dumped trouble off at a gas station in Williams, and this was supposed to be the relaxation period before I made huge life decisions. I side-stepped her, heading to the bar, but she stopped me, reaching out to grab my arm.
“If it were anyone else but those assholes, I’d care. Try not to make a habit of engaging with them, or they’ll never stop.” She smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes as she walked away.
Angelica didn’t give me enough time to reassure her. I’d been around enough motorcycle clubs on this trip that I was well aware they were all the same. The men acted like Neanderthals, and the women were supposed to be grateful for the attention. No, thanks. I wouldn’t have a problem walking away when my time here was done. At least, that was what I kept telling myself when Cactus’s eyes burned holes into my back as I moved from the register to the bar.
Chapter five
Hello, Cactus.
Cactus
I smirked, shifting in my chair as I watched her hips sway, each step evenly measured as she headed toward the furthest register. I suspected she wanted to run out the front door, never looking back. If she’d slipped, we would have torn her apart emotionally. No hesitation. We were assholes like that, but she held her own. It made me wonder where she’d been. What she had seen.
When I lost sight of her, I turned back around. We were here for a free lunch, but the dining room was full for a weekday. No one wanted to be out in this heat, and summer was traditionally slow.
“Is that the reason you were late?” Scorpion leaned forward in his chair, staring at me.
“What the fuck are you talking about?” Aces pointed his finger at Scorpion before shifting it to me, and then back to Scorp. “Eights and I towed her car.”
Huckleberry, our enforcer, grinned. “They know each other. Weren’t any of you paying attention when he called her Rox? There’s some tension there, probably more anger though than sexual. Both are good. Gets the blood pumping to your dick.” He would know, considering all the love bombing he did. We tried to tell him it wasn’t necessary when you rode a bike and wore a club cut, but thedude didn’t listen. He’d bat his blue eyes, and rub his bald head as if he didn’t know what he was doing, and it worked every time.
I ignored them, sitting back in my chair to wait for my beer.
“I was waiting for her to rip your dick off and feed it to you, Daddy.” Flash was laughing so hard he snorted. He’d probably journal this conversation later, rereading it over and over, until something else held his attention. When we’d nominated him for club secretary, he’d initially told us no, but then he’d pulled a pen from his pocket.
“Do I look stupid to you?” I asked Flash, not bothering to wait for an answer. “Found her on the side of the road, trying to get the lug nuts off the tire. It would have taken her most of the night, so I stopped, moving her ass out of the way. It’s cute she thinks she can throw a tantrum, but it would have been stupid if she’d chipped my bike when she pulled off the side of the road. When she settles down and learns how to handle new toys, then I’ll think about letting her thank me properly.”
“I only play well with people my age.”
