6
Birdie
“I swear he’ll regret never making a move when he’s lost me.”
“Don’t say that. It feels like voodoo foreshadowing.” She shook her arms at her sides like chasing the evil energy away.
I snorted and arranged the new outfits that arrived this morning in the front window display. My gaze darted from the mannequin and then to the right. Half a block down the road, I could see his cobalt blue, lifted Chevy pickup parked at the diner he ate at every stinking day.
Every day.
Sometimes twice a day.
Always when I was working at the boutique.
“There must be someone he likes seeing there because Bastion Bites isn’t the only place in town to eat at.” Although I did love their pancakes. But. I would never eat there every day like Raymond.
Stop obsessing over Raymond!
Thank goodness Snow, the owner of Sister Chic Boutique, wasn’t here. If she heard me talking this way about Raymond, she’d tell my mom. Then my dad would find out and probably Chase. The whole club would know I was in love with Raymond, and he’d hate me for blabbing. His words played in my head, “Not a word, Birdie. We’ll never speak of Florida. Promise you’ll keep what happened a secret.” Of course, I had agreed.
Nobody, except Ember and now maybe her mom, knew how I truly felt about Raymond. How I was desperately, madly, and hopelessly in love with him.
“Em? Did you hear me? Do you think he goes because there’s a gorgeous server he’s after?” My stomach twisted into a knot. I hated how crazy Raymond made me. I shouldn’t care if he went to Bastion Bites every freaking day. He was single, and like most single guys, he ate out.
“Mhm.”
“Gah! He’s there because of a woman? I’ll always be invisible to him. I should just move away. Go back to Florida. Sing at the beach day and night to earn money, then stuff my face at the Waffle House like I did that weekend. We had a gig in Panama City during spring break.”
It had been the farthest we’d ever traveled for a gig. We’d been on fire the whole trip. The night before we returned home, Raymond had confessed he’d wanted me since I’d turned eighteen. I was almost twenty-one then and couldn’t believe my ears.
Yes, he’d been drunker than a skunk as he poured his heart out to me. And hell yes, I’d jumped at the chance to get naked with him.
That had been the most epic night of my life, but when I woke up the next morning, I was alone in bed. Still naked and I smelled like his cum. Fucking Raymond had snuck out at the crack of dawn. For the rest of our trip, he’d acted like nothing had happened. He wouldn’t even look me in the eyes. Guilt and regret had rolled off him in massive waves. He never talked about Florida.
It was truly ironic how Bastion Bites reminded me of the Waffle House, only they served mass amounts of pancakes instead of waffles. I guess that was why I didn’t eat there very often; it reminded me too much of Florida and my one night with Raymond.
Ember gasped. “Did you say move away?”
“Wow. Talk about a delayed reaction. Yes, I did.” I forced myself not to check if Raymond was still at the diner. It’d only been a minute. I was confident he was still there stuffing his face with my favorite pancakes, while drooling over some chick I hated, even though I didn’t know her.
“Sorry. I don’t think he’s hot for a gorgeous server. But you can’t move.”
“Glad to know you heard the most important part of what I said.” I wrapped the beautiful cream knit scarf around the mannequin’s neck. “Finished.” I stepped off the platform and made my way back to the counter.
“Answer me, Bird. You’re not seriously considering moving to Florida.”
“Why not?”
“Because I need you. What if I’m…” Her voice dropped to a whisper as she patted her tummy. “Y’know.”
Ember cracked me up. Nobody was in the boutique to hear her, but I guess she wasn’t taking any chances. Unlike me, talking about the only man I have ever loved and would ever love.
“If you are, I’ll stay.” I smiled brightly to assure her. Ember should know I’d never leave if she had a baby. For years we’d talked about her getting pregnant. I would be Auntie Birdie. Auntie Birdie. Such a perfect name.
Since I had no desire to have a bundle of joy, I would spoil Em’s baby.
She slumped against the counter and let out an exasperated sigh. “I don’t even know what to pray for. That I am? That I’m not? If I am, will he understand?”
I knew she was torn up about Dante. Despite dating other guys over the years, her heart had always belonged to him. She’d had a plan to get the procedure so by the time he returned, she’d know if she was pregnant. My fearless bestie would’ve told him right away if she was pregnant, but it was too early. Dante had totally messed up her plan.
I covered her hand with mine. “Always pray you are, Em. Having a baby of your own has been your dream for years. Talk to Dante. He’ll support you. And I think he already suspects something is up with you.”
“How do you know?” Worry flashed in her chocolate-brown eyes.
“He texted me this morning. It was so weird. He asked if you were doing okay and feeling well.”
She screwed up her face. “That is weird. So weird. But there’s no way Dante knows what I did yesterday, right?”
I shrugged and fanned my hands out to the side. “Ya know how these men are. How does Raymond show up everywhere I am? For example, the restaurant yesterday.”
“Right.”
I could tell she was turning my words around in her head and processing. Her big doe eyes were going wild, bouncing off the walls, floor, and ceiling.
“Like how’d we end up at the same restaurant?” I asked her. “It’s The Cities.” I emphasized the words and said them slowly.
“Yeah, but…”
“There are hundreds. Maybe thousands of dining establishments in all of Minneapolis and Saint Paul, Em.”
“You’re creeping me out, Bird. Do you think Raymond was following us? Could he have been at the clinic?”
“It’s possible. Why, though? My dad swears he doesn’t have a prospect or Raymond following me. Yet, I feel like eyes are on me at all hours of the day.”
“Oh gosh. I would die if Dante knew I got IVF.”
“Just tell him. He can’t judge you for doing what is right for you under the circumstances.”
“Have you ever known a biker to be okay with another man getting their girl pregnant?”
I tapped my finger on my lips. “No. But if any of the Knights would be okay with it, it would be Uncle Lynx. He’s the chillest and most compassionate. Then maybe Uncle Dodge.”
“Yeah, and the others are over the top possessive.”
“Dante could be like his dad.”
“I doubt it. I wouldn’t be so lucky.”
My cell phone vibrated in my pocket. I took it out and saw a text from Dante.
Is Ember with you?
I avoided her curious gaze as I replied.
Birdie: Why?
Dante: Don’t play games. Is she?
Again, I kept my eyes on my screen. Should I tell her Dante was asking about her? They really needed to talk and spend some time alone together.
The entrance bell rang, and a young girl entered.
“Welcome to Sister Chic. Can I help you find anything?” I asked.
“Hi. I’m just looking. Thanks,” she replied, seeming a little nervous.
“Okay. I’ll just be over here if you need anything.”
“Uh-huh.”
I lowered my gaze to my cell phone.
“Who texted you?” Ember asked.
“Oh. Um.”
“Dante, right?”
“He’s just persistent. I’ll talk to him and see what he wants.”
The customer strolled around the rack near us. Almost like she was eavesdropping. Whatever, nosey.
I typed out my reply.
Birdie: Let’s meet for a beer or something later.
Dante: Sure. When? Where?
Birdie: How about The Bullet? We close at 6:00.
Dante: I’ll be there. Bring Ember with you.
Birdie: I’ll try. See you later.
“What is Dante saying? The suspense is killing me,” Ember said in an annoyed voice.
“We’re meeting for a beer at The Bullet. Wanna come so I don’t have to be alone with him?”
“Yeah, right. No thanks. He texted you.” She turned on her heels and headed for the door.
“Where are you going?”
“I have some prep work to do for my student teaching job.”
“Fine. I’ll just be with Dante tonight.”
“I’ll take these.” The young woman approached the counter.
“We just got these shirts in today. They’re so cute!” I rang her up. “Are you new in town? I haven’t seen you before.”
“I’m just passing through. Small towns have the best shops. I love this boutique. It’s so trendy and eclectic.”
“We might be rural folks, but we’re high fashion here. There’s a biker club in town. The women in it have a particular taste for leather.” I jerked my chin toward the wall full of leather skirts, pants, vests, and jackets. “But I’m a denim girl.”
“Me too.” She smiled and checked me out. “Do you buy all your clothes here?”
“Mhm. Most of it.” After the customer paid and left, I got that stupid weird feeling like someone was watching me.
Could it be Raymond? I wasn’t about to peer out the window to search for him. Why give him the satisfaction of seeing me check for his truck at Bastion Bites? Not happening. I’d finish out the day, then relax with my friend at The Bullet.