Chapter 33
Daisy
“Girl, you look all glowy. Are you pregnant?” Lacy asked.
“Bite your tongue. And no. Not yet, anyway. Apparently, he plans for me to be soon, though,” I said before I bit into a piece of toast.
“You’d have beautiful babies! He’s so dreamy!” Lacy crooned.
Covering my mouth since I was still working on the toast, I said, “Eagle’s no slouch. How’s that going?”
Lacy ran her hand over her long, blonde ponytail with a wistful look in her eyes. “He’s good. He’s a biker. But he’s fun.”
“What do you mean? Possessive and intense?” My biker was. But I kinda loved it.
“No. He’s super cool and we have great sex. But I dunno. It’s not like you and Falcon.”
“Most aren’t, honey,” Mama Hen said as she brought a carafe of fresh coffee over.
It was close to eleven in the morning, but after Falcon left, I passed out for a while before I got up to shower. It was pretty quiet in the bar area; only a few bunnies and us hanging out. It had a different feel during the day when nobody was around and the music wasn’t loud.
“Thanks, Mama Hen.” I sipped from the mug she had just topped off. “What do you mean?”
She smiled. “These boys are hard to nail down. But he’s smitten.”
I choked on my coffee. After grabbing my napkin and wiping off my chin I said, “I don’t think men like Falcon get smitten.”
She shrugged. “Honey, I’ve been around here longer than you’ve been alive. He’s smitten. Ain’t never seen one of these guys put a woman on their bike so fast.”
Mama Hen headed back to the kitchen, and we finished eating. Something was definitely different about him the last couple of days. Maybe he was just bummed about this run he had to go on. Unsure of what it was, I brushed it off and grabbed my plate, standing to go clean up.
Lacy was right behind me. Mama Hen tried to shoo us away, but I bumped her with my hip as Lacy grabbed my plate and put both in the dishwasher.
“What are you girls up to today?”
Leaning on the counter, I shrugged. “Not much I guess. Can’t leave.” I blew out a deep sigh.
Lacy threaded her arm through mine. “We can watch movies. And Eagle told me one of the guys would go get us pizza, but I had to ask a certain one. Jojo I think?”
“I’m happy to help, too, girls. Just let me know. It’ll be quiet tonight but our guys will be around. I gotta run to the club for a little while but I’ll be back before dinner. Maybe we should plan that. Pizza party for the ladies in the living room.” Mama Hen gave a wide smile.
Lacy said, “That sounds amazing! One of these days I want to check out your club. I need to get back to work soon.”
Mama Hen glanced at me, then over at Lacy. “Soon, honey. You’d fit in great. I got some busy work to get done today. But I’ll give you a heads up when I’m ready for you.” She squeezed my shoulder on the way out. “Red is roaming around but he’ll be headed to the bar in a while. Rooster is around, and so is Keys. You girls know how to reach me?”
Lacy shook her head. I pulled my cell phone out. “I don’t have your number but I can get it now.”
Mama Hen read off her number and I saved it before she left. It felt good to have a way to communicate with people. I smiled at my lockscreen. I made Falcon let me take a pic of us and another of him before he left so his handsome but serious face was my lockscreen, and a pic of us was my wallpaper. I ended up taking a few other photos, but the shirtless ones were for me. He programmed his number already and I downloaded a few apps while I lay in bed before I finally forced myself up and into the shower.
“Where’d ya get that?” Lacy asked as we walked outside. It was a beautiful day and if we were going to have movie night later, I needed to get some fresh air.
“Falcon got it for me. I bet if you asked, Eagle would get you one.”
She stretched her arms over her head then kicked some gravel. “I don’t know. He already lets me stay in his room and makes sure I have food and clothes. I don’t want to bother him.”
Pointing to some wooden Adirondack chairs, we made our way over and sat down. She had on shorts and sandals with a tank top. Looking down, I realized all I had was jeans and various tops. But I was digging my new look. I didn’t really have a style before. I had worn a lot of leggings and workout clothes when I was home and had a handful of dresses for going out.
Looking over the grounds, I relaxed into the chair. The sun was shining down but it wasn’t too hot, albeit getting a little humid. The only sounds were a few clinks and clanks from the garages. I closed my eyes and soaked it in. After a few minutes, my eyes opened at the sound of a car cranking and pulling out. Mama Hen waved as she drove her midsize SUV down the driveway. Then it hit me: even though Falcon wasn’t with me, I was at ease. I was missing him, but I wasn’t in our room, I wasn’t tucked under his arm or following him around. I was sitting outside with my eyes closed. I didn’t need to see everything around me or worry that someone was going to sneak up and grab me. I wasn’t worried who’d see me sitting and resting. I was just…existing.
“I really love it here, Lacy.” I didn’t even mean to say that out loud, but it just rolled off my tongue.
She let out a content sigh. “It’s fun. And most everybody is nice.”
I reached my hand out to her and she grabbed it when she looked over. “Are you alright, Lacy? I’ve been sort of in my head. I kept thinking the other shoe was gonna drop or something. I haven’t really been there for you.”
“Daisy, are you kidding? You got me out of that place.” She put her other hand over our clasped ones. “I owe you my life.”
“No. We deserved to get out. I feel bad not knowing about the others. Or if there’s more. I doubt that night put him out of business.”
Lacy leaned back into her chair again but didn’t let go of my hand. “I hope some of them had the sense to run. I wouldn’t have blamed you if you left me behind. But I’m glad you didn’t. You could’ve just saved yourself.”
“I couldn’t leave you.” It was true. I remember Falcon holding his hand out to me, ready to go, but all I could think was I had to get her out. “You were my only friend. I thought I had friends before, but that was a joke. The second shit got real, suddenly having a friend with tons of cash wasn’t worth it anymore.”
“You’re sweet. People take advantage of that.”
“You never did.”
“Because I’m not a thundercunt.” We both laughed then she went on. “I don’t know. You were nice to me. It was so fucked up there, and lonely. Even though we all were stuck there, they were all still bitchy.”
“Well, I don’t begrudge them. It was kinda survival of the fittest. When you feel like your life’s in danger, everyone is an enemy, I suppose.”
“I was raised to believe in strength in numbers.”
Lacy didn’t talk much about her family and that statement surprised me. “Have you spoken to your family? Since we got away?”
She shook her head. “Nope. That ship sailed a long time ago.”
I didn’t want to press her, and I didn’t want to open the wounds of my childhood right then either, so I changed the subject. “Why don’t you come to the tattoo shop anymore?”
She shrugged. “Eagle’s great, but he’s one of them. I’m just hanging around until he gets tired of me. The bunnies seem to like it here.” She looked over at me. “I could be a bunny.”
“Do you not like him like that?”
She shrugged. “I’m not dumb. I’m just another blonde bimbo to him. Best I don’t get attached and get crushed. I’ll have my fun for now, and hopefully I can start working at the strip club soon. If things go south and it feels weird, I’ll be able to get my own place. Jeannie has her own place, ya know?”
I didn’t know Eagle as well as Falcon, but he didn’t strike me as one of the man-whores in the club. Sure, there were some, but I’d never seen him give a bunny a second look and he was always with Lacy at the clubhouse. “Maybe he thinks you don’t like him like that? Have you talked to him?”
She huffed. “No. Daisy, your magical pussy has put a spell on Falcon, but that’s not the norm. I’ve been spending my days here while you go sit at the shop. The girls talk. I’m just trying to be real with myself.” She squeezed my hand. “It’s okay. I’m safe, there’s a roof over my head, food in my belly, and good dick almost every night. And I don’t have to have sex with anyone I don’t want to. Well, for now.”
I raised my brow and whipped my head in her direction. “What do you mean ‘for now?’ They don’t do that here.”
“Oh, they don’t prostitute us, but the way the bunnies talk, if you hang around and you’re not claimed, you’re club ass.”
“So, they have to have sex with any random fucker that wants to because they stay here? Sounds like prostitution to me.”
Lacy rolled her eyes. “You don’t get it. They can leave anytime. They don’t mind. Hell, the way they talk, I think a few would rather stay club ass than be an old lady.”
I bit my bottom lip. It still sounded bad to me, but what they did with their bodies was their business. If they wanted to exchange some sex for this life, who was I to judge? I just couldn’t believe that all of them would want to sleep with every guy that hangs around.
After sitting outside for a while, I had a snack in the bar and took a short nap. When I got up again, all the ladies that were around congregated in the living area with the big TV and the plush couches.
One of the members carried in a bunch of pizzas and another hauled in a few coolers for us. “Okay, your pizza is in the kitchen. Now get!” Mama Hen shooed them off.
Jeannie was off tonight and plopped down on the couch with me and Lacy. “I love how she can run them off,” she said before she held a slice of pizza up and bit the end.
Mama Hen grabbed her cut and tugged at it. “You’re damn straight. Someone’s gotta keep them in line.”
Everyone laughed. I was starting to understand that women in the club were second fiddle. But all the men seemed to revere Mama Hen. No, she didn’t go to the little special room, but she seemed to have some pull.
I was drinking and trying to keep the greasy pizza from making a mess when my pocket buzzed. I hadn’t had a phone in so long I nearly jumped off the couch from the vibrations. Everyone else was too engrossed in the horror movie we were watching to notice.
After wiping my hands on my napkin, I pulled it out and swiped the screen.
Derek : How’s my woman?
Glancing around like a schoolgirl with a shit-eating grin, I bit my lip and replied.
Me : Partying hard. It’s a riot here.
Derek : I’d believe that if I hadn’t already checked in with Rooster .
I rolled my eyes. Damn spies. I had to remember to shoot Rooster a dirty look. Well, actually, he probably had to tell him. Some kind of club code or something. Rooster was forgiven.
Me : We have ten pizzas, lots of beer, and three movies to watch. It’s a party.
Derek : Good. Rest up. Because when I get home I’m going to tire you out.
Me : Don’t threaten me with a good time. Miss you.
Derek : I miss you Daisy. I’ll see you tomorrow.
Still grinning, I put my phone away and finished my pizza.
After the last movie, half the girls had passed out and I was sleepy, even though I hadn’t done shit all day. “Lacy, you ready to go to bed?”
Lacy rubbed her eyes. “I guess I fell asleep. Yeah. I don’t want a crick in my neck.”
We stood and Jeannie stretched. “I’m gonna stay. I’ve had too much to drink to drive home.”
Looking around, Mama Hen was already gone. She must have snuck out to go to bed. I walked to the window, and sure enough, her living room light was on.
I looked around, and most women were asleep or grabbing their stuff to go to bed. I grabbed Lacy and Jeannie’s hand. “Hey, since the guys are gone, you wanna have a sleepover in my room?”
They both nodded and we all headed up. We kicked our shoes off then all piled in the bed. I turned the lamp off and closed my eyes. Sure, it was fun, but I was really worried I wouldn’t be able to sleep after all the scary movies. And I wasn’t sure I could sleep alone anymore. But they didn’t have to know that part.