CHAPTER ELEVEN
-:- BLAKE -:-
This has been a busy week now that I’m working at the coffee place. I like it and it’s only been my third day. Wednesday has come around fast and I start my cleaning job tonight.
Arriving home from the day job as I think of it, I quickly make a drink and change into an old pair of black pants, and a tee which I won’t mind getting cleaning fluids on if I have any accidents.
I’ve not seen Bitty or the other ladies since we had the kitchen experience, as I like to label it. My mind sees it as some kind of event because I’ve had nothing like that happen to me previously, and it was fascinating watching the three of them. They are more like sisters than friends, and you can see the love they have for each other, although they pretend they don’t.
Alf has been with me for my first three clients this evening, and they were easy, as they are still mobile and doing most of the housekeeping themselves. I cleaned up the kitchen, bathroom, and wet mopped the utility rooms if required, but apart from that it was just nice to speak with them. It’s more than obvious they are all lonely.
Now, Ed! What can I say about him that probably hasn’t been said before. He’s my fourth client, and Alf left me to deal with him alone. Ed’s a widower, losing his wife a few years back. He has a walker, but he’s not using it at the moment, the dust on the thing tells me that, and the fact he walked toward me in greeting with a huge smile on his face tells me he isn’t reliant on it either.
It is now ninety minutes since I started, and Ed has followed me around talking a mile a minute. It’s more than obvious to me that the four clients I’ve been given need someone to do more for them than the half an hour to an hour of cleaning. I’m going to have to think about this.
“Have you finished for the night, Blake? It’s getting very late and you should have finished here nearly an hour ago.”
Turning, I give Ed a smile. “Hey, you trying to get rid of me? I wanted to make sure you had a clean bed and everything was as it should be. Now I’m putting you a meal in the crockpot. I’ll put it in the fridge and in the morning take it out and pop it on the low setting and it’ll be cooked for you, giving you a nice hot meal later.”
“Oh, that’s good of you. I’ve been eating the meals that Alf told us all about. They are decent, but it’s not like home cooking.” I close the fridge door. “You know it’s nearly ten-thirty and you should be home.” Ed gives me a good looking over, and I’m not sure what he’s actually looking for, but it must be okay as he gives a satisfied nod to himself. Honestly, these elderly people are strange and I hope it doesn’t rub off! I can imagine myself as a Bitty, Sybil or Amelia in my old age, if it does.
“I don’t have anyone at home to worry about, so don’t you go fretting about that. I have the vehicle that Alf gave me, so I won’t be walking the sidewalks either. You don’t have to worry Ed, I’ll be careful. Now, tomorrow make sure all your laundry is ready for me when I get here and I’ll get it in the washing machine. It can be forgotten about until I’ve done the other chores I want to get done.” I grab my purse and van keys and quickly make my way to the front door. “Lock up after me, Ed, and I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Okay, girlie, go careful,” Ed is a sweetheart, I’m thinking, and I can see him being a friend as well as a client.
At home at last and it’s been a long day. I run upstairs, shower, put on my pjs and walk back downstairs into the kitchen and make a cup of rose tea. It’s one I have for calming before I head to bed. I find this gives me a better feel than chamomile does, and like the distinct flavor of it too.
Sitting on the bed a while later, I’m writing shopping lists for each of my clients. They all four need something, and I may as well do a shop at the all-night grocery so I can make sure they are all going to be eating as they should. They get a meal each day from Alf’s and Heather’s company, but they look like a home-cooked meal would cheer them up somewhat. I may do it for them twice a week?
Setting my alarm, I turn out the bedside lamp and lay my head on the pillow. Maybe it is all work, but I at least have people to speak with, and kept busy so I don’t have to think about being lonely myself anymore, and that’s my last thought as I drift to sleep.
Walking into the day job, I quickly get the kitchen ready for the morning mommas to arrive. I call them that in my mind as they have left their children at school and are now having a coffee, panini and a gossip with other moms.
Liam steps into the kitchen from the shop area. “Morning, Blake. We are not having the normal opening tomorrow. We are having a coffee morning for the ladies of the MC. If you come in at the same time, we are going to close once they leave, so you can have an afternoon free to do as you want, as soon as we have cleared up, that is.”
“Oh, okay. I can do some shopping then, instead of…” I stop myself revealing more, because the last thing I want is my boss feeling sorry for me, or letting me go because I’m working another job.
“Instead of?” Liam asks, frowning slightly.
“Nothing, just thinking out loud.” I turn my back to him and empty the dishwasher, which I had filled as the last thing before I left yesterday. I’m relieved when Liam walks back into the shop, and I can get fillings ready for the paninis.
The rest of the day and evening pass as expected, and I find the clients I will be seeing are a delight. Now they don’t have Alf in their space and watching my work, they are following me and talking. I hear about how many children they have, whether they see them or not. Past marriages, husbands that have left them, or died, family they never see, or hide from, the latter having me smiling broadly at the lengths they will go to, to not see these people.
I have Sundays free and I’m wondering if I can get all four of my clients into my small kitchen! If I can manage it I will invite them, and fetch them to have a meal and the afternoon with me. I wonder if Bitty will let me use one of her chairs because I only have four and I’ll need five?
The next morning I’m filling the dishwasher for the second time when the door opens and Bitty walks into the coffee house kitchen. “Come on, Blake, I want to introduce you to all my family, and now yours.”
I’m more than a little taken by surprise because there are women everywhere. The shop area is full and each woman apart from the Three Stooges as I’ve been informed they are called lovingly, are wearing leather vests. It’s like walking into a room with cult members that have congregated.
“Come over here, Blake,” Bitty grabs my arm and starts introductions, “This is Mia, she is the first lady of the club, she is the presidents ol’ lady, and they have the twin boys over there playing, Carter and Hunter, and this beautiful girl, Summer.”
I give Mia a smile, and an ever bigger one to the twins, who are, for some reason, stripping off their clothes. Mia scowls and shakes her head. “Honestly, they are worse than Axel. He can strip his clothes off faster than you can fart, but these two are even faster. I’m going to have to speak to Meat about this. Star, you gotta get your man under control. I don’t want the boys stripping off and shaking their manhood at every girl that walks past them next week at kindergarten.”
Bitty points. “That’s Star, and she’s married to Meat, who is our chef, gardener and general reliable male. Now, Meat likes to strip off regularly too, and let me tell you he has one….”
“No, Bitty, don’t discuss my man’s package. First, the boys are here and of course are earwigging, and second it’s my package and it’s staying mine,” Star replies, but we all hear her mumble to herself, that man can use his package any way he likes as long as it’s with me.
Pointing from one to another, I’m introduced to Kya, Paisley, Gemmy, Jo, Eden, Tilly, Destiny, Carrie, Winter, Kenzie, Raven and of course, Heather, who I’ve met. I am never going to remember all these women’s names! There are also two other children, Harrison, who is Eden’s son, and Quinn, who is Tilly’s daughter. It has your hormones throbbing as all five of these children are so cute. Even the twins, who are now naked and painting on the wall, much to Liam’s displeasure.
One of the twins lets rip a huge fart, and the other twin bends down to look at the first twin’s butt. He takes a huge sniff before covering his nose and giving a nasty look at the first twin. First twin shrugs, then farts again before peeling with laughter as he throws himself on his back, but he’s holding onto his tiny manhood as he’s laughing.
I look at Mia and she’s looking from one twin to the next in total shock and disbelief. “Well, he is a bit gassy this morning,” Destiny giggles, followed by all the other ladies.
“I’m going to have surgery so I can’t have more kids. I can’t survive any more twins, and it’s a huge risk. How can anyone manage two more like those two? Nope, I’m going to have to see about having something done,” Mia is mumbling, more to herself than anyone else.
A male voice speaks out, and it’s the first time I notice the man who caught me from falling. He’s standing near the door making sure no one enters, I think? “Come on, Mia, Axel will never agree to that. You know he wants six kids.”
“SIX! If you or anyone else thinks I’m having six of his kids, you have to be out of your mind. Two is more than enough of the crazy that I’m breeding with Axel. Honestly, could we not have had normal children like everyone else? Oh no, I had to have two boys that are clones of their father, and, and, and….Meat,” Mia nearly screeches.
“Don’t pick on Meat, the boys have nothing to do with him,” Star pipes up, giving Mia a dirty look.
“I didn’t say he had, but he’s teaching them all that shit. Like bungee jumping from the treehouse, zip lining, and he even has them crawling under cargo netting for god’s sake.” Mia is gradually standing and coming nose-to-nose with Star.
The man who started all this, well I think he did with his comment, grins, gives me a wink, then wades in to cool the situation. I turn and scoot back into the kitchen where I think it’s safer to be at the moment.
What a morning this has turned out to be. The arguing, laughing, and general mayhem happening in the shop area has me hiding in the kitchen, although Bitty keeps trying to get me to go sit with the other ladies. I think Liam knows what I’m doing as he keeps smirking at me. Elaine and Fran are also here helping, and I don’t miss them looking at me when I refuse to go back out front. Elaine grins and whispers, ‘Chicken’ as she walks past, but I can see she’s more than a little amused. I let it pass because in her shoes I would probably be laughing too.
I head out to the grocery store once I leave work and pushing the cart around, I pick up everything I’m going to need to make a large pan of stew, that I’ve every intention of sharing with my clients. I also pick up from my list what I want to get them all. I’m using the last of my money before I get paid, which thankfully is tomorrow. That’s the good thing about my starting this week, I don’t have to wait a full month to get anything paid into the bank.
I hear what can only be Yax in the next aisle and I spin my cart around and hightail it to the end where I peek around the corner to see Yax, her man and Franklin. Just when I think I’m going to be able to sneak to the cashier and get out of here, I hear my name shouted by, of course, Yax.
“BLAKE!”
I’m not hanging around and letting go of my cart, I turn again to skedaddle and smack into what feels like a wall. I bounce back and windmill my arms to try to stop myself from falling when I’m grabbed by a pair of strong arms and held against the wall. Slowly looking up I inwardly groan when it’s the man who saved me from falling last time I was around him.
“BLAKE! You are not running again. We had people come to the house…” Yax must realize I’m not on my own when she suddenly stops speaking, and eyes this man from his feet to his face and back again.
“Lady, I know who you are, and what’s going on, and I’m telling you now to fuck off and leave Blake alone. Take your son and your man and get out of town, because give it a few more days and we’ll be having another visit to you, and you’ll not like the visit.” Looking at me, the man winks.
“Blake, we need the house…” Yax again speaks.
“Are you deaf as well as stupid? You’ve had one visit, you do not want another one. Man, take your bitch and get gone. Leave town because I can promise you will not like it if you stay. You have a kid you need to make sure is good, but this bitch isn’t going to help you in any way at all. Get rid of the trash, man, and move on, take your son with you.”
“Fuckin’ hell,” the man curses and grabs Yax by the arm, and drags her along after him. What is sad is watching Franklin with his head down following behind.
“I’m Mav. Not sure if I’ve told you before, but I know you are Blake. You are Bitty’s new daughter, and I’m sure you will be dragged along to the clubhouse soon, where you’ll meet everyone.”
“Um, I’m not sure about that. I don’t have a lot of spare time. But I am thankful that you were here when Yax cornered me again. I keep trying to dodge her, but she seems to be everywhere.”
“Bitty has Yax under control, and I’m sure she’ll have something else up her sleeve, she’ll just pull out like a magician with a rabbit in a hat, to have Yax run out of town. Come Saturday evening, I’ll come pick you up, and we’ll go to Club Whisky, have a drink and something to eat. See you Saturday, babe.”
My mouth must be hanging open at this point. I’ve never been asked out on a date quite like that before, and not sure I’m going to be going either. Babe? I’m not a babe!