CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
-:- BLAKE -:-
It’s Sunday morning and I can’t stop the smile that keeps appearing on my face. The date last night was good, I really do like Mav and I hope we can have more successful dates. We had talked a lot and got to know each other fairly well. Dancing had been nice too and unexpected. Who would have thought a biker could dance like that?
My phone makes a pinging noise and picking it up, I grin as I see it’s a message from Mav.
Mav: Morning, beautiful. Just wanted to say hi, let you know I dreamed about you last night.
Blake: Good morning, Mav. Well, I hope it was a good dream!
Mav: Oh, it was one of the best, and I had to jump in a cold shower so I could get some relief.
Blake: OMG, you didn’t just say that!
Mav: Oh, I did babe. I’ll tell you now, I think I’m going to be spending a lot of time in my shower.
Blake: I’m giggling here because I’m thinking you may get a cramp in your wrist if you are not careful.
Now, even though I’m in the house alone, I can’t help but blush a little at my response. I’m not normally that forward when it comes to talking about sex.
Mav: I’m sure I will and it will be all your fault.
Blake: Me? I did nothing.
Mav: No, you didn’t because you don’t have to. You are just perfect for me and I can’t wait to eventually take our relationship further.
Blake: We’ll see Lover-boy.
Mav: Lover boy, yeah, I like that. I’ll see you soon, beautiful.
I better put this phone down as I’m getting everything ready for the meal I’m holding for the seniors. I have a pot roast cooking and all vegetables prepared. The house is spotless and I’m setting the table ready.
It’s still early, and they won’t arrive in the cab I ordered to pick them all up and bring them here for another two hours. I have plenty of time to have a nice shower and do the last chores I need to finish so I’m clear for next week when I’m back at work.
Checking the kitchen two hours later, I place the apple pie I purchased from the bakery onto a serving plate and leave it near the stove. I know they all like apple pie, as I’ve seen them all eating it heartily when it’s been provided from the service Alf uses for them.
The door opens and in burst four seniors, all talking between themselves excitedly. Ed, of course, is leading them in as he still has a key to the house, and now I call him PawPaw he is using the title to the fullest.
“Hi, Blake,” Ed rushes over and hugs me tightly, kissing my cheek. “I brought all the old coots with me, as you can see.”
“Hey, look who you are calling an old coot, Ed. You are older than I am,” Pru states with a touch of sass to her voice. “Now, is there anything we can do to help, Blake?”
“No, you all take a seat and I’ll be serving up in a minute.” I hug them all as they pass me and again they talk between themselves excitedly. It shows I did the right thing by bringing them here for this meal. They are all glowing, and it is the first time I’ve seen Robert smile.
Ed, of course, didn’t take a seat. He’s still hanging around me, trying to see what I’m doing, taking lids off the pans on the stovetop. Tapping his hand, I give him a leave it alone look, which I’m sure has a flush rush into his cheeks.
Quite a while later we are all eating dessert, talking about life in general when Robert asks, “Why do you work at the coffee place as well as the cleaning job, Blake?”
“It’s a long story, Robert, but if you want to hear it, I’ll tell you all what happened.” That is how I end up giving them the story of my life and how I ended up at this point in time.
“So, are you dating that biker now?” Audrey asks.
“I suppose I am. We’ve been out twice. The first time wasn’t so good, but last night we went to TJs and it was a great night. I really enjoyed the evening.”
I watch as Ed leans forward and gives me a piercing look, but he says nothing for a minute or two. “I’ll need to see this biker man of yours. As your PawPaw, I need to make sure that you’ll be safe with him.”
The other three at the table are all nodding in agreement, and muttering words like, ‘sure,’ ‘unruly,’ ‘noisy bikes,’ ‘handsome,’ but it’s such a mixture I’ve no idea if they like or dislike the idea of me dating a biker.
“Okay, how about I bring him around to Ed’s one day and you can all visit and meet him? But that is only after I know if it’s getting serious,” I ask, giving them all a don’t argue look. They all quickly agree thankfully, and Ed puffs up that he is the one everyone will have to go to.
I’ve noticed more and more that Ed’s hands are not bad nor is his walking. The old shit has had people blinded with this health thing. But, I’m keeping the fact I know to myself, for now at least. I see it as ammunition I can use against him in the future if need be.
I’m amazed when all four pitch in to wash dishes and clean away from our meal. We all laugh and joke along as we do so, and I am so happy to see them all enjoying themselves. I will definitely do this again. Not every week, but maybe once a month! We’ll see how things go because it’s an expense at the moment that I cannot do too regularly.
I really need to get Yax out of that house and get it sold. I am sick of paying for something I don’t need. Bitty’s man getting rid of my debts has been great and I’ve got some money in my account for the first time in a long time. It has me feeling safer knowing in time I’ll have something if hard times come around again.
-:- BITTY -:-
“Now people, are you coming with me or not?” I ask everyone who is in the kitchen at the clubhouse.
Meat grunts, and Star jumps up and down shouting, “Me, me, I’m coming.”
“Okay, dear, that’s great. You and Meat can be my right-hand people.” I turn to my right when I hear a snarled voice.
“I’m your right-hand person and have been for years. So, Star, you can step back, girl.” Amelia is standing in front of and pointing her cane at Star, who has a huge smirk on her face, not intimidated at all.
“That’s okay, Amelia. I don’t mind being a left-hand person. But make sure when we get to the house we all get inside.” Star once more jumps up and down, doing some sort of jig. Meat is watching her with a heated look on his face, and I have to turn away because honest to goodness, it’s enough to burn anyone within the vicinity to ashes.
When I hear, “I’m coming,” I turn, just in time to see Axel scoop Mia over his shoulder and slap her ass before announcing, ”No, you’re not,” before disappearing out the door with her. Well, we all know where he’s taking her, and it’s a good thing Sybil and Jo offered to be on kids duty this morning.
“I’ll come because Blake won’t be happy if she finds out I allowed you to go on your own, without me that is.” Mav grabs a cookie from the counter and stuffs it into his mouth without taking a bite, the whole damn thing disappears.
I hear a few more, ‘Yeah, I’m in,’ ‘I’ll come,’ ‘Me too.’ And grin to myself because Yax and her man do not know what is heading their way. But as we all climb into the SUV and the van, Graham rides into the compound, leaves his bike and quickly jumps into the truck that Meat and Star are in. This could turn into a shit show, I’m thinking at this point.
Arriving at the house, we all pile out of the vehicles and I lead everyone up the garden path, hammer on the front door and wait. But after a minute nobody answers, so Meat runs toward the door and kicks it hard, which has it flying open to show the utterly disgusting mess that these people are living in.
Star steps up to the side of me and states, “What a filthy bitch she is. Who in their right mind lives in a squalor like this? I wouldn’t want to take a shit in this place, because, Bitty, my shit is cleaner than this place.”
Amelia laughs and I turn to look at Star, who does not know what she’s just said, I’m sure. Things just fall out of her mouth as she says whatever she thinks and however she sees it, and looking around, I think I have to agree with her. I wouldn’t want to drop my drawers in this place for any reason, either.
We all look up when a bang and footsteps are heard. But when Yax appears at the top of the stairs looking like she just got out of a garbage can, I sigh. I had hoped the stupid bitch had already left the place.
“What are you all doing in my house?” Yax screeches.
Mav steps forward and snarls, “Your house? You mean the one you are living in free of charge because you are a scum-sucking piece of shit that pretended to have a child with someone? We all know that your kid is not who you said he was, and you need to get the fuck out of the house before I get hold of you and throw you out. Make no mistake, bitch, I mean throw you out physically.”
“I’ll get the Sheriff.”
“Oh, please do, that would make my day,” I singsong to her, much to Star’s amusement, as she now steps forward laughing and pointing at Yax.
“You are a filthy, disgusting bitch. Where are the kid and the man?” Star asks, and I’m feeling less important here than I should be feeling!
“Yeah, where are they?” Amelia joins in, tapping her cane on the filthy floor.
“You know you’ll have to scrub your cane now, don’t you, Amelia?” I ask.
“I’ll get Meat to burn it and I’ll buy a new one,” to which Meat grunts and nods his head.
Graham rushes forward, bolts up the stairs, grabs Yax by the arm and bellows, ‘CATCH,’ as he tosses her down the stairs. Mav stops her from hitting the floor hard, but uses the momentum to toss her to Meat, who in turn tosses her out the front door and slams it behind her.
“Stop fuckin’ about with her,” Graham states as he storms off into the bedrooms.
Now, I’m shocked at how fast he did that, and Star is cackling like a witch, clapping her hands and shaking her hips at her man. Meat, in turn, is watching her with those smoldering eyes again. Shit, I hope they are not going to start anything before we get back to the clubhouse? But at least Knuckles and Jo are not here or they’d be getting the vibes and be at it like bunnies.
“No sign of anyone here, and no sign of the boy or the man’s things. I reckon they left the bitch here on her own,” Graham says as he walks back down the stairs.
Since Meat forced the lock to get in, Mav has been holding the front door closed. He then opens it and seizes Yax, who was pounding on it. “Where are your man and boy?” he asks with more than a little snarl to it.
“Gone. He up and went and took my son with him. Good riddance. They were both holding me back, anyway.” Yax surprises all of us when she runs her forefinger down Mav’s chest, giving him a dirty toothed smile. What she didn’t expect was Mav to grab the finger and snap it back, hard, which has her screaming and holding it at the odd angle it’s now sitting at.
“You have ten minutes to get your stuff and get out. I mean clothing, that’s all you are taking because we all know that you supplied not a single piece of furniture or anything else in this house. Time’s ticking…” I state, and give Graham, Meat and Mav a look.
Yax is pushed into the house, and Ruger, Sting, and Clay all walk inside. I’d forgotten they had even come along with us as we’d crowded the hallway just inside the front door.
“This place is disgusting. It’ll need fumigating,” Clay states with his nose curled up nearly enough to touch his forehead.
Ruger looks around and elbows Sting. “I don’t envy anyone that has this shit to clean up.”
Shaking his head in agreement, Sting walks past and into the living room, “Fuck, this place is rank.”
Amelia sighs, “Heather is going to need an army to clean this place, Bitty.”
“It’s worse than I thought it was going to be. I don’t want Blake seeing this mess. I’ll speak with Heather and tell her to get everything emptied out, taken away and cleaned. Then we’ll get the place up for sale.” I walk into the living room, and cringe because honestly, it could not be worse. The kitchen, utility room, and the half bath are in the same filthy state. Yeah, there is going to be nothing to salvage from this place.
Two hours later, Yax has gone. Meat, along with some of the brothers, has boarded up the door. Sheriff Forest knows she’s out of the house and if she returns she needs arresting for trespassing, or breaking and entering!
I open the door to Blake's house and walk inside, and hearing talking, I head to the kitchen, where Blake is speaking with Ed.
“Hi, Bitty. How are you?” Ed asks as I plop my ass onto a dining chair.
“Good, but tired. How are you?”
“Oh, I’m very good. Got a belly full of pot roast and had splendid company. I’m just waiting for my cab to take me home,” Ed says before he grabs a mug and pours me a coffee from the machine, and then retakes his seat at the table.
“What’s wrong?” Blake asks.
“Nothing is wrong. I took some of the boys over to Yax and evicted her. She’s gone, but she’s left a mess behind. I have left a message for Heather to see the place. She may need a few of the cleaners to go over once the place is emptied.” I give Blake a sorry look, but she shrugs and waits for whatever else I’m going to say. “The place will more than likely take a week to clean out, if Heather can organize everyone quickly. But it’s a nice place Blake, and I’m sure it will sell easily once it’s ready.”
“I’m not worried, Mama, it’ll sell as you say when it’s empty and clean. I am ready for it to be gone and that part of my life put behind me. Do you think Yax will cause more trouble?” Blake taps her fingernails on the tabletop, showing she is nervous about what’s going to happen.
“No, she already has a broken finger from trying shit with Mav. So, she’ll stay away knowing the MC is onboard with it.” Blake has an odd look on her face, and yeah, you guessed, I had to ask. “What?”
“Mav, he broke her finger?”
“Yeah, she tried it on with him. Touched him with that finger, so he snapped that sucker back and she left him alone after that. You know he’s not going to take any shit from women after the trouble with Sharon, don’t you?”
Ed is grinning, but Blake is still frowning. “What?” I ask again.
“What do you mean the MC is onboard?”
“Look, you are Mav’s woman, you are dating him, which makes you his, and he yours, so hey, anyone messes with you, and the MC will be onboard to sort it out.”
Blake’s eyes round and what she says next has me laughing so hard Ed has to catch me before I fall out of my seat.
“Is this MC a cult?”
“A cult, she says…A cult!” That is what I’m still saying and giggling about when I walk into the clubhouse an hour later.