Chapter 2 #2
“Since I’m the manager, most of the time it’s me and whichever brothers are available. We have them audition and then make the determination to hire or not.”
“Quite the perk. No wonder you do it. Well, no worries, I would never audition. And I’d make a terrible waitress. The bouncer part I can do. Dealing with hotheads is nothing new for me.”
Her nonchalant answer and apparent dismissal of her desirability made me want to grill her to find out why. It was utter bullshit. Had some man put that in her head? If so, he’d better pray I never met him. Tinker broke the tension.
“Not to steal a potential employee from Mayhem, but there are several Punisher businesses that you can choose from. Most are looking for employees. What are your skills? Haven mentioned that you were in the Navy. I can’t recall her saying what you did.
If you give me a copy of your resume, I can present it to the guys in church next week and see if anyone is looking for help and your qualifications match,” Tinker offered.
“I didn’t tell you because, truthfully, we didn’t talk about that part.
Astrid seemed…reluctant to speak about it.
I knew she got out, and it wasn’t her idea.
I didn’t want to pry,” Haven told him, casting a sympathetic smile toward her friend.
It took restraint for me not to blurt out she’d been a fighter pilot.
“Haven, I’m sorry if you felt you couldn’t ask me.
It’s true, I was medically retired rather than retiring on my own, which is what I planned to do after twenty years.
I had goals that I didn’t achieve. However, that doesn’t mean I never want to talk about my time in the Navy.
That was eleven years of my life. I went in at eighteen.
It’s the main job I’ve done my entire adult life.
My moving around so much was a way to determine what I can do on the outside.
As for what I did in the Navy, I was a pilot. ”
“A pilot? Of what? Helicopters? Planes?” Haven asked.
“Planes.”
“Then why can’t you get a job as a pilot? Surely, commercial airlines would hire you,” Tinker said.
“Possibly, but while I love to fly, being a pilot who hauls people around all day sounds boring to me. Plus, there are some requirements that I might not be able to meet any longer.”
She cast her eyes down. The tension rose in the air. Catching the gazes of Tinker and Haven, I shook my head so they wouldn’t ask what she meant.
“What kind of planes did you fly, if you don’t mind me asking?” I asked. Yeah, I knew, but I wanted her to tell me.
“The best kind, F/A-18 Super Hornets.” The smile on her face was genuine.
“Wait, those are fighter jets,” Tinker exclaimed.
“Yes, they are. I was what you call a fighter pilot. I’ve got to tell you, there’s nothing like screaming through the air, going twelve hundred miles an hour.
And then to go into a dive or roll with the plane.
It’s a rush of adrenaline. I wondered if what you feel on a motorcycle is anything like what I felt in my plane?
” There was a wistful tone to her voice and a faraway look in her eyes.
“You’ve never been on a bike?” Haven asked.
When Astrid shook her head, Haven exclaimed, “Oh my God, there’s nothing like it.
You have to do it. I can’t enjoy it right now, but once this baby is born, I’ll be on the back of Tinker’s bike again.
Hmm, I know most guys don’t just let anyone ride with them, but I wonder if anyone at the club would be willing to take her on a ride,” Haven asked Tinker.
Haven was right. For most of us, that spot was meant for a special someone, not just anyone. However, the thought of her riding with anyone other than me made my blood pressure rise. Before Tinker could respond, I did.
“If you want to ride a motorcycle, you’ll ride mine. You can compare the experiences. And speaking of experiences, maybe one day you can take me up in a plane and let me feel what it’s like to be in a fighter. Too bad there’s no F/A-18s we could borrow.”
“You’d do that? Get in a jet?” Astrid asked as if surprised.
“Hell yeah.”
“Wow, you’re gutsier than most. It’s sweet of you to offer me the back of your bike. Maybe one day.”
I wanted to push and say we could do it tomorrow, but I knew I had to be methodical.
If I went too fast, I had the feeling I’d scare her off.
I wasn’t about to let that happen. From there, the conversation moved to what had been happening lately at Iron’s Rehab, Haven’s Haute House, and Punisher’s Eden.
Astrid was adept at steering the conversation away from what she’d been up to. It made me wonder what she was hiding.
While we talked, we enjoyed the appetizer platter. The atmosphere felt more relaxed. I was working on bringing Astrid more into the conversation when we were interrupted. Georgia was back, asking if we needed refills on our drinks or anything else. Again, she was standing between me and Astrid.
“Are you sure you don’t need anything else?” I asked Astrid. She’d been the hungry one yet ate the least of the appetizer. If she didn’t like it, I’d get her something else.
“I’m sure. I don’t want to stuff myself, or I won’t be able to eat my main meal.”
Taking her at her word, I was about to tell Georgia that she could leave.
I never got the chance. She bent down to me and boldly ran her hand along my shoulder and down my arm to my wrist. Due to the niceness of The Grove, instead of my typical T-shirt under my cut, I wore a long-sleeved button-down shirt with a collar.
No tie and the cuffs were rolled up to below my elbows, but it was dressy enough for here.
They didn’t have a strict dress code, thankfully.
Georgia smiled seductively as she breathed out.
“I just love your ink. Your tattoos are amazing. You have to tell me where you got them from. Do you have others? I bet you do.”
Our table went utterly quiet. Tinker was giving me a look that said What the fuck? Haven’s mouth was hanging open in shock. I jerked my arm away and opened my mouth to blast the bitch when Astrid did it for me.
“What makes you think you have the right to paw him? I didn’t hear him ask you to touch him in any way. Remove your hands before you end up getting them broken,” Astrid snapped icily.
Instead of moving away, Georgia barely glanced at Astrid as she dismissed her.
“I’m not hurting him. I just love his art.
I’m a fellow ink enthusiast, and I admire his artwork.
What’re you so upset about? You’re acting as if you have a right to tell me not to touch him.
You’re not with him. You came in alone, not with him.
Neither of you is wearing rings or giving any indication you’re together. ”
Her utter audacity was incredible. I’d known some very ballsy women in my life, but this one might be the worst. Even if I were single, she had no right to assume she could touch without permission.
“It doesn’t matter if we’re together or not. You shouldn’t touch people without asking their permission. It’s an assault. You’ll find yourself in trouble one day if you do that to the wrong person,” Astrid lectured her.
Georgia rolled her eyes as she straightened. “I highly doubt he’s going to call the cops and say I assaulted him. What’s the matter? Jealous that he isn’t yours?”
Before Astrid replied, I did. “You don’t know what the hell you’re talking about.
Our lack of rings or signs you believe indicate we’re not together doesn’t mean shit.
We came separately because I came from work.
If you admire my ink, then simply asking where I had it done would’ve sufficed.
I don’t want you mauling me. And Astrid is right, it’s assault.
You need to leave, and I want you to send the manager to us. ”
Georgia gave me an outraged look, like she didn’t believe what I was saying. I knew she was about to argue, but it was prevented by the arrival of a middle-aged man in a suit. He was frowning.
“What seems to be the trouble here? Our other diners are complaining of a disturbance. Georgia, what’s going on?”
“Are you the manager?” I asked before the waitress answered.
“I am.”
“Good. We’d like to request a new server. We don’t want this waitress to wait on us,” I informed him.
“W-why not? Georgia is one of our best,” he sputtered.
“Oh, so your best routinely goes around touching customers without their permission and comes onto them like a bitch in heat?” Astrid asked, her eyebrow hiked up. I heard Haven cut off a choked snort.
“Excuse me!” the manager gasped.
“You heard me. She’s over here pawing Mayhem like she’s in heat. Perhaps you should take her out back and hose her down. While you’re at it, teach her to keep her hands to herself. If she doesn’t, someone will have her arrested, or the better option in my book is to kick her ass so she learns.”
“Ma’am! There must be a mistake here. And there’s no need to be vulgar or to make threats,” he chided.
“I’m hardly vulgar yet. As for making threats, I’m not.
It’s called a promise. Now, do we get a new waitress and our food so we can finish enjoying our evening, or do we walk out and contact the owner?
Oh, and I can get louder too, for the customers in the back corners who can’t hear what’s happening.
They look like they’re dying to know.” Astrid said it sweetly, but the gleam in her eyes made him aware she wasn’t kidding.
While I could more than stand up for myself, I admit, I was relishing watching her defend me.
It was as if I were hers. In the past, any woman who acted possessively turned me off.
However, in Astrid’s case, I loved it. I found it made me hotter for her.
Yeah, I was fucked in the head, but I couldn’t care less.