Aubrielle Chapter 8 #2
Shadow’s arm was around me as we left the room after wishing everyone else a good night. Crossing the main floor, I swore it was even more crowded than earlier. I was lucky that people tended to get out of Shadow’s way. The brothers welcomed us back.
“Hell yeah, they came back. Well, I mean, hell yeah, Elle came back. Who needs Shadow?” Ruckus jokes.
This remark earned him the middle finger from my man. I grabbed his finger and gently nipped the tip. Shadow leaned close and whispered in my ear.
“Keep that up, Ellie, and I’ll take you back to Mayhem’s office and fuck you on his desk. I’m burning for you. No matter how often I watch you dance, it gets me fired up.”
Warmth flushed throughout my body. I kissed his fingertip before I answered him. “Have one drink with the guys, and then we’ll go home. You can have me anywhere you want.”
A growl erupted in his throat, making me shiver. The Punishers had shifted, making room for us. As I slid in next to Fiasco, Shadow followed.
“Damn, do you two have to make the rest of us fucking jealous? I swear, the couples in the club make the rest of us want the same thing you have,” Hail commented.
“Just keep your eyes peeled. It’ll happen when you least expect it, and in an unanticipated place,” Shadow told him.
This response got us all discussing what each guy wanted in his partner. A round of drinks was ordered right away. Our previous waitress had been hovering nearby as if she knew we’d be back.
I’d laughed at something Fiasco said, nudging him with my shoulder, when I heard my name called. It wasn’t my dancer’s name. It was my actual one. And it wasn’t one of the Punishers who said it. All talk died down at the booth. I stiffened. Shadow’s arm squeezed me closer.
Turning my head, I saw a small group stopping at the booth. Wide eyes met mine. It was Leigh from school. She was with two couples. The couples were checking me out, then the guys.
“I didn’t know you worked here,” Leigh said.
Her surprise was apparent. I tried to determine whether there was more than that.
Was there an undertone of judgment in her voice?
I saw the men with her curl the corners of their lips, as if they were smirking.
Eyes ran over me. The two women with Leigh were frowning.
It was probably because they noticed that their dates, or whatever they were, checked me out.
I refused to be embarrassed. I smiled at Leigh.
“Hi, Leigh, yes, this is where I work. I had no idea when you invited me to go out with you and your friends tonight, it was to Eden. How long have you been here?” I kept my voice light and cheerful.
“We went to dinner first, and then the guys suggested we come here. We’ve never been here before. We got here about ten minutes before your dance,” she answered.
“A lot of couples come here. More than people think. If you want to see something, come on Sunday nights. That’s when they have amateur night,” Diesel interjected.
Leigh gave him a tentative smile. I knew I had to make introductions because I refused to make this more awkward than it already was. I wasn’t doing anything to be ashamed of.
“Leigh, let me introduce you to my group. You saw this guy earlier today.” Her face flushed at the reminder. I kept going.
“This is Shadow. I’m his old lady. To my left is Fiasco, and then Ruckus. They’re actual brothers. Next, you have Diesel, and finally Hail. They’re part of the Iron Punishers MC. Guys, this is Leigh. She and I have a few classes together at school.”
The guys all said hello and nodded. Leigh returned their greetings, smiling. Her friends didn’t. They stared until one of the women asked with barely controlled disdain, “Old lady?”
Before any of us had a chance to explain what it meant, Leigh turned to her. She was frowning.
“Yeah, that’s what bikers call their wives and serious girlfriends. It’s a term of respect, Cleo,” she snapped.
Cleo shrugged but said nothing. Leigh sighed, then made introductions to her bunch even though she didn’t appear to want to.
“This is Cleo and her boyfriend, Nate. And then Vickie and her boyfriend, Danny. We know each other from college. They take different classes than the ones you and I are in, so that’s probably why I’ve never been able to introduce them. ”
Leigh didn’t sound unpleasant or like she cared that she had introduced a stripper to her friends.
Too bad that wasn’t the case with the other four.
Cleo and Vickie stood back with slight sneers on their faces.
Nate and Danny smirked as they looked at me.
Nate leaned to the side to whisper in Danny’s ear. Whatever he said made Danny chuckle.
“Hey, we like a good joke. Why don’t you tell us what’s so funny?” Diesel asked. He wasn’t smiling.
“Man, it’s nothing,” Nate replied.
“Still, we could do with a good laugh. Tell us,” Hail prodded.
Sensing the danger, Leigh gave me an apologetic look.
“We need to go. I’ll see you at school next week. Sorry for the interruption. We’ll leave you to enjoy the rest of your night. Let’s go,” she hissed at the two couples.
It was at that exact moment that the music from the current dance stopped. We could now hear what was said as the five of them turned to walk off.
“Yeah, I think she’s fucking all five of them and the rest of the club, too.” Danny snickered.
As one, Shadow and his four club brothers slid out of the booth and stood.
I knew it was no use trying to stop them.
The fury on Shadow’s face was terrifying.
Nate and Danny whipped around when they heard the rustling of leather.
Their eyes widened, and their faces paled.
Automatically, their hands went up as if that could ward off what was to come.
“What the hell is wrong with you?” Leigh snapped at her friends.
“Don’t yell at them. Come on, she’s a slut, Leigh. Anyone who takes her clothes off for a living is,” Cleo snapped.
“Christ, you’re so ignorant, Cleo. People sometimes have to do what they must to survive.
Not all of them can be entitled bitches who have everything handed to them.
I’m done with you guys. You always act like you’re better than everybody else.
News flash, you’re not,” Leigh told her, standing there with her hands on her hips, glaring.
“Oh, I’m sorry. I guess you’re trash, too,” Cleo shot back.
Leigh stepped into Cleo’s face. “Say that again,” she hissed.
“Step back, Leigh. I’m not letting you hit her,” Nate snapped.
“I’d like to see you stop her,” Diesel said gruffly.
By now, the five were encircled by the Punishers. I slipped out of the booth to join them.
“Maybe we should all calm down,” I suggested.
“Shut up, bitch. No one asked for your opinion,” Vickie snarled.
I saw red. Before I thought better of it, I pushed past Shadow to stand in front of Vickie. “Why don’t you make me?” I taunted.
I wasn’t one who typically went seeking a fight, but I wasn’t without some fighting skills. I had to develop those because of the way I grew up. Being looked down on by snooty bitches wasn’t new for me.
“What seems to be the trouble here, Shadow?” Mayhem’s voice broke the standoff.
“We’re just about to clean up the trash you have in here, Mayhem,” my man said casually.
“Oh yeah, why’s that?” my boss asked nonchalantly.
“Because they were insulting my old lady. I don’t appreciate her being called a slut, accused of fucking my entire club, or for other men to be panting over her, though with the women they call girlfriends, who can blame them,” Shadow said.
Outraged shrieks erupted from Cleo and Vickie. Nate and Danny scowled more. Leigh burst out laughing.
“Shut up, Leigh!” Vickie snapped.
“Fuck you,” Leigh snappily replied. I liked her more every second.
“Well, brothers, I hate to get blood on the floor. It’s a bitch to get out. If you want to teach them manners, take it outside. I’ll make sure no one calls the cops,” Mayhem said coolly.
That remark had those four troublemakers turning pale. They started talking over each other.
“We’ll leave,” Nate said hastily.
“We didn’t mean any harm,” Danny stated.
“W-we’re going,” Cleo stammered.
“It was a joke,” Vickie exclaimed.
As they backed away, the group of Punishers followed. They escorted the group through the crowd to the door, then out into the parking lot. Leigh trailed behind them, smirking.
Once outside, the two couples took off racing toward a car parked in the fourth row to the right of the entrance. Leigh didn’t join them. It was fun to watch the quartet tear out of the parking lot, throwing terrified glances over their shoulders as they did.
“I don’t think they’ll come back. Too bad, I was starting to enjoy myself,” Hail murmured.
This remark made the rest of us laugh, including my schoolmate. When we were finished, Leigh spoke up.
“I’m so sorry about them, Aubrielle. They’re idiots, and I knew they were kind of snobby, but not that bad. Good riddance. I don’t need friends like that.”
“Thank you, Leigh,” I said.
“No need to thank me,” she replied.
“Your ride left. I can give you a ride home,” Diesel offered.
“Thanks, but that’s not necessary. I always drive myself.
You never know when you might need to leave or when you’ll get ditched.
Again, sorry for their ignorant shit. Have a good remainder of your night.
It was nice to meet you all, even if it didn’t go the way I hoped.
Aubrielle, I’ll see you later,” she said before giving a small wave.
We stood there until she was in her tiny car and pulling away. She waved again, and we returned it.
“Damn, that was anticlimactic. Who wants to go back inside and have those drinks we ordered? Who knows, maybe we’ll get a nice fight after all,” Ruckus stated, grinning, after she was gone.