CHAPTER 16
Crack
“Are you ready to roll, Crack?”
“Yeah, yeah, hang on a minute.”
I rush into the kitchen to grab a bottle of water and then head to my hog. I drink the bottle of water and throw the empty bottle into the trashcan we keep near the front door of the clubhouse.
I know Trip is agitated about speaking with the realtor, but he’s got to get this deal done and get the lowest price we can for the place. Gunner is putting up a ton of cash towards the business and it will cause a dent in his bank account.
Pulling up to park in front of the salon, we unstraddle our hogs, and place our helmets on our seats before turning to the front door. I look at Trip from the corner of my eye and stop myself from smirking as he looks like he wants to kill someone, not do a deal.
Stepping inside, I keep a straight face when the realtor excitedly flutters over to Trip. Now, nobody said what had gone down with the realtor but watching this, I can imagine. Trip is gritting his teeth, and I can see how clenched his jaw is.
“Oh, hello, you brought a friend?”
The realtor asks, with a frown on his face.
From Trip’s face, and the look on the realtor’s, I can tell this is going to be a shitshow unless I step up. I smirk at Trip, then state in the most feminine voice I can manage, but I’ve gotta say a biker with tats, huddling up to his man is a strange image. “Oh, hello,”
I give a sweet smile, and flutter my eyelashes while gripping Trip’s forearm and leaning the side of my head on his shoulder. Trip has gone as stiff as a plank and I want to bust out laughing, but hold it back, especially when I see the shock on the realtor’s face.
“Are you two together?”
The realtor asks, clasping his hands together and looking like he wants to cry.
“We are, aren’t we honey?”
I turn to Trip, who looks like any minute steam is going to blow out of his ears and nose. I don’t want to push my luck too far, so I turn back to the little man. “Okay, so we want to make an offer on the place. Well, Trip does.”
I again flutter my eyelashes and start to step away, leaving Trip to speak to who I now realize is Thomas.
Shaking me from the hold I have on him, Trip moves away after giving me a ‘Fuck off’ look. But I bat my eyelashes as I sashay to the other side of the salon and leave him to deal with Thomas.
It doesn’t take too long for Trip and Thomas to haggle about the offer that Trip should put forward. Trip walks over to me after I hear him state, “No, I’ve got my man and don’t need another one.”
I chuckle and continue to play the game, rushing over to Trip, grasping his hand and linking our fingers. “Are you ready to go now, honeybee?”
I ask, and think my eyelids are getting one fuck of a workout.
“You into a threesome?”
Thomas asks.
Oh, you can bet I play this one. “What did you say? Are you hitting on us? I think you need to back off because this man’s mine, all mine, and I don’t share.”
Thomas places one of his hands on the top of his chest while looking at me with eyes as round as saucers and looking like he wants to run for it. “Sorry, I’ll get this place locked up and make the offer.”
Both myself and Trip get out of the salon and to our hogs, all the time watching as Thomas quickly locks the place and literally runs to his vehicle and takes off.
Turning to Trip, I grin. “You okay, honeybee?”
I ask while holding back the belly laugh I want to let loose.
“You ever tell anyone what happened here and I’ll rip off your balls and make you eat them, roasted with chili powder,”
Trip snarls, but I can see the amusement in his eyes.
Back at the clubhouse Trip updates Sharp on the offer that was made, and I know he’ll discuss it with Gunner before anything is signed, if it comes to that point. I sit in the office and close my eyes, relaxing for a short time. I know I’ve still to go over to Dance Mecca because Pres wants me to complete who will be bar manager and answerable for that side of the club.
“Crack, if you can stay awake long enough?”
Pres questions. “Go through to the kitchen and ask Lira if she wants to make any changes? Then see if she needs anything for the room we’ve given her.”
“No problem, Pres.”
I head out of the office and directly to the kitchen, where Lira is working at the sink, rinsing dishes and filling the dishwasher.
“Lira, you got a minute?” I ask.
Turning and giving me a smile, she nods. “I have. What can I do for you? Oh, no, I don’t have time to make any cookies today.”
“Wow, no, I’m not asking for cookies.”
I hold a chair out for her to sit, and take one myself, then continue. “Pres wants to know if you have any changes you want made in the kitchen and your room?”
“The room is okay, but I would like to clean up the decoration a little. Trip tried his best, but hey, he’s a guy. What more can I say?”
Lira looks nervous, and I can’t help but think she’s a sweet woman.
“What do you mean by clean up the decoration?”
“I would like to paint the walls and have the furniture cleaned. It’s a little smelly, if I’m honest.”
Lira looks worried after saying this, but I stand and walk to the room, open the door and yeah, she’s right, the room stinks of sweat, beer and sex. Pres is not going to be happy about this, not for a minute. Trip should have picked up on the smell.
Turning, I walk back to the kitchen and see Lira is sitting where I left her, looking worried. “Lira, you don’t go into that room until I tell you, okay?”
Nodding, Lira looks even more worried. “Is everything okay? I’ve not needed to stay in the room as yet. I’ve been saving to get things to make it better.”
“We’ll do that, don’t worry. I’ll tell Pres, and if you see anyone go into that room, you buzz me and I’ll sort it.”
I know Lira has my digits as I made sure when she came that she had mine, Trip’s, Brawl’s and Atlas’s.
“Okay.”
Lira jumps to her feet and rushes to the oven, where she takes out a rack of barbecued ribs and there are more trays to come out. The brothers are going to be delighted tonight.
I give her a chin lift as I leave the kitchen, and head out to my hog as I need to get to Dance Mecca.
Walking into Dance Mecca, I head to the office where Shar is speaking with Nate.
“Hi, Crack. I want to announce the new bar manager, Nate. The bar team had a meeting and decided that Nate here is the best one for the job.”
“Well, that’s great. It’s another piece of the club puzzle in place. The club has a different feel about it as you walk in. You upmarketed the place is all I can say, and I like it, Shar. I like it a lot.”
“While we’re talking management, Crack, I want to run an idea by you and Nate. I think Stella could be a good fit for the club manager's position. She has management experience in the industry. Her attitude seems to be first rate. She can train the pole dancers and probably knows a few other things that could enhance the club.”
Looking from Nate to me and back again, she’s expecting some input.
“What do you think, Nate?”
I throw that out fast to deflect Shar’s attention from me.
“I’ve talked to her quite a bit, and she has given us some tips for the bar operation. The way she talks to people shows that she has people skills, too.”
Nate is certainly showing support for Stella, that’s for sure.
“I think she has stuff going on in her private life that she’s either keeping quiet or trying to work through. It’s a suspicion I have more than a known fact.”
Shar sits back in her seat and looks thoughtful. “Getting her set up in the apartment quietly could be a good idea, too. If she has previous relationship issues, moving and being close to the club would give her added security by the MC, as well as being less vulnerable while having to travel.”
“Jesus, Shar. Are you thinking of writing a thriller or just getting carried away in a world of make believe? That’s a lot of assumptions you’re throwing out, you know?”
I raise my eyebrows at her and she tips her head to one side.
“I’m not often wrong about people. I think she is a good person, but I get a vibe that all is not well in Stella-world, that’s all.”
“I agree that she could be right for the club manager’s position, but I’m gonna sit back and let you sell it to Sharp. He might not be so keen on someone with all that imaginary baggage you’re giving her.”
“I think you’re doing right there, Crack. I’m lucky that not being a brother, I don’t have to attend your Sunday meetings,”
Nate chimes in.
“Church,”
both Shar and me say at the same time.
“Whatever. I’m going to get back to the bar.”
Nate slides out of his chair and walks from the office.
“C’mon, Crack. Let’s go see how the pole dancing is going. Stella has been pushing them fairly hard the last few sessions.”
“Lead the way, Shar, lead the way.”
Following her from the office, I watch the way her butt moves as she walks and lose myself in a little fantasy.
“Like what you see, huh?”
Damn. Got caught out there, but I’m not embarrassed and brazen it out.
“You know you have a splendid figure, Shar, and I’ve always appreciated a nice ass.”
Surprisingly, she is the one that blushes, and I wouldn’t have expected that.
Taking a seat at one of the tables near the pole area, we watch the dancers go through their routines. Vixen and Cherry are the best of the bunch and I think Electra needs to stay on the stripper stage. She is definitely not cut out for the pole. She’s going to do herself some serious injury before she ever gets a customer excited.
The last thing to do before I leave is check out the apartment. Sharp eventually agreed to spend some serious cash getting it done, and I want to see that it was done right. If it isn’t, Sharp isn’t going to take it lying down.
At the bottom of the stairs to the apartment, there are two lockable exits. One goes directly to the club, the other to the rear parking lot. The apartment door itself is a seriously secure door.
As you walk into the apartment, the new smell hits you first. It’s not so much fresh paint as much as just newness. It is certainly light and airy with a spacious feel. There’s no worry about reporting back to Sharp either. Each room is well-appointed, and all the appliances are high end. I wouldn’t mind moving in myself.
Shar looks like the cat that got the cream as she watches my reaction. “I thought the same, Crack. I wouldn’t mind it myself if I’d been staying.”
“I don’t mind admitting, Shar, it’s not going to be easy letting you go. I know we weren’t meant to be a couple, but even so, watching my little sister ride off into the sunset won’t be easy.”
“Don’t go getting all mushy on me now. I was never intending to become one of the fixtures at the clubhouse.”
“Let’s go report to Sharp. You can talk about Stella, and I’ll do the good stuff and tell him the apartment is exactly how he wanted it.”
Grinning as she punches my shoulder, I feign pain, and she sticks her tongue out at me. Just like a little sister would!