Chapter 16
Alice
T he weekend is almost here and work has been going well. I've completed the work profiles for everyone and have issued warnings to two staff members, given a generous bonus to another, and hired a new secretary who is now working with Sadie.
Looking up when my office door opens, I smile at Sadie, who is carrying in a mug of coffee and a brown bag. Now this brown bag I recognize as it has a cupcake on the front. “Oh, gimme, gimme,” I laugh, much to Sadie’s amusement.
“Here you go, Boss.” Sadie hands me the bag, and I rip into it to find a cupcake with purple cream spiraled on the top, and sprinkles that are just waiting for me to take a bite.
“Hm, thank you, Sadie,” I say, taking a bite of the cake portion after pulling back the paper casing. As I bite a blob of purple cream icing hits my nose, but I continue to chew, humming with delight.
Startled, I look at Sadie when she speaks, “You know your Uncle Ryan keeps bringing me flowers and asking me out. I didn’t think bikers did that sort of thing.”
Now, I stop eating and look at Sadie in shock. “Beast is asking you on a date?”
“Well, yeah.” Sadie laughs at what has to be a shocked look on my face, and of course, a blob of purple cream icing on my nose.
“He isn’t stealing you from me here,” Rubbing the cream from my face because now I’m not amused anymore, I’m annoyed. He can’t take Sadie away from me. We’ve only just got our positions with the company. “I’m going to have to speak with him about this.”
“It’s okay, I already told him he’s a gorgeous man, but I’m not leaving town, or you and the company. He just said, well that’s okay because he’s thinking of retiring and he can retire in this town.”
“What the hell…I’m going to speak to Beast because if he’s retiring and moving to town, does that mean my Pops is too?” Now that thought is pleasing, because having them both here would be amazing!
“I haven’t said yes, as I wanted to speak to you about it first. If you have a problem with it, then I’d not think of going there with him.” Sadie has taken a seat and giving me a serious look.
“If you want to go out with Beast, then you do it. It’s not anyone’s business but your own. But if you get with him and I’m with Jax, will that make us related?”
Sadie’s eyes round and then she giggles, “It would make me your mother-in-law.”
“Oh my, oh my…” I can’t stop the laughter that has burst forth. Then I have another thought! “Well, if Beast is my father-in-law, I can call him Dad.”
Sadie giggles and as we look at each other we both laugh hysterically at the tangled relationship we just unearthed. Oh, I can’t wait to call Beast Dad instead of Uncle. That’s going to have his chest pop and nearly burst out of his cut.
Checking on the apartment block an hour later, I’m disappointed to see an offer is on it. The owner has put a hold on the sale until he’s checked the offer out. I’m disappointed, but other things will come up. You just have to bide your time.
Arriving home, a note is on the kitchen counter asking me to go to the clubhouse. Now, I’m not keen on the idea, but I know that I will have to get over my feelings for the place if Jax and I are going to have a solid relationship. It would never be more than a fling if I didn’t visit the clubhouse, as it’s more than just a meeting place. It’s the center of the club, and as the old lady of the President, I’m going to have to do my bit.
I make a piece of toast as my stomach is a little off. I think that the cupcake was a bit too rich for me as it was very sweet. I’ll eat later when I’ve been to the clubhouse. I could pick up something from the diner on the way back here. It’s an option, anyway.
Banging on the door has me quickly running to it and opening it, sadly not thinking to check the peephole, because if I had I would not have opened the door.
“Okay, what do you want?” Yeah, I’m full of sass at the moment, but seeing my mother standing here ready to have a go at me is not the way I want to spend my evening.
“I need to speak with you,” snipping as she tries to push past me to get into the apartment.
Blocking her way so she can’t enter, I snarl right back at her. “What for? You’ve had what you are getting from me. I’m done with you. I honestly thought we had a good relationship if you take out the toxic shit you throw at me now and again. But…” shaking my head resignedly, “I was wrong, wasn’t I? I was just a money-making thing to you. You kept me from my father, so he couldn’t step in and stop you from being the lazy baggage you actually are.”
“Look, you need to send me the money again. I can’t pay the mortgage or the utilities. I can’t afford food even.”
“Get a freaking job like the rest of the world has to. You are nothing damn special to be given everything you want or need. You’ve lived off men all your life, and I can see that now I’m grown. You’ve looked down your nose at people all my life, but I never saw it for what it was. I’m done with you, and until you change your ways, I’m staying done. Now, get away from my door before I call the cops, or worse, the MC and my father.”
“Alice…” I push her away from the door and slam it in her face. I’m done, it’s enough. She can sink or swim on her own. She could always go live with her friend Mais; I think to myself a little spitefully.
A while later I walk into the clubhouse after giving the prospect on the gate a nice big smile. I think it took him back a little as he gave me a smile in return, but it wasn’t as bright as mine.
Looking around as I make my way to the office, I don’t smile at anyone who is sitting around and watching my entrance. I can see the old ladies taking notice and the club whores look shocked, but let them think what they like.
Tapping on the door, I open it and walk inside when I hear ‘Enter’ . Coming to a halt right inside the door when Beast, Papa, Bolt and Jax are sitting looking at me.
“Hi, Goldie.” Jax grins and holds his hand out for me to walk around his desk.
That’s not why I’m here and I look at Beast, pointing a finger at him as I cock a hip. “You…What are you doing chasing after Sadie? Hm…”
Beast, of course, has no shame and gives me a cocky smile and a freaking wink. “She’s a fine-lookin’ woman, and I’m ready to settle my ass down, so who better than a woman who knows who she is, what she likes, and isn’t looking at me for my patch.”
Grunts of agreement are given by Pops and Bolt, and turning to look at Jax, he’s sitting back grinning and enjoying the show.
Spinning back to Beast, I smirk. “You know, if you get with Sadie, that makes her my mother-in-law. But you’d have to marry her first, you know, to make that legal.”
The room is silent as they all work out how that happens. Then Bolt grins, “But, you’d have to be married to Jax so that Beast is your father-in-law.”
Jax leans forward in his seat, placing his palms on the desk and pushing himself to his feet. “Well, we are very lucky then because Beast is ordained and can marry us as soon as Teckie gets the paperwork in order.”
“Look, I’m not ready to get married. We’re supposed to be taking it slowly.”
Papa is smirking, and it’s going to have my blood boil over, but I know how to slap that smirk off his face. “Oh, by the way, Papa, my mother came around demanding money.”
Jumping to his feet, I can see he’s already forgotten about the marriage thing and so has Beast. They are on the way out the office door when I murmur just loud enough to be heard, ‘Fancy, a Papa and a Dad. Who would ‘a thought it?’
I let Jax know that marriage is off the table for the moment, and he’s okay with that. He was just pulling his Pops’ chains and enjoying it too.
Walking into the clubhouse with his arm around my waist, Jax bellows, “LISTEN UP!! ALICE IS MY OLD LADY.”
Congratulations, foot stomps and excited hand clapping ensues. I’m rather surprised, especially after I have cut them all out of my life.
Stone, Gunner, Tank, Lethal, and Bones all come over and hug me tightly, then slap Jax’s back until I’m sure he’ll have an enormous bruise there later.
Belle and Jeanette both walk over and give me a small smile. “Congratulations, Jax, and Alice.” They both try to hug me, but I step back out of their way. They’re going to have to earn my respect and trust again, because I’m not going to give it easily.
Bonnie and Sarah, two other old ladies, walk over and congratulate also, but they both see that I’m not overly warm, so quickly walk back to where they had been sitting, along with Belle and Jeanette.
“Alice is now First Lady of the club. Old Ladies and whores all defer to Alice. Don’t think for one minute I will allow you to disrespect her or not follow orders. Things are changing around here and changing for the better. If you feel you can’t change with it, then it’s time for you to hand in your patches, or move on to another club so you can whore for them.” Jax is not pulling any punches. He’s straight down the line. I can see that they are all understanding and look willing to follow along with what is happening.
Teckie steps forward and hands a box to Jax, who quickly opens it to take out the cut inside. Shaking it out, Jax holds it for me to slip my arms into, and I have to smile softly at him when the back clearly states ‘Property of Jax’ at the top and ‘First Lady’ at the bottom. The front has a patch with ‘Goldie’.
I throw my arms around Jax’s neck, which gives him the opportunity, which, of course, he doesn’t miss to kiss me thoroughly while the room explodes in applause and congratulations. It’s an ideal moment for the club to party, and oh yeah, they party hard.