Chapter 35
Charlie
T he ride here was magnificent. We really need to ride more. Maybe when things with the sting are over, we can go on longer rides. We have five escorts tonight. Angel, Saint, Hustle, Hurl and Honda. The triplets served four terms in the Marines, two of those as Marine Raiders.
All too soon, we pull into a strip mall. Wizard parks up front and helps me off the sled. I take off my helmet and put it in the luggage. My boyfriend bought a new bike after we started dating because it wasn’t comfortable for two.
God, I love this man. Da fuck? Did I just think that? I did. And I do. Now to pick the right time to tell him. After he stows his helmet, he tilts my chin up for a sweet, soft, kiss. When we turn around, I spot the name of the store we’re parked in front of the Tasting Table.
“Is this where we’re going?” I ask, pointing to the sign.
“It is. It’s a cooking slash wine tasting class. It’s a three-course meal. We’re cooking with wine as well.”
“I can’t wait. This is thoughtful. Thank you. Maybe we can switch it up for Sunday dinner and make what we learn to cook tonight.”
“Do you think Regina will go for that?”
“No, but we can outvote her. We do it a few times a year. It’s nice to change things up. You should have seen her face when we voted for sushi.”
We walk as we talk. Wizard opens the door and ushers me inside. We find our way to a large open area with six cooking stations set up in the middle. Off to one side is a classroom type area, while the other side has bistro tables and chairs.
“Which station do you want, tesoro?”
“Left front?”
“Good choice.”
We walk hand in hand to the station and sit on the stool provided. I hear the bells over the front door and look toward the front of the room. Wizard’s club brother Blue comes in with a stunning redhead I’ve never met.
Wizard leans close to my ear. “All of my married brothers ' ladies are expecting or breast feeding. I invited a few single brothers and told them to bring a date or a friend. Blue’s with CJ. She’s the premiere dancer at La Poule Rouge.”
“She’s stunning.”
“She is, but you’re breathtaking.”
I feel my cheeks flush. Shaking my head, I set him straight.
“I’m a single mom with stretch marks and saggy boobs. I have little doubt that CJ is utter porcelain perfection.”
“Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and in my eyes, you’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.”
“I think my ovaries just exploded,” a new, yet familiar, voice says.
I look up to find Doc with Marshal Hayes.
“Hi, Doc. Hello, Marshal.”
“Shh, I’m just a friend hanging out. Call me Riley. I wanted to help monitor the situation, plus wine.”
I laugh.
“I’m all for the wine. I hope we can drink while we cook.”
“Same.” Riley says.
Then she points to the table across from us. “Let’s take this one.”
“Sure,” Doc says, following behind her.
“How did he get wrangled into being her date? They’re like oil and water,” I say to Wizard.
“She asked him when she overheard me talking to him about this afternoon.”
Before we could talk further, more of our friends entered. Decker and Madison. I met her at the employee BBQ. Saber comes next with two of the dolls, Tawny and Athena. Followed shortly by Hollywood and Alena. I remember her name because of her story. The young woman has been through more in twenty years than most people will go through in a lifetime.
A few minutes later, two people in chef’s whites enter the room. The first is a dynamo of a woman with spiky blonde hair. She introduces herself as chef Kimberly and her co-worker as chef Jimi.
We spend the next couple of hours cooking, drinking, and laughing. My face and sides hurt from laughing so much. Saber, Tawny, and Athena have us all in stitches. Blue and CJ randomly break out in song a few times and, of course, we have to all sing along.
The menu was seared steak with a marsala and shallot pan sauce. A roasted beet salad with goat cheese and a cabernet vinaigrette. And pears poached in merlot. It was good and I want to serve it for Sunday dinner sometime.