Chapter 2
Zombie
I parked my Harley outside of The Bullet, feeling like a failure with Trixie. Yeah, I knew her name, though I never used it when I went into Schafer’s Deli.
Believe me. I’d practiced saying Trixie many times while I stared at myself in the bathroom mirror, but her name would not leave my mouth in her presence.
Lynx was going to tease me after he heard how it went today; I just knew it.
Why was I such an idiot with this chick? The club girls were easy to be with but then maybe it was because they kept their mouths shut like I told them to do.
I’d never been a talker. For as long as I could remember, there’d been few people I felt comfortable with. Mostly just my folks and a classmate or two. My whole life, twenty-seven years, I’d been a loner. The weirdo nobody understood or wanted to get to know.
Then one random day, Lynx approached me when I was eating dinner in The Bullet. He’d said, “Every Tuesday and Friday you’re here and you order the same thing. You use up a pile of napkins and don’t meet up with anyone. What’s up with that?”
I’d shrugged and replied, “Don’t have any friends.”
Lynx had stared at me for a long beat, then he said, “Now you do.” He’d sat in the vacant chair and started talking, and he never stopped.
Every Tuesday and Friday night after that, I had somebody to eat with: Lynx. Eventually, he offered to sponsor me to be a prospect for KLMC and the rest was history.
I was grateful to have Lynx and Storm in my life. They’d given me brothers and a whole family. They’d taught me a lot and didn’t seem to care that I was different. Awkward. An introvert and neurodivergent. I had my “cute quirks” as Sugar called it, but no one had made me feel bad about it.
Like I ate the same food every day, not only because I was a picky eater, but my mind sort of forced me to. I had some sensory issues and couldn’t stand to have dirty hands, which was why I went through a ton of napkins when I ate.
Despite all my weirdness, the Knights welcomed me into the fold with open arms.
After my folks had kicked me out of the house, because they couldn’t deal with my moodiness and black and white views of stuff, I’d driven from town to town until I found a place I liked.
The Bullet and Lynx had made my decision easy.
Lynx had been patient with me and taught me a lot. He’d also been the one to help me with sex, and boy was I glad about that. I might not have ever had physical touch with a chick if it hadn’t been for Lynx.
I started having sex a few years ago, right around the time I became a prospect. When Lynx found out I was a virgin, he quickly remedied the issue. As it was now, I only liked to do the deed, and mostly clothed.
Since I didn’t know how to talk to girls, the act was over fast. Chicks didn’t understand me, and they didn’t care to dig deeper. Not like my president and Lynx. They knew a little about how my mind worked and figured out the best ways to talk to me and make me a contributing member of the MC.
I took orders well. Could defend myself and my club. And I was completely loyal. Those were the qualities that mattered to Storm. I respected him and Lynx and would never let them down.
Gritting my teeth, I got off my bike to head into The Bullet. Lynx had said I’d find him at the bar, and sure enough, there he was waiting for me.
“How did it go tiger? Did she say yes?” He grinned wide and put two shots of whiskey on the counter in front of him. I think he wanted to celebrate but there was nothing to celebrate.
“No,” I replied.
“What do you mean, no? I told you exactly what to say to her.”
“The words wouldn’t come out of my mouth. She makes me nervous.” I hung my head, embarrassed and ashamed.
Why couldn’t I ask Trixie out? Of all the women I’d been around, she was the only one I liked.
“Keep your chin up.” He slid the shot glass toward me. “You have two more opportunities before the Halloween party.”
“I don’t think I can do it. Maybe you should go over and ask her.” I drank the amber liquid and immediately felt better.
“I mean, I could.” He pondered the idea for a minute. “But I don’t think Jaynee would appreciate me inviting a hot little number like Trixie to the party. It needs to be you, buddy.”
“What about Emilee? She goes to the deli a lot. Or Sugar? Whoever is picking up the order for the party can do it. Just not me.”
“I know it doesn’t make sense, but it would mean a lot to her if you invited her personally. Then she’d know you like her. If you want to be with her, you need to find the courage to stake your claim. Otherwise, you might lose her to another guy.” Lynx was a very smart guy.
“I’d kill any guy who touched her.” I sneered at him.
“Yes!” he shouted. “I mean, no! We don’t kill unless we’re threatened.”
“I am threatened if someone touches Trixie without my permission.” See that? I said her name with zero problem just now. Dammit!
“I get it, but she’s not your property, buddy. Not yet at least.” He winked. “And even when she is, and I do believe she will be yours one day soon, we don’t hurt people unless they really deserve it. Do you remember what Storm told you the day you were patched in?”
“Murder is the very last course of action. Never kill unless absolutely necessary.” I remembered the President’s words exactly. He’d only repeated them four times that night. Drilling them into my head so I wouldn’t forget, and I hadn’t.
“Good man. Tomorrow, you try again with Trixie.”
I growled in my throat. “But the same thing is going to happen.”
Lynx tapped his hand on the counter, thinking. “I have an idea! Wait here.” He went toward his office.
What was he doing? Knowing Lynx, probably something crazy.
“This is my best idea ever!” He had a victorious grin on his face.
“What?”
“This.” He put a folded piece of paper in front of me. “Give this to her tomorrow, and all your problems will be solved.”
I took the paper, opened it and read it…
Hey, Trixie.
We’re having a Halloween party this Friday night at 8:00 pm. Do you want to come?
Zombie
“That’s not like my handwriting.” I screwed up my face. My writing is a lot neater than his. “She’ll know I didn’t write it.”
“It’s fine. She won’t care, trust me.”
“Do guys actually write notes?”
“No, not cool dudes. But we’re desperate. If you can’t verbally ask her, the note is your only option.”
He had a point.
I folded up the note and stuck it in my pocket. “Okay. I’ll do it.”
Thursday afternoon, I went to Schafer’s Deli to get my usual: foot-long meatball sub, light on the marinara, extra mozzarella. I had the note Lynx wrote shoved into my front pocket, ready to hand to Trixie.
A chill worked its way down my spine. It wasn’t nerves. The temperature had plummeted overnight and stayed in the mid-20s.
It was freaking cold out on my Harley. Before I knew it, I’d have to be in a cage.
Not an actual cage. Lynx had said they called any vehicle a cage because bikers didn’t like to be boxed up.
But in Minnesota, the brutal winters forced us to drive cages, or we’d freeze to death.
Or wind up in a ditch because of the icy roads.
The bell above the door chimed as I entered the deli and the sound caused the muscles in my neck to instantly tense.
“Good afternoon, Mr. Brandon,” Papa Schafer said from behind the counter. “It’s frigid out, no?”
I nodded as I scanned the room.
“She’s not here today. I already have your meatball sub, light sauce and extra mozzarella, ready to go.” Papa Schafer smiled proudly and set the bag on the counter.
“Where is she?” How was I supposed to give Trixie the note if she wasn’t working?
“She took the afternoon off to get her hair done.” He chuckled. “You know girls and all that beauty stuff.”
“No, I don’t.” This was just great. What would Lynx say? “She’s always here when I come in.”
“Yes.” He considered me for a second, then leaned toward me. “Perhaps she didn’t feel the need to be here after all,” he whispered.
“I don’t know what you mean. Why doesn’t she feel the need to be here after all? She’s always working when I come in.”
Papa Schafer sighed. “I shouldn’t say too much.”
“But I’m confused.” And I was getting angry. He needed to make it clear to me, so I’d understand what was happening.
“She’s given up on you, friend.” He looked at me with compassion in his dark depths.
His words hit me in the gut like a ton of bricks. How could she give up on me when I didn’t know she liked me?
Yes, you did.
Lynx had even come with me a couple of times to “read the room” since I sucked at it. He’d told me, “She’s definitely into you.”
“Fine.” I took the note out of my pocket and the usual twenty-dollar bill, crumpled them in my hand, then slammed them on the counter. “Tell Trixie I won’t come anymore. Keep the change and you can throw that away.” I pointed at the note.
Snatching my bag of food, I stormed out of the building. Never again would I try to be normal with a chick. It was good I was in the MC and had club girls to be with.
No more complicating my life over a woman.
I’m done.