Chapter 7
brOOKE
Istare at Bear with wide eyes, scooting back in the booth. Does he really know why I got off so fast?
“I’m sorry I said that. I told you I’m not like the other guys, and here I am being like them. I’m just comfortable around you,” Bear says.
I look at him skeptically, and he rubs the back of his neck. He did sound very genuine, at least.
“If it makes you feel any better, I felt the same,” he admits shyly.
Blushing, I look away. I was not expecting him to say that. It is a relief to know that I’m not alone in my feelings, despite how odd they may seem, because they just feel so right.
“Here are your waffles! I hope you guys enjoy them. If you need anything, just give me a wave and I’ll come help you,” Jean chirps brightly.
I smile up at her as Bear thanks her. Jean walks away, and Bear grabs the syrup. He pours some on my waffles before doing the same to his.
“Dig in! They are amazing.” He grins.
I grab my silverware and start cutting. I take a bite and melt on the spot. These are amazing. I am definitely coming back here for these waffles.
“I told you they are good. Your face says everything.” Bear laughs, his face smug.
We don’t talk while we eat, but it’s a comfortable silence. I put my fork and knife next to each other on my plate and push them away.
“Do you want to stay here, or do you want me to drop you off at the motel?” he asks.
I signal here. It is really peaceful, and I don’t want to leave yet. Bear isn’t bad company either.
I am still nervous about him. His comment about my quick descent from his bike felt like an insinuation, but his apology has me thinking twice about him.
“Okay. How about we get to know each other? Does that sound good?” Bear questions.
I nod. I am starting to get a little more comfortable around him. He leans over and reaches into his back pocket, pulling out his phone. He unlocks it before handing it to me.
“You can type on this. I’ll go first. What made you want to be a mechanic?”
My dad was a mechanic, so I grew up in a garage and eventually fell in love with the idea of being able to fix something that is broken, I type.
“That’s pretty cool. Did you ever work with your dad?”
I got to work with him for a year before he passed away.
It has been four years since my parents died in a car crash, a drunk driver hit them head-on, and no one survived.
“I’m sorry for your loss,” he says sincerely.
I wave my hand before typing on his phone.
What’s your real name?
“Not many people know my real name. Only a couple of people in the club know it, but I’ll tell you. My real name is Leo. Don’t go around telling anyone, but you can call me Leo,” he replies.
His real name is Leo. It suits him, as does Bear, since he is a big man. I don’t think I’ll call him Leo, though. He was introduced as Bear, and it has stuck with me now.
What made you want to join the club?
“Um, I came back and got medically discharged from the Army when I was twenty-two. I needed a place where we all trusted each other and where I could be myself. My friend, the president, saw that and told me that I could join the club,” he explains.
Knowing that he served in the Army and is now in the club makes him ten times hotter. A man in uniform is always a turn on, especially looking like Bear, covered in tattoos and strong.
That’s pretty cool. I don’t know much about clubs, but it seems like you all are close to each other.
“I can always explain everything about the club to you,” he offers.
Maybe another time. I need to go get a couple of things right now.
I try to change the topic. I don’t want to know much about the club. After tonight, I am hoping to distance myself from the club, going back to my routine of working and going home. I don’t need them trying to involve themselves in my life; my life is already complicated as it is.
“What do you need? Maybe I can help, and figure out the best places to go,” he offers, standing.
He takes his wallet out of his back pocket and drops some money on the table.
I just need a phone right now.
After reading it, Bear smiles and looks back up at me before he starts to walk toward the front door. I follow after him, waiting for him to respond.
“I know the best place to get a phone. The owner is part of the club and loves it when he gets new customers,” Bear says. “I can take you real quick if you want. I don’t want to pressure you into anything
I nod. It would be nice to have someone go with me, especially since Bear knows the owner. He could help me get the best deal and could possibly do all the talking for me.
“Bye, Bear and Brooke! I hope to see you guys soon!” Jean calls.
I wave, and Bear says bye as we leave. I am definitely coming back. I may even become a regular. The diner feels so relaxing and homey. It is weird, but I felt so comfortable the entire time, like I belonged there. The waffles are amazing.
Bear hands me the helmet, then gets on his bike. He looks at me, and I point toward the helmet, and then to him.
“I only have one helmet right now, so I want you to wear it,” he says.
I give him a glare before putting it on. I tap my helmet and then gesture to him several times. I don’t know why it didn’t occur to me before that he only had one lid. We drove from the club to the diner, and he wasn’t wearing one.
“I have no clue what you are trying to say, but next time we ride on my bike, we both will have helmets,” he says.
Nodding, I get on the bike. I try to keep my thoughts clean while we drive to the phone shop, but it is hard when the bike vibrates my body against his. I never thought that I would be attracted to a biker.
“We are here,” he announces, breaking me out of my thoughts.
I hadn’t even realized we had stopped. I jump off, handing the helmet to Bear when he’s up.
Bear grabs my hand and starts to lead me to the electronics shop. He places his hand on my lower back and guides me in through the front door.
“Bear! What are you doing here?” someone shouts.
I look at the skinny tattooed guy coming toward us. Smiling, Bear makes no move to go to greet the guy.
“Hey, Hacker, Brooke needs a phone, and I told her I could show her the best place in town,” Bear says.
“I’m the only place in town.” Hacker laughs.
“I know, I just wanted to give you a good reputation.”
Hacker looks at me and smiles. He sticks his hand out, but I look at it wearily. Hesitantly, I place my hand in his and shake it.
“Hello, Brooke. I am Hacker, like Bear said. What kind of phone are you looking for?”
I look at Bear and move my hands, asking for his phone so I can type. Bear hands it to me, unlocked.
Something cheap.
He looks at the phone, then at Bear. His eyes quickly move to mine before he speaks. I wonder why he looked at Bear first. I am the one buying the phone.
“So, you want something cheap. I’ve got several options. What are you mainly going to use it for, so I have an idea of what exactly you need?”
I just need something that can text. Only need it for work.
“Where do you work? I didn’t think anywhere was hiring besides the garage.”
“She works in the garage. If you are only using it for work, Pres pays for it,” Bear says.
Hacker looks at Bear, confused, which causes me to glance at him as well. He gives Hacker a look that I don’t understand. I don’t want the garage to pay for my phone; it’s unnecessary, especially when they are already doing so much for me.
I just need a flip phone or something to send texts.
“I don’t have any flip phones, but I will show you some phones,” Hacker says.
He starts walking to the right of the store, and I follow. I want an iPhone or something like it, but I don’t have much use for one. I can’t call or FaceTime anyone since I don’t talk, and I don’t have any social media anymore. That’s why I suggested a flip phone.
Hacker leads me toward a display with some touchscreen phones.
“You can look here, pick them up, turn them on, and anything really. I need to talk to Bear for a second. We will be right back,” Hacker says.
Nodding, I watch them walk away and start talking. I try to read their lips but fail miserably. I look back at the phones, and one catches my eye immediately. It’s an iPhone and a bit bigger than my hand, but it’s all black. I look around, trying to see if there are any cheaper ones.
“All right, have any of these phones caught your eye?” Hacker asks.
I jump slightly and face him with wide eyes. I didn’t hear them approaching.
“Sorry for scaring you,” Hacker apologizes.
I wave it off before pointing to a random phone, not looking at what I am pointing to.
“I thought this one might catch your eye. It’s personally my favorite one,” Hacker comments.
I turn my head and realize that I am pointing toward the black iPhone. Quickly, I move my hands and shake my head, trying to find the cheapest one.
“You don’t have to worry about the price. Pres said he would take care of it,” Hacker informs me.
I slump my shoulders before pointing toward the iPhone. I have a feeling that they would pick the black phone even if I said another one. That is the one that I had been eyeing, and I bet they watched me.
“Great, give me one second and I will bag it up for you,” Hacker says, walking off.
I turn toward Bear and find him staring at me. Blushing, I look away. I don’t know how long Bear has been staring at me, but it makes me feel a little giddy inside.
“After this, do you want me to drop you off at the motel or somewhere else?” Bear asks.
Lifting my hand, I realize I still have his phone in my hand. I type that I need to go home and show it to him. I need to set this phone up and get some sleep. My nightmares have been keeping me up the past couple nights, and I am exhausted.
“Here is your phone. If you need any help at all, just ask Bear, or I’ll be at the club tomorrow,” Hacker says.
I nod and sign thank you. It’s a pretty simple sign, and most people know it.
“You know sign language?” Hacker asks.
I shake my head. I have been meaning to learn it, but the past year has been crazy. Then moving here, I have been so busy that any free time I have, I want to sleep.
“Ah, well, I will see you guys later. Have a great night.” Hacker smiles.
Bear says bye, and we make our way out of the store.
We get on his bike and start to drive back to the motel.
Bear revs the engine now and then, and I feel the rumble to my core.
I slightly move in the seat to get comfortable, but am only met with pleasure.
I catch myself repeating the movement now and then, pleasure shoots through me every time I move against the seat.
Before I know it, we’ve made it back to the motel. I climb off the bike and remove the helmet. Bear grabs my waist and hoists me onto the bike again, this time facing him.
“You can’t do that the whole ride and not expect something to happen,” Bear says.
Blushing, I try to get off. Bear holds onto my waist tighter and pulls me straight onto his hardened dick. I suck in air when it makes contact with my core. Subconsciously, I move my hips, trying to get that friction.
One of Bear’s hands travels to the back of my neck, and he smashes his lips against mine. I can’t help but kiss him back. His other hand roams up my side and pulls me closer to him.
I let out a shuddered breath, which he takes as an invitation and pushes his tongue in. I slowly start to rock my hips against his. Bear lets out a moan and thrusts his hips. As I sigh, Bear stiffens and stops kissing me. He grabs my hips, halting my movements.
“We’ve got to stop. I wanted to prove that I’m not like the other guys, and if we continue, I’m just going to be like the other guys,” Bear says, resting his forehead on mine.
I close my eyes for a second, regaining my composure. It was the best kiss of my life. I open my eyes again and nod. I don’t want to stop, but he is right. If we continue, he will be just like all the other guys, and after tonight, a part of me doesn’t want him to be.
“Now, go up to your room and get some sleep. Pres told me that you were helping out at the bar tomorrow, so I’ll see you then,” Bear says.
Bear cups my cheek. I lean my head into his hand and smile. I look into Bear’s eyes, and we just gaze at each other.
Stepping back, I wave at him and make my way to the front doors of the motel.
“Sleep well, Brooke,” Bear yells.
I turn and smile before heading inside. When I first walk in, everyone stares at me. I keep my head down and go straight to my room, blushing. Of course, everyone would be looking at me. I almost had sex with Bear on his bike.