Chapter 34
-:- CHAOS -:-
As I got ready for work this morning, I was shocked to see Victoria and Corey all geared up and riding out on the trike. What a way to get dropped off at school? I bet it raised some eyebrows.
Settled back into my range routine, I spend part of my morning dodging a client who I’d had a night with, well, an hour or two I should say.
Noticing my dodging, Target found it all highly amusing and even tried to block some of my escape maneuvers.
He wasn’t laughing an hour later when I had him in a stranglehold, the damn traitor.
Once I reached the office, I scheduled the next session my current client was booking and then headed up to the apartment, where I packed all my remaining gear and hauled it down to the truck.
On the way to the clubhouse, I stopped by the car dealer's showroom and purchased the SUV I had my eye on. It was arranged to be delivered to the clubhouse later today, or the deal was off, and I’d want a full refund or the skin off his body.
Walking into the common room, the first thing I notice is Axel with Mia, the Stooges, BS, Drag, Buzz, and PT. But when Specs and Victoria enter, I wonder what’s happening.
“Okay, listen up,” Axel states. “Hammer is up at the Memorial Garden. He has Bethy's and Art's urns. Today we are going to bury those urns, and as the ordained minister, I’ll say a few words. So, are you ready, Victoria?”
Victoria steps closer to me and grasps my hand. I give it a squeeze to let her know she’s not alone. “I’m ready, Pres,” Victoria replies full of nerves.
We are all gathered around where Hammer has erected the headstone.
I can see Victoria doing her best to hold back the tears when Axel talks a little about Bethy’s friendship with Victoria.
He doesn’t touch on Art apart from saying siblings together and beyond.
We recite the Lord's Prayer before we watch Hammer lower the two urns into the ground.
“Would you like to say a few words, Victoria?” Axel asks quietly, but when she shakes her head that no she doesn’t, we all stand for a while before turning and walking back to the clubhouse.
Hammer remains with BS who had offered to help bury the urns and replace the sods of earth. It doesn’t take long to bury someone, and I’m not even sure if we have the right to bury on the property, but we are going to do it anyway. I’m sure Specs and PT will have it all under control.
Specs nudges Victoria. “Come on, let’s get back to work. We have an adoption process to speed along.”
I slap Victoria’s ass lightly before kissing her forehead. “Go on, and if you need me, I’ll come.”
“I’ll get done what I have on my desk and then I’ll be picking Corey up from school,” Victoria states as she looks over her shoulder while walking away.
I make my way to the kitchen and see Mia speaking with all three of the Stooges. Bitty is looking much happier than she had been, so I assume Mia has it all sorted out now.
Meat is walking over to me where I’ve just taken a seat next to BS and Drag. “Ladies night out…” Meat throws at the three of us. BS says, “Nope.” Quickly standing and walking out of the kitchen.
Drag shrugs, and I’m wondering what I’m getting into, but I shrug too and agree to whatever shenanigans Meat is organizing.
Picking my phone up from where I’d placed it on the table, I send a message to the car dealer and tell him to deliver the SUV to the house. I’d forgotten that Victoria has the trike here and would use that to get home.
The message returned tells me they will deliver in the next hour, so I quickly say my goodbyes and head home. I don’t want to miss getting the delivery.
Walking into the house, I already feel, after only two days, that it is home.
The house has such a warm feeling to it that you cannot help but love the place.
Looking around I see a throw that Vicky used last night while watching TV with Corey.
Corey has left a schoolbook and a toy truck on the coffee table. Yeah, it feels like home!
A knock on the door jolts me out of my musings. Yeah, I thought musings. What the hell is going on with me? I quickly open the door and smile when I see the SUV parked outside the house.
“Mr. Styles?”
“Yeah, that’s me,” I respond as I step out of the house.
“Can you show me your purchase agreement, please? I can give you the keys to the SUV after that.” I see another vehicle pull up behind the SUV, which I’m thinking is to take this guy back.
I head into the kitchen and open one of the drawers. Move the tea towels and take out the paperwork for the vehicle. I quickly show the guy and get the keys. This has been a great handover.
I drive the car to the side of the house and turn it so it’s facing toward the street. Once I’ve done that I see Ginny from across the street walking over.
“Chaos, I want to officially welcome you all to the house. I don’t know if you remember my name, but it’s Ginny. I’ve made some cookies and lemon cupcakes and hope you don’t mind the welcome.”
I give a huge smile to Ginny and take the cake tin she’s handing to me. We both look over when we hear a bike arriving. Well, in this case a trike, and we both get a massive wave from Corey, who it seems loves to be on the back of the trike.
Once Victoria and Corey are off the trike and walk over to where I’m standing with Ginny I hold up the tin and smirk. “Hey, Corey, Ginny here brought me cupcakes and cookies.”
Corey gives Ginny a suspicious look. Victoria covers her mouth with her free hand as she has her crash helmet in the other. She’s doing her best not to laugh at Corey’s indignation.
“I brought them for all of you,” Ginny quickly tells Corey, and I’m sure she’s trying not to get on his bad side.
“Really?” Corey beamed.
“Really. I brought them for all three of you as a welcome to your new home.”
Now, before anyone can say thank you we turn as we hear, “Stop fraternizing with the trash, Ginny.”
Corey jumps at the tone of Mrs. Lincoln. “I don’t know what fratnizing is, but I understand trash.”
I place a hand on Corey’s shoulder to hold him back, but when Victoria speaks it is obvious to Corey who this woman is.
“Now, Mrs. Lincoln, that is not a nice thing to say about someone you don’t even know.
I could call you trash, but I’ve more respect for you and for the way I behave.
If you want to make yourself look like a nasty old lady that is your choice, but don’t expect us to be nice to you from this point, hmm,” Victoria has an eyebrow raised and has taken a stance that says we have to move this along, before the old biddy gets a face full of helmet.
“I agree. It is totally uncalled for, and if I hear you speaking like that again I’m going to report you to the Sherrif’s office for harassing these people,” Ginny says this with so much annoyance I have to say, I like her.
Corey surprises us all, “Hey, Mrs. Lincoln, my friend Lincoln said if you cause us trouble he’s gonna come and meet you, and he’ll shut you up for good. He said to shut your mouth.”
Mrs. Lincoln goes ghostly white right as she turns and rushes back to her house. Victoria giggles and Ginny joins in. Corey puffs his chest out and looks at Victoria. “I’ll tell her, Momma. She’s a nasty woman. Lincoln said since she has the same name as him, he’ll come and sort her out.”
“No more being rude to Mrs. Lincoln. Yeah, she is a mean woman. But we don’t go down to the gutter level she’s in.
So, no more speaking to her like that. Leave it to me and Lincoln to deal with her.
” Now, as soon as I say that Corey’s eyes twinkle with excitement, and I can see he’s hoping we have to deal with her.
“Okay, Dad. Whose car is that?” Corey asks, peeking around me at the SUV.
“It’s for your momma. A reliable SUV,” I hold the keys out for Victoria, and she takes them after placing her helmet on the ground.
“I’ll see you soon. If you ever need anything I’m just across the street,” Ginny waves as she quickly makes her way over to her own home.
“Bye Ginny, thank you for the cookies,” Corey shouts, and that made me feel bad because I never had the chance to say it.
“Come on, Corey, let's go look at the SUV.”
We spent quite some time going over the vehicle, and I can see Victoria likes it. Corey talks a mile a minute and climbs in and out of the vehicle until I’m damn dizzy.
“We can go shopping in this, Corey. Oh, and when it’s bad weather, we can stay dry when I take you to school. We can still use the trike when the weather is good…
The pair of them speak together as though they are mother and son, and it just hits you in the chest to see and hear it. If Vicky hadn’t saved him from the river, and I hadn’t got him from the fucking house this could have been a totally different story.
“Come on, let’s go find something to eat,” I shout out as I grab Vicky’s helmet and head for the door.
“Pizza…can we make pizza?”
Vicky laughs, “No, but we can have tacos.”
A while later while eating tacos we all discussed what we could do for the fundraising, and Corey had some great thoughts. Some of his ideas included a pizza sale, beard shaving, and a face-painting competition—all of which were valid suggestions.
Victoria throws out to us. “I’m going to discuss it with Bitty, but I’ll put your ideas forward, Corey. I like the beard-shaving idea because way too many have long straggly beards that are not looked after, so, off with the beards,” which she says like we would hear Off with their heads!