Chapter 21
Chapter
Twenty-One
AISLING
Hash insisted on driving me to work, which meant he also had to drop Cormac off at daycare with me.
I was adamant that I could drive myself, but he asked when the last time I had my car in for an oil change and a tune-up was, and I couldn’t give him an answer which earned me a “Are you fucking kidding me, Aisling?”
I caved because my car does need a little TLC. Actually, probably more than a little, but I lost count of the number of noises it randomly makes because anytime it decides to talk to me, I turn the radio up and tune it out.
It worked out for the better though because Hash could see Cormac’s daycare and meet the ladies who watch him as well as get put on the list of approved people to pick him up if I need it.
“You know you’re going to have to pick me up from work, right?” I ask as we stand on the sidewalk in front of the salon.
Hash pins me with a look that says, “Really?” as he stares me down on the sidewalk.
“Don’t look at me like that,” I tell him. “I was just making sure you don’t forget me.”
“Didn’t forget you for eighteen months, not going to forget you in eight hours, baby doll.”
“Okay,” I whisper, trying not to let it show how much those words affected me as my belly gets all warm and fluttery.
“Come here.” Hash wraps his arm around me and pulls me flush against his hard body. My arms circle around his waist as I hold on tight. “Have a good day at work. I’ll see you when you get off,” Hash says before he leans down and places a kiss on my lips.
“Try not to fuck up my car,” I wink and I slap his ass as we pull away.
“I’d be doing you a favor. Bye, baby doll.” Hash flicks his hand up in a single-hand wave as he climbs into my car.
He doesn’t pull away from the curb until he sees me walk into the salon.
“That man is just so dreamy.” Frankie sighs as she gazes out the window until the taillights of my car disappear down the street.
“I think you’re forgetting I didn’t find him like this.” I laugh.
“Where’s he taking your car?” Frankie asks as she follows me into the back room.
“He’s taking it to the club’s garage to give it a tune-up. He’ll be back to pick me up.”
“Maybe he will accidentally wreck it so you can get something new.”
“I wish. I can’t afford a new car right now.”
I’ve been eyeing something a little bigger so there’s more room in the backseat with the car seat and everything, but I can’t swing the payments right now.
“Alright, bitch,” Frankie says as she crosses her arms and leans up against the counter. “Spill. I need all the tea from Saturday because I got a not so nice message from Jason Sunday morning. I’m assuming Hash saw you guys.”
I snort. “That’s one way of putting it. Hash just happened to also be eating dinner at Bella Vita and saw me having dinner with Jason. Frankie, he lost his ever-loving mind. I thought he was going to drag Jason out of the restaurant by his shirt collar and beat his ass in the parking lot.”
“No.” Frankie gasps, her eyes widening. “Why would Hash be eating there? Oh shit.” She snaps her fingers. “I forgot Matteo Adduci owns that place. I’ve heard he’s friends with the club.”
I don’t know much about what goes on with the club because Hash has never shared, but it makes sense.
“What did Jason say?” I ask.
He’s such a fucking tool. I don’t feel bad Hash slammed his face into his plate now.
“Bitch, he crashed out. He wrote three paragraphs about how you used him to make your boyfriend jealous and he didn’t sign up for this, which then led into you not being worth that expensive of a date because you didn’t have the right air to be eating at a five-star restaurant.
Whatever that means. I told him to get bent for you. ”
“He was such a douchebag.” I roll my eyes and shake my head.
“Honestly, as much as that moment of Hash finding me on a date sucked, he kind of saved me because I was two seconds away from stabbing the salad fork in my eye. A trip to the emergency room by ambulance sounded like a better time than having to listen to him talk about himself for another minute.”
“That bad?” Frankie winces.
“It was so bad,” I groan. “You’re never allowed to pick another date for me again.”
“Well, obviously,” Frankie says with wide eyes. “I would like to live, please and thank you.”
“Hash wouldn’t kill you.” I laugh before it slowly dies out. “At least I think.”
Frankie grabs a mixing bowl and brush out of the cabinet to get ready for her next client. “That right there is not a good enough answer for me,” she says as she points the brush at me while she’s talking. “You two are going to live happily ever after. It’s sickening really.”
“Shut up.” I roll my eyes as I walk out of the back room and head to mine to get set up for the day.
“Why do you keep looking out the window?” Frankie asks. “I thought you had one more client.”
“I do,” I respond as I watch the cars driving by and people walking past on the sidewalk.
“You think he’s not going to show up?”
“No, I know he’ll show up. It’s not that. Ever since he dropped me off, I’ve had this weird feeling that something bad is going to happen.”
“Like what?”
“I don’t know. I just can’t shake this feeling in my gut,” I tell her.
I probably sound as crazy as I look, but something just doesn’t feel right. You know when you feel an immense sense of dread, but you can’t figure out what it’s from so you just go through the motions and wait for it to happen?
That’s how I feel right now.
“It’s probably from your crazy ass weekend. You need to have a chill night in tonight and relax and let everything wash off of you.”
“Yeah, maybe,” I mutter as I wrap my arms around myself.
Hash arrives about half an hour after I told him I was finishing up, pulling up right out front. He climbs out of my car and rounds the hood of my car, stopping at the passenger door. He opens it up and rests his arm on the frame, waiting for me to climb inside.
“Hey, baby doll.” Hash smirks as he looks me up and down as I approach. “Have a good day?”
“Yeah.” I give him a soft smile that only feels half forced as I slide into the car.
Hash slams my door shut and, in what’s quickly becoming my favorite pastime, I watch him saunter around the hood of the car to his door.
“What’s next?” Hash asks as he turns the car on.
“Pick up Cormac and go home. I don’t usually stop anywhere else unless I need to pick up a random thing or two.”
“Easy enough.” Hash pulls away, heading toward Cormac’s daycare. “Your car is shit, babe. It’s running, but barely. And when was the last time you got new brakes? You were running metal to metal.”
“The brake light hasn’t come on, so I didn’t think I needed to have them changed yet. I haven’t blown through any lights yet.” I shrug. Hash looks over at me with his jaw dropped like he can’t believe what he’s hearing. “What? Why are you looking at me like that?”
“The brake light?” Hash asks.
Now, it’s my turn to look at him in confusion. “I’m not trying to offend you, babe, but shouldn’t a mechanic know what a brake light is? I shouldn’t have to explain it to you.” And I hope he doesn’t ask me to because I’m not even sure I fully understand it.
“I know what a brake light is…” Hash says slowly. “Do you know what a brake light is?”
“I just told you.”
“Aisling.”
“Hash.”
“You don’t wait for your brake light to come on to change your brakes!
Are you crazy?” Hash exclaims, looking at me with a bewildered expression.
“Nine times out of ten, that light comes on because of an electrical issue or low fluid, not because your pads are getting a little low. Jesus Christ, woman.” Hash shakes his head.
Oh.
Oops.
“Well, now that you’re here, I won’t have to worry about it.” I smile at him as I pat his arm.
Hash grunts and says nothing more. The rest of the ride to Cormac’s daycare and home is silent between the two of us with the exception of Cormac’s baby babble.
While Hash and I were talking, the weird feeling I’ve been having all day seemed to disappear, forgotten about, but now that I’m home it’s back.
“Are you staying for dinner?” I ask Hash once we’re in the house.
“Not tonight, baby doll. I spent all day working on your car. I have some club business I need to take care of.”
“Okay,” I say, trying not to sound bummed.
Snuggling up with Hash in bed sounds like the perfect end to my day, especially when I’m feeling like this.
“What’s wrong?” Hash asks as he studies my face.
“Nothing.” He’s already done enough for me today and doesn’t need my shit that’s probably something made up in my head put on him.
“You’re sure?” Hash presses, not looking convinced.
“I’m sure.” I give him a tight smile. “I need to get this guy fed and bathed.”
“Alright,” Hash says as he studies my face. “I’ll be back tomorrow night, and I’m staying.”
“Okay. Let me know what you want for dinner, and I’ll make it.”
“Make whatever you want, baby doll. I need to get going. My brothers are waiting. Give me those lips.”
I turn to face him, planting a big wet one on him. Just as I’m starting to pull away, Hash’s hand presses into the back of my head, holding me in place as he deepens the kiss.
“That’s how you kiss your man goodbye,” Hash says, his voice low.
He lightly rubs the top of Cormac’s head before giving me one last look and walking down the hall and out the front door.
I sigh before smiling tiredly at Cormac, ready to get on with our evening routine so I can rot in bed and hopefully make this feeling go away.
By the time I get him in bed, I’m exhausted. All I want to do is get an ice-cold Diet Coke and lie in bed and watch TV until my brain shuts off.
As I pad down the hall and into the kitchen, I freeze. Frigg is alert and sitting on the dining room table, staring at the sliding glass door. Her body is taunt and alert.
“What are you looking at, pretty girl?” I coo to her, trying to keep the fear that’s creeping up my spine out of my voice.