13. You Feel Like Dancin, Short Stuff?
You Feel Like Dancin', Short Stuff?
Arlo
‘S o, what brought you here to our little town?’ Nick asks as we sit, drinking beers. The girls are dancing, and my eyes keep drifting up to check on Bree. I can tell myself it’s in the interest of her safety all I want, but I know I’m lying to myself.
When I met her two decades ago, I knew I wanted to give her every part of me. I wanted her to know what monsters hid in the dark, and I wanted to let her light into even my darkest corners. Now, I’m hiding in her dark, trying to find her monster, trying to bring her back to the light.
‘Just wanted a change. City life and living in an apartment wasn’t good for me or Beans. I’m getting too old for it.’ I grin. ‘We needed space, you know? Clean air.’
‘Well, it doesn’t get much cleaner,’ Doug says, ‘do you fish?’ he asks, and both Leo and Nick groan.
‘Never tried,’ I admit, amused, and Leo rolls his eyes.
‘Don’t tell him that. He will force you to go and sit by the side of the lake for days on end.’
‘Yeah, but at least we have Nick’s cabin nowadays,’ Doug says, amusement in his tone. ‘Fresh food, cold beer, and real beds.’
I can’t help but smile at how warm these men are. It’s been a long time since I had friends, and I’m not really sure I ever did. I had the brotherhood of the club, then associations in prison, but that was out of necessity. Since I got out, I’ve had Mrs. C, my employees, and Beans.
I get the impression Doug doesn’t know Bree and I have history. I’m surprised because I thought Zoe was going to kill me when we met, so I would have expected Doug’s reception to be just as, if not more , frosty. I don’t know what story Bree told her sister to make me the bad guy, but it’s her family, so that’s up to her, but there’s nothing but warmth from her brother and his friends, and it’s unsettling but kind of nice.
‘Always willing to try something new,’ I say, smiling, glancing once more to where Bree is standing, selecting music at the jukebox. She’s beautiful. It pains me that she still affects me the way she does. I’ve been with a lot of women before and after Bree, but none of them left me with the lingering yearning that she does, that she always did.
‘Can’t help but notice you checking my sister out,’ Doug says, pulling my attention back to him to find him grinning, and I drop my head, smiling.
‘Sorry, man. Can’t seem to stop myself.’ This is needed. I need them all to see me checking her out. I need her to see it because I need to set this thing in motion.
‘Hey, if she’s happy to have you looking, keep looking. Just don’t hurt her because I would hate to have to kick your ass.'
I laugh. Not because I think he wouldn't kick my ass, or at least try.
'No offense, Doug, but I’m getting the sense that if anyone hurt your sister, she'd be the one doing the ass kickin’.'
The three men laugh and nod, and I get the message that Bree hasn't lost any of her sass in the past twenty years. I hate that I like that—it's not my damn business.
'You going to ask her out then?' Nick says, and I turn to give him my full attention, noting the happy, relaxed expression on his face.
'I don't know if that's a good idea. I just moved here, and she's my next-door neighbor.'
'Brother, you haven't taken your eyes off her since you walked in here.' Leo chuckles. 'Ask the girl on a date, but prepare yourself. Campbell women will keep you on your toes.'
Don’t I know it. I smile, turning to look at Bree once more as she presses another button on the jukebox and the familiar melody instantly takes me back to a hot night, laid out on a blanket next to her, kissing and looking up at the stars. As her eyes meet mine, I push myself to my feet, and as I start to walk toward her, she meets me halfway. Might as well get these wheels turning.
'You feel like dancin', short stuff?' I ask as she gazes up at me and nods, and we make our way to the dance floor.
I pull her body against mine and feel her tense, then relax as she accepts the closeness. My hand on her back holds her to me while the other holds her hand to my chest, and as our eyes meet, I offer a small smile before she rests her cheek against my chest and just lets me hold her, moving us to the music that once meant so much to us.
It's a moment. The dance earlier in the night was a show—this one is nostalgia—her in my arms and this song that's a part of the soundtrack to our time together. My resentment becomes hazy as I hold her close and feel her breath, hot against my chest through my shirt.
We don't speak, we just dance, and I question, yet again, how I’m going to survive this.
‘Guys, I’m going to head out. I’m tired,’ Bree says weakly. She’s been yawning and forcing her eyes to stay open for about an hour now, but I was waiting for her to make the call.
'Okay, honey. You’re all right walking home?' Zoe asks Bree, and she nods.
‘I’m heading out too,’ I say, standing and holding out a hand to help her up. ‘I’ll walk with you.’
'Make sure she gets home safe,' Zoe says, her hand reaching out for my wrist, and I nod.
It's weird to meet Zoe and Doug after all this time. Bree adores her siblings and she's always been so close to them that I felt like I knew them back then, even though I never met them.
We say our goodbyes and make our way out of the bar, heading for home.
‘I had fun tonight,’ she says softly as we walk side by side, and her words take me by surprise. ‘I was dreading you coming to the bar. I thought it would be awkward.’
'Me too,' I admit, laughing lightly, and she smiles. 'Your family are great.'
'They are.' Her voice is quieter now. I don’t know if it’s emotion or tiredness, but I hear it.
When we reach the cottages, I walk her to her door and lean in to kiss her cheek. The hairs on the back of my neck stand on end, and I know we’re being watched. Bree looks like she’s ready to fall asleep, so her instincts are probably off. She doesn’t seem to have the same sensation I do, so I try not to freak her out.
'Make sure to lock your doors, sugar. Sleep tight.'
I try to make the warning as light as possible, but I mean it. If he saw us or heard us tonight, he might be pissed off enough to try something, and while I want to draw him out, I’d prefer it to be when I'm there with her.
Turning to step down from the porch, I start to make my way toward my place when she calls out my name, and I turn back to face her.
'Arlo.' I meet her eyes, bright in the light from the porch.
‘Get some sleep, pix,’
‘But…’ There’s emotion in that one word that I hear, and it guts me. She felt that same old connection tonight, just like I did, but I can’t give in to that. She put me behind bars, so I remind myself that this isn’t real.
‘Tomorrow,’ I say, moving things forward and answering her unasked question. 'Let me take you out tomorrow.'
Nodding, Bree backs into her now open front door, and I wait to hear the click of the lock before heading home, looking around without making it obvious, but I can’t see him. My heart races with the urge to turn around and head back to her, ask her to let me in so I can hold her, protect her, but that’s fucking stupid.
I need to remember what she did. I can't trust her sweet caramel eyes, I can't trust her smiles or the way her breath hitches when she looks at me. I trusted them once, and she broke my heart.
Nineteen Years Ago
'P rez, can we talk?' I asked Viking as I found him playing pool with his VP, Horse — supposedly named because of his terrifyingly fuckin' huge dick. A couple of sweet butts were hanging around, waiting to be asked to get upstairs or on their knees. One of them looked up at me hopefully as I approached, but I ignored her. I had the only woman I would ever want. That's why I was here.
'Can it wait?' he asked, lining up his shot, and I inhaled deeply, making him turn to meet my eye.
'Nah, it can't.'
Throwing his cue down on the table, he turned and walked away as Horse told both girls to get their asses upstairs, and I shook my head as I followed Viking. I expected him to call church and lead me into the chapel where we held club meetings, but he kept walking until we found ourselves in the yard. He lit a cigarette and grabbed a box of dog treats to start handing out to his girls, two pit bulls, and a rottweiler.
'You in trouble?' he asked, and I shook my head as I crouched to scratch Ronda, the rottweiler, behind her ears.
'Nah, no trouble.' I pushed up to stand. 'I want out.'
He stilled, his head dropping for a moment before he lifted it and met my eyes with his.
'Body bags, kid. You know the drill.'
I nodded. I did know. I'd lived in this clubhouse my whole life. I understood the workings of the club better than I understood life outside of it.
'I'll pay,' I offered. 'I know I need to pay. Tell me what you need.'
'Why?' he asked, and I held his gaze until he shook his head. 'Fuck,' he breathed. 'She worth it?'
'She's worth it.'
'Then I guess I need to decide your price.'