CHAPTER 15
LARA
By the time I step into On Wasted Ridge with Opal, Graycie, Ezra, Jessi, and Riti, it’s a little less grill and leaning more toward bar. The music is bordering on too loud and every table is full. Well, almost every table since Opal asked Whiskey to reserve one for us.
I guess being attached to the club does have some advantages.
We tease each other and laugh while drinks are delivered, and we settle in around the table. I don’t know what the concoction is that’s put down in front of me, but from the sparkle in Opal’s eyes, she is aware and is the one behind them.
It’s fruity and not too strong, which means it’s dangerous as hell. Does that stop me from wrapping my lips around the straw and taking a few more drinks? Hell no.
Opal reaches over and grips my shoulder gently while giving a little shake.
“I’m so proud of you for letting Rumble take Vanessa out for a ride and then to his home on the compound for dinner and a movie.
I’m sure he’s put together a little dinner party for all the retired bikers and their Old Ladies. ”
Riti gasps and covers her mouth, but her eyes dance with excitement. “Don’t call them that too loudly. They still ride, they’re not retired,” she points out.
“Fine, you make a fair point,” Opal concedes. “I just meant retired from leadership.”
“Ohhhh,” Graycie holds out the word and points at Opal, “Jackal would be pissed if he heard you say that.” She leans closer and her lips purse. “Warden, too.”
“Damn,” Opal sighs and sends a heatless glare in Graycie’s direction, “you gotta bring Dad into this?”
“You’re the one who called him retired,” Graycie fires right back.
“You know what I meant,” Opal pouts before taking another drink.
I bump Riti’s shoulder and tease her, “I was starting to think you didn’t actually work at Ridge Tattoos since I’ve never seen you there before. Then when I did, you were on your way out.”
A complicated look crosses Riti’s face which has me instantly on edge. I’m not the only one who sees it either. I swear the rest of the women around the table lean in closer. This must be how it looks when sharks smell chum in the water.
Or you see that piping hot tea from across the way and hustle to get closer and not miss a second of it.
“You definitely have something to share,” Ezra prods Riti while Jessi nods and takes a big sip of her drink.
Jessi and Ezra are best friends and Jessi’s such a sweet chick. She’s quiet and she doesn’t have any ties to the SOMC as far as I know, unlike the other ladies at the table.
Not me. The rest of ‘em.
Not me.
I don’t have ties to the club either.
Riti rolls her eyes and drops her voice as low as she can considering where we are.
“Fine,” she makes it sound like she’s finally acquiescing even though we hardly twisted her arm, “I’ll tell you.
” The look she gives me says the answer should be obvious.
“He’s been paying me to keep those spots open.
If I already have someone booked, he asks me to reschedule and if I do it with a discount then he’ll make up the loss to me. ”
My chin drops to my chest. “He’s been doing what?”
“I know you heard me,” Riti jokes.
But I’m still a little stuck. I did hear her. It’s possible I even understood all of the words and the order they were in.
But the bigger picture of it all just doesn’t make any sense.
“He wanted to be alone with you,” she teases me. “I think, partially, he wanted to help you feel more comfortable, but the rest of the reasoning has to be totally selfish.”
Opal barks out a laugh. “I’m betting on all the way selfish with no part of him thinking about her comfort.”
Graycie shoots Opal a look filled with disappointment as she enjoys her mocktail which is just like the rest of our drinks, minus the alcohol. “That’s not nice,” she admonishes Opal, “Playboy is sweet and not selfish at all.”
Everyone else around the table freezes and looks at her for a long moment. Jessi, surprisingly, is the first to crack. The moment she starts laughing, it’s all over for the rest of us.
Before our laughter can die down, the door to On Wasted Ridge swings open and a few bikers stride in. I’m not surprised to see them considering this is a club owned business. And a bar.
There aren’t a lot of places to go in Dogwood Ridge anyway.
My stomach sinks the moment Playboy walks in with Lola trailing at his heels. She reminds me of a chihuahua.
I’m not the only one at the table who notices them coming in. The group heads directly toward the table which is always left open for the club. Eagerness is written all over Lola’s face as she slides into the seat next to Playboy like she belongs there.
Lola practically drapes herself across Playboy’s back, but he immediately pushes her off with a sneer on his face. I’m too far away to hear what he says, obviously, but whatever it is makes Lola pale. It doesn’t make her give up though.
The hair on the back of my neck stands on edge. It’s almost impossible to pull my gaze away from the two of them. Right before I manage it, Playboy’s eyes scan the area and lock with mine.
His face is hard as steel, but his eyes burn with desire.
For me.
When Lola notices me, she flashes me what she probably thinks is a smile filled with triumph. It just makes her look constipated. I arch an eyebrow and stare her down.
She attempts to wrap herself around Playboy’s arm like she’s a fucking octopus, but he doesn’t allow it and quickly brushes her away. I try to keep my face neutral and not think smug thoughts, but from the way her expression changes, I don’t think I managed it.
“Woah, that is an epic level scowl on your face, Lara,” Opal teases.
When I turn my look on her, she holds her hands up.
“You don’t need to worry. He’s not entertaining her bullshit.
I bet he didn’t even want her to come out tonight.
” She points out, “He keeps pushing her away and he’s not even looking at her. ”
“No,” Ezra giggles, “he’s too busy eye-fucking our little baker.”
“He is not eye-fucking me,” I grumble the words while knowing full well that they are lies. I turn toward Opal, “And why would I be worried in the first place or even care? They can do whatever they want,” the words might as well come out wrapped in fire and brimstone.
I’m aware I’m being a little ridiculous and am overreacting slightly. Maybe.
It’s not like I’m marching over there and pulling her out of the booth by her hair.
Oh, that’s tempting. Maybe I should do that.
Graycie must be able to read my mind because her hand wraps around where I’m making a fist on the table. “It’s a lot harder to haul someone out by their hair than it seems,” she informs me.
Surprised laughter bursts out of me. “I thought for sure you were going to tell me she’s not worth it or to not make a scene, but that’s what you go with?” I grin at her, momentarily forgetting about Playboy and Lola across the bar. “You always find a way to surprise me, Graycie.”
She shrugs and bats her eyelashes at me. “It gives you a good reason to keep me around.”
“Always,” I tell her honestly.
Bunz Out hadn’t been open long when she came to town. She was scared and lost, which I could sympathize with.
Opal sounds slightly concerned, “He’s about to lose his shit.”
When I look over, the fury on Playboy’s face is clear to see. He’s fuming and laying into Lola in a way that makes me wish I was close enough to hear.
“Fuck,” Opal grunts, “next time I’m telling Whiskey to reserve a table closer to the club’s table. I want to hear what he’s saying to her.”
“Me too,” Jessi chimes in. We turn to look at her slowly with matching looks of surprise on our faces. She just giggles and shrugs. “What? I like drama, I just don’t want to be the drama.”
Ezra and Jessi clink glasses just as another round is delivered to the table. Graycie giggles and we look over to find Snake waving like a fucking teenager and not the VP of the SOMC that he is.
“He is not waving like that,” Opal shields the side of her face and slumps down in her chair. “Why is my brother always so embarrassing?”
The scene is so ridiculous and funny that I can’t hold it together. I can feel eyes watching me while I drink most of my new drink and laugh with my friends.
I wasn’t looking for this when I moved to Dogwood Ridge. All I was hoping for was the possibility of a chance for Vanessa and Lola to build some sort of connection, but I found something I trust a whole lot more. Friendship.
“Who cares?” Riti teases her and chirps, “Free drinks.”
“Whiskey was never going to make us pay,” Opal says and my movement falters as I put my drink back down on the table.
I’m not sure why I didn’t think about that, but now that I have, it’s obvious. We were never going to pay for a drink tonight. Not with who is around the table.
That’s more than just friendship; it’s friendship with bonuses. Big ones.
When I look back over at the club’s table, Playboy is talking to his brothers, but his eyes stay fixed on me. Lola is now leaning away from him and pouting. It’s so fucking pathetic; all I can do is roll my eyes.
She never learns and thinks the same tricks will always work. What she is never willing to accept is that once the mask is ripped off, all of her manipulations become very fucking clear.
It would be so easy to gloat because of the tableau I’m witnessing, but I learned a long time ago not to underestimate Lola and her ability to make a bad situation even worse. It’s a skill, not a good one to have, but a skill.
“I’m headed to the bathroom,” I let the ladies know before standing up.
“Perfect timing.” Riti stands up right along with me and grins.
As we head toward the bathroom, we pass closer to the club’s table. There are nods, smiles, and greetings exchanged but we don’t stop. I swear for a moment it looks like Playboy is going to reach out toward me.
He stops himself at the last second.
I’m not sure what to think or feel about it.