Chapter 2
Lauren
I pushed open the door of the diner the next day, and spotted Molly, Ella, and Abby already sitting at a booth in the back. I hurried over to them and slid onto the bench seat next to Molly.
“Sorry I’m late.” I grimaced as I offered the apology, but the ladies waved it off.
“No worries, we just got here ourselves,” Ella said, then handed me a menu. It didn’t take us long to place our orders with the server, who apparently knew the other three women well.
“Where are those handsome husbands of yours on this fine Saturday?” The older woman – Martie, according to the tag on her uniform – tucked her order pad into the front pocket of her apron as she glanced around the table.
“They went to a classic car show, so we decided on a ladies’ lunch,” Molly explained, and Martie nodded in understanding.
“Well, you tell them I said hello. I’ll get your orders in, then get your drinks out to you soon.” She ambled off toward the kitchen, and Abby chuckled.
“Rome’s going to be so pissed when he finds out we came here for lunch. He’s been craving one of their milkshakes,” she told us, not looking the least bit worried about it.
Ella smiled as she explained to me that the diner was originally owned by Martie’s mom, who had been friends with King’s mom, Frankie. “Coming here is something of a family tradition for them.”
“It’s actually where I met Jagger,” Molly said with a smile. It was clearly a good memory for her.
“Uncle Bill brought me here when I first moved back to town, and I’ve stopped in a few times since then, too. I agree with Rome about their milkshakes,” I confided.
Abby laughed, then told me how funny it was to hear Viking referred to as Uncle Bill.
“Well, he’s my great-uncle, actually. He and my grandfather were brothers, although they didn’t get along at all.
Grandpa hated that his brother was in a gang, as he called it, and we weren’t allowed to call Uncle Bill by his road name.
I tried calling him ‘Viking’ now, but he told me it was fine for family to use his real name. ”
Martie came back to deliver our drinks, and I gratefully took a sip of my iced tea.
“Viking has mentioned that he was pretty much estranged from his family once he joined the MC,” Ella said as she picked up her own glass to take a drink.
I nodded. “Yes, unfortunately. I didn’t get to see him very often until my grandpa died when I was ten.
My parents split up when I was a baby, so my mom and I lived with my grandparents.
Uncle Bill came over quite a bit after Grandpa died, to help out with things around the house.
He’d always spend time talking with me and even took me for rides on his bike if Grandma wasn’t home to stop us.
Then, Grandma died when I was thirteen, and Uncle Bill came around even more, mainly to keep an eye on my mom, I think. ”
When they looked at me questioningly, I explained, “Mom’s always been kind of a mess, even before my dad left, apparently.
They only got married because she got pregnant with me.
She’s not ever been one to stand on her own two feet.
She always had a revolving door of boyfriends when I was little and finally got married again when I was fourteen.
The guy was in town on business, and swept her off her feet, or so she claimed.
That’s when we moved to Pittsburgh. She’s on husband number four, now. ”
“Four?” Molly asked in surprise.
I just shrugged. “Yep. She keeps thinking she’s found Prince Charming, only he turns out to be a wart-covered frog every time.”
“So, do you have any other siblings?” Ella asked as she used her straw to swirl the ice in her glass.
“No, not that I know of, anyway. My dad left town after their divorce and hasn’t been heard from since.
I don’t even remember him. On Mom’s side, I have several former stepsiblings scattered around, but honestly I’ve never really tried to get to know any of them.
The marriages don’t last long enough to bother.
I didn’t even go to the third wedding, and she and number four eloped to Vegas a few months ago, so I wasn’t at that one either.
I haven’t met him yet, and I can’t remember if his name is Joe or Jim,” I admitted with a snicker.
“Mom and I aren’t exactly what you’d call close. ”
Ella reached over and covered my hand, giving it a sympathetic squeeze. “I’m sorry, Lauren. That must be hard.”
I shrugged again. “I’m used to it. My life is easier when I don’t have to deal with her drama, so as harsh as it may sound, it’s actually a relief when she’s not around.
” My phone rang, and I reached into my purse to pull it out, rolling my eyes when I saw the name “Beau the Bastard” on the screen.
I declined the call before turning the ringer off and slipping the phone back into my purse.
I had no desire to talk to my ex-boyfriend at this very moment, or ever again, for that matter.
The only reason I hadn’t blocked his number is because we were still finalizing the sale of the condo we’d bought in Pittsburgh when we’d moved in together last winter, so an occasional phone call was still necessary.
Whatever he needed could wait until later though.
Martie arrived just then with our food, and we spent the next several minutes eating.
“Oh God, this cheeseburger is so good,” I mumbled as I wiped a smear of mustard off my lip. The others agreed and we chatted about random things as we finished our meals. Molly filled Abby in on my sighting of Trick in all his glory last night, and I laughed as Abby groaned and shook her head.
“Ugh, I adore him, but there are times I just want to kick his ass…his pasty, white ass,” Abby emphasized.
“It may be a little on the pale side, but it’s still a very nice backside. Don’t tell Jagger I said that though,” Molly giggled, causing us all to laugh.
I thought back to the brief glimpse I’d gotten of Trick, with his jeans dropped down around his thighs as he pumped into the woman he had pinned against the wall.
I had to agree with Molly. The man had an incredibly nice ass, tight enough to bounce a quarter off of it, with muscles rippling and flexing with every thrust. It really was too bad that he sounded like a complete jerk because I had a thing for asses like that, and being pinned against a wall was a fantasy of mine.
“You know, before last night’s incident, I’d hoped that I’d be able to introduce you to Trick.
I’ve been trying to get him to meet a nice woman for a change, and with you both being so tall, I thought you would be gorgeous together,” Molly explained with a chuckle.
“But I guess after seeing him in action with the new club bunny, that’s not an option now. ”
“Yeah, that’s a hard pass,” I assured her with a grimace. “No offense, hon, but Trick seems like kind of an asshole.”
The fact that he apparently bragged about refusing to allow them into his bedroom because they were too hard to get rid of afterward was proof that he had little regard or respect for the women he slept with.
I had a strong feeling that Trick didn’t even bother learning their names first. They were just a hole for him to get off with, and that was a huge turnoff for me.
I loved sex, and I’d probably had more than my share of bed partners over the years, but mutual respect was an absolute must before, during, and after the deed was done, even for a fleeting hook-up.
That was partly why I was still beating myself up over my ex-fiancé, Beau.
He had a lot in common with Trick – they were both manwhores.
Of course, I’d thought that Beau was a reformed manwhore when we were together, which is why I’d bought a condo with him after almost two years of what was supposed to be an exclusive, monogamous relationship.
It turned out, I was the only one being exclusive and monogamous.
Beau wasn’t reformed, he’d just gotten very skilled at hiding the fact that his dick wasn’t picky about who or what it did. I was just thankful that all of my STI testing had come back negative. I still shuddered when I thought about how fortunate I’d been.
“Well, I’ve just about given up on Trick or Lucky settling down,” Molly declared with a huff. “It’s a shame, because they both have such big hearts, and are really great guys underneath the playboy attitudes.”
I hadn’t met Lucky yet, so I would have to take her word on that.
“Way, way down underneath,” Abby agreed with a laugh.
“I’ve known them both since I was fourteen, and they’ve always had an eye for the ladies.
Hell, that’s how Lucky got his road name.
He was bragging about “getting lucky” with an older girl in the neighborhood, and his Grandma Frankie overheard him and got pissed.
King told him he was lucky all right – lucky that Frankie hadn’t smacked him – and the nickname stuck. ”
I almost choked on a sip of my drink as Abby finished her story, but the others just chuckled. The origins of Lucky’s road name clearly wasn’t news to them.
“Any idea how Viking got his name? I’ve never thought to ask,” Ella said.
I nodded. “His last name is Erikkson, and we have Scandinavian ancestry on his dad’s side, from what I understand. Uncle Bill told me that Sinner started calling him Viking years ago, even before they started the club.”
Martie came around then to drop off our checks and cleared away a few of the plates.
“This has been nice,” I said. “I didn’t realize how much I’ve missed hanging out with friends.” Most of the friends I’d had in Pittsburgh had been Beau’s friends first, and I’d lost them in the breakup.
“Since Everly was born, I haven’t gotten out much either,” Abby commiserated. “I love Caleb and our kids more than life itself, but it’s nice to get out and do something for myself. We should plan a spa day or something.”
“That sounds fun,” Ella said. I nodded in agreement because I loved a good spa day.