Chapter 11 Marietta
MARIETTA
Fancy and Two-Shit watch from the corner of the quad as I sit with Symphony and Jenna in the grass. We’ve had to take up a different spot so they can see us without riding their motorcycles all the way up to the buildings.
“So, how long are they going to follow you like this?” Jenna asks. “You moved in. What more do they want?”
“Her cherry,” Symphony says. “Any progress on that?”
I sigh. “I don’t think it’s going to work with Merrick, especially after they tricked him last night.”
Jenna pulls a baggie of veggie crisps from her backpack. “Okay, I’ve got snacks. Spill.”
I explain how Chain managed to get Merrick to blow up over them pouring beer in my belly button.
“You were wearing what?” Symphony asks. “You are not their personal bimbo Barbie!”
I shrug. “It’s kind of fun. I mean, it’s no reflection on me if my trashy clothes were picked by someone else. It’s like being a guilt-free tramp.”
“All tramps should be guilt free,” Symphony says. “Let women do what they want.”
But Jenna frowns. “And despite your fuck-me clothes, nobody’s laid a hand on you?”
“Nope. In the parking lot of the bar, some rando acted like he was going to smack my butt.” I draw in a breath. “I mean, it was sort of out there. But Two-Shit lunged at him. Nobody can come near me.”
Jenna crunches her veggie crisps. “You like this exhibitionist shit, don’t you?”
“Maybe. My daddy would be so upset. But I start feeling all loose and bubbly thinking about shocking people. I wish I had better boobs, though.”
“The better to jiggle,” Symphony says. “I get it. I like sex in classrooms. You like dudes looking at you. We all have our things.” She glances at Jenna. “What’s yours?”
“I’m as vanilla as the soft serve at Dairy Queen,” Jenna says. “You two are the freaks.” She grins. “And I mean that in the best way.”
“I think Bailey and Rhett like to do it on the rug in his office,” Symphony says. She nudges Jenna’s shoulder. “You’ll find your freaky self eventually.”
Jenna crumples the bag. “Maybe.”
“So, what do I do?” I ask. “I’d really like to get this cherry thing handled.”
“What’s the process?” Symphony asks. “You pick somebody and go to pound town?”
“I have to tell Iron Jack first, I think,” I say. “Nobody’s allowed to go near me until I make a choice. And I switch to bunny, I think. Not a mouse.”
“I thought bunnies don’t live at the club,” Symphony says. “You already sublet your apartment.”
I frown. “I think I can live in the guy’s room. Actually, maybe only if I’m his ol’ lady. Shoot. I don’t know.”
Jenna stuffs her empty bag into her backpack. “Sounds like you need to figure that out before flashing your vajayjay at someone.”
My face heats. “I don’t flash that.”
She lifts her hands. “I don’t judge!”
Symphony hefts her backpack onto her lap. It’s almost time for class. “I agree you should be sure about the living arrangements before you make a move. Are you positive you don’t want to give Merrick another shot? I can still try to set up that double date.”
I let out a long sigh as we all stand up. “No. That’s seems so … I don’t know. Quaint? The club is kind of wild. But if I could be alone with Merrick, maybe I could figure it out. We’ve only been by ourselves that one time when he asked me what I wanted to do.”
“Did he seem interested then?” Jenna asks. She rubs her hands on her jeans to knock off her snack dust.
“I couldn’t tell what was him and what was club business. But since then, I get all these mixed messages.”
“Like when he got in a fight for you?” Symphony asks.
We walk toward the building, vaguely aware of the Wild Hair moving along with us.
“Yeah, last night, too.”
Jenna slings her backpack onto her shoulder. “Doesn’t that mean he likes you?”
“Maybe he’s being protective, like a sister.”
Symphony shakes her head. “That’s not how he acts with his real sister.”
“How was he with Greta?”
“He wanted her to get tough. I mean, he was all about throwing Jude out on his butt. But he only picked the battle Greta was asking for.”
Interesting. I haven’t asked him to stand up for me.
The three of us head up the stairs. “I’ll figure out a way to get him alone. It’s just hard with them following everywhere. And he doesn’t come to the club often.”
As we go in the door, Two-Shit and Fancy split up so they can each take an exit. They’re serious about this surveillance. I see why they hire out as protectors.
“What else do you do besides class?” Jenna asks. “Hair cut? Chores?”
I shrug. “My pole dancing workshop.”
Jenna and Symphony nod at each other knowingly.
“What?”
“Who’s escorting you to that?” Jenna asks.
“Nobody yet. I skipped last week to move, so I haven’t had one since they started watching me.”
“When is the next one?” Symphony asks.
“Saturday morning.”
Jenna’s eyes light up. “The bar doesn’t open until three. Have Merrick escort you.”
Symphony nods. “And then have him come in to wait.”
“And watch,” Jenna says.
“That’ll get him,” Symphony says.
The clock above us buzzes lightly, making us jump.
“We gotta go,” Symphony says.
We dash apart. We have different classes at this hour.
But as I hurry to my room, I think about what they said.
What would Merrick think of my pole dancing class? Would he watch me? Or would he take an interest in the other girls?
I slide into my seat, still thinking about this. It was worth the risk. I could see if I could ride his motorcycle with him, rather than have him follow me in my car like the others do.
If he saw me dance, a proper pole routine and not just a fully dressed maneuver on a square column in his bar, and then I got to ride behind him, my arms wrapped around his waist, maybe it would tell me something.
Because his reaction would be very different if he thought of me as a sister who needed protection.
Or a woman who wanted to get the protection gone.
He could do that for me.
Screw dating if you can just screw.
I laugh out loud, making several classmates turn to look at me.
I cover my mouth.
I’ve done plenty of first dates and mostly platonic boyfriends. No need to revisit all that territory.
I’m a house mouse for the Wild Hair, a badass motorcycle club.
Time to live the life.
And I’m determined to make Merrick be the one.