Page 18 of Laying it Bare Biker Style: Ryder

I gazed over at Sage and shenodded.

“I’ll have the steak mediumrare, baked potato, and green beans.”

“I’d like to try yourcreamy dill salmon with a baked potato and green beans. Also, yousaid you were short staffed today. Are you by chance looking forsome help?”

“Actually, that would bewonderful. One of our waitresses had to quit. A family member gotreally sick so she moved back to her home town. She was our maingirl for the early weekday shift so I had to shuffle around peopletoday to cover her and now I’m covering for that person. Can youstart tomorrow at eight?”

Sage’s eyes widened before a hugesmile curled her lips. “That would be perfect. I mean if Ryder canget me to work. I don’t have a car. And what do I wear?”

“Shorts or jeans would befine and I’ll get you some t-shirts with our name on them. I alwayshave those in stock.” Randy glanced at me. “You can bring her towork? Where did you find this wonderful beauty?”

“I’ll get her to and fromwork. You’re only five minutes from the garage so that won’t be anissue at all no matter what her schedule is.” I handed him mymenu.

“Wonderful.” He clapped hishands in delight before taking Sage’s menu. “I’ll give you the restof your schedule tomorrow. But you will start at eight every weekday and then work until one or five each of those days.”

“I don’t need to train withsomeone first? I’ve never waitressed before.” The excitement in hereyes from a moment ago dimmed a bit. “I don’t want to cause youmore issues.”

“Nonsense. You take it slowat first, no biggie. If customers don’t like it they can gosomewhere else. But we normally don’t have bitchy customers. Takeyour time writing down orders and you carry out what you canmanage. Make a few trips if you need to. It’s no big deal. You willdo fine. And if you find you hate it – but I doubt you will – I canput you in the dish room and get someone else to waitress, but I’mnot worried so you don’t fret either.”

“Thank you, Randy. I can dothat.”

“Let me get your foodorders in and then you need to tell me where you found this gem.”Randy rushed off to the kitchen.

“What time do you usuallygo to work in the morning? I know I made you a little late today,but I’ll be ready when you are and I can always hang out at yourgarage until eight. If you don’t mind me snooping at what you’redoing.”

“I actually enjoyed havingyou with me today. Well, not the part where I had to come havewords with Pip, but I liked that you were interested in my work. Iusually report to work at seven thirty so we’ll do that and I’llcheck in with everyone and then run you to work. I can get you atmy lunch if you are done at one and I work until five so that willwork out too.”

Randy popped back for a few minutes togive Sage some shirts and I gave him the abridged version of howGrayson and I had met her. Then after he brought out our dinners,we mixed some conversation in with our eating.

When we were finished, I paid the billand we strolled out to my bike. After making a quick stop at myplace to drop off her work shirts and the items she had bought atthe mall, we rode out to the club. About fifteen minutes later, Ipulled up to the gate at the entrance to our compound and punchedin the code. Once the impressive wrought-iron swung in, I eased mybike inside. Chain link fencing encased the perimeter of theproperty and motion detector lights and cameras provided addedprotection and surveillance. I parked my bike and helped Sage offbefore taking her hand and escorting her through the front door –after punching in another code.

Laughter, shouting, the clacking ofbilliard balls striking one another, and loud belching streamedfrom the huge room off to our left.

But her eyes scanned the open room westood in first. A bar area sat at the back side, but much of theroom was taken up by mix-matched couches and chairs. A few piecesof furniture were occupied with sleeping brothers.

“Do some of them livehere?”

“No. We do have a few smallbedrooms down that hallway.” I pointed to the right. “But they areonly if you need to crash for the night or want to fuck in private.Like a cheap hotel.”

She didn’t even cringe at my crudewords.

“Our office and room wherewe hold Church are behind the bar area. Our storage area is downthe hallway on the opposite side from the bedrooms and the end ofthe hallway leads out to the garage.”

She stared up at me with a timidsmile. “Can we play a game of pool until your meeting starts andthe girls get here?”

“Do you play?” My lipscurled into a playful grin.

“I know how to but I’m notvery good so there won’t be any strip pool or playing for money.Not at least until I get my first paycheck.” She had a cheeky sideto her I found sexy and alluring. And I had no doubt my brotherswould as well.

Wrapping my arm around her shoulders,I led her into the rec room. Hopefully that small show ofpossession would be enough to keep the guys at bay. Some of themknew the score already and secrets were nonexistent in the club.But that didn’t mean no one would irritate me since she wasn’twearing my vest. Axel, Hedge, and a few others were playing at oneof the tables and some of the Prospects were playing at another.Two of the older guys were throwing darts. Tugging Sage a littlecloser, I led her over to the unoccupied table. “I figured it wouldbe more crowded in here already with Church starting soon.”Grabbing two sticks from the floor rack, I handed one to Sagebefore racking the balls.

“Gage took a group ofbrothers back to the storage area to check our stash. We’ve beenfilling the others in on the run-in earlier and what little bit weknow about Sage.” Axel fixed his brown gaze on her. Then he shot acocky grin my way. “Since you aren’t claiming her; can the rest ofus put our names in a helmet and draw to see who getsdibs?”

“Fuck off, Axel. She’s offlimits.” Ignoring his chuckle, I nodded at Sage. “I’llbreak.”

Dropping my upper body down toward thetable, I lined up my stick with the cue ball, with the tip of thecue stick between my thumb and index finger. Then I slid the stickforward into the cue ball with practiced force to send it careeninginto the mass of balls. After the satisfying crack of ballscrashing into one another, I grinned at Sage as two solids droppedinto side pockets.

“See why no strip pool orplaying for money.” Her easy smile reassured me Axel’s teasingdidn’t alarm her. She was comfortable here because her trust in mewas astounding.

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