Page 45 of Shar: A Woman Alone

“What are you doing here, Mayor? A bit outside your normalrange, aren’t we?”

“Hello, Crack. I’ve been to a conference and need some timeto wind down. Some of these conferences are nothing more than an excuse forpublic figures to get paid time away from their actual jobs. This one was aproposal for more wind farms to help with global warming. One of the damnmembers that was proposing them thought that the wind turbines were there toblow air across the land and cool the earth! It had to be explained about themgenerating electricity without using fossil fuels, and that was how theycontributed to reducing global warming. Blowing air across the land! What isthe world coming to?” The mayor looks as though he’s about to pull his hairout.

“While we’re talking along the lines of saving the world, Iknow something that Sharp was going to speak to you about.” I hope this is theright time to throw this out there, I think to myself. “You know that we areinterested in buying the junkyard? Well, we’ve come across something that youneed to be aware of.”

“Okay, what’s that? I doubt much could surprise me today.”Mayor Grant slips into a booth near the window and I continue standing.

“The junkyard is going to need a lot more spending on itthan we originally thought. After taking a quick walk around it, it needs anoil recycling area, battery recycling, tire storage and recycling.” I look athim and see the cogs turning, slowly at first and then gaining speed rapidly.

“If you need to put those things in place, do I want to knowwhat he’s been doing with that shit all this time?” Running his fingers throughhis hair, he looks up at me.

“From what we saw, or didn’t see, the oil is going straightinto the drains. We think he may have been burying the old batteries in holesall over the edge of the property or maybe on neighboring properties. I can’tbegin to guess where the tires have been going, Mayor.” Watching the furytaking hold, I’m glad that it isn’t the MC that is going to be on the receivingend.

“I’m going to get my late breakfast or early lunch and thenpay that asshole a visit. Tell Sharp I’ll contact him later, but if he hasn’theard from me by four o’clock this afternoon to call me. I may need breakingout of the county jail after having murdered somebody!”

Shaking his hand and not envying him his job, I get out ofthere and leave the mayor to his meal and hope it doesn’t give him indigestion.

Riding by the tattoo shop, I slow down and peer through thefront window. I’m not totally surprised when I see Autumn still there, and withseveral clients standing near her reception area. Her reception area? Yeah.Somehow, I felt that’s exactly what it was going to be from the moment shewalked in and announced she was our new receptionist.

Riding into the parking lot behind the strip club, I seeShar’s SUV parked. If Shar’s here today, what the hell am I doing here, forChrist’s sake? Sitting on my girl for another minute, I take a couple of deepbreaths. No good going in there, guns blazing. It isn’t Shar’s fault, afterall.

Walking through the back door, I hear raucous laughter fromthe front of the bar. Wondering what the cause is, I walk slowly into the barand watch what’s going on. Stella is crying with laughter and tears arestreaming down her cheeks. Nate has his hands on his knees and is bellylaughing like I’ve never seen him do before. A couple of the dancers are alsoin hysterical fits of laughter and Shar is in the middle of it all, cursing upa storm.

Before I can ask what it’s all about, Shar launches herselfat the stripper pole. She spins around the pole twice and then slams into thestage below. Stella is waving her hands in the air as though fighting off aswarm of bees and tears keep rolling down her face.

One of the dancers steps forward, and I have to say it,gracefully takes the pole in her hands, flips upside down, wraps her legsaround it and spins with her arms outstretched. She does a half dozen turns andthen holds the pole, lowers her legs to the stage and bows.

Shar shouts something that sounds like ’clever bitch’, thenhas another go on the pole. Slowing it down this time, she grips the pole, andto her credit, gets her legs above her. Before she can grip the pole with herlegs though, she slips down and face plants on the stage.

I can’t help myself and join in the laughter with everyoneelse. That has got to be the funniest thing I have ever seen, made all thefunnier just because it was Shar.

“Not one word outside of this club, Crack. Not one fuckingword, do you hear me?” Shar looks so angry that I can’t help but laugh evenlouder. “Please, Crack. Don’t tell anyone about this, I’m begging you…”

Right now, I can’t agree to anything as I slide down theside of the bar, tears streaming down my face as I relive every moment.

CHAPTER 23

Shar

I’m not having an early breakfast this morning. I don’t wantto face all the brothers in one go after Crack will have told them about mypole dancing fiasco yesterday. I was fully expecting to wake up with a blackeye today after face planting that damn stage.

Taking my phone I think I’ll give Mia a call and see howshe’s getting on. It’s not going to be too early with her having the twins andSummer to sort out every morning. She might be busy with them, though. I canonly try and if she can’t talk right now, I’ll call back later.

Hearing Mia’s voice, I’m immediately thinking how muchbetter she sounds. I wonder what has brought that about, the therapist, or hashe put her on some meds?

It takes a while to get a word in, but eventually she slowsenough to take a breath and I get to ask how things are going with her and notjust Axel and the kids. It’s only then that I start to get a feel of the realpicture. She mentions the Ol’ Ladies too and not as the girl-gang, which has methinking that maybe they are spending time with Mia and not the First Lady.

Talking about her therapist and their sessions, I note thatthere is no mention of any meds, but she does have some mental and physicalexercises that she does daily. Although she doesn’t sound one hundred percentthe Mia I know and love, she does sound better than when we last spoke.

After we end the call, I take a moment to reflect and wonderif my leaving didn’t act as a catalyst for her. I can’t go that route though,or I’d never do anything for myself. I’ve surely done enough for others thatI’ve earned the right to my own life?

Knocking on the door brings me back to earth and I call outto ask who it is. Hearing Trip’s voice, I tell him to enter and wait for theonslaught to begin.

“Hey, Shar. You okay? I noticed you weren’t at breakfast andas it’s not like you to miss your grub, just thought I’d make sure you’re allgood?” Trip sounds genuine, so maybe Crack hasn’t spilled the beans?

“I’m good, thanks, Trip. I just had a personal call withMia, and now I’m making some tracks ready for the day to start. Got a meetingwith Zara later, over at the salon.”

“Pres has asked me to go and check on the garage and see howit’s coming along. Fancy a ride over there? Good day for the bike. Blow awaysome cobwebs.” Now, normally the guys don’t offer me a lift on their hogs, andnormally I wouldn’t accept if they did, but today seems like a good day to movesome cobwebs.

---