Page 18 of Between Brothers

Chapter 6

Blue

Cell and I were both rough around the edges from a lack of sleep the night before. It was still unseasonably warm outside and we’d dressed for the cooler morning. When you worked on a road crew, you dressed for the weather, whatever it was in the morning, but it wasn’t until your lunch hour that you could strip any of it off or switch anything out, so we’d been sweating hard for the last few hours. Dragging our asses into the diner for lunch that afternoon almost felt like a chore until I saw her. Just laying eyes on her and I was restored some.

Cell hit the bathroom while I slipped into a free booth. When he reappeared and sat down at the table is when Hayley finally came over. She filled our water glasses and set down some menus. She was solemn today, not talking, lost inside her own head. She turned to leave and get Cell his regular drink order but stopped, back turned. Her shoulders dropped slightly in her cute, bright turquoise, fifties style waitressing uniform and I wondered what was up while I took her in. That retro dress fit her figure to stunning effect, and Cell and I unabashedly admired the view of the perfect curve of her ass in it for as long as she remained turned around for us to do it.

Finally, she turned back around, stainless steel water pitcher clutched tightly in one hand, the other buried in her apron. She pulled out a folded piece of paper from that apron pocket and set it between the both of us on top of the menus. It took her a couple of tries but she finally said to us, “Friday, pick me up at eight?”

Cell picked up the paper and unfolded it, his eyes scanning the contents written on it. He handed it across to me and told her, “Blue will. I’ll pick you up same time next week.”

She nodded rapidly and took off to another table refilling their waters. My eyes fell onto the paper and the address written there. I couldn’t help but smile and think to myself that this was going to be one of the longest weeks ever.

I wasn’t wrong, and what really sucked was that Hayley had to move back to night waitressing for a while, while they trained a new girl. When Melody got wind of it, she saved the day by switching off with Hayley that Friday night so that Hayley could go on her date with me. Archer wasn’t amused when it came to his wife working at night in that neighborhood, but it was only one night and by now, most, if not all of the town knew she was with a Sacred Heart.

Still, I was amused when Nox and Rush showed up at the club in Nox’s cage with Archer and Mel’s two boys. Why? So Archer could be at the diner while Mel worked the night shift, watching over her.

That was the kind of man I wished I could be for Hayley, but mine and Cell’s job sort of prohibited it for the time being.

I was thrilled that she was giving us a chance, body humming with good vibes as I got ready to go get her. Cell watching me from my bed as he thumbed through the channels on my TV, surfing for something good.

I watched him for a second in my mirror as I put my wallet into the back pocket of my best jeans. I wore my newest tee shirt, too. I didn’t have much money, I was still paying off debt and other stupid shit from before I went inside. I was almost caught up, but not quite there yet. Another six months or so and I’d probably be able to invest in some nicer clothes. For now, this is what I had and it would have to do.

I went over and pulled my jacket and cut down off of the coat tree in the corner and looked back at Cell.

“Look at you all dressed to fuckin’ impress.” His tone dripped with sarcasm and I frowned. He grinned, and gave me a half assed, mock salute and said, “Good luck, bro.”

That part he meant and wasn’t entirely being an ass about. I nodded and ducked out into the hallway, not bothering to shut the door.

We’d both ridden by the address she’d given us earlier in the week. It was a nice, small, two story house painted a bright cheery yellow and trimmed out in white. The front porch was a grand thing, white like the trim with decorative pillars holding up the eaves. The driveway went down along the right side of the house to a spacious side and part of the back yard where a converted garage rested. It was a nice place and easy to find, even in the dark.

I went out into what should have just been a deep dusk and found it darker than it should have been. A quick glance to the sky told me everything I needed to know. The sky was leaden, the clouds hanging low. It was definitely going to rain. Shit.

I didn’t own a cage. I looked at the sky one more time as I mounted my bike out front of the club and hoped like hell we could get where we were going before the sky decided to open up and that it’d quit before it was time to leave.

I rode over to Hayley’s, and pulled into the driveway to the back of the house by the outbuilding like she’d written and didn’t even have time to shut off the bike before she was out the back door of the house. I smiled and she paused, her big brown eyes wide. My heart sank a bit and then I realized she wasn’t looking at me with that mixture of doubt and trepidation, but rather my bike.

I smiled and leaned it over onto its kickstand, shutting off the motor. She was dressed for it in form fitting, dark jeans. She’d paired them with tall, knee high, brown leather boots that were laced up tight with a sturdy sole. A soft, but warm looking cream sweater peeked around her dark brown fashionable leather coat that she had belted at the waist and I couldn’t have picked better if I wanted to for a first time ride.

“Come here, get on behind me, and put this on,” I said softly and held out my spare helmet that I’d pulled off from around the sissy bar.

Hayley came forward stammering, “I um, I thought between you that one of you might have a car. Do you want to take mine?”

I smiled and asked, “Don’t you trust me?”

She looked a little stricken, “Of course I do! I mean, I’m sorry… I didn’t mean to – ”

I chuckled and covered her hands with mine. “It’s fine, you didn’t hurt my feelings. I just really want to show you.”

“Show me what?” She asked a bit breathlessly.

“The feeling. Can’t describe it, but I want to share it. I’d like to share everything with you.” I kind of kicked myself at how cheesy that sounded but once it was out of my mouth, it wasn’t like I could take it back.

Hayley stared at me, searching my face for several long heart beats, but then she put the helmet on and clasped it, tightening the chinstrap. I heeled up the kickstand and started it up and she got on behind me. She found the pegs for her feet and I told her to hold onto me. Her arms went tight around my waist, her lush body pressing up against my back and I let out the clutch, shifted, and took us around to head down the driveway the same way I’d come up. I was pleased there was enough room back here to turn her around without having to back her up. That was always nice.

I took it slow at first, down her street and stopped at the stop sign at the end of her road.

“Alright?” I called.

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