Page 17 of A Brother At My Back

He looked at his watch and nodded. “About that time, I’ll see her out.”

“Appreciate it, bro.”

I left him tapping the shoulder of another bouncer who was talking in his cell. The guy nodded and Zeke disappeared inside, through the building.

Nek minute, I was around back, leaning against the bike, expecting to be waiting a bit; most women almost always taking longer than they say. Not her, though. The back door opened, the big blond bouncer holding it open for her. She said her goodnight and he gave her a nod and, fists buried deep in her pockets against the cold, she stepped as lightly across the cracked blacktop of the back lot in her flat boots as she had across the mirrored stage in those killer heels of hers.

“Hi,” she said, and while the choice lace mask she’d had on inside was gone, her hair covered and did the job of hiding her warrior’s mark, now.

“Hey,” I greeted back, and held out a helmet to her.

“So, where did you have in mind to eat?” she asked.

“Know a diner, open twenty-four hours. American food; ain’t bad.”

“Sounds good; I could use the calories,” she declared.

“Too right, must be a workout in there every night, eh?”

“It can be.”

She got onto the bike behind me and settled. I started it up and when her arms were firm around my waist, I pulled out of the lot and onto the road.

The ride was brisk, and if I was cold, I sure felt sorry for her. She didn’t have the same amount of muscle or mass that I did. I kept thinking about her dance back at the strip club and the more I thought about it, the more that blank look haunted me. It also bothered me that as much as it did, I still couldn’t help that my prick stirred every time I pictured her taking my money between her teeth and those rich red lips of hers.

I pulled up to a stoplight a few blocks down from the diner and she called out over the engine, “It’s all right, you know!”

“What?”

“That it turned you on. I know I’m good at my job.”

“Sounds to me like you maybe put in a little extra effort, eh?” I called back, flirting a bit, sure, but a bit uneasy she read me so well.

“Maybe I did,” she agreed and I almost didn’t hear her over the chug of my old girl when she added, “Sorry.”

The light turned green and I powered through the intersection and down the road, pulling smoothly into the car park of the diner. I cut the engine and didn’t say anything. She seemed content to not say anything either, which was alright with me.

I opened the door for her and let her into the warmth of the place first. Hayley looked up from behind the counter.

“Hey, you!” she said brightly.

“Gidday, Cuz.”

“Well, good night,” she said brightly and I smiled. “Two?”

“Eh, yeah.” I tried not to blush. I was actually pretty shy around the club when it came to the ladies, and didn’t think that Hayley would be here so late. Blue’s shift must’ve changed again.

“Hi, I’m Hayley,” she said leaning around me to see Tiff.

“Uh, hi… I’m Tiffany…” she said back and her voice sounded sus, or rather like she found Hayley to be sus.

“Blue, my husband, is one of Zeb’s club brother’s, are you and Zeb..?” she trailed off and left Tiffany to fill in the blank.

“Ah, don’t put her on the spot, Girl!” I cried and Hayley laughed.

“Sorry, curiosity gets the better of me anymore.”

It was true, she and Blue were a matched pair and they tended to bring out the best in each other and now that Cell was gone? They thrived. Bugger all, he’d carked it hard. Left Blue and Hayley in a right state but I can’t say I was sad to see him go. He was a right bastard more often than not.

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