Page 4 of At Last

“So you’ve said,” Miss Jenny answers, chipper as always.

“I’m sure about a million times today.” I joke.

Miss Jenny rolls her eyes but then shakes her head yes, laughing as she does.

We gather Jade’s bag, lunch pail and jacket, sign her out and say goodnight to the staff. Then my little bundle of energy beats me to the car where I’ve unlocked the doors from my key fob.

She’s already sitting in her car seat in the back, waiting for me to buckle her in, by the time I reach her.

“I’m not ’posta eat dinner wiff you. Macy’s mom is makin’ us birfday burgurs before the cake.” My princess kicks her dangling legs excitedly.

“Well then, let’s get home and get your bag together so you can have those birthday burgers. Okay?”

We ended up packing half her room into her overnight bag, but she was so excited to be going to an actual sleepover, she didn’t want to forget anything.

Now I’ve got sweat-drenched hands gripping the steering wheel tighter than the situation warrants. It’s just girls’ night in at the clubhouse. A chance for me to make some friends.

After dropping off Jade, I swung back by my house to gussy myself up in that using makeup to make me look naturally flawless way. I don’t want any of those bikers to think I’m there for anything more than to hang with the girls. But I don’t want to look like Medusa either. It’s a fine line.

Jesse is no longer on the gate when I pull up. Another prospect lets me through. I might not know all of them, but they all know me from my time taking care of Elise.

I walk in wearing a white fitted babydoll Tee under my black lamb’s leather jacket, black skinny jeans and ballet flats. My hair is down, all the buoyant curls springing in a sort of tamed hysteria. They’ve never seen me with my hair down. I kind of feel like Sandy from the end of Grease. At thefirstdouble-take from the first biker, I pause long enough to look over my shoulder and coo, “Tell me about it,stud.” Then I keep walking as if I’d never stopped, to begin with.

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