Page 24 of Burning Ember
Lily chimes in, “I could run you around to some of the shops in town to fill out some applications.”
“Thank you.”
“So you know how to do laundry and shit?” Dozer asks.
I quirk a brow. “Define ‘and shit’?”
He laughs, “You know how to use the washer and dryer, iron? That shit?”
“Yeah.” I smile and a little bit of the tension in my body melts away. It feels good to let it go. Be real for a minute. However, I can’t let down my guard fully.
The side of his mouth jacks up. “Good, I’ll spread the word. Make sure you charge for that shit though, yeah? You’ll make a fuckin’ killing.” He grins fully, and adds, “You can start with mine.”
Surely, he’s kidding.
I cock my head to the side. “Let me get this straight. You’re going to pay me to do your laundry?”
“Hell, yeah. Then I don’t have to talk some sweetie into doin’ it for me.”
He must misunderstand my expression because he goes on to say, “Some of the guys have old ladies, or citizen wives, who do that shit for them. Others like me usually get some girl we’re dating or a random hook up to do it.”
“So no wife? Or old lady or whatever?”
“N-no.” But he hesitates as if he’s not being completely truthful. “Which means I either have to keep buyin’ new clothes or I have to talk some chick into doin’ it for me. And it’s not easy findin’ clothes to fit me. I’d rather pay you to wash ’em.”
We’re quiet for a minute afterward. He’s studying my reaction so I keep my face blank and take a drink from the water bottle Rigor left in front of me.
“Can you dance? The club owns the strip club in town,” Lily asks.
One abrupt laugh leaves me at the idea and her eyes widen. “Um, no, well, yes, I can dance. But no, not like that.”
“I could teach you,” she offers.
My skin feels itchy at the idea of taking my clothes off in a club full of horny men, which is kind of crazy considering what I just signed up for. I rub my hands on my shorts and try to stir my employment prospects into safer waters. “Maybe I could find an ad in the paper for a nanny or something during the day. I’m good with kids.”
Lily leans forward as if to address us both. She gives Dozer a long, meaningful look and says, “You know, Bethany’s been looking for some help with Medda. She mentioned it the other day and—”
With clipped words Dozer says, “Not a good idea, Lil’.”
She bites her lip and mutters, “Right, I guess not.”
Some emotion flickers over Dozer’s face, but it’s gone before I can decipher it. “If you get a job, you’ll have to clean early, do breakfast, and lunch around noon. Then most of us aren’t around until late for dinner, so just make sure you make it clear when you can work and when you can’t. Also, you’ll need to be here for club events.”
“Okay.” I doubt an employer is going to be able to work with those hours and I can’t help but feel a little defeated.
I pick up a chip and munch on it. One bite and I’m in heaven. The salty flavor bursts on my tongue and I close my eyes for a moment and savor it. My stomach growls between the first bite and the second.
Dozer watches me.
I dig into my sandwich next. After I swallow the first bite, I try to distract him for watching me eat. “You know, I didn’t know a biker could be such a nice guy.”
He gives me a wicked grin. “Don’t go spreadin’ it around. I have a reputation to uphold.”
The red-haired, older biker with a long beard comes over and takes Dozer’s attention away, which gives me time to finish my food. When I’ve eaten every last crumb, I push the plate forward.
Dozer glances over to me. “You were fuckin’ starvin’, huh?”
I grimace and wipe my mouth. “Sorry, was it that noticeable? And here I was trying to eat like a lady.”
