Page 36 of Lake
CHAPTER EIGHT
Lake
What could I say about Bridget?
Well, honestly, she confused the hell out of me.
And for some damn reason, I felt so awkward around her like I couldn’t ever say the right thing and I was constantly putting my foot in my mouth.
But then there were moments like this.
As we sat there in the half-full dining area eating meatloaf that tasted amazing, we talked like we were old friends. There wasn’t a strange stumbling over words and accidental glances at her chest area.
Bridget was unlike anyone I had ever met, that was for sure. She was funny and odd. But odd in a way that not only kept me on my toes but made me laugh too. She was kind of like a breath of fresh air.
As much as I didn’t know what to think about her, I could tell she didn’t know what to do with me too. She came off as confident but there were times I saw her stumble just like me. Which made me feel a little less alone in this awkward dance we had going on.
However, I didn’t think beyond all of that.
I couldn’t really afford to because it wasn’t like she was going to stick around. She had a life, a business, in another state, no less. And me, well, even if I had some kind of feelings or whatnot towards her, I would never leave my club. I knew that and so there was no sense in even entertaining the idea. This was my home and these people were my family. I knew what I was getting into and I did it knowing that I’d be here for life. Not because I was stuck but because there was no other place for me. I truly believed that and I would die believing that.
After we ate, I set her up with one of the SUVs, made sure she had my number programmed in her phone in case she ran into any problems, and then sent her on her way. I asked if Iron wanted me to follow her, but he said not to worry about it. She seemed like the honest type and I didn’t get the feeling like she was a threat to the club. I figured Iron felt the same.
I went back to my room to get a couple hours of silence before I headed to the docks and took the night shift. I should have found out which prospect I was working with, but I was distracted for some reason.
I didn’t want to wonder what Bridget was doing and if she was safe, but I did. As I sat there in my bed, I couldn’t help but think about how crazy she was. I tried my best not to think about the fact that she had slept in my bed and that the odd scent that was swirling around me was hers. For some reason, there was a hint of something familiar in it, but I couldn’t place it. Maybe she’d used my body wash and shit. That could have been it.
I turned on the TV and tried my best to not think about the woman that had taken up residence in my room.
A couple of hours later, I was pulling up next to Colby at the entrance of the docks.
“You and me tonight,” I said with a smile.
He was a good one. I wasn’t sure if I got a vote yet because this whole thing of me having an officer’s patch was still new. We hadn’t voted on anything since I’d gotten the patch. The patch I was very much proud of.
When I prospected for the Moon Hill chapter, I never thought I’d get this far. It wasn’t like it was some kind of dream of mine. I just wanted to be a part of something bigger than myself and I kind of just stumbled upon the club randomly.
One night, I found myself in a diner in the middle of nowhere. I had been on the road for hours with no direction. I was running, and even I knew it then. But there I was, drinking shitty coffee and eating the most amazing pancakes I’d ever had, and in walked a group of men that looked like they were closer than brothers. They had this air about them that screamed something to my soul.
I watched them like a creepy person from a booth in the corner of the diner.
Finally, I got the courage up to walk over to them. It was the man with the long hair that smiled at me and gave me a nod like he understood where I was coming from that made me gather the strength to ask if I could take a seat. That man— Bocca, I later learned was his name— slid out a chair and pulled me into their conversation without missing a beat. And later that night, I found myself parking my bike in front of their clubhouse.
A few months later, I asked if I could prospect after learning all about it and was given the chance a few days later.
Even though they knew my deepest, darkest secrets, they still welcomed me. I mean, they did only after I’d proven myself. Which I spent nearly a year doing.
Honestly, it wasn’t as hard for me as I would have imagined. Sure, there was a lot of shit to take. A lot of crap to deal with. But I did it with pride because I wanted in. It wasn’t all that bad. Even as I got my cut with a prospect patch, I felt pride and a strange sense of warmth in it.
This was where I belonged and that feeling wouldn’t change. I knew that in my heart.
“You ready for this?” I asked the prospect as I hung my helmet on my handlebars.
“Yes, sir,” he answered as he dismounted his bike.
He was a good one. I didn’t know his story yet and I wasn’t sure if that was because Iron didn’t know or he was waiting for Colby to open up and share on his own.
Truth be told, I hadn’t quite figured Iron out yet either.
