Page 67 of From the Ashes
Noted.
I turn to the front door, stroke the back of her hand with my thumb, and knock.
19
LANA
“Finally! Come in, come in!”a beautiful redhead greets us at the door. She’s smiling and wearing an orange feather boa around her arms, along with a long turquoise sequin dress and matching butterflies high-heels. Of all the things I had pictured in my head from what the members of a motorcycle club were supposed to look like, feather boas were definitely not on my list.
“Hi, Cart’,” she says softly with an affectionate smile and then turns to me, “You must be THE mysterious woman.” She claps her hands many times. She’s so pretty, she reminds me of a princess in Noah’s movies. The excitement and the energy coming out of her are contagious. “I’m Mia, Ares’s wife. It’s so nice to meet you.” She hugs me tight like we’re old friends.
“Hi,” I try to say while she squeezes me, “I’m Lana.”
She looks at me and deadpans, “That’s such a pretty name.” Then she takes my hand and storms inside as I try to keep up. I only have a second to glance at Carter, who’s giving me a half-smile with a nod, which I guess means that this is the usual Mia kind of way.
“Come, you have to meet the girls!” She looks back at me with a wink. “We’re all so excited to meet you,” she declares as I takein the interior of her house and all the people standing chatting in every corner.
I had imagined a massive house full of metallic and rough features, with bikers’ gear everywhere, but this is different. It’s cozy, rustic, yet nothing feels too old due to the sleek finishes and the light beige touches here and there on the sofa and on the curtains. It’s as if it is the perfect mix of wood and softness. Which I guess is exactly the right metaphor for our hosts. Houses usually look like the people who live in them. The living room is large with many little lamps making it inviting, and the large beige sofa seems as soft as a cloud. There’s a few colorful cushions, but it remains quite relaxing and cozy. Passing by the entryway, I notice a few frames on the right wall. One in dark wood with a man, who I guess is Ares, the President of the club, around a few other members that I do not know. And another one above it, much different, with a picture of Mia and her husband in a garden, both laughing while he tickles her. Both pictures are in black and white and kind of ethereal. The only main difference being that the top frame is made of pink glitter with four hearts glued on the corners. I don’t know much about them, but from the vibe I’m getting, these two couldn’t be more different, and yet, they seem to be a match made in heaven.
Mia tugs my hand until we’re in the middle of a kitchen with a large island, the chandelier above us, and the candles displayed, making it look like a reunion of little fairies. Three other women are there around the island, chatting and smiling, sipping pink juice in gorgeous triangle glasses.
“Girls, this is Lana, Carter’s Old Lady,” Mia introduces me with a wave, and I notice her perfect nails coated with a pearly purple color. My heart speeds up, and for some strange reason, I really, really hope they’ll like me. They all nod with large smiles and kind eyes, which makes me relax instantly. Carter was right.There’s nothing to fear. These are good people, and all I have to do is be myself and it’ll be okay.
“It’s so nice meeting you,” says a tall and beautiful woman with long jet black hair. We must be around the same age, at least I’m not the only one in my thirties here. “I’m Erin, Shadow’s Old Lady. This is Rose and Mia’s sister, Kiara.” She introduces them while I wave shyly.
“I love your blouse, it’s so pretty, it looks like the one you showed me at your office,” Kiara says, her red hair matching the exact shade of Mia’s, the same curls bouncing on their shoulders.
“Totally, I’ve picked this one for a client in Louisville,” she confirms, and I wonder if she works in fashion or retail. The stunning blond next to Kiara smiles at me, then gives me a little notebook I haven’t noticed she had in front of her.
“Hi, I’m Rose, I’m Vox’s wife. I’m mute but I hear perfectly, it’s really nice meeting you,” the notes says, and I feel a bit stupid for not knowing any signs, but I make a mental note of tackling it as soon as I get home. If I want to be accepted, I’ll need to put some effort in.
“Nice to meet you, Rose,” I answer, taking it all in. Mia’s little sister and Rose seem about the same age, yet somehow Rose looks way more mature. There’s something in her eyes, as if she was no longer innocent. As if she had gone through too much for her young age.
“What can I get you? We’ve got celery juice, soda, a pink mocktail Erin made, sparkling water, or if you want alcohol, there’s some in the living room.” Mia offers, reaching for a glass above the sink. Celery juice is a bit unusual for an evening beverage, but I imagine there must be a reason for it.
“A mocktail is good, thank you,” I say, sitting on one of the stools. My shoulders lower a bit, and I enjoy the fact that they are not all staring at me. Erin turns her face toward me, one hipresting on the island, a glass of pink mocktail in her hand. She’s wearing a beautiful, deep green dress that is like a second skin. It reminds me of a snake, but in a mesmerizing way. That woman is making heads turn, that I’m certain.
“We were talking about going dancing just us girls next Saturday. We don’t go out that often, but since Rose and Kiara are around this month, it would be nice to have a girls’ night. Nothing crazy, just a nice restaurant and a bit of dancing.” Erin shrugs with a grin. “You should come.”
“I’d love that,” says Mia before chuckling. “It’s going to sound awful, but Ares hates it when I go out in the evening. He thinks there’s always someone out there ready to kidnap me. It turns him into a protective caveman. Last time, for the opening of my showroom, we went to a popular club owned by the club, so, no big deal, and still he ended up smashing his fist into a guy who tried to dance with me.”
“Oh, stop it,” Erin laughs, “you love when he does that.” She raises her brows with an accusing tone.
“Okay, maybe I like a tiny bit,” admits Mia, giggling and squeezing her thumb and her finger in the air. Rose signs something, and Mia translates it immediately for the group. Are they all fluent in sign language? Damn it, I really need to catch up.
“Rose says she doesn’t know how to dance, so she’s not sure she wants to come with us.” Rose winces exaggeratedly, her beautiful lavender dress moving gracefully on her shoulders. There’s something about her that reminds me of an angel.
“Nonsense!” shouts Kiara, her little white top bringing me back to what I used to wear in high school, “I’m the worst dancer in the entire galaxy, and still, I never turn down an opportunity to dance. We’ll be together, it’ll be fun,” resting a reassuring hand on her shoulder.
“I don’t really dance either,” I tell Rose, even if that’s not exactly true. I used to love dancing. I would lock myself in my room as a teenager and dance to the beat of all the best pop songs until my feet literally hurt. Then I got with Ben after high school, and since then, I have never danced again. He would say that I couldn’t dance without looking like a slut, his words, not mine, and it made me self-conscious. I didn’t care about being sexy; it wasn’t about that. The waves of music dancing on my skin and my heart pounding to the sound of the beat were the only reasons why I loved dancing. I tried again in my house, but it felt silly, like I was fooling myself that I could do it.
“Uh-huh, with a body like that, I’m sure you can pull amazing moves,” says Mia, dancing for a second and making lascive moves with her hips.
“I used to dance, but I’m a bit rusty now.”
“So we’ve got two missions, putting Rose and Lana on the dancefloor until their feet hurt,” declares Erin, extending her hand for Kiara and Mia to shake. I chuckle, then sip a bit of the mocktail. It’s sweet and a bit sour, like strawberries with ginger. Delicious.
“So, tell us about yourself. It’s nice to have a new face around,” Mia says with a soft smile, holding what I think is a celery juice in her hand. “Carter mentioned you have a son,” she adds gently.
