Page 27 of Property of Baffle
I did know, though.I’d heard whispers about Ryan, and since then, Rick had explained a bit about what happened with Sammy’s family and why she wanted to keep her brother close.The poor boy’s whole identity had been made up to scam Sammy’s dad, who ended up abandoning the boy once he found out Ryan wasn’t his son.I still hadn’t been able to spend any time getting to know Bigfoot’s ol’ lady, since they were still off on their honeymoon.Considering she was willing to take the boy and make sure he continued to live a good life with the only family he’d ever known, despite what those test results said, I couldn’t wait to get to know her.I would have worried that Ryan’s uncles might be as crappy as Sammy’s dad was, but I’d already met Brady and he had stood up for me when I was still a stranger.It made me feel better about the fact that the little boy was being dropped off at the Morton compound, as everyone kept calling it.
By the time Tilly showed up again, the boys had already left with their copies of my drawings waving proudly behind them.My attention shifted back to the woman who had given me a hard time when I first arrived at the clubhouse with Baffle.I knew she understood the dynamics after they’d been explained to her, and had done a good job of trying to be a better person to me, but I still felt a bit stiff and stilted around the woman.She had judged and treated me accordingly without even asking for my name and that wasn’t something I could easily overlook.I wanted to because she was like a second mom to my husband, but it was something that would have to be worked out over time.As she walked toward our table, I noticed that she had something in her hands.As soon as Tilly took the same seat she’d been in earlier, she finally looked up at me and swatted a tear away.“Now that the boys are gone, I have a bone to pick with you,” she said.
Crutch tensed up and dropped one of his giant hands overtop of Tilly’s as if to warn her not to do whatever it was she had planned.She pulled her hand free and swatted at him playfully before turning her focus back on me.“When I got that paper out earlier, you said you worked with metal as an artist and I thought I messed up again.”She shook her head and grinned as her fingers tapped on the glass of the picture frame that she set on the table between us.
I laughed as realization hit.“I wasn’t lying.While I can hold my own when sketching, I’m not the best artist on paper.I can work miracles with my metal sculptures, though.”There was no point in trying to be humble about it.I loved the work I created even if there was always that niggling doubt in the back of my mind that the people closest to me wouldn’t agree.My roommate had never wanted to see what I created because she,“didn’t want to be disappointed and have to fake it with me”as she told me when I asked once.That should have been my clue to find a different roommate.
Tilly held up the framed sketch I created of the boys and said, “Are you kidding me?”She huffed out a somewhat frustrated sigh and looked toward her husband for help.“This looks like someone snapped a photograph of Hawk and Ryan.”She pointed to their chests, where they wore those leather cuts.“You even have Hawk and Ry written on name tape that look just like they were stitched on, just the same as the club members wear.”
My face heated and I was saved from forming a response as Baffle, Knuckles, Grunt, and Grease all came into the clubhouse and made their way over to us.
“Holy shit, Nelly-Girl, you fuckin’ knocked us on our asses with that project you’re working on,” Knuckles said as he swooped in and scooped me out of my chair.The man pulled me into his well-muscled frame and squeezed as he rocked us back and forth and then spun me around.
“Put my wife down, asshole!”Rick had a giant smile on his face even as he popped his fist into Knuckle’s shoulder.
“Baffle doesn’t want us bugging you, but fair warning, when you get time, we’re commissioning a Harley version of what you’re working on.”Knuckles sat me back down in my chair and backed up a step to level me with a meaningful stare.He was serious.
“Except you need to use our club code instead of the sins,” Grunt added to what Knuckles requested.
“Supply the parts, and when I’m done with Classic Sin, I’d be happy to work on something for the club.”I had no problem agreeing to take that on.
“No,” Baffle jumped in and shook his head adamantly.“The club will pay you for the time and artistry you put in.”
I rolled my eyes.“We’ll call it a wedding present then because those pieces are ridiculously expensive and I’m not going to take that kind of money from the club.”
“Just how expensive are we talking?”Knuckles asked.
I didn’t bother to hide how much I made on them because there were articles online that showcased my work and what it went for, if you knew the name I signed my pieces under.They must have known that much since they had to pack up all my paperwork from my old studio, too.“Just the twenty percent down payment was a hefty five figures.”I was being paid $360,000 for the piece, though I thought it was uncouth to throw that number out.Plus, I didn’t want to discourage them from accepting the installation they requested from me for free.Something the size of a Harley wouldn’t go for nearly as much as the Chevy since the latter was much larger, but I still didn’t want to send them into sticker shock.
“Fuck, lady!”Grunt grumbled and walked away to grab a drink at the bar.
“Worth it,” Knuckles said before he followed.
Baffle appeared speechless as he stood there staring like he couldn’t quite figure me out.We hadn’t really discussed my art in depth or any financials at all.Come to think of it, that was probably weird considering we were married.Then again, I guess those are things that had to play catch up when you entered into a whirlwind Vegas marriage.
“After seeing what Nell drew today, I think I speak for everyone when I say that we really want to see what you guys are talking about,” Tilly mentioned.
“What did you draw, today, sweetheart?”Rick asked as he glanced between Tilly and myself.I know he saw the framed piece sketch on the table but he wanted me to give him permission to look.
“It wasn’t anything really,” I mumbled as my ears heated.I don’t know why I felt the most self conscious when Baffle talked about my artwork.It was almost like I was afraid of letting him down.It made no sense because he’d never given any indication that he’d treat me like my roommate had, or my parents.The latter of which had never encouraged my artistry.Then again, they wanted to sell me off to be some middle-aged asshole’s teenage broodmare, so I guess they felt I didn’t need to exercise my talent.
Tilly handed over the framed sketch.“No denying that’s Hawk and Ryan,” my husband said as the other guys huddled in closer to get a look, too.“What made you draw this?”
“Hawk wanted to draw a motorcycle, Ryan wanted to do a house by a lake.I figured I’d blend their ideas with them in the picture to make it all stick together.”I shrugged my shoulders as if the concept was a given because to me it was.
“I made copies, so the boys could each take one home, but I just know Bigfoot will want this hung up in here somewhere,” Tilly gushed.
“Pick a spot, Mom,” Rick told her.“You’re right.He’ll want that displayed.”
My heart was ready to burst as my husband picked me up and then sat down in my seat and pulled me into his lap.“We got you a new studio to work out of.I’ll take you over to see it tomorrow.”
“Seriously?”I bounced on his lap excitedly as I clapped my hands.
“Yeah,” Rick chuckled.“Can’t be there without an escort for now, because it’s off club property, but it’s at the Morton compound, so it won’t be too far away.I had no clue where the Morton compound was but I was ready to get there.“I’ll take you tomorrow,” my husband offered again as he popped my thigh with his hand.“Now, stop bouncing before I take you somewhere private and explain in detail exactly what you’re doing to me.”He kissed my ear where he’d whispered the last bit so only I’d hear the threat I hoped he followed through with.
“Come on woman,” Crutch demanded as he stood and held a hand out to Tilly.“Let’s get Nell’s vision of the future hung so we can go home.I’ve been coming up with all kinds of ideas for the best way to get you out of those hot-as-fuck pants and it’s about damn time I get to test them out.”
Tilly glanced from me to her husband and back to Rick.“Here, son.You pick a good spot to showcase your woman’s talent.”She handed over the framed sketch and ran for the clubhouse’s front door.Crutch took off after her.Rick shook his head and stood only to deposit my ass back into the chair all alone.
