Page 13 of Reno’s Rebel
“Certainly. Let me know when you two have found a phone you like for her.” The salesman smiles and walks back over to his counter. Once he’s behind it, he begins typing on his keyboard.
“Are you serious?” Valencia’s surprised, but I knew she would be. Little does she know I’d rather her have a phone on my line so I’ll never have to worry about her running out of minutes.
“Yeah, so pick out a phone that isn’t a crappy one.” I leave it at that, and Valencia knows better than to argue with me right now. She accepts defeat pretty easily, and within the next ten minutes, she’s found a phone that she likes decently enough. It’s not anything top-of-the-line, but at least this way, she can download apps if she wants to. We head up to the salesman and tell him what she wants, and she picks out a phone in her favorite color—which is surprisingly not red—and then she gets a case. I pay, and we’re walking out of the cellphone store in no time, heading through the rest of the mall. I’m starving, so I’m hoping Valencia is down to get some grub.
“Are you hungry by any chance?” I ask Valencia, really hoping she is. My stomach is growling, and I can eat a whole cow by myself at this point.
“A little bit. Want to grab a bite?”
“I sure as fuck do,” I answer her, sliding my hand around her waist and walking her to the closest restaurant, which happens to be a Mexican one. It looks like it’s been newly renovated on the inside, with dark gray laminate floors and vibrant colors on the walls and booths.
There’s a sign that reads, ‘please seat yourself’, so I take Valencia to an open table that seats two people. There are little paper menus on the table, and we both scan through the menu, making small chit-chat, but it’s not really small when I think about it. “Have you given any thought to what I spoke to you about?”
Valencia peers up from the menu. “Do you mean the pitching in at the club sort of thing?”
“Yeah, I’m gonna have to tell Boss something soon.”
“Somehow, she doesn’t strike me as a woman who likes to wait.” Valencia smiles, and we have to pause our conversation to put in our food order. We’re both Latino, so we say some traditional dishes, and the waitress walks off in no time.
“About what you said, no, she isn’t the type of woman who likes to wait.” I laugh, and Valencia smirks.
“I don’t want to be a clubwhore. I can’t do it. Or at least, I don’t think I can. I really don’t want to try it out, if I’m being honest.”
“Good. You don’t have to.” I’d rather Valencia not be a clubwhore either, considering there’s an intense sexual chemistry between the two of us. It’s new, and we don’t have a label by any means, but I don’t want any of my brothers or sisters fucking her. I’d likely lose my shit if I saw it happening, especially with the way I’m drawn to this woman. “What do you want to do to pull your own weight?”
“So, I’m working at the diner, right? I figure I can pick up a barmaid shift a couple nights a week and maybe cook sometimes too. I’m sure that will show Boss that I’m a team player and that I’m not a mooch.”
“Yeah, it will, and for the record, she doesn’t think you’re a leech, bum, low-life, or any of that. She’s only spoken to me about it to bring it to your attention so we can make a change. I’m sure she’s going to be happy that you’re contributing to the club.”
“I think I’ll be happier that I am too. I do want to apologize because I didn’t even think about it until you spoke to me about it. I . . . I’ve never come from a life where I had to contribute like that.”
Ah, this is the first bit of information about her past that she’s ever given me. “That’s okay. When we get back to the clubhouse, I’ll let Boss know about what you’ve selected.”
“Okay, thank you.”
Valencia and I chit-chat for a bit, and then our food is brought out to us. It’s delicious, as I figured it would be, and we demolish both of our plates. After we eat, I take Valencia to another store because she looks like she really wants to buy a dress she sees on the mannequin in the window. She ends up getting it, and the two of us walk outside and then over to my bike. I put her dress in my saddle bag and then get on, and Valencia’s quick to get on behind me, wrapping her hands around my torso. “Remember to hold on tight,” I remind her as I put my helmet on, and Valencia slides hers over her head next.
We take off, and within thirty minutes, we’re back at the clubhouse. I pull my bike into the assigned garage bay and park it, then we get off. Valencia places her helmet on the seat and then heads into the clubhouse, and I’m quick behind her. I walk into the bar area, and Chuckles is sitting on a barstool with Gold on his lap. “You seen Boss?”
He nods immediately. “Yeah, she was in her office the last time I saw her.”
“Okay, cool. Thanks,” I say and head for the stairwell. Boss’ office is on the next floor, so I head up to it, and when I get off on the next floor, I walk down the hall and head to her office door. I knock loudly, and within a few seconds, she’s calling me in.
“Come on in.”
I do as she says and walk inside, shutting the door firmly behind me. “Reno, to what do I owe the pleasure?”
“I spoke with Valencia.”
“Okay, and what did she choose? Being a clubwhore?” My stomach burns the second Boss mentions it.
I shake my head. “No, she’s going to pick up a couple barmaid shifts every week, but she also wants to contribute by cooking for the entire club.”
Boss raises her brows. “Wow, that’s a task.”
“Yeah, it is. Hopefully, it shows you that she wants to be here and she’s willing to put in the work to earn her place.” As I’m speaking to Boss, all I can think about is what that car salesman said. It rattled Valencia, and with any luck, eventually, she’ll tell me about it. Otherwise, I’m going to have to figure it out for myself.
“I do, but I knew unless I said something, she would’ve been comfortable doing nothing.”
