“I am.” She smiled, then gestured to his chest, his club cut showing through his open jacket. “I see you made it to where you wanted to be. I’m happy for you.”
He nodded, and that was all they said to each other.
What else did he want to say? Can I see you again? How about we meet for coffee to catch up? Because he wasn’t blocking her driveway, he waited until she slid into her car and drove off, giving him a shy little wave and half-smile through the window. Once Lisa was out of sight, he kicked the bike stand and went another way.
His workday rarely started this early, so he headed toward the local diner, where he ordered breakfast biscuits and a coffee strong enough to wrestle demons.
It was funny how life took twists and turns no one could expect.
Case in point, yesterday, Splice was oblivious to any gaping holes in his chest while he celebrated with his brotherhood. It had taken one pair of green eyes watching him from across the backyard for him to realize who was eyeing him and then to recognize a pulse in his chest. Those holes let him know they were there and who made them forever ago.
Funny that he’d lived an entire decade since meeting Lisa, thinking he was great; he was fulfilled in every avenue.
And yet.
And yet, he’d hardly slept at all last night, waiting for a decent hour to ride to her house, after all but tackling the address out of a nosy-ass Nina so that he could confront her again.
For being a self-aware bastard, as he thought he was, he couldn’t find a good enough reason for his morning actions.
Fishing out his wallet, Splice left money on the table, enough for his food and a tip. Then he lifted a hand to the older lady behind the counter who served him every morning and ambled out of the diner. The colder October air suddenly bit at his face, so he lifted the bandana across his mouth and nose before straddling the bike. With the half helmet clipped in place, he mentally went through the list of things he needed to do today.
The first port of call was riding to the car wash. In his role as Sergeant-at-Arms, he oversaw all the club’s external ventures. Those included car washes and laundromats scattered across Utah. Just recently, they’d opened a new cafe and bar restaurant and a third biker bar. Those last two needed some tweaking before they could run on their own.
So today, after the simple stuff was done, he went to the busy part of Laketon and let himself into Hellfire Bar and Grill.
“Yo, boss.” Greeted Zen from behind the bar where he was restocking bottles, the spike-haired thirty-something manager he’d hired a month ago.
“Hey, man. Anything that needs my attention today?”
“I don’t wanna jinx it, but things have been running well for the past few nights.”
“Now we know things are gonna go to shit, thanks for that.” Smirked Splice, and Zen laughed.
“Do you want a coffee?”
“Nah, just had one. I’ll be in the office. Some people are coming in for interviews, just send ‘em back when they show up, yeah?”
“Will do, boss.”
Splice could chill out and trust the managers once Hellfire was running right. Until then, he was a regular face, and he plonked his tired ass behind the office desk, scrubbing a hand over his face to liven himself up.
There was plenty of shit to keep him busy, but Splice would be lying if his curious mind didn’t flicker toward Lisa once or twice that day. Wondering what she’d done with herself in the last decade. Andwherethe husband was.
It wasn’t a yearning for a woman that had slipped through his fingers. Not when he’d put himself on a self-imposed celibacy train a while back. It wasn’tthat. Though she was still drop-dead-fuckable.
Splice was happily single and assumed he’d stay that way. He liked his life to be complication-free.
But it was fine to be curious about the woman who’d taught him how it had felt to become submissive in bed andfucking love it. No woman had ever edged him like Lisa.
After all, he thought, Lisa had been the first andonlywoman he’d done that with.
He didn’t have time to think about it before someone knocked, and when he called out, “Come in.”
A young girl, no taller than his knee, walked in, and Splice gestured for her to take a seat. She blushed and smiled at him, introducing herself as Grace. She flattened the skirt over her kneecaps. Judging by her polished college-girl appearance, she seemed innocent and unprepared for the situation, and therefore, she wouldn’t have the skills necessary to deal with a drunken mob. But he had to be fair and interview all the prospective bar staff.
“So,” he started, drumming his fingers on the desk. “Tell me why you want to work here.”
“Rent is due, and I can’t live on instant ramen much longer.” The girl answered with a determined voice, holding Splice’s eyes.
