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Me: Busy. Working tomorrow?
Chantelle: Unfortunately.
Me: I’ll pop by the bar.
Chantelle: Or you can meet me at my place at 2 instead.
Me: Can’t. Need to chat with you though. What time do you get your break?
I was about to put the phone down and crash after a good five minutes without a reply, when the phone chimed again.
Chantelle: Time to give me the brush off? Do it now so I don’t overthink for 24 hours.
Shit.
Well, she opened the can over text, so might as well spill the beans. But I phoned instead of texting back.
“Hey,” she greeted softly.
“I met someone.”
“Kinda figured.”
“It’s serious.”
She sighed. “If I’d known you were up for serious, I’d have thrown my hat in the ring.”
What did I say to that? I didn’t want to reply with something that might sting.
“Didn’t see it comin’,” I said.
“Ah.”
The line was silent for a second. And I didn’t want to be a dick, but didn’t need this to feel like a breakup. It wasn’t a relationship.
“I gotta go,” I said. “It’s been a slice, babe.”
“Hope she makes you happy. In case she doesn’t, don’t lose my number.”
“Take care of yourself, Chantelle.”
“You too,” she said with sadness in her voice.
***
It was a few days later and I was in the garage, replacing an alternator, when I heard the steady clicking of a set of high heels moving in my direction.
I peered around the hood of the car.
Sara Ford was strutting in my direction, all vamped out in a little black dress, sky-high heels, smoky eyes, and dark red lipstick.
“Jesse,” she greeted.
“You need your car fixed?” I asked, wiping my hands on a rag.
Deacon and Ride had quit for the day, and I’d do the same when this job was done.
“No.”
“Then I’m thinkin’ you don’t need to be here,” I replied and put my head back into the hood, dismissing her.
“My man loves the biker life. I’m guessin’ you do, too. Riding. Living life with little to no rules.”
“Your point?” I asked, straightening again.
“He made vows to me, and he broke them.”
“That’s got nothin’ to do with me.”
“He gets weak when he’s all liquored up. We’re in marriage counseling about it.”
“Maybe he oughta give up the liquor, too. Though again, nothin’ to do with me.”
“Anyway, despite his slip ups, he’s a good father, good provider. And I might be a sucker for him, but we’ve got a lotta history, so that’s between me and him.”
“Then why are you here tellin’ me?”
“Gianna is bad news. And she’s got it bad for my husband. She hasn’t stopped tryin’ to get his attention since they met a few years ago.”
“If that was true, which I doubt, I’m thinkin’ she’s over him.”
“And I wanted to warn you. Because she gave my man an STD.”
I showed no reaction.
Though Gigi told me about being burnt, she didn’t say it was Skip. And I was finding that odd since she told me about what amounted to date rape. This was the card Sara was holding in order to stick it to my girl?
“When was this?”
“Last few weeks.”
“What was it?”
“Trich. This is the second time he’s brought it to me. Thankfully, it wasn’t something incurable. We got treated and it’s gone. But if she stinks like a fish market or you get any burning when you pee, you’ll-”
“My girl smells ‘n tastes like candy. Your man stepped out on you with someone else.”
“Well…” she shrugged, “Don’t say I didn’t warn you. That girl has slept with at least half the club.”
“Not quite,” I sneered. “You sayin’ half the club has VD?”
She shrugged. “Again, don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
She strutted off.
“Sara,” I called out.
She turned to face me.
“You spread this rumor when you have no proof it was my girl that gave this to your old man, we’re gonna have problems.”
She looked me over, taking her time doing it, then said, “I’ll keep my mouth shut unless she gives me any reason not to.”
“You pull bullshit or make her life harder when you’ve got no proof, we will have problems, lady.”
“Aren’t you sweet? Steppin’ up for her when she’s been tryin’ to elevate her status for years and finally snagged the attention of a newbie.”
I smiled wide.
She looked pissed off that she didn’t score a mark with that jab.
“Listen, lady, my girl told me about her history with the club, including what her deal was with your old man. And let’s just say, there hasn’t been anything with them in a long time. As soon as she found out he was married, she backed off. Or she tried to, anyway.”
“Meaning?”
“I’ll let you read between those lines.”
“I’m not okay with her being shoved in my face after everything.”
“They had a thing years ago. If he’s still steppin’ out on you, it isn’t with her.”
“A thing she keeps trying to rekindle.”
“Not true.”
“So she says. Maybe she’s trying to play good girl and be seen as old lady material now that she’s got your attention but don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
