Bobby jumps up and starts swatting the dust off his pants. “Mean ol’ bastard. He clearly came up behind me taking me by surprise. You saw that right, Dani!” Bobby asks me. I just smile, not sure what to say. “If I hit the ol’ fucker I would kill him.” Bobby eyes everyone.
“Well shit, boys, we better get,” Locks says as he kisses Babs on the cheek. “We should be back tomorrow night sometime, babe.”
“How are you feeling today?” I ask Shadow, worried about his arm. He looks up from his plate after shoveling in the last bite of scrambled eggs.
“Better, it will be fine. You sleep okay?” Shadow asks, his eyes staring intently into mine.
“Let’s ride, Boys.” Locks exclaims as he busts out of the kitchen, placing dark sunglasses on his face.
All the boys walk out of the club leaving their plates for Babs to clean up. Shadow turns and winks at me as he goes out the door making my face split with a smile out of this world and my cheeks turn as red as fire. I’m tired of fighting the feelings I have for him. If it wasn’t for my mother and dad, I would throw him down on the club floor and have my way with him. My heart and head are so muddled, I don't know which one to follow.
I pull my phone out of my pocket and find the number he texted me with yesterday, wanting something to say to him before he leaves.
“I used your toothbrush. – D”
As soon as I hit send I slap myself in the forehead, baffled that that was the best I could come up with. I was hoping he would hear his phone go off before climbing onto his bike. I sit staring at the phone, waiting. I’m not sure what I expect him to say, I just want him to say something after the question I tossed at him last night, I don’t want to scare him away before I even have a chance to have him.
“I don’t mind. – S”
My heart instantly does a back-flip. My cheeks feel like they are going to split at the goofy grin I have on my face. He didn’t tell me he loved me; he didn’t tell me he wasn’t going to hurt me; but his simple text justifies that he thinks of me as more. I bet he doesn't let Candy use his toothbrush.
“I know that smile; that’s love. Your man miss you back in New York, Babe?” I hadn't noticed Babs sitting on the other side of the counter, I was so intent at staring at my phone. How long had she been sitting there? She slides a plate of eggs over at me, and lights a cigarette.
“Uh no, no, man. Just messing around on the net,” I lie. Shadow is the reason behind my giddy state, but nobody can know that.
She throws her pack of cigarettes on the counter, and shakes her head.
“I don’t much care for the internet, not my thing. I just have my cell phone to call Locks on, that’s about as high tech as I get.” She seems to really love Locks. I imagine you would have to really love someone that is in a club though.
“Why do they call him Locks? Is he good at picking locks?” I ask, picking at my food.
She laughs and takes a big drag off her cigarette. “Nah, that was a good one though. Fuckers call him Locks because of his long blond hair. You know, Goldilocks.” I spew O.J. all over the counter, imagining Locks as Goldilocks is not something that would normally come to mind.
“They call me Babs because they say I talk a lot; assholes. Trust me, it’s not a name I would pick. I was thinking more of Red, 'cause of my red hair and I love the color. But you don’t get to pick your name around here,” she says, picking her bright red fingernails. They are so long I bet she could mess someone up if they crossed her.
“Does everybody have a nickname?” I ask, trying to gain my composure from the O.J. I spewed everywhere.
“Mostly. Some prospects don’t, but they will in time. Only person that doesn’t is Bobby, and that’s because 'Overgrown Child' is too long to put on his cut. I’m sure you will get one, you stay around here long enough.” She pauses, staring at me intently.