Gloria leaned over the table toward Hull. “You can speak with me all night, honey,” she said.
“If she keeps turning me down, you’re on,” Hull said with a grin. Rebecca couldn’t help but smile.
“You have two minutes,” she said. “Say your peace and let me get back to pool.”
“Let’s go outside,” Hull said.
“Fine,” Rebecca agreed, and she let the young biker lead the way to the parking lot. They stood off to the side of the dingy bar, in the gravel lot. The sky was dark, the only light coming from the silver moon that hung in the sky and the cars that passed by on the four-lane highway the bar was situated off of.
“I want to speak, and don’t interrupt me,” Hull said. “You always interrupt; it’s one of your worst qualities.”
“Are you trying to get me back?” Rebecca said with a smirk.
“Hush,” Hull said. “I know you got scared when we were younger. I know you didn’t want to be a mom. I was ready to be a dad, but only because I wanted you. I would have done anything for you, and coming back, seeing you again, I realize that I still would do anything for you.”
He stopped speaking, and Rebecca waited for more. Hull laughed. “I thought that would take longer, but that’s it. I would do anything for you. I don’t know why you hate me.”
Rebecca sighed and shook her head. “I don’t hate you, Hull. I love you. I think…I think I hate myself. I know that’s it. When I freaked out and you ran away—and you ran far, let’s be honest—I hated myself for it. And now I’m scared that if I ever do something to make you run again, I’ll hate myself forever.”
“Well, don’t make me run,” Hull said, and he smiled and reached for her hand. Rebecca let him take it. She stood on her tiptoes and pressed her lips to his.
“Let’s go to my place,” she said with a grin when they broke their kiss.
“Let’s grab a beer first.”
Rebecca frowned. “Jason is in there.”
“I’m not afraid of him.”
“Come on, do you need to be macho right now?”
“It’s just one beer,” Hull argued.
“Fine,” Rebecca relented. “One beer, and then come home with me.”
“Deal.” Hull grinned. They went inside. They were at the bar for only a moment before Jason was there, tapping Hull on the shoulder. Hull rolled his eyes and spun around on his barstool. “What?” he asked, not bothering to keep the annoyance out of his voice.
“You aren’t welcome here,” Jason said.
“It’s a free country, right?”
“This is a Hammer bar.”
“I was a Hammer. My father was the whole damn thing.”
“He’s dead. Now I’m the whole damn thing,” Jason snapped.
“Let’s have a vote. I know you have your cronies, but some people remember what the club used to be, how great it was,” Hull said.
“It’s still great,” Jason said. “Greater than ever.”
“Then let’s take a vote, see how many people agree with you.”
“We don’t vote; this isn’t seventh grade. You know how we do it here.”
Rebecca put her hand on Jason’s chest and shoved him back. “Get out of her with that macho shit,” she said.
“No one is talking to you, bitch,” Jason said. Hull was up in an instant, right in Jason’s face.
“What did you say to her?”
“You heard me. Don’t get your panties in a bunch. Let’s settle our shit first. Fight. Tomorrow at midnight, out at the old Harris plant.”
“All right,” Hull said. “Winner gets the club?”
“Scout’s honor,” Jason said with a grin, holding three fingers up.
“You wouldn’t know honor if it fucked you in the ass,” Hull said. “But I know the others heard everything, so they’ll hold you to it. See you tomorrow night.”
Rebecca wasn’t sure it was going to be that easy to get rid of Jason, but he just nodded and headed back to his table. It was true what Hull had said. While the two men had been talking, the whole bar had been deathly quiet. There wasn’t a Hammer in the place who hadn’t heard about the fight tomorrow, and the stakes.
When they got back to Rebecca’s that night, she turned on the man who had so recently come back into her life. “Can you please grow up? A fight? Are you in sixth grade?”
Hull laughed. “He started it.”
“I can’t deal with you men,” Rebecca said. Hull stepped forward and took her hands. She tried to pull them away, but he didn’t let go. Instead, he pulled her closer.
“Come to bed,” he said. “Please?”
“I don’t want to. I’m not tired,” Rebecca snapped.
“Good. Neither I am. I want to make love to you.”
Rebecca shook her head, but she couldn’t hide the small smile that spread across her face.