“I told you you’re too damn skinny.” Throttle chuckled.
“I heard she’s a real looker too.” Wheelie pushed his empty plate away.
“I know her name. Did we do her yard this past summer?” Throttle asked Rags.
Rags slowly shook his head. “No, she’s a new contract, but she called because she said Lara Mayfield recommended us. More specifically, she recommended you.”
“That’s right. Damn, Lara was a pain in the ass. If her old man didn’t have all those rental properties, I would’ve dropped her account,” Throttle said as he leaned back against the booth.
“She wanted your cock so bad.” Rags laughed.
“Figures they’re friends. Damn. We need to tell these women’s husbands how to perform before we take the contracts,” Throttle joked, and the other men laughed.
“You guys want any more coffee?” Stella asked as she cleared off the table.
“I could go for a cinnamon bear claw and a bit more coffee,” Rags said while the other two shook their heads.
“Be right back.” Stella walked away.
“Where the hell do you put it?” Throttle asked Rags, who shrugged.
A loud rumble outside had the three men looking out the window. Tigger, Bones, and Cruiser killed the engines on their Harleys and walked toward the front glass doors.
“I thought they were on a poker run,” Rags said.
“They leave on Friday,” Wheelie replied.
“Hey, brothers. How’s it goin’?” Bones asked as the three men approached the table.
“Not too bad,” Throttle said as he scooted over. Tigger slid in beside him, and Bones and Cruiser slipped in next to Wheelie. “The chicken fried steak and eggs rocks.”
“I’ll have to try it. Did you see Brenda?” Tigger asked as his eyes darted around the room.
“Brenda?” Throttle asked.
“The hot waitress with big-as-hell tits and hair down to her sweet ass.” Tigger continued to look around while Bones and Cruiser sniggered.
“I’d love to sink my cock into her,” Cruiser said.
While Rags chuckled and Throttle laughed, he noticed Wheelie staring at Tigger with cold eyes. He’s got it bad for Sofia. Fuck. He cleared his throat and looked at Rags. “You about done here?”
With a puzzled look on his face, Rags wiped his mouth. “Yeah. You in a hurry?”
“Yeah. I gotta get something.”
“I’ve got to get going too,” Wheelie said as Bones and Cruiser got up to let him out. He pulled out some money and picked up the bill.
“I’m going with you guys.” Rags slipped out of the booth, and after he and Throttle said goodbye to their brothers, they joined Wheelie at the cash register and threw in their share of the bill.
Outside, the icy wind lashed around them as they walked bent over against the cold to the parking lot. Clumps of wet flakes drifted down, the pavement mushy beneath their black boots.
“Are you headed to Christiansen’s house?” Rags asked, his breath forming pale clouds.
“No. I’ll call her tonight. I’m headed to Trinity Jewelers.” Throttle pulled his gloves on.
“Whatcha got going at the jewelers?” Wheelie cupped his hands together and blew into them.
“I’m getting something for Kimber. You guys wanna come along? I could use some help in deciding.”
“I got nothing to do,” Wheelie said.
“Count me in. Do you wanna put your bike on the bed and ride back with us? Looks like it’s gonna snow for a while.” Rags opened the door to his pickup.
“That’ll work,” he said as he rolled his bike over to the truck. He glanced inside the diner and saw Tigger and Cruiser shaking their heads and laughing while they watched Rags cover his Harley with a tarp. If he were their age, he wouldn’t be caught dead doing what he was doing, but age brought wisdom and love toned down the urge to be stupidly macho. He lifted himself up and slid into the passenger seat of the truck.
Rags found parking right in front of the store, and when they went inside, a well-groomed man with graying hair at his temples came up to them, his shoulders drawn up tight around him. Several of the patrons took a few steps backward as if to distance themselves from the three men clad in leather and denim, chains dangling down their pant legs, and earrings catching the overhead lights.
“Is there something I can do for you?” the man asked as he gripped the corner of one of the cases.
Throttle chuckled. “I’m looking to buy a ring.”
“What kind of ring? Engagement, wedding, or any occasion?” The man tugged at his ear.
“We’re not planning on robbing you,” Wheelie said. “If we were, we would’ve already been done with it and gone. So you can all fuckin’ relax.”
Gasps from behind him as well as the salesman’s skin turning ashen made Throttle laugh and clap Wheelie on the back. “You crack me up, dude.” Rags joined in. The more people cringed away from them, the harder they laughed until the salesman cracked a smile and chuckled.
Throttle cleared his throat. “I’m looking for an engagement ring.”
“What the fuck?” Rags said as he followed Throttle to one of the cases lining the back wall.
Rings of all shapes and sizes sparkled under the soft lights, and the man took out a key and unlocked one of the cases. He pulled out a large solitaire on a white gold band.
“This is one of our most popular engagement rings,” he said as he set the ring on a very small black velvet pillow.
“Dude, is this for real?” Rags leaned over and looked at the ring.
“Yeah. I’m gonna ask her if she wants to get hitched. I don’t want you guys saying shit to anyone until I do. If you blow this, I’ll beat your asses.”
“Why do you wanna get married? She’s already your old lady,” Wheelie said.
Throttle picked up the ring and held it up, turning it from side to side. “I don’t know. I just do. Whaddaya think of this one?”
Rags and Wheelie looked at the ring in Throttle’s hand. “It looks like a ring with a diamond. It’s okay, I guess,” Rags said.
“Exactly. It’s too ordinary.”
After the salesman showed him dozens of rings, an incredulous look spread across his face when Throttle pointed to a ring and said, “Fuck. That’s it.” At that point, Wheelie and Rags were both sitting on chairs the salesman had brought out for them, fiddling with their phones.
“This one?” he asked as he took out a ring with a black diamond solitaire.
“Yeah. It’s totally Kimber. All pink and beautiful with a wicked dark side to her. This totally rocks.”
“The princess-cut stone is three carats, and the surrounding pink sapphires are a total weight of another carat. The rest of the wide band is black diamonds, set in fourteen-karat white gold. You have good taste. It’s pretty expensive.” The man looked fixedly at him.
“How much?”
“Thirty-nine-hundred dollars. I can give you fifteen percent off since we’re having a Christmas special.” The man put the ring back in the case and locked it. The small smile he offered Throttle said that he’d just wasted a couple of hours on a guy in leather who could never begin to afford the ring.