They rode several times with his motorcycle club and he reveled in having her cling tightly to his back. After all, it was right where she belonged. He purposely didn't bring her on any excursions that would involve criminal dealings. But he did need to keep up appearances. Besides, he wanted everyone to know the woman on the back of his Harley belonged to him.
It was a warm Saturday afternoon when his gang rode through the parts of town where Anthony wanted to send a message to some rivals. There would be no violence as a result of the ride, just a statement. By the end of the day, most of the bikers broke from the group and headed their separate ways. Anthony, Christy, Alexander and Brooks decided to stop for a bite to eat. Since their favorite place to eat, Kelly’s Fish House, was packed to the rafters, they settled themselves at a corner table in a popular restaurant chain nearby. Anthony couldn't help but notice the stares of the other diners. Three scary looking bikers and his beautiful and well-groomed Christy sitting right in the middle of them caused more than one curious glance. She, of course, was oblivious to the attention as she concentrated on the menu.
Anthony noticed one couple, who appeared to be about Christy's age, paying a tad too much notice to the foursome. He quietly asked Christy if she knew them. She looked up from her menu, and looked at where he nodded. She broke out in a smile.
"I went to school with them," she told him as she laid down her menu and gave them a wave.
"Were they friends of yours?" he asked.
"No. I didn't have friends, but neither did they. They're twins, and they always kept to themselves. Real braniacs. Because they didn't have friends and stuck with each other, the kids weren't very kind. Always suggesting they were closer than a brother and sister should be. It was mean, and I'm sure they were even more miserable back then than I was. Someone made up a stupid rhyme, and it followed them everywhere."
"What kind of rhyme?" Brooks asked. He was the biker who’d won the thousand dollars Anthony had offered as a bonus to participate in Andrew's torture and murder. He had a deviant nature with a mean streak that rivaled Anthony's and a demeanor that would send a lion running the other way. He was almost as tall as Anthony and at least thirty pounds heavier. He was riddled with tattoos, including his face. He wore his brown hair long and always looked like he needed a shave. Alexander noticed that Brooks couldn't seem to take his eyes off the woman. He couldn't understand why. She didn't seem like Brooks’ type. She looked like a nice girl, not the hardcore, rough women Brooks usually brought around the camp.
"The Renquest twins are freaks of nature..." Christy started to say, but the words died on her lips. "I don't remember the rest," she lied as she looked down at her drink.
Knowing that the conversation was making Christy uncomfortable and sad, Anthony quickly added, "Well, they seem mighty interested in you."
The waitress interrupted the conversation, and after taking their orders and walking away, Christy continued where she'd left off.
"They were two years ahead of me. I didn't hang with them, but I did have Lucy in phys ed, and Lenny tutored me for a semester in science. I didn't have any reason not to be nice to them."
"Why don't you go say hello?" Anthony prodded.
Assuming he wanted to speak to Alexander and Brooks alone for a moment, Christy agreed. Besides, it would feel rude not to acknowledge them.
Anthony watched out of the corner of his eye as Christy approached the duo. He saw that Lenny stood when Christy got to the table, and he even pulled out a chair for her to sit.
Fifteen minutes had passed when Anthony signaled Christy that their food arrived. He watched as Lenny stood again when Christy did. It was obvious by the guy's expression that he had a crush on Christy, and Anthony told her so when she got back to the table.
"Yeah, he might've back then, too. But he never acted on it. He's totally harmless," she said as she placed her napkin in her lap.
"Ya think?" Alexander laughed.
"Don't make fun of them," Christy snapped. "I'm sorry, Alexander," she quickly added. "It's just that they had a rough time of it back in high school. But you know, they've come a long way. I think I learned more about them in the past fifteen minutes than I ever did in school."
She took a bite of her salad and set her fork down to pick up her water. After taking a sip she added, "They're both still in college. Lucy is doing something with disease control and Lenny is into nuclear physics. Whatever that is," she laughed.
They resumed their meal and groaned when Brooks shared a story about his stepmother's toothbrush, a camera and his then teenage butthole.
"That is disgusting," Christy said, but she couldn't help but laugh at how Brooks took revenge on the woman that used to beat him as a child. Besides, it was mild compared to what she knew he was now capable of. "And, I think I'm done with dinner," she added, laying her fork down.
"I think we all are," Anthony added as he signaled the waitress for their check. Brooks excused himself to use the restroom.
Lucy Renquest washed and dried her hands. She checked herself out in the restroom mirror and wondered what her life would've been like if she’d had Christy Chapman's looks. Christy was one of the few kids at school who wasn't mean to her or Lenny. Christy had been quiet and reserved, but not cruel like the others. Lucy was more than flattered when Christy not only approached their table, but took the time to sit with them and talk. She seemed genuinely interested in their lives and Lucy couldn't help but wish that someone from their old high school would happen upon the three of them. She wanted to be seen with one of the cool kids. Just once in her life, she wanted to feel important and popular. She had no way of knowing that Christy Chapman had been lonelier than her back then. She was completely taken aback when Christy confessed that she had no real friends in high school. At least Lucy had her twin, Lenny. She let out a sigh when she thought of her brother. His puppy dog eyes kept passing over Christy during their entire conversation. He was smitten with her in high school and it was obvious that he still carried a torch. Her brother was as unremarkable in the looks department as she was.