The red room wasn’t much bigger than a closet, with a red leather chair in the center facing a door in back. Leaning my head back against the chair, I closed my eyes, resting just a minute. Music started and then the door opened. The stripper twirled in circles making me dizzy. She ended the spin with tits in my face
“Get the fuck back,” I told her, tone cold.
She skittered back, fear in her eyes. “Dude, what the hell?”
Rubbing my neck, I stared at my feet, trying to get right in the head. “I don’t want what you’re offering, but my brothers don’t see it that way, so...” I pulled a hundred from my pocket. “This is the deal. Take the hundred and your fee and go. Tell anyone who asks it was great.”
She smirked and eyed my hard dick. “Well it works, so must be a girl. You got it bad.”
Chapter Twenty-Six: Lila
After our night out dancing, Avery adopted me, stopping by every night when she finished at the boutique.
Tonight Avery and Glory sat in my kitchen while I finished up a batch of chicken stir-fry, one of Dare’s favorite dishes. I shook my head to clear the memories.
“So, what’s the recovery plan?” Avery pinned me with an intense look. Her normal cheeriness was gone.
I frowned at her. “Get up every day. Live. Sleep. Repeat.”
Glory shook her head. “Girl, you need to rebound. Get back in the game.”
“I don’t see you bouncing out.” I clicked off the burner. “Chow time.”
“Well, it’s good advice.” She gave me a pained smile, and I understood we were both far from recovered.
“This ain’t your first rodeo, what’s your normal MO?” Avery persisted.
My normal MO. That was a laugh.
A weak part of me, a part I despised, shouted I should let someone else sweep away my pain. Not Rock, he’d met Red, the biker girl who’d met Dare challenge for challenge. And he’d expect her, but she’d crumbled to dust in the club kitchen. Each step of Dare’s boots across the linoleum floor breaking her into smaller and smaller pieces.
I’d outgrown the scared girl with no furniture, desperate for a place to belong, but I also couldn’t be Red. Maybe I’d become Mama, but she wanted nothing to do with men. Her heart hurt too much.
“I’d fall into bed and let some new man or string of men make me feel better until I found the biggest prick in the bunch, and I picked him. And then sooner or later, I’d end up here.” My cynical laugh sounded like Bear instead of me.
The two girls raised their eyebrows in silent communication.
“What?” I demanded.
“You and Carla might be relationship sisters. She’s in the middle of another loser relationship.” Avery fidgeted. “How do you not see them? And, sorry to say it, I’d never say Dare was a loser.”
“I don’t think it’s all them. I shift, trying to be whatever they want, but in the past that girl and I eventually were so different, I’d wake up one day and have to escape. That’s when I ran away.” I sighed. “Dare...I like who I am with him, but it wasn’t enough. I wasn’t enough.”
“Ah, sweetie.” Avery and Glory surrounded me in the chair. They smothered me in an embrace. I welcomed the comfort.
“Then he’s a loser because you’re awesome,” Avery said.
“Thanks.” I wiped my tears while scolding myself. I’d promised no more tears.
“So your old plan isn’t an option.” Glory opened another bottle of Corona. “We need a new one.”
“I need a life,” I muttered. It was my plan, but it sounded so pathetic.
Avery spurted out bits of soda when she laughed. “Sister, I could get behind that. I need a life too.”
I frowned at her. “You got all these friends, people who love you. What’s wrong with your life?”
“I know I’m lucky.” Her gaze flitted to Glory. “Everyone sees me as their sister, or friend, or the one crazy goth chick in Barden.” She flicked her teal bangs out of her face. “My shop is rocking in business, but no one wants to date me. Well, no one local. No one I know.”
“Do you have someone picked for the role?” I assessed her. She did have the friend vibe, and was a little too different for small-minded small-town guys.
“A biker. Several of the girls I see with them shop at my store. I know I’m biker-babe material.” She twisted her hands, and all of a sudden a picture of a girl with her nose pushed to the window filled my mind.
Friday night a big group of us headed to Ardmore for a movie, dinner and dancing at a club. We ended up at Paradise where a DJ played dance music. Totally different than dancing at Blue’s Tavern. Within an hour, more than ten of us were cramped in a small space around two tables. The dark club smelled of sweat and alcohol. Black lights with strobes and disco balls colored the dance floor. Glory, Avery and I joined the throng of dancers in the crowded space.