“It’s very nice to meet you, Kid.”
“Kid is our little nerd. He helps us out with our computer and security systems. He is a genius and he knows it.”
Kid’s smile widened at Luke’s description of him, not at all offended by Luke’s “nerd” comment. I wanted to fist punch the air, because I had hit the nail on the head with my uncanny ability to profile people, but I thought that might be a little much.
“He is too young to PROSPECT, but we let him hang around here in exchange for his services,” Luke said in a way that let me know he had to explain Kid’s reasoning for being here more than once.
“It helps me out with the guys at school. They are fucking dickheads, but they don’t mess with me anymore, now that they know I’m protected by the club,” Kid said, rocking back and forth on his toes making me dizzy. He must suffer from some kind of ADD.
“Hey!” Luke snapped, causing Kid to stand stock still. His face took on an expression of fear and I wanted to smack Luke for hollering at him.
“Language. What did I tell you about cussing? Especially in front of a lady.”
“Sorry, Luke. I just got excited,” he said, hanging his head in shame. I wanted to hug him, but I refrained. I didn’t need Luke snapping at me too. Luke let out another exasperated sigh. He now seemed aggravated with himself for being too hard on him.
“Why don’t you hang out tonight? Crash on one of the couches. I’ll make sure you make it to school on time in the morning.” At this, Kid’s head shot up and he became excited once again.
“Cool! Thanks Luke!”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah. Just don’t piss anybody off.” Kid pulled a phone from his pocket and disappeared through the crowd.
“Well that was mighty nice of you, Mr. Carmical,” I said laughing. Luke rolled his eyes at me and shook his head.
“I’ve never had a soft spot for nerds. You are turning me into a pussy.” I threw my head back, laughing hard at Luke’s comment. There was nothing “pussy” about Luke.
“Damn boy!” boomed a voice from somewhere in the room. We had made it through the doors and for the first time, I was able to take in my surroundings. It looked like a mixture between a bar, a gentlemen’s club, and a bike rally. Not that I had ever been to a bike rally, but I had seen them on T.V.. My eyes scanned the room for the voice when they landed on two men standing at the bar. The tall, lean one wore glasses and had legs that bowed, giving any cowboy a run for their money. The shorter one was well built in the arms and had white and gray hair that covered only the sides of his head. His skin was very tan and I thought he might have some Native American in him.
Luke’s lips turned up on his face and parted revealing two rows of perfect, white teeth. He placed his hand in the small of my back and led me towards the two men that were propped up at the bar drinking beer.
“I’m gonna say it again. Damn boy!” the shorter man said laughing. I smiled at him, falling in love with his laugh and the lines that formed at the corners of his eyes. He was everything you expected from a biker. From his rugged look to his dusty black boots.
“Dallas, this is Possum. He is the Vice President of our Lake Charles chapter.” I stuck my hand out for him to shake. He laughed his throaty laugh once again and stared down at my hand shaking his head.
“Baby, I want to feel big tits on my chest and I can’t do that if I shake your hand.” Before I had time to react to his comment, he pulled me to him and wrapped me in his arms. “Damn you smell good.”
I put my arms around his neck, patting him on the back, not sure what to do or say. He had completely taken me aback with his “tits” comment. When he released me, his demeanor was much more serious, but also sympathetic. “We are here for you, baby. You are a fighter. We are proud of you and we are glad to see Luke finally settle down with a good woman.” Out of the corner of my eye, I could see the tall man nodding in agreement. I was humbled at his comment, and was sure that I would start crying at any moment. I got the impression Possum was the type of guy even the ladies went to when they just needed to talk. He was fun and flirtatious, but it was just a mask to conceal the passionate, understanding guy underneath.
“We are gonna take care of you, hun.” I turned to my left to face the tall man who spoke lightly, but with clarity. “Everyone in this room is here for you. I’m just glad to see you have roped in this one,” he said, clapping Luke on the back and pulling him in for a hug. Roped… hmm. Maybe he was a cowboy.
“Ronnie, I want you to meet my Brooklyn. I hope in years to come we can say we have a relationship as strong as the two of you.