Sometimes fate steps in to help after she knocks you on your ass. – Mike
Standing from her chair, Rye stretched her arms high above her head and felt her back pop. The loose black t-shirt for a band she had never heard of rode up exposing pale flat abdominal muscles. She tugged down her shirt before running her hands through her short black hair.Rye wore her hair in what her coworkers had called the Karen bob. Longer in the front, short in the back and her natural gray patch falling on her right side. It worked well with her oval face and required minimal effort.She’d had a job interview this morning and still wore her makeup. Smokey purple eyeshadow and dark purple eyeliner brought out a bit of a purple tint to her pale blue, almost lavender, eyes. Light blush accented high round cheeks that could look better with more regular meals. Her full lips were dusky pink with a purple gloss over them.Rye had walked over to refill her coffee when the large heavily tattNo one will ever please you like I can. – ChrissyFriday nights at Pop’s Place were always a little wild. Kids were banned. Most of the wives partied with the guys. The bunnies may or may not be dressed. Sex in the communal areas was common. Alcohol flowed freely. Cigarettes, cigars and blunts filled the air with their smoke. There were some harder drugs that could be found. But they were kept out of sight and minimal. Trigg did not tolerate the same drugs that cost so many of his friends’ lives.There were very few things that the president of the Pop’s Place chapter of the Devil’s Saints didn’t tolerate. Hard drugs and the skin trade were top of the list. It had been nearly twenty years since the Brotherhood tried to eliminate the Saints. Bad feelings died hard. Tonight, no one thought about the feud with the Brotherhood. Tonight, they celebrated. Chance’s best friend, Celt, was a new dad. Chance was an uncle again. His best friend was married to his si
I can think of a dozen better places for me to have an office. Still with lots of girls. – Chance“Karan, a girl named Rye is going to call you. Give her an interview.” Tank had said unceremoniously when she answered her phone. “Do you want me to hire her?” Karan asked as she arranged her desk.“That’s up to you. I don’t know her, but she seems like she could use a break.” “Alright. But I’ll have to do a background check. I can’t get around that.” Karan pointed out. “Got it. Can I ask for one more favor? Interview her without Chance. She seems too innocent for him.”She had agreed and when the girl called in, Rye gave her an email to send paperwork to. It was all returned quickly enough that Karan was able to get the background check submitted the same day. With that done, Karan called her back and scheduled an interview. Rye had been excited about it and agreed to meet her the following day. Karan was impressed with the young woman. It had taken
I guess you could say that I moved here for a man. He’s twelve days old and weighs three pounds. – RyeThe rest of the week was spent getting certifications required by the state to work at a daycare. Karan had arranged classes for everything that would be needed. Most of them, Rye was exempt from. Either because of her teaching degree or the classes that she had to do to get custody of Michael. Since she took advantage of the free course offered by the hospital, Rye already had her first aid and CPR training and did not have to come in on either Saturday. Instead, she hit the thrift store for more jeans and baby supplies. At Tank and Ink’s insistence, Rye had met their wife, Evie. The three of them had a great relationship and Rye found herself liking both men against her better judgment. She even liked Tank’s little brother, Athos. After her thirty-dollar shopping spree, she took Evie up on her offer of using their laundry room. Rye liked it because it saved her
It’s just for us to get to know each other. The girls will use it to set up social media accounts for The Clubhouse. If you don’t want it used, put a star by it. – Karan“Are you fucking kidding me?” Chance demanded as he held the questionnaire in front of him.“No, I’m not.” She said calmly. “And, yes, you will be at Thursday’s luncheon. And wearing your work shirt.”"I'm not wearing bells." He grumbled.She smiled sweetly at him and appreciated the view of him in her office. The black polo was pulled tight across his chest and abdomen. The sleeves were snug around his tattooed arms, and she knew firsthand how it felt to be wrapped up in those strong muscles. Just as she knew the strength in his denim clad legs. She took him in, all six feet two inches of muscle, tattoos, and attitude. Unconsciously, Karan gave a soft moan. Chance strode across the room and gently cupped her chin, tipping her face upwards. “You are about to be a married woman to
I’m here to help you and your family, Ryanne. If there’s anything I could do for you or you need, you can reach me at this number. – Endless line of social workersRYE’S THOUGHTSQuestions are dangerous. How many times had Rye heard that? A few hundred times every year. Several thousand all together. It was drilled into her from the very beginning. When she was little, she would ask about mom and her bad days. Don’t ask questions, baby sister, it only makes it worse. She would ask how long daddy would be gone, only to be told not to ask mom. It would make her cry and then she would have a bad day.She made the mistake of asking why they had to leave Japan. Then her mom went ballistic on her, and Leigh Anne told her that the world did not revolve around her.Rye learned not to ask questions. Being asked questions can be even more dangerous. Where’s your dad? Why is your mom like that? Why did your sister go away? Why do you look like a skunk?
Yeh want me to feed how many people? On Thursday? Yeh should know we can do that with no issue. – NessieZee from Nessie’s Kitchen was overseeing lunch for the daycare employees. When Karan went to Nessie about the luncheon, she was sure that the other woman could do it. Probably with a hand tied behind her back. Possibly both hands.She left the menu up to Nessie and the Scottish beauty did not disappoint.There was a salad of mixed greens, with fresh strawberries, feta cheese, sliced almonds, and balsamic dressing. The main course was chicken penne pasta with spinach and bacon in alfredo sauce, parmesan cheese was placed on the tables. Yeast rolls were in the daycare ovens and the fruit was being sliced by the girls who came to help.Karan had worked for Nessie for a year and her organization skills still scared her. They were still looking for a full-time kitchen manager for the daycare. But for now, it was being split between Nessie, Karan, and Winona. Winona cou
Good morning, ladies! I brought fresh donuts and piggies. – ChanceEver the flirt, and sometimes all-around good guy, Chance showed up early with donuts and pigs in a blanket. Most of the women, married and single, flirted with him. It was friendly and fun. There was nothing expected. Except for the girl with the gray patch in her black hair. She continued to glare and give him the patented Three Step Look. He was quite sure that she would have no problems with him dying another time or two while he was in hell. It was a good thing that he was a Devil’s Saint. They were already friends with devil himself. Chance snickered at the thought as the woman in question gave him another go to hell look.“Leave her alone.” Karan warned softly as they stood just outside her office in the communal area. “I’m not doing anything.” He objected as the nine teachers kept tight reins on the controlled chaos. Approximately a hundred and fifty kids played in the large a
Chance, Theresa Johnson just called. She has the twins in Rye’s class. Isn’t she Cookie’s sister? – JordanIt was six-thirty and most of the kids had already been picked up. Rye still had two children in her class. Four-year-old identical twins Gavin and Graham. Chubby cheeks, mahogany brown eyes, dark chocolate skin and black curly hair. They both wore blue jeans, gray t-shirts with smiling cars and black tennis shoes. Rye sat at the short table coloring with the boys. Their chubby little hands wrapped around the fat crayons. Two of the coloring pages of the letter A had multicolored scribbles on the pages. The third had the bubble letter colored purple with green grass. Rye was coloring the sky when Chance entered the room. “Why don’t you go ahead and go?” Chance suggested to Rye. “I still have kids.” Her smile was bright and her voice cheery. But her eyes were cold and filled with hate. “Theresa just called, she’s on her way. I know you want to get to your