This woman was a strategic thinker, which made him smile. “You’re too smart for me, Eva.”
“Just common sense.”
“I know.” He leaned in, needing to finally kiss her, surprised he hadn’t done so already. The night apart gave him enough space – enough to actually miss her. “I meant what I said last night about trusting me, even though I can’t be completely open with everything. Just need you to cooperate darlin’ and…..listen.”
He kissed her again. She clutched his arms tightly, feeling her bristle. Were her words belying her actions? “Eva, what’s wrong? You got a problem with this you tell me now.”
She shook her head. “No….it isn’t that. It’s…….that psychic.”
Good Lord, he hoped she wasn’t coming undone over some woman who claimed to see the future. “What happened next door?”
“It wasn’t just now. The past couple of weeks she’d been coming into the store, mostly to look at the jewelry like she normally does. But she took my hand and told me to ‘
listen to them’
and ‘
do what they tell you’.
And she just did it again. And now you’re here telling me to cooperate and listen. It’s just….do you think….?
“I don’t believe in that shit, Eva. Just a coincidence.”
“Oh yeah? Was it a coincidence that
Wichita Lineman
started playing on her CD player while I was leaving?”
The realist in him shrugged it off. “Eva, your dad lived here all his life. You even said you quoted that song when people asked what he did. She said she found out about you through the closing docs on the house – maybe she found out who your dad was and had that CD in then asked you over.” There was always a legitimate explanation for everything.
“I suppose.” Eva leaned in, putting her arms around his waist again, her face pressed below his ribs. Ben held the back of her head, keeping her there, inhaling her hair and the very essence of her. As good as this felt, it was strange territory – one he avoided for so long, but this woman challenged his detatchment rule. “You want company tonight, darlin’?” It just came out. Every single inch of her pulled him in a direction other than the one he’d been on course for years. Women and satisfaction were never a problem when he needed it, but she represented things he lacked in his life he suddenly longed for. He hoped he wasn’t making a mistake – not to be another person she pushed away.
She looked up with those amazing blue eyes. “Yeah. I’d like that.”
No way would he let her push him away. Not at this point. Not with the way she just looked at him. He wouldn’t allow it.
~~~***~~~
The following evening, Eva had showed up for the meeting carrying a box containing the remaining old stock from her store. It wasn’t much and decided to give it away, figuring attendees could rummage through and take what they wanted afterwards. After greeting and/or introducing herself to other business owners in the plaza, the meeting had begun at seven – sharp. Elle took the podium, looking poised, confident and fashionable in a hounds-tooth print dress, chunky gold necklace, black nylons and boots. She was slender, tall, well dressed and carried herself as if she owned the room. She most likely did.
Everyone hung on every word she spoke, explaining the importance of small business and how they’re the heart of the town, as well as a plan to reach out and bring business into Tippitt. The four week span between Thanksgiving and Christmas was the perfect opportunity, challenging every business owner present to come up with a marketing plan, sales offers, etc. to entice people to shop once they come in. Sitting next to her at the podium was a man in his forties with strawberry blonde hair and skin which Eva thought was in desperate need of sunlight. He stood up when Elle introduced him as Charles Owens, casually dressed in beige slacks, chambray shirt and striped tie.
“You want to take it from here?”
Charles Owens – owner of Owens Mill and Ben’s employer. The way he and Elle regarded each other told Eva that he was more than that. A big corporation such as his in the same town that’s home to a motorcycle club had to be connected somehow. “Evening everyone. Now as much as the end result is going to be an increase in business not just for you, but for the town, there’s going to be some expense in readying the plaza area. My company’s donating all the material to construct stands, platforms, display, seating areas – anything that’ll be needed for the event – and the Skulls motorcycle club are volunteering their time as labor crew to put it all together. You people just concentrate on your individual store needs, but we’ll help in any way we can.
Eva had to smile. Oh, Elle was crafty indeed, finding a way to get the club involved with this little shindig with the entire town watching. No doubt Ben would be on this crew as he worked for Charles, and probably a way for them to keep their eye on the town’s center in the process. The club wasn’t anything, if not resourceful.
After the meeting, refreshments were served on a back table covered with a paper cloth and napkins Elle had purchased from Eva’s store. Another table held a sign-up sheet looking for four people willing to be the contact person for other businesses in their section of the plaza. Eva’s section included Tippitt ‘n Sip It, the beauty salon, insurance agency and, of course, Linda the psychic – who wasn’t even present. Seeing no one in her section signed up yet, Eva put her name before she had a chance to reconsider. She wanted to reach out and get involved – now it was time to put her money where her mouth was.
“Knew I could count on you.” Elle stood behind her sipping hot coffee in one of the paper cups.
Eva blew out a breath. “I have no idea what I signed up for.”
“Risk taker, huh?”
“Not really.”
Elle took another sip, muted red lipstick staining the outer rim. “Dove into a business and a house all by yourself. Pretty ballsy for a single woman your age.”
It was useless for Eva to ask how she knew. As of yesterday, the club knew of her. No doubt the details got from Elle’s MC president husband back to her. Eva wondered if her affiliation with Ben also made the journey back to Elle. “I guess. Wouldn’t have been able to do it without my dad.”
“Business or house?”
The straightforwardness of the question caught Eva by surprise, and the answer stuck in her throat. “Both. Dad co-signed my business loan and…….”she paused to swallow, “when he died I used some of the proceeds from selling his house to buy mine.”
“Sounds like he was quite a gem.”
“You have no idea.”
Elle drank her coffee, slowly regarding Eva as if calculating what to say next. Eva beat her to the punch. “Something you want to say?”
Tossing her empty cup, Elle smoothed both hands over her wool dress. “You’re a strong girl. That’s good. You’ll need to be.”
“For…….what?”
“Why,” Elle looked ignorant, “for all this committee shit I’m going to dump on you.” She walked away, then pirouetted, “oh, and that big guy no doubt sharing your bed.”
This town was too damn small.
~~~***~~~
The day was longer than he’d like and Ben was starving. The meeting with the other three charters wasn’t exactly full of brotherly cheer and slaps on the back as the reason for it dampened the mood. No one was happy about the news, not to mention enraged at the possibility the Santagio family were behind the hit on their own warehouse as well as muscling out the Hancock County charter’s illegal parts gig. The other charters had their own ways to earn while holding down regular jobs as well, but it was agreed that losing the narcotic run money would hurt – bad.
He didn’t want to think about it anymore as the last six hours was more than enough. He just wanted to get back home – meaning Tippitt, not his rental where he was growing more and more despondent with. He had a certain blue-eyed female to thank for that. After wanting him to come over Monday evening, he stayed away last night while she was at her meeting. It was enough for him to realize he missed her – again. But he was playing on her level, even though the game was risky himself. Slowly she was breaking through his exterior and didn’t want to give any reason to push him away. And as he decided two nights ago, he wouldn’t let it. But she didn’t know that.
Ben split off from the formation riding back north from Flatwoods – heading towards Route 40. A couple of beers and perhaps a bacon cheeseburger to switch things up fit the bill right now. He entered the dark establishment around eight thirty, the place still full of hard-working men stretching out the night rather than go home. Ben knew exactly how they felt.
“My boy.” The owner welcomed him with his customary, frail hug to which Ben had to lean over quite a bit to accept. “When’re you gonna stop growin’, Big Ben?”
“It’s what you’re putting in that beef all these years, Zig.”
The old man studied him as he slid into his favorite booth. “You look…..different, son. Things okay?”
Ziggy never asked specifics about the club, but he voiced his concern otherwise. “Yes and no.”
“Care to expound on the ‘yes’?” All Ben could do was smile, something he rarely did when he came here as his visits usually followed something bad. It caused Ziggy to smile back. “Ah, do I sense this has to do with a lady?”
This was Ben’s ‘man-place’ – to get away from routine and disappear among strangers. As much as he loved Ziggy like a father, he didn’t want to mix his outside world here. “I’ll leave you in suspense, ol’ friend. Right now I could do with a bacon cheeseburger – extra bacon.”
Ziggy got the hint and nodded. “Comin’ right up.”
Within moments, a beer was placed in front of him. Not by the red-head he nailed almost three weeks ago, but a blonde. A very pretty blonde. Mid-twenties, green eyes, fresh skin and had that……look. The look he usually got from Ziggy’s assortment of waitress tail whenever he came in. It was one no man in his right mind could resist. “Anything else while you wait, sweetie?”
She was being coy and cool. Sometimes he took them up on it immediately. Other times, he played the game, waiting out the night only to follow them back to their place for the fuck they’d been waiting for all night. This girl was prime, ripe for the picking and after the day he had, release was a sweet thought. But something held him back. Or…..someone? “Just my food, sweetheart. How about checking on it for me.”
Looking disappointed, she did as told, bringing back a hot plate containing a juicy burger and fries. Placing it in front of him, she set the table with napkin, fork and knife before he fingers casually grazed his thumb. “Sure you don’t need anything else?”
Lifting his beer, he gave her a dazzling smile which the ladies never could resist. “How about…..” he drained his beer, handing her the empty, “you getting me another?”
She tried twice and failed. And so did he. A roadside fuck didn’t have the same appeal it did several weeks ago. And there was only one person to thank for that. Half his meal was already finished by the time his second beer arrived. He downed the rest so fast his stomach hurt, but he made up his mind. Tossing two twenties on the table, he winked to the waitress, waved to Ziggy and headed to the only place that would suffice.
Almost an hour later he was standing there, key in hand, unable to put it into the lock. She had given him this, allowing full access to her house. But instead, Ben stood on the front stoop feeling as if he should turn around and head to his own place. The house was dark, save for the glow of several night lights. Eva’s car was in the driveway, which meant she was probably in bed.
Shit, go home man. Just go home
, his mind told him, but he went around back. He tried the slider, cursing under his breath – again – to find it unlocked. Damn, he was going to have to put the fear of God in this woman. Opening it, he stepped into the kitchen, the hood light above the stove aiding his vision. The kitchen table was cluttered – laptop, a pad with scribbled notes, spreadsheets. She must’ve been working here. Normally the mess would give him that suffocating feeling but, for some reason, it didn’t bother him as much.
“Eva?” He called from below as he walked through the house, towards the bottom of the stairs. He didn’t want to creep up and startle her as he’d been prone to doing. “Eva? You up there?”
He heard a faint sound, a female groan and suddenly felt like a selfish asshole. The squeak of a mattress followed by footsteps across the floor made him climb halfway up the steps until she appeared at the top, rubbing her eyes. “Ben? What is it?”
He woke her up – shit, shit, shit, why didn’t he just go to his place and call her tomorrow? “Sorry, darlin’. Didn’t plan on coming over. I just……” He just….what? Missed her? Did he really want to blurt that out? “Go back to sleep. I’ll leave…….”