Page 8 of When Life Sucks!

The way Melody throws her arm up and runs her sleeve under her nose is telling, very telling, and everyone who is here is now aware of it. Giggling as I walk out of the diner I can’t help but wonder if she’s even pregnant.

As I leave the diner, Belle and the other old ladies step past me to enter. I ignore all their looks and Belle saying my name. I climb into my vehicle and drive away, showing no sign of hurrying. This gives them the sign that I’ve moved on and won’t be looking back.

After eating, cleaning up my dishes, and showering, I put the TV on and sit in my PJs to watch a nature program. Knocking on the door has me walking up and looking through the peephole. Sighing, I open the door.

“What can I do for you, Aunt Mais?”

“I need to speak with you, Alice.”

Now, I’m not impressed when she pushes past and walks into my living room without being invited. I stand with arms folded over my chest and wait for whatever she has to say.

“Melody is pregnant with Sacks' baby. I know he used to be your boyfriend, but he was her boyfriend first. Now, you need to leave them alone, Alice, let them get on with their lives…”

Before she can spout more bullshit, I have to stop her. “Let’s get something straight right now. Sacks never was her boyfriend. Second, I’m not sure that’s even his baby because she’s been around most of the men in town. Third, don’t come to my home spouting shit at me until you have got your facts right. Now, from this minute, you are no longer my surrogate aunt. You are just Melody’s mother. So, get out of my apartment, which you entered uninvited by the way, before I call the cops for forced entry.” By now my nose is nearly touching hers and I’m snarling more than speaking. I have obviously taken her by surprise because I have never shown her anything but respect in the past.

“Alice!!”

“GET OUT!” I bellow, making her jump and scurry out the door, which I slam behind her.

Again, taking my seat, I lift my legs onto the couch and take a few deep breaths. What a carry on I’m thinking to myself. Mais has known me all my life and has not bothered to find out any truths before coming to speak to me. It’s beyond upsetting, especially as she has dragged my momma into this mess.

My phone pings and picking it up from the coffee table, I see Ronald has left a message.

Ronald: Someone called Bolt spoke to me as I was leaving the office. He explained a few things and Jeffrey thought you needed to hear, so he told him he could come to the office tomorrow and speak to you. But one of us will be with you. No running from this. Love you, xx

Gritting my teeth, I lean back and wonder how I can get my own back on those two…?

Chapter 7

Alice

Wednesday and thankfully not a sign of Sacks catching me coming to or leaving work. I’m hoping he’ll see us as done, just as I have. I don’t want to keep telling him the same thing, or speak to Jax, who always had a minute to speak with me when he was at the clubhouse.

I met Jax’s father once, Beast. An enormous man in height and width, but his overall presence was and is frightening. He was talking to me about a financial idea he was looking into, and when he showed me all his paperwork on it I pointed out it couldn’t work, and why, and the million dollars he was going to invest would be better in another scheme. A week after he left, Bolt gave me a message that the idea was as I’d told Beast, a bust, and the man trying to sell the idea to him was a con man, and had been dealt with. I didn’t ask how because I really didn’t want to know.

Thinking about Jax and his father has him miraculously sending me a message. Looking at my phone with a frown because he’s never sent me a message before, I open it.

Jax: Hi Alice. Beast is going to be here for a few days and wanted to meet with you. Can we drop by your place this evening?

Alice: I suppose you can. I’ve no idea why he’d want to see me, but yeah, you know where I live.

Jax: OK. See you later.

Why is it I feel this is going to be a weird day? Bolt this morning and Beast this evening. Very odd, but I’m not going to stew on it.

Walking into my office, I quickly get settled into work and check out an investment scheme I’d noticed last week. Seems you invest so much money into the scheme for housing. The houses are built, and then you get a choice of having one of the houses or selling to the housing company. This is a loss when you work out what they are offering, and what your initial outlay had been.

The door opens and Jeffrey, Ronald, and Bolt walk into my office. Ronald has his pinched expression firmly in place, which I instantly can see is amusing Jeffrey. Bolt is giving me a blank look, and I give him a scowl.

“Take a seat, Bolt,” Jeffrey offers and gives me a flick of his head to move closer.

Sighing, I stand from behind my desk and take a seat opposite Bolt, which keeps a coffee table between us. “So, what can I do for you? Be warned, I don’t want to hear how Sacks is such a good man that he took one for the team. The team being the MC of course. Oh, and that he’s going to be a baby daddy with his new baby momma.”

“Alice!” Jeffrey warns, but Ronald sits on the arm of my seat and throws a dirty look at Bolt, then one at Jeffrey.

“Look, Alice, it was dire circumstances. Three college kids died with the use of a drug that Melody and one of our own helped bring into the town. The only way we could see to find out what was going on, was if someone got close to Melody. I asked everyone who she had shown an interest in, which was only three of the brothers, by the way. Sacks volunteered after the other two declined.”

“Let’s get this straight. Two brothers of your club family refused to help by seducing Melody, but my ex-man said oh, okay, I’ll do it, I’ll screw her for information,” I snap and give him as dirty a look as I can manage. “Who were the other two brothers, the two that had common sense?”

---