Page 43 of Ox

Leading me to the kitchen, Melany explained her living situation as I followed close behind her. “Me and Hatchet have a house together a town over from here. We only stay at the Clubhouse when there’s a big party or business keeps him here late.”

That sounded a lot like Ox. I guess even the guys needed a break from Club life from time to time.

“I’ve only ever been to one MC party before,” I confessed then.

Melany was reaching into the fridge when I said this. She chuckled as she handed me a bottle of water. “Oh boy, you really are new to all this. I can see why Ox wants to keep you away from the other guys. You have an innocence about you that they’d just love to exploit.”

Blushing from her observation, I gratefully accepted the bottle of water. “I feel like a fish out of water when it comes to this world.”

Twisting off the cap, I took a swig from the cool plastic. It seemed like I couldn’t quench my thirst since last night. Just the thought of my wild night with Ox made my face flush four shades darker than it already was.

“If you and your man are interested, we’re all going over to a bar called Skids tonight. It’s not a club party, but it is a biker bar. Might as well pop your cherry on neutral territory like Skids,” Melany pragmatically explained.

I gave that some thought. Maybe Ox and I could go to Skids tonight and I could get a deeper understanding of what Club life would be like. See if I could hang with bikers for more than just a fun party and an evening of mind blowing sex.

“I’ll see what Ox says,” I returned, not wanting to overstep my place.

“I’m sure he’ll want to go. Whenever he stops in, the boys take him to Skids. Hatchet told me there’d be a few people from out of town there tonight he wanted him to meet, too,” Melany confidently spoke.

“Well, I’m game if he is,” I replied with an honest smile. “Any tips for my first time at a biker bar?”

Melany gave that a good think. “It’s a rough crew, so always keep your eye open for trouble. Also, you want to be firm with anyone that gives you shit. Bikers don’t respect weakness. Although, with Ox by your side, I doubt there’d be anyone stupid enough to bother you. The man’s an absolute savage when pushed too far.”

These were the exact pointers I was looking for when I’d talked with Ox earlier. “Got it. How should I dress?”

Giving me a quick once over, Melany tilted her head with a knowing smile. “That depends. You angling to make that biker your Old Man or not?”

I grinned back, liking the way she thought.

Ox’s meetingwith the Mavericks lasted much longer than both of us expected. At some point, he texted and told me that it was going to be a while longer and that he hoped I wasn’t too bored hanging around the Clubhouse. On the contrary, Melany was a great hostess and I was enjoying her company a great deal.

After Ox’s text, Melany and I headed over to a nearby strip mall. Since I had nothing to wear for tonight, we decided to go and both do some shopping. Since my funds were pretty low, I wasn’t going to be able to get much. But I figured after everything I’d been through lately, I deserved a little treat.

Melany parked right outside a shop that sold mostly leather goods. I’d never been one for leather, outside of a nice jacket or pair of boots, but I was definitely curious to see what my options were. If there were ever a time to get a little daring, it was definitely while visiting a biker bar. I figured I needed to step out of my comfort zone and live a little.

“Hey Melany,” the woman at the counter greeted, as soon as we came through the door. “Looking for anything in particular today?”

Rocking her head in my direction, Melany said, “I’m always looking for something cute, but I’m really here for my friend, Kayla. She’s Ox’s girl, and we’re going to Skids tonight.”

The store clerk’s brow hiked. “Ox has a girl? That’s news to me. What are you looking for, sweetie?”

Glancing at Melany, I shrugged. “I’m not sure. I guess I just want to make a good impression. Step out of my comfort zone a bit.”

Melany and the clerk looked at each other with puckish, twin smiles. “I think we can manage that. I just got a shipment of miniskirts that would look killer on your figure. I hope you aren’t bothered by the cold?”

ELEVEN

Ox

Our meeting lasted far longerthan I’d anticipated. Because I didn’t want Kayla to be hanging around the Club with nothing to do, Melany had suggested they go for a bit of shopping to pass the time. Knowing my girl had shit for funds, I told Hatchet to have his Old Lady bring me the bill wherever they went and I’d pay for it. I knew Kayla would fight me on it, but I didn’t care. My girl wasn’t going to have to scrimp her pennies to get by. It was my job now to help take care of her. End of story. No arguing.

It was past seven by the time we found a potential solution to our Canadian border issue. Making our way over to the Club rec room for a beer, we were greeted by a group of women that partied regularly with the Club. One of the girls, a full-figured brunette by the name of Carmen, came sauntering over to me.

“Hey Baby,” Carmen cooed, staring me up and down like a thanksgiving feast she looked forward to all year. “It’s been a while. I missed you and was wondering when you were going to stop this way again.”

Right about now, I was regretting my past choices in fuck buddies. Especially seeing that Kayla was due back any minute and I had no desire to tell her I’d slept with half this room at one time or another. Okay, maybe more like two-thirds. But I was no different than any other man here. However, I was fairly certain that was going to mean fuck-all to Kayla if she found out. Women didn’t like that shit. And to be fair, neither would I, if the roles were reversed.

“I’ve been around,” I said dismissively, standing up and walking over to the bar for another beer.

---