Page 46 of Pooh

“Now you see why Chubs loves Ava. He even says that all the damn time,” Trigger informs us.

“Holy shit, Trigger! Pooh and I had dinner with Chubs and Lucy and the amount of food that man can tuck away is a crime! I’d be as big as this house if I ate like him.”

“We all would. That man’s super power is the ability to eat. It’s a mystery to all of us. But he’s good people, through and through,” Trigger responds.

“Yeah, he is. And Lucy is so nice. They make a great couple.”

“Yes, we do. Thanks!” spouts Axel as him and Bailey walk into the kitchen. She rolls her eyes and he grins. Another great couple!

Everyone says their hellos, hugs are passed out and I pick up Tammy’s knife to finish the salad. I see eyebrows rise in surprise.

“I may not be able to cook much but I can wield a knife. Tammy kept me away from the stove but made me help in other ways. I can pour wine, set a table and even do dishes.”

“I had to keep her hands busy but also make her stay far, far away from the stove. We were on a first name basis with the local firemen when I finally figured out she was never going to be a cook,” Tammy tells them.

While everyone is laughing at Tammy’s telling of my secrets, Pooh walks in. He walks directly to my side and leans down for a quick kiss that gets my heart beating a bit faster. It jolts again when I see the smile he has aimed at me and me alone.

Pooh’s wearing a dark gray Henley with long sleeves that are pushed up to his elbows. Faded Levi’s with his black biker boots and his cut. I’m feasting my eyes when a hand is suddenly waved in front of my face and I jerk back.

Axel cackles and states, “You were looking like you were a moment away from pouncing on Pooh and delaying our dinner. Be a good girl, Pippa, and mind your manners. You’re having steak for dinner, not Pooh.”

I feel my face go up in flames at the same time as Trigger cuffs Axel on the back of his head. Everyone is laughing when Trigger declares, “I don’t know why Bailey insists on bringing you with her. I invite her and I get you too.”

“Just lucky I guess,” retorts Axel.

Bailey snort laughs before wrapping her arms around Axel’s waist. He leans down and drops a kiss on her mouth, then bumps their foreheads together before winking at her.

Us women are in the kitchen putting the food into bowls and onto platters for dinner and the guys are on the deck grilling the steaks. We’re all laughing and chatting when a woman comes walking through the kitchen and to the fridge. She opens it, grabs a beer and walks out the door to the deck without saying a word to any of us. I look at Tammy and Bailey in surprise because I didn’t know there was someone else here. Bailey’s face is frozen and it’s not in a good way. She looks like she just bit into a lemon. Tammy doesn’t look any different or seem surprised that a woman just walked through here in very short, Daisy Duke cut-offs and a barely-there tank top. For some odd reason, the female looked familiar to me but I can’t place where I’ve seen her before.

“Who was that?” I ask.

“That’s Trigger’s housekeeper. She comes here a couple of times a week and keeps things tidy for him,” answers Tammy, nonchalantly.

“Grab an extra plate, darlin’. Joanie is staying for dinner,” shouts Trigger through the slider screen.

Tammy turns to grab another place setting when I again note the look on Bailey’s face. When she sees me looking her direction, her face goes blank. I step closer to her and ask quietly, “Who is that?”

Before Bailey can answer, though, Trigger hollers that the steaks are ready. We grab up the food bowls and platters and walk out onto the deck. We all grab seats at the patio table, with Joanie plopping herself down between Pooh and Axel, and start filling our plates. None of the guys seem to notice that Bailey has gone dead silent or that her face is a blank slate. But I have and I’m wondering why that is. And now I see Tammy looking at Bailey in concern, also.

“Pooh, baby, could you toss a potato on my plate please?” Joanie purrs, bumping him with her shoulder playfully.

Pooh sets one on hers, his and then mine before reaching for the salad bowl. The guys continue to discuss a new build on a custom bike that is being done at the club’s shop and I continue to watch Bailey closely. Something is wrong and I’m wondering what it is more and more now.

“Trig, honey, pass me a roll,” Joanie requests while smiling at him.

Trigger hands her a roll while still chatting with the guys. I watch in fascination as Bailey’s eyes start to get squinty and they never leave Joanie’s face. I glance at Tammy to see her watching Bailey closely. I get a bad feeling and I know a bomb is about to drop on our little dinner party. Not surprisingly, the guys are still clueless that something is amiss.

“Axel…” Joanie starts to say when Bailey interrupts.

“If you call him baby, darlin’, honey or any number of the other names you like to use, I’ll cut a bitch. Got me, slut?”

My mouth just about hits the table, as does Tammy’s. The guys stop talking and tune in to their surroundings, but it’s too late. Joanie grins at Bailey and I must say, it is not a smart move.

“Don’t be a jealous cow, Bailey. I haven’t fucked Axel in months. If anyone should be jealous, it should be the other women since it’s not been that long since their men have been all up in me,” Joanie proclaims smugly. “Not long at all.”

“Saaaayyyyyy what?” questions Tammy, loudly. “You said she was your housekeeper, Trigger. Is that not true?”

“Uh, well yeah, it’s true. She is my housekeeper…” Trigger starts stammering out his answer when Joanie interrupts.

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