Page 20 of Big Red

ALICE

“Will!” I shout from my bedroom. Today is my first day of work, and I’m feeling a mixture of excitement and nerves. My life is changing day by day. Although it’s all for the better, it still shakes me up a bit. Change is scary, no matter if it's good or bad. But I’m doing it. For the first time in a long time, I control my life and it feels great.

“Girl, it is seven in the morning. Why the hell are you screaming like a banshee?” Will asks, walking into my room.

“I wanted to see if you like my outfit.”

When the club brought me here, I didn’t think about grabbing clothes. I had a one-track mind, and that was to get out. Sara came to me the next morning with a credit card and a laptop and told me to order everything I needed. I tried to decline, but she wasn’t going for it. Then I tried to keep the budget as low as possible, but again, Sara wasn’t hearing it. Once she saw my size, the woman went bananas and ordered me clothes. I saw the total when she checked out, and I’ll be paying her back every penny.

I wave Will over and point to the clothes sprawled across my bed. Will takes a look at the outfit and his brows furrow. Helooks me in the eyes and then back to the outfit again. He opens his mouth and then closes it. He looks completely speechless.

“Umm… hello? Anyone home?” I wave my hand in front of his face, trying to snap him out of whatever he has going on.

“Alice, you’re aware you’ll be working in a garage, correct?”

“Duh, Will. Can you just tell me if you like this or not?”

Will shakes his head and scoffs. “Alice, the outfit is perfect if you worked for some CEO on the top floor. You do not need to wear a damn pencil skirt, blouse, and…” he pauses and squints at the shoes. His eyes connect with mine as he stares at me in disbelief. “Are thoseheels?”

“I want to look professional. It’s my first day of work.”

“Babe, I don’t know if you checked the weather, but it’s going to be hotter than Satan’s balls outside today. Although the garage has AC, they keep the bay doors open all day. It’s going to get a little stuffy in there.”

Rummaging through my dresser, he pulls out a pair of jeans and a camisole. “Here, wear this with a pair of sandals. The guys probably would have looked at you like you were crazy if you showed up in that other outfit.” Will giggles before leaving.

I stare down at the outfit I chose and can’t help but laugh at myself. I was so caught up in my nerves that logical thinking went right out the window. I would have been a sweaty mess. Florida heat is no joke.

After I get dressed, I head for the kitchen. Someone always makes breakfast here. I learned the clubhouse serves breakfast every morning, but Violet, Leah, and Nova aren’t quite comfortable being around the guys just yet. I asked if anyone had made them uncomfortable, and they quickly let me know it had everything to do with the man who had hurt them.

I still don’t know all the details, but just from the look in Leah’s eyes, anytime that subject is brought up, I can only imagine.

Walking into the kitchen, I find a blushing Violet gazing up at Nova as she whispers something to her. They share a quick kiss before they get back to cooking.

“Awwww,” I coo, making them jump.

Violet's name might as well be Scarlett, based on how red she is. Nova mouthsstopat me before smiling. Violet always gets super shy when we catch them in the act. I think it’s so cute.

“Are you ready for your first day of work?” Violet asks. I try not to giggle because she can’t even look me in the eyes. She’s staring down at the eggs she’s scrambling, like they’re the most interesting thing in the world.

“I am. I always wanted to work. I didn’t have an idea of what I wanted to do, and before I could even try to think what career path I wanted to take, Declan shut it down.”

“Well, luckily, that asshole no longer has anything to do with you.” Will takes a seat next to me at the bar. I turned to him, ready to respond to what he said, but the big fat red mark on his neck has me closing my mouth. I don’t know how I missed this when he was in my room helping me with my outfit.

“Will, you let him leave a hickey on your neck?” Nova asks with a brow raised.

“I didn’tlethim do anything. When I’m being served almost ten inches of dick, my ability to say no disappears. The only words I know are ‘yes, please’, and ‘more.’”

We all burst into laughter at him. Will has no shame in his game. We’ve yet to meet his mystery man. It seems he comes when everyone has gone to bed, and he’s gone before we wake. Will told me the guy he’s seeing isn’t necessarily out. I was shocked when he told me that. When we were seniors, Will experienced a really bad heartbreak when dealing with someone who was in the closet. Will vowed then that he would never be with someone who wasn’t out. When Declan forced me to cut contact with Will, he had still kept his word. Whoever this manis must be someone special to have Will ignore something that caused him a lot of turmoil all those years ago.

“Well, judging by the size of that thing, it looks like you got it good last night.” Nova snickers and sets a plate in front of me and Will.

“And did,” he sasses back before taking a bite of his eggs.

Laughing, we all continue talking until it’s time for us to head out. It feels good leaving with them. Every day they left for work, I was lonely being here with no one to talk to. Even though Red offered to give me a ride to work, after feeling that monster between his legs, I decided against it. I need to create a little bit of space between us. Will has offered to let me use his car during the day since he rarely has to take the children anywhere when he has them. So, problem solved.

When I open the front door, Red is standing there with a hand in the air, preparing to knock. I damn near jump out of my skin, seeing him towering over me.

“Sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you. I’m just here to pick you up for work,” he says in that deep baritone voice. God, it gives me chills every time he opens his mouth.

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