Page 310 of Savage Brothers MC: Tennessee Chapter

“Not always.”

“But sometimes?”he prompts.

I wish I could figure out why he looks familiar.I can’t.I’m still certain I don’t know him, however.I guess it’s possible he’s been in here before.He’s wearing jeans and a faded t-shirt.It’s an INXS shirt, so he’s into rock music, I guess.I never liked the band, but that’s a personal choice, I guess.Plenty did.

“Hey, El?You got a phone call,” Trina calls from out back.

Saved by the bell.

“Excuse me for a minute,” I tell the strange customer, picking up the phone.

“Charlie, you can call me Charlie, Ellie.Our names kind of rhyme.Maybe that’s fate.”

“Charlie…” I repeat.

“You don’t like the name?”

“No, it’s a good name.”It is.Liam hates it, but that’s because his first name is Charlie and he loathes it.“My ex-husband’s name was Charlie.”

“Don’t hold that against me.Maybe you just got the wrong Charlie the first time around,” he says.Then, he puts down a fifty-dollar bill beside his untouched beer.“Be seeing you around, Ellie.”

“Hello?”I hear Fury growling through the phone, pulling my attention away from the man leaving the bar.

“Hey, Liam.”

“What was that shit about?”

“What shit?”

“Why are you talking about my first name, Ice?”

“Some customer said his name was Charlie and I just told him my ex-husband’s name was the same.Geez, did Captain grouchy pants forget his coffee this morning?”I mumble, walking from behind the bar toward my office.“Holler if you need me, Slush.”

“Yes, ma’am,” he responds and I cringe.

“Liam, am I old?”

“What?”

“This new kid keeps calling me ma’am.”

“Ice,” he growls.

“I’m serious, Liam.It’s freaking me out.”

“Christ, woman, you’re not even thirty.”

“I know, but it’s out there, floating around, waiting to drown me.”

“I can’t deal with this bullshit right now.I want to know why you were telling some fucker I’m your ex-husband.”

“Because you are.Liam, please focus here.He called me ma’am!”

“I told you I’d remedy that shit.You want a paper, I’ll come pick you up now.We’ll get you a fucking paper.”

“That’s not how this is done.”

“Seems to me it is.”

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