Apples he called me.
Short for Apollonia. I loved the way he said my name. I loved the way he said anything. I could listen to him read a telephone book and it would make me blush. Looking back I couldn't believe it had been seven years that we had been together. If you could call us broken up. Every time shit gets tough whose the one he comes to? Me of course. Seven years that seemed to mesh together in a blur. I don't know if that's good or bad but that's what it is. He's told me things that his brothers have never known and will never find out. Some of it is the most disturbing shit. We both came from screwed up homes and the same town. He showed me things that I never thought I would do. To Charming and his brothers he was Tig. Sergeant-at-Arms, psychopath, crazy, unstable, unpredictable and above all very trigger happy. Too trigger happy. But to me he was just Alex. Loyal, loving, father of my two beautiful girls, sweet in a awkward sort of way, but not always in that order.
Well I think you get it. Honestly I don't remember how we met, all I remember is that it was spring in '94. I saw him every couple of times when the Sons would pass by the nail salon I worked at when I was on my raspberry lemonade and cigarette break. I walked past them a few times while they were sitting out there on their bikes. I didn't catch who whistled at me, but I did see Tig staring at my ass and giving me that cocky smile of his. I wasn't in the mood for none of their shit. So I kept walking.
To be honest I think he was stalking me. I saw him in a bookstore, then at a restaurant, then when I saw him just happen to pass by when I was buying new sunglasses. When Tracy (my then best friend) and I went into a gag shop. Here I was wearing a bedazzled tiara and huge sunglasses when who pulled up? The Sons of Anarchy and while everyone else was wandering off minding their own business, he walked into the gag shop. Alright that's when I had enough. Tracy grabbed me by the arm and warned me not to do anything stupid. He was apart of the biggest MC in Charming. I shrugged her off and walked up to him.
Was I scared of him you'd might ask? Of course! Not only was he Sergeant-at-Arms, but he is six foot two, I am five foot flat. But I had an amazing poker face and wasn't going to let him see it. I walked up to that bastard and looked up at him. Like seriously I couldn't believe I was that short. "Excuse me." I said, after taking a few brave breathes.
"Yeah?"
"Why are you following me?"
He gave me that false look like he had absolutely no idea what I was talking about. "It's a small town." he said."It's possible that I could see you every once in awhile. You know?"
"Right. I just happen to see you and your crew everywhere, every time I step outside my door, right?"
"Yes." He said with a cunning smile. I rolled my eyes and folded my arms when I realized that his face looked blue. Really blue. Then it hit me, I still had those stupid sunglasses on my face. I tried my best not to turn red as a beet but it didn't work. I took the glasses off casually like I meant to do that and tossed them back in the bin where they came from.. He started laughing at me. "Don't worry you really scared me with those goddamn things on your face."
"Shut up." I said holding back a laugh. I found a wand to match my bedazzled tiara. "Where are your friends?"
"Oh, uh, I don't know." he said picking through the gags and what not. I didn't know what to say. "Well you can tell them to stop following me." I said with a smile that seemed to come out. I'm not going to lie he was a handsome guy. It was hard to play tough around him. I hadn't been in a relationship in several months. I avoided guys mostly, especially guys like him. Never again.
"Only if you tell me your name."
"Why so you can look up where I live?" I asked, half joking.
"No, I already know where that is." I wasn't sure if he was kidding or he was serious and reading his face did absolutely no good. "Um, okay." I said. I looked up at him and I noticed that he had the prettiest blue eyes I had ever seen. The type where you could get lost in. They looked as blue as the beach sea. My favorite place in the entire world. I did my best to not look at them, but I failed at that as well. "I'll tell you my name, only if you tell me yours first." I said.
"Alex Trager." he said. "But you can call me Tig."
"Really? I like Alex better."
"I don't."
"Apollonia Naranjas." I said extending my hand. He shook it.
"What is that Spanish?"
"Not Apollonia. It's Greek."
"I'm gonna call you Apples."
"Fair enough." From the corner of my eye I saw his crew hop on their bikes. Someone (I don't remember who) motioned for him to come on. "Well you better go before your friends have a fit." I said.
"See you around." he said.
"Oh I know you will." I adjusted the tiara on my head and Tracy placed an arm around me as I watched him walk away. "Well we should go to one of their parties."
"No way man." I said taking off the tiara and putting the wand back. "Why not?" she argued. I knew why Tracy wanted to go. She just never had the balls to go on her own. She wanted to hook up with some of the members. I knew her game. She wanted to live the wild life, drink, sleep around and party, then move to Hollywood, score some rich guy, then have a story to tell with all her rich friends on how she walked on the dark side of the moon for a bit. I knew Tracy. As much as she tried to make herself look like she was down with the Charming lifestyle she was still from San Francisco.
"C'mon it'll be fun. I heard he's a real deviant if you know what I mean." She said elbowing me in the shoulder. I rolled my eyes. "If you want him, Tracy you can have him."
"No, I don't want him. I'm looking out for your needs. It's been months since you last got laid. I think it would do you some good." What did she record my sexual experiences on her Hello Kitty calender? Weird.
"I appreciate the concern but I'm not going to screw him because he has a cut and a Harley. That doesn't impress me." But that was reason enough for me. He was a pretty handsome guy.
"Well, then don't get to know him for his cut. Just get to know him."
Goddamn I hated when Tracy was right, and fuck me she was mostly right. "Fine, I'll go to one party. I bet he's a self righteous prick." I was rationalizing not going to the party. I wasn't a party girl. Never has been and most likely never will. Yeah I would go to parties every once in awhile and maybe have a drink or two. But it wasn't part of my dailly life. I'm boring. Sorry I can't help it.
"And if he is, you can sleep with him and spread the rumor that he's a horrible lover." Tracy giggled. Clever my red headed friend. Very clever.
"But what if he isn't?"
"Then you're a damn good sport." she said with a smile. "C'mon lets get a drink." She grabbed my hand and we walked out together.