HEY GUYS IT'S BEEN A WHILE. I'm sorry, kind of. I did warned you my schedule was crazy. Anyway, I kind of cropped down two chapters in one, so we get to see Jax and the rets f the guys on the next chapter. Also, you get a sneak peak of Audrey's mission.
I can only assume Margo's was a nice venue at some point of its history. I can see the appeal on his old school drive in diner vibe, with soft turquoise on the walls and black and white checkered pattern on the floor. Too bad the windows are covered with dust, giving the place an abandoned feeling. Margo's as most of the little shops and restaurants on the east of the town, will be whipped off once Charming Heights starts building. I wonder how many more cups of disgusting coffee will be served at this place before it shuts down.
"So, sweetheart…" Gemma's voice makes it clear she is down to business, "how does a girl like you ends up with an asshole like that?"
I rearrange the cold package on my left cheek before answering. "Mike was my high school sweetheart. We broke up when he started abusing me, right after I won an internship to work at a magazine in New York. I fled our apartment in Fleetwood and moved to New York, swearing I would never go back to him"
"What changed your plans?" Gemma asked, taking a sip from her coffee. I noticed Clay was listening as well and he didn't seem to be bothered by the fact that he had just gotten into a fight for a stranger.
"A few weeks ago I was fired from the magazine. New York is expensive, and I had no way to pay the rent. I have no other family, so I looked up Mike and saw he had moved to Charming. He's the only thing left from my old life, so I just thought I could stay with him for a while until I got my feet back together", I tried to keep my voice in the verge of tears. I knew a strong woman like Gemma would value the fact that I was trying so hard to put on a brave face.
"And you just figured you could pay the rent by fucking him?" Gemma asked and I froze, taken back by her bluntness. I put on a blank mask on my face and placed my coffee on the table.
I knew these people. I had read their files for weeks, through the graveyard shift. I take a deep look into Gemma's calculating eyes and I sense her defiance. This is a test.
"I will pay my coffee and go. I'm sorry for all the troubles I've caused", I whispered with my eyes fixed on the tablecloth. Then I locked eyes with Gemma and fiercely snapped, "I would rather cut my throat that let him touch me again. I'm not a slut and I don't go around asking for favors. I'll find my way out of this mess. Thanks for the help".
I pay for my coffee and stood up, ignoring Gemma's voice calling my name. I noticed she said something to Clay but I was about to reach the door and couldn't make out what it was. I was already at the parking lot when Gemma tapped my shoulder.
"Relax sweetheart, I come in peace", Gemma's eyes burned into my soul and I could feel her digging up every bit of information she could deduct from my appearance and behavior. I tried to remain impassive to show her I wasn't intimidated. "Listen, I didn't mean to offend you back there. You look like a nice girl and even if you were a dummy that crawled back to that piece of shit…" , the attitude in her voice almost made me cringe. It felt like my own mother was lecturing me, "I don't judge people. If you're still looking for a gig, I could use some help on the garage"
My eyes widened, "Really? Wow, I mean…sure! I'm just a bit confused. Why would you do this for me? You barely know me!"
Gemma smirked and suddenly her whole demeanor seemed less menacing. "Well girls gotta help each other. Besides, I really do need the help and none of the croweaters can get tell their head from their asses, so it'd be a nice change to hang around someone who actually knows what she is doing".
"Croweaters?" I asked with confusion.
Gemma patted my back, "Oh baby, you got so much to learn."
That night, after parting ways with Gemma and Clay I drove around the town for a couple hours. I needed to clear my head and figure out what would be my next step. I had been ignoring the buzzing sound that came from my purse for most of the day. When I finally decided to come back to the motel room I rented just outside town, I finally admitted I had to reach out to the rest of the world. I had 32 missed calls and so many whatsapp messages that I could probably make up a middle length novel if I ever decide to print them. The plot would be awfully repetitive, though. Most of the calls were from Idris, urging me to report back to the magazine. Only one message from Justin.
"Idris told me you ran off. DON'T COME TO CHARMING YOU IDIOT. YOU'LL JUST SCREW THINGS UP."
I smiled, imagining Justin about to have an aneurysm when he wrote the message. I took off my boots and head to the crock board I had set up. I had already posted there some photos of the SOA family. I wrote the address of the TM garage and pinned it to the board, next to the photo of Gemma and Clay. It had been taken from afar and probably in a rush. The blurry image did no justice to the Queen of Charming. I smiled, excited about the next day, when I would officially enter the world of bikes and crime. I turned on the shower and as I waited for the water to heat, I dialed the number engraved on my memory.
Idris rough and deep voice was the most comforting sound in the world, I decided right then. "Yeah, Spotlight Special Investigations, who's that?"
"The photographer", I smirked listening as Idris let out an abundant flow of curses as he heard my voice. I could hear the muffled voices in the background as Idris asked Ames to leave him alone and locked himself in his office. I imagined him pacing around the small space, among cut outs from yellowish papers and a chaos of files on his desk. Ever since I've known Idris, he has been fighting this one man war against the digitalization of printed media, and he was loosing. I figured right now he must have spotted the dying plant on his window and promising himself to throw it out, which he would later forget.
"What the fuck do you think you're doing Coop?" Idris snarled at me.
"Nice to hear you too asshole", I smiled.
"I had to tell the Chief I had fired you. I couldn't tell him you decided to take off on the magazine's credit card and start an undercover mission on your own. What the fuck were you thinking?!" A loud bang, probably from his fist slamming into the wall. His anger management issues were really putting a dent in our interior decoration budget.
I looked at the file sprawled on my bed. Steam had begun coming out of the bathroom, indicating the shower was ready. I flipped one of the photos that had fallen off when I sat on the bed. It was the mug shot of Jackson Teller, the attractive VP of SAMCRO. He was trying to repress a smirk on the photo. I smiled back, thinking about my answer to Idris question.
"I'm going to infiltrate the Sons of Anarchy"
