The rest of the evening I opened presents, laughed and had an overall good time. By the end of the night I actually made an exception for my "no-drinking-rule" and had a few glasses of whiskey. I rarely drank alcohol but if I did, it was mostly just whiskey. I never fancied beer or wine. I sat with my back against the bar on one of the high stools and laughed at Tig trying his best, drunk, self to teach Piper and Kenny how to play pool with only one eye open. They looked at him like he was green and had two heads.
"Hey girl, how are you holding up?" Bobby came over to me.
I raised my glass at him; "Now I'm fine again."
"Yeah, I can see that, how many have you had?"
"I don't know actually.' I turned my head; 'Chucky! How many have I had?"
"Four." Came the answer from the other side of the bar; "Five with this one." He took my empty glass and gave me a new one.
"Thank you." I turned back to Bobby; "Five!"
He just chuckled and took a sip of beer; "For someone as tiny as you, you sure can hold your liquor."
"It's all about not mixing things and knowing when to stop." I said, sounding like I was talking about the weather.
"I guess so. I saw that Jax found you earlier when you disappeared."
"I wasn't exactly hiding you know."
"True, but Tara didn't look happy when you came back hand in hand."
I shrugged; "She knows damn well there is nothing going on between me and Jax, he is like a brother to me, I mean we grew up together." I hissed. He held his hands up in front of him;
"I know that darling, but when a woman gets jealous, there really is no arguing with her."
"I know Uncle B, I am a girl even if it seems hard to understand." This caused him to laugh.
"We sure know you're a girl, haven't you ever picked up on how puffed up the guys are getting when a customer looks too long at you?"
"No." I looked down at the drink I held in my lap. Except the guys in the club I had a really hard time talking to men, they made me nervous. People kept telling me I was pretty but I sure as hell didn't see it; I wasn't skinny like Lyla or well-shaped like some crow eaters, I hadn't gotten anything of my brothers height; I was short, broad shouldered and a bit curvy with a flat stomach.
He patted my arm; "Pay some attention next time you are around when the garage is open, you are the closest thing Gem has to a daughter and Jax has to a sister. That doesn't go unnoticed."
I smiled at him and nodded; "I'll keep that in mind. Even if I don't understand why they are looking at me.' I shrugged and felt the alcohol getting to my head; 'Excuse me, I need some air."
The talk had made me a bit uncomfortable and I needed some time alone. I walked into the hallway and made my way up the ladder to the roof.
I sat down looking out over the garage, now closed and dark. This place had always been a place I could go to when I needed to think. A full ashtray and some empty bottles showed that I wasn't the only one. A tap on the hatch was heard, I opened it, a bottle of Jameson was handed to me and Chibs followed. "Have ye any idea how hard it is to climb with that in yer hand?" He cursed.
I chuckled; "You didn't have to bring it."
"Aye I did, shut up and drink. It's your birthday party and you are just disappearing."
"I know, I'm sorry. It was really nice of you all to throw me a party but I'm just not feeling right at the moment." I made an apologetic gesture and sat down, he lit a couple of smokes, handed me one and sat down next to me.
"Chibs, I don't smoke."
"Yeah ye do now. I've seen ye do it before, when ye were in this mood." Besides Jax, Chibs was the one to know me the best, he had been there the first time I got really drunk, had held my hair more than once and driven me home when I was unable to drive myself. But he was also the one to pick me up with some tough love when he thought my depression had gone too far. He had been the one to teaching me to fight on a sandbag and also to use a knife.
"Thanks." I inhaled deeply and calmed down. He was right, when I was moody all I needed was a smoke and some whisky along with his company to feel better.
I moaned, my head was killing me.
"Rough night?" A mocking voice sounded from the chair in the corner. I turned my head and almost jumped out of my skin; "Shit, what the hell are you doing here?"
"What would be the best reply to this; watching you sleep? I just happened to pass by? Or what about this one; How do you know I'm real and not just in your head?" He mocked me. I grunted and pulled the blanket over my head; "It is too early for riddles Loki."
"Actually it's almost noon and I think that in about thirty seconds that dark haired woman will knock on the door to see if you are alive. Bye!" He waved at me and disappeared. I just sighed, why was I the one to get a weird stalked that could show up and vanish in thin air? A knock on the door startled me and Gemma came in. This was creepy as hell.
"Ah, good, you are awake. The breakfast is ready, here." She handed me a big cup of coffee.
"Thanks. Sorry if I was a bit out of it yesterday, I have had a strange couple of days."
"Don't worry about it sweetheart, I don't think the kids noticed."
"Oh yeah? But everyone else did." I muttered and took a long sip of the coffee. Gemma patted me on the cheek; "get a shower and put some fresh clothes on then come and help me with some paperwork, you always clear it out much faster than me, and it will take your mind of things."
"Sure thing, I'll be out in ten." I handed her the empty mug and made my way into the bathroom to take a shower. I dressed in the same jeans but pulled on a black t-shirt instead and laced up my boots. I put my hair up in a ponytail to get it out of the way before I walked out to get some late breakfast.
Later that day I was in the garages office doing some paperwork and the conversation I've had before with Bobby came back to mind. I still didn't believe him so to test it I grabbed a form, set course on Jax that was talking to a young guy that had come by to pick up a car. I eyed the guy from the corner of my eyes as I handed Jax the papers; "Hey Jax, could you just sign of on this?"
"Sure darlin'." He grabbed the pen and signed the things I needed, the guy stared at me, then saw Jax's possessive look and looked away. Wow it was really true.
"Thanks." I gave his arm a squeeze and excused myself. I felt the guy's eyes on my back as I quickly walked back into the office. I turned my head and caught Bobby's eyes, he smirked and nodded, and I blushed deeply and shrugged hearing him laugh as I sat down by the desk again. Maybe it was true what he had said.
"Hey girl, how's the head?" Tig peaked through the door.
"It's still there and working, what's up Tiggy?"
"Are you done here? In that case I can take you home."
"I don't need a baby sitter Tig."
"I know that but Gemma is worried, she said you looked like you had seen a ghost when she came to wake you up."
"Fine, give me a few minutes then we can go, I've got work to do at home anyway."
"Great!"
I packed up, put the papers in order and went inside to grab my backpack. I waved good bye to Chucky and asked him to tell Gemma that I had gone home.
Tig trailed me home, took a quick check around the house then I stood on the doorstep and waved him off. I threw the bag into the bedroom, made sure the front door was locked, grabbed a big cup of tea and went into the office with my laptop, it was time to find some information about my mischievous stalker. The first thing I did was to google Loki. After half an hour I leaned back on my chair, letting out a breath I wasn't aware that I had held in. What the hell was going on in the world, superheroes, gods, aliens? What the actual fuck. And why the hell was he stalking ME?!