CHAPTER FOURTEEN

AN at bottom

Exactly 1 hour and 49 minutes later we're pulling into the car park of the Circus Circus Hotel and Casino and I can't help but grin when I see my 4x4 sitting in the very back corner of the car park, even though it's the middle of the day my friends have parked it right between a light and a security camera which would catch anything, and anyone, stupid enough to go near it.

Stepping stiffly off the bike I groan, I haven't been on a bike in 4 years, let alone spend 2 hours on a bike. None of the 'crotch rockets' that my extended circle of friends had found cool excited me as much as the rumble of a single Harley.

Donna grabs my shoulder as she slides off the back of Opie's bike, "So, which one is yours?" She's looking around, I notice her glimpse my car, but her eyes slide right over it, regardless of the huge U-Haul trailer behind it.

Pulling out the phone I quickly dial Cam's number and pass on that we've arrived and are waiting outside. I hear Al groan, I'm sure it's a losing groan, and it's not the first time. "We'll be out in a second...as soon as I collect my winnings."

I giggle, knowing that Cam won while Al lost won't make for a fun trip back to Charming for the pair, but I figure I can insert myself between the two and hopefully nothing will come to blows.

Hanging up the phone again I lift my eyes to Donna, "Can't you work that out, I think Opie has just clicked." Seeing the giant man's eyes lock on the side of my car I'm not sure how long it'll take for him to recognise the mural painted down the side, but I hope it's not going to cause problems when the remaining subjects see it.

Opie swings his foot over his bike and strides across the car park, leaning down to place a hand on the perfectly replicated image of his first bike he shoots back almost 5 feet when a massive noise of barking and snarling comes from within the tinted windows.

"Doj, Down." I call to my dog, instantly the barking stops, but a low whimpering sound starts instead, apparently my enormous puppy has missed me as much as I've missed him. Hearing the click of the locks go as the lights flash I glance towards the door and see Cam and Al walking in my direction.

Pulling open the back door I'm almost bowled over by the force of my 125 pound dog, only Opie standing behind me stops that from happening, but I end up slamming my back into his front and he groans.

Doj is happily standing in front of me, his tail wagging so hard it's thunking between the door which is still hanging open and the frame.

"Sit." I command, and he obediently does, before starting to sniff me manically, I guess to make sure I haven't been around other animals. He'll feel horribly betrayed if I have been. I remember the day, months after I got him that I stopped to pat a poodle on my way home from class. He refused to come near me for the rest of the day; it wasn't till after I'd changed clothes that he wanted attention.

"Ho-ly shit. That's not a dog, it's a fucken horse." Juice's voice reaches my ears, it sounds like he's still by the bikes, but I'm too busy saying hello to my dog to worry about anyone else at the time, only barely aware of Cam agreeing with Juice.

A few minutes later, when Doj finally feels like he's sniffed me and kissed me enough (eww, doggy breath) I am allowed to move, I turn to find Cam and Al looking at the guys sideways, and the guys leaning against their bikes examining my car, as calm as anything.

A thought shoots through my brain, 'I knew this would be hard' before I take a deep breath and introduce them all, surprisingly it's Happy who ends up breaking the silence that fell after the introductions, looking at Al chuckling before stating "Jax is going to shit bricks."

I'm slightly confused, then I realise what he means. Looking over at her, talking in the image that Al puts out, which conflicts with almost everything I know about her I nod.

"Why the fuck will he shit bricks, and why should I care?" Al's personality comes roaring back out, and she challenges Happy to explain his comment.

I know that Happy is capable of dealing with anyone, and Al would be no exception, but I'm trying to make my New York life merge, as best it can, with my Charming life so I answer for him, "I never told him, or anyone else actually, that Al was short for Alice. They all think that you're a guy, and Jax even though he hates me at the moment will, as Happy said 'shit bricks' when he realises the person who has seen me naked while inking all the parts of me is you."

Al shakes her head, the blonde curls brushing her shoulders, "Well S, I guess that we'd better see how my arrival will shake up Prince Asshole." Al doesn't edit her words, picking the title I'd bestowed on Jax, after refusing to say his name, when I arrived in New York all those years ago.

Opie snorts at the name that's been given to his best friend but doesn't argue, knowing that the way things ended between the two of us it was probably nicer than some of the names I'd called him, and the things Jax called me. "Well, all we knew was that Al was the tattoo artist and Cam was the flat mate, I'm guessing that Cam is not short for Cameron?"

Cam laughs, her brown hair trailing to her shoulder blades. "Well, actually it is. But it's Cam-r-y-n."

Opie nods, "Well, we better get back on the road if we want to be back in time for dinner. Gemma said to try and be back by 7 and she'd feed us at her house."

Heading over to my car I am surprised when Donna tags along, but after rearranging the back of the car to put the hair lock blanket I brought for the dog and to protect my upholstery in the back Cam and Al jump in the back-seat and Donna climbs in beside me.

I know that I'm going to be questioned about a few things on the way home, and I'm surprised that no one has yet asked about the unusual moniker my dog has, given when I was a teenager I'd always said I would name a dog something blandly normal like Joe or Molly.

Pulling out of the car park again with Happy and Opie in front and Juice trailing behind with the prospect I feel protected from Craig, nervous about my friend's arrival in Charming, anxious to see how badly Jax will react. But of all the things I feel the one that is the most at the forefront is anticipation of Jax, and Clay, will react to the custom paint that's been lacquered on the outside of my car, and in that same line the dread that they will hate it and demand I change it.

Dragging my mind back to the present, instead of worrying about what is still at least 2 hours away I focus back in on Donna knowing that now is a good time to explain the re-emergence of a jacket that she'd thought I'd destroyed years ago.

"So, when I said I got rid of Mom's jacket I did. I packed it in a box and buried it at the bottom of another box and then piled it will shit I'd never thought I'd use. Turns out I was wrong. I found it again when I was in New York, had it cleaned and treated and started wearing it whenever I could. For a while it smelt like her, but it doesn't any more." The single item of leather is the only thing I've kept with me from my mother, she'd worn it every day when I was younger, only taking it off when work demanded, or it was too hot.

Donna nods, "I'm amazed that Clay didn't recognise it."

I shrug as we pull onto the freeway. "He probably did, but he's aware enough not to ask." I giggle. "He also knows about you and your Donna-quistions."

Al and Cam look confused, "Donna's version of the Spanish Inquisition. She can get anything out of anyone if she puts her mind to it."

Donna grins and twists in her seat to grill Cam and Al about where we met and how we became friends. I know that the story will shock her, after all when I was in Charming I used to get stage fright so bad that I almost couldn't speak in public without throwing up and I'd met them in a very public situation.

"Well, we were at a concert in Central Park, a few weeks after she arrived, it was one of those free things that most New Yorkers hate, but we loved. We were somewhere in the middle of the grass and this bundle of energy appeared in front of us demanding we help her get on the stage. We both thought she was either drunk or high. Turned out she'd eaten over half a box of pixie stix on the way to the show."

Al laughs at the way Cam describes what I still think was an epic decision, but takes over, "Anyway, she spotted a flash of colour on my skin under my shirt. She all but ripped my shirt trying to see the tattoo on my forearm before she went all weird on us and started stroking it."

I poke my tongue out at them, that part is a far exaggeration, while I did push Al's shirt up; I in no way molested her poor tattoo, the image of a Hummingbird in flight still fascinates me. When I point that out to her Al groans and Cam snickers, "Well, it was a bit weird, you didn't even know what her name was and you were questioning her about what other work she had and if you could see it. But, in our own stupidity we decided to help this small creature onto the stage, hoping it would get her to leave us alone. Well she got on stage, but instead of being kicked out she started dancing with the band. Who apparently loved it."

I grin at the pair of them, we'd ended up, the three of us, on the stage for the best part of an hour before the band had finished their set and been ushered away from the 'crazy fans'. Truth be told I didn't even know the name of the band before that show, and I still don't like their music.

The miles seem to disappear under us as I find myself incredible thankful that the three of them seem to be getting on well.

6th March 2021 Authors note: Sorry for the long break between chapters uploading; I went on my very late honeymoon...like 20 years late. I celebrated my 20th wedding anniversary with my husband in January and on discussion we realised we'd never had a honeymoon so we spent 2 weeks travelling around the North Island of New Zealand (our home land). Then when I got back work totally kicked my ass for being away. so any new readers may know this story IS complete with 3 completed sequels and one that is progress; I'm reposting for ego stroking to get motivation to write again :-)