Author's Note: This is an edited chapter. I had a chapter one before but I couldn't convey the feelings properly to a point that my readers got confused. So I decided to scrap that and upload a better version. Sorry for the inconvenience.
Driving to Charming wasn't as bad as Rashid and Matt made it out to be. I drove for seven hours before I made a motel stop around 12 in Oregon. Yeah it was odd time to stop but I had woken up at four in the morning so I could be on the road at five sharp. By the time 12 hit, my eyes wanted to shut itself. Deciding on not endangering myself, I rented out a motel for couple of hours. I knew I was going to reach Charming at nighttime but I had already made plans to meet with the realtor tomorrow.
Carrying a to go box of burrito that I got on the way, I entered the motel and kicked the door shut with my leg, seeing that my other hand was occupied with my only suitcase. I easily finished half of the burrito under fifteen minutes as I thought about the coming day. Rachel Harlow, my real estate agent, said that the apartment was fully furnished (except for the mattress, thank god, and the eating utensils). The apartment is in middle of everything: hospital, grocery store, diner.
I had called the dinner before I left for the road trip and asked for a job as a server over there. They expect me tomorrow around seven in the evening, kind of unusual time for a diner. Maybe that is when the boss comes in. After I cleaned my mouth and hands, I called Rashid and Matt to tell them where I was and how I was holding up. It was refreshing to go on a drive, away from the drama, away from Craig. My other friends were supportive of me.
Deciding not to waste time, I put an alarm for two hours and knocked myself to sleep. I needed to be fresh eyed for the rest of the journey and hopefully, I wake up to my alarm clock and actually get up. Falling asleep was instant. I didn't even know when I went to sleep.
I was proud of myself. I actually woke up two hours later with lots of fuss but I talked myself into sitting up. I finished my burrito and freshen myself up, placing a fresh layer of lip gloss and sprayed some deodorant on. I touched on my face makeup before deciding that I was ready to he on the road again. I made sure I took everything with me then locked the motel room behind just like the guy owning the motel told her to do. As the door made the noise that it was shut, a loud roaring and rumbling appeared.
I glanced up at the roadside entrance just to see two huge Harley bikes coming inside the motel property. They parked beside my car and dismounted. They both were wear a black cut off leather jacket with patches all over it. On the back was black and white drawing of a reaper holding a ball of some kind with a letter 'A' painted on it. They both had it on their cut. Some kind of club, I guess. What affirmed my guess were the white letters spelling out SAMCRO.
The shaven head, tanned skinned guy caught my eyes and nodded. I smiled back, shyly, seeing the other guy with curly black hair and a goatee turn back to look at me. I smiled at him, too, then locked my car and headed to the main office of the motel, feeling the two bikers following me. The main landlord was kind of weird and he was already looking at me as I entered the office. Then his face sort of froze at the sight of the men behind me. He cleared his throat and smiled at me.
He looked like he wasn't too happy to see the men.
"I hope the room was up to your needs, ma'am." he said, looking at the screen of his computer. I removed my wallet.
"Yes, I needed that rest. I was driving for seven hours straight and I could feel my eyes beginning to close so I had to stop." I said, giving him two hundred in bills. "I wish I rested more but I needed to be in town today." I heard the sounds of leather creaking as the two bikers waited. Hopefully, the landlord can shut up so I can leave!
"If you don't mind me asking, where are you heading?" The landlord asked, giving me the change of 38 dollars back. I pocketed my wallet in my purse and began to walk slowly to the main door so I could have all the occupants in my eyesight. The two bikers were looking at me as well, curious.
"I am heading to Charming. Just going to check if I want to live there or not. My choice was either that or Las Vegas." I answered and I watched surprise and interest spark in the riders eyes. The landlord looked like a person who just took a shot of tequila and trying to toughen it out.
"I would choose Charming, darlin'." the curly haired biker piped up and I rose my eyebrow at the nickname. "I call everyone darlin'. Even to this bad boy." He slapped his tall friend on his chest. The tall man retaliates back by smacking the curly haired one on the back of his head. I laughed at the indignant look on curly's face. .
"I will see if Charming is as it's named after." I said, then gave wave to the bikers. "Nice seeing you both. Ride safe." The bikers nodded, the taller one finally smiling, which was the last thing I saw as I left the main office towards my car. I looked at the powerful bikes as I walked past them. I wish I could ride. As much as I love my Hyundai Azera, I would love to have a bike. I heard from Matt that it was quite freeing. Rashid had totally came and told Matt to shut up and not give me ideas. Too late, brother. Too late.
I got into my car and drove out the motel without looking behind. If I did, I would have seen the two bikers grab the landlord by his collar and pick him up. Another four hours to go, I thought to myself, putting on some early 2000 music. I sang along with Amerie as I left the motel behind. Ten minutes later, I heard the familiar tell tale signs of motorcycles coming from behind me. I looked at the rear view mirror to see the two bikers I saw earlier speeding towards me. For some reason, I wanted to drive faster, the urge to race them but I clamped that feeling down. I will not be getting a ticket in a foreign state!
As the bikers rode past my car, the curly-haired one (his hair was escaping at the bottom of his helmet) reached out and grazes my driver's side window with his gloved fingers. I saw a wide, teasing smile on his face as he and his buddy sped past my car. I couldn't help but laugh at that man's antics. Something about the curly-haired dude made me want to be friends with him but something in my mind was showing the frozen face of the landlord, reminding me that they didn't go there to stay at the motel but speak to the landlord himself. Well, bikers tend to be scary so that's why the landlord was scared? Maybe, they were really scary and I was none the wiser. They could have been killers. Okay, that was a mood killer.
Charming, California, population was in the 14,000. It may sound a lot but I am sure if I were to ask some random person about a certain person like the curly haired rider, they will tell me everything. Not that I wanted to know everything about the curly-haired driver or his partner. What I am trying to get here is a new person coming to live in Charming probably will be spread out faster than forest fire. I grimaced at that. Was Charming really charming?
Maybe, I should have considered Las Vegas, I thought to myself, uncertain. Now, she needed a place to stay overnight so there has to be an inn or a hotel in the town somewhere. Maybe, I will ask around the plaza. I parked my car in front of a smoothie place and got out. I began to stretch out my cramped body, hearing my back crack several times. I felt like I was standing out with my bright pink shirt and pink earrings so it shouldn't be so hard to find someone to help me out, despite it being seven.
"Maybe I will get myself a smoothie while I am here." I told myself, already reaching for the door handle of the shop. I went inside, making the guy behind the registrar perk up by the sound of the bell. He was seventeen years old with acne on his chin. He looked at me with curiosity. I felt like analysis that I would be the talk of the town was becoming a reality.
"Good evening, ma'am." the boy said, tipping his head.
"I hope I didn't come in a bad time? I don't know when you guys close." I said, giving him a sheepish smile. The boy smiled widely, shaking his head.
"You are fine, ma'am. Store closes at nine. I was bored out of my head until you came." the boy said, and looking down at his name tag, "Name's Steve. Should I give you time to decide?" I nodded, then stared at the menu.
"Can I have the spicy mango smoothie?" I asked and Steve nodded, writing it down on the pad. "That's about it, thanks!"
"You are new here, right? I have never seen you before." Steve asks as he began to make my smoothie. I nodded, shyly. Steve smirked. "You do realize that people of Charming are going to stop and ask who you are. We don't get too many newcomers around. You might as well introduce yourself to each and everyone of them. You can start here. What is your name?"
I laughed at that devilish smirk of Steve. Was he flirting with me? Well, if what he says is true, if he tried to flirt with a girl from here, the whole town would know. "Sumira Rena is my name."
"What are you doing in Charming, Sumira?" he asked, butchering my name adorably. He knew it to as he gave me a guilty smile.
"It is Sue-me-ra, not Sue-my-ra. I actually want to live here for a year or so. A change of place, really." I said, as he handed me my drink. I took a sip and my eyes rolled back to my head. "Yum! I didn't know jalapeno and mangos go well together."
"I went to Vegas last summer and I saw my Mexican friend 's family make it. I decided why not make it into a smoothie. It became popular." Steve explained, smiling. "Is there anything else I could help you with?"
"Ah, yes! Do you know where I can stay for the night? Like an inn or something? I will be meeting with my realtor tomorrow." I asked and he nodded. He gave me directions to the inn. "Thank you!"
"Come again!" Steve said as I walked out of the store. I threw a wave at him then got into my car. I drove the way Steve told me to go and it took only five minutes to reach the inn. So when Steve said that the town was really small, he wasn't joking about it. I got out with my luggage and went inside. A woman was standing behind the counter, popping bubbles with her gum and was perusing the magazine she was holding.
"Welcome to Charming Lights Inn, how can I be of assistance?" The lady said in a slowly and monotonous voice.
"I - uh - I want to a room for one night." I said, after clearing my throat. The girl, Sammy was her name, flickered her blue eyes at me and nodded.
"I.D. please."
It took a whole twenty minutes to get my room because of the slow pace of the receptionist. By the time I was in my rented room, I was frazzled by the lack of sleep and the irritation towards the receptionist. I get that you don't get that many people in Charming but still, do the work that is assigned to you. I groaned out loud as I remembered I still have to call Rashid and tell him I have reached Charming.
"So, what is it like being at Charming?" Rashid asks after the pleasantries were over and done with.
"It is quaint. Nice people." I answered, putting him on speaker so I could change into a nightie. Rashid laughed.
"You mean boring?" he asked, chuckling. I rolled my eyes as I removed my toiletries from my bag.
"No, I meant quaint. It is a pretty quiet town and a very small one, too. I fear that I will be quite famous in coming days." I replied, then I got serious. "What about Craig?"
"He is actually serving jail time. Apparently, he had warrant for selling weed in the corner and he was running away from that. He will be in there for a whole year." Rashid explained, his voice light, telling me that he is satisfied by the outcome. "And the restraining order will come in affect after he gets out of jail."
"That is really great news, Rashid. I am so glad that he is getting what he deserves." I replied back, then sighed greatly as the tension flew away. "I am going to sleep, Rashid. I will call you tomorrow to let you know about the apartment."
After our goodbyes, I quickly brushed my teeth and washed my face. Slathering on some night cream on my face, I made sure the AC was on and the door was locked. Seeing that everything where it needs to be, I turned the light off and fell on the bed. Tomorrow will be an eventful day so I better catch up on some Z's.
[Third Person POV]
The two bikers roared through the sa streets of Charming, slowly relaxing by the fact they were surrounded by familiarity. As they passed the inn, the curly-haired one, Tig, looked slowed to inspect the parking lot, like they usually do. However, this time, he knew someone new will be here. "There is her car." Tig said, pointing at the black Hyundai Azera. Tig remembers the leggy, brown-skinned (Indian? Mexican?) woman with pink shirt and earrings. She had a very attractive smile, like when she smiles, she gets these deep dimples on her cheeks.
"Got to make sure Clay knows that we have another citizen to protect." The bald guy said, whose name was Happy, causing Tig to nod his head. It wasn't too long since they reached Teller-Morrow auto shop where you can see rows of bikes parked besides each other. Tig and Happy followed suit, parking because Juice's bike and dismounted. Tig, being Tig, spit out the gum he was chewing and stuck it on Juice's bike handles. Happy just gave him a smirk as they both entered the auto shop/bar/SAMCRO headquarters.
Everyone was already there. Bobby, Chibs, Piney, Clay, Juice, Opie, Jax, even Half-Sac, Gemma and Tara. Gemma noticed them first, bringing everyone attention to the new additions. Clay immediately wanted a report on the oily Landlord and Tig was happy to oblige, seeing that he was Sergeant-at-arms of Clay, the president of SAMCRO. After telling the reruns of reminding the landlord about who he really owes, Tig decided it was time to announce the good news.
"A new citizen in Charming?" Jax asked, incredulous, accepting a beer from his Old lady, Tara. "How do you know?"
"She was staying at the Eazy 8 motel and the fucking prick Brian tried to make small talk with the girl so he won't have to talk to us. She said that she is planning to stay at either Charming or Las Vegas." Happy explained, popping a beer open with his teeth. He noticed Gemma giving him a scolding look which he return with a wink. "This idiot kept on calling her Darlin'."
Clay laughed in his usual booming ways. "How did she react?"
"She does this eyebrow move and Tig is all over the place, explaining why he called her that! God, he was like a little bitch!" Happy said, finally laughing as Tig flipped him off as Juice and Chibbs began to laugh.
"Man, fuck off, Happy. You also smiled at her and you never smile." Tig said, slumping down beside Jax, knocking his beer bottle with Jax who was staring at him, curious. "She got legs for days, my boys! It's been a while some girl's legs turn me on but hers did. Her smile was pretty."
"I second that. I think she is Indian. Too pointy to be Mexican." Happy said, grinning. "She is sweet; I can tell."
"Damn, who's this bitch that made Happy like this?" Gemma cried out, giving her empty beer bottle to a passing prospect "I want to know her!"
"Then it is good that she is staying at Charming Lights Inn." Tig informed, smirking. "We should welcome her to Charming properly tomorrow."
"Invite her to my house tomorrow, whoever." Gemma said and Jax laughed, pulling Tara on to his lap.
"Oh, and she is just going to say yes to a complete stranger?" Jax said, causing Clay to laugh even more.
"Don't worry, baby, she will know your name before tomorrow ends." Clay announced and the sound of a gavel slamming down resonated through their minds. The President of SAMCRO had spoken.