4
Little Toy Bikers and a Woman on the Run
Chapter 222 Manet Monet
Since the story broke about their carnival heroics, TM had been swamped with appointments. Not much happened in Charming, so there was a lot of excitement among the residents. Suddenly a lot of cars and bikes needed oil changes along with a little conversation about the carnival.
Even the residents who had always looked at SAMCRO skeptically were now finally seeing the MC as a force for good in the community. Saving Tristen was having a rippling effect of good fortune for the MC.
Jax stood in the quiet garage at TM. He liked these moments before the garage came to life. He thought about the morning and Scarlett.
He woke up after an additional three hours of sleep ready to begin his day. He had softly called Scarlett's name to wake her.
"Are you hung over?" she'd asked rubbing her eyes.
"No. Haven't had a hang over in six or seven years."
"Considering how drunk you were last night, I'm surprised you're even up."
"Experience. Thanks for watching over me."
"The guy, Sack, he was really helpful. Propped you up so you wouldn't choke if you threw up. He was also very polite and respectful said if you threw up he would come right over and clean it and you up."
Jax had been pleased with this information. His warning to Sack had made its mark. Scarlett had gotten out of bed and walked with him to the door.
"Behave yourself," Jax said.
"You never want me to have any fun."
"I want you to have fun with me."
He'd kissed her on the forehead, and waited outside to make sure she bolted the door behind him. He was finding himself growing increasingly possessive over Scarlett.
He'd called Half-Sack to pick him up at the coffee shop down the street. He'd needed a big stack of pancakes and some sausage before work more than he needed his usual post party shower and the coffee shop served breakfast all day.
Last night he'd really tested Sack. For a couple of seconds, he thought he was going to end up with Ima in the bathroom. He'd never been the least bit tempted by her, so he was relying on Sack to rescue him.
That diving tackle had been pretty damned spectacular. Without missing a beat, Sack explained that it was PTSD. Jax chuckled to himself. The prospect might actually get patched in. He wasn't going to tell Sack that. Part of being a prospect was the constant fear of failing and not getting patched in.
Sack had picked him up in the TM tow truck.
"You cut it pretty close with Ima," Jax said after climbing into the truck.
"No excuses. Should have done a better job."
"OK, Sack. I'll let it slide."
"Thank you."
"Scarlett said you were polite and respectful."
"She deserves nothing less."
"You're damned right."
He wondered how Scarlett would fit into the MC life. It was hard on women. Some like Gemma rose to it and thrived, while others like Donna fought it. Opie's stretch in prison had a lot to do with Donna's attitude. He couldn't blame her for that. He hoped when Opie was released in a few days that Donna would get closer to the MC for Opie's sake.
The guys stumbled in, Chibs first, then Tig, Clay, Juice, Happy and finally Bobby who was moving slow, his eyes barely open. They settled into their rhythm of working and joking. It was the only job he'd ever known.
Even Gemma was in a celebratory mood. That afternoon she'd made two large pitchers of his favorite blueberry lemonade and left it on the picnic table along with a cooler filled with ice and glasses.
The heat was getting to Jax more than usual. He knew it must have something to do with all the alcohol he'd consumed last night. He took off his shirt to help cool down.
"Who gave you a beating, brother?" Chibs drawled in his Scots accent.
Jax looked down and saw that his abs were various shades of blue, purple and yellow. Now he knew how Scarlett spent some of her time with him last night.
"I think it's a painting," Bobby said. "It's an impressionist masterpiece."
"It reminds me of the Rembrandt guy," Tig said.
"Rembrandt is considered one of the old masters and painted in a baroque style," Happy said. "This is clearly an Impressionist painting."
"How the hell do you know that?" Juice asked.
"I took a college class."
"When were you in college?" Jax asked.
"I did a couple of months for beating up a rat. Nice prison. They had art and pottery classes."
"I agree with the Impressionist comparison. That was always my favorite style of art," Bobby said.
"I think it looks more abstract like the Picasso stuff," Juice said.
"Isn't that the shit with women with three breasts?" Tig asked.
"Yeah," Happy said grinning.
"A woman with three breasts is just a stupid idea. A man only has but two hands," Chibs said.
"Maybe the woman might want to hold one," Sack said.
Everyone turned to look at Sack. Prospects were supposed to be seen and unheard.
"Shut up," they all yelled in unison.
Jax was standing up finishing his blueberry lemonade.
"What do you boys think more Manet or Monet?" Chibs asked looking at Jax's stomach.
"Maybe Michelangelo," Tig said. "The way the abs are."
"You're looking at his stomach. We're looking at the painting," Bobby said.
"I'm entitled to my opinion," Tig said sullenly.
Clay was returning from spending his break in the nice cool TM office with Gemma.
"What the hell happened to you?" he demanded looking at Jax.
"Wild time with a girl," Chibs said.
"Better than a wild time with a guy," Clay said and they all laughed.
"Yeah, I definitely had a wild time," Jax agreed.
"Still with the blonde girl Scarlett," Clay asked.
"Yeah."
"You ought to bring her to Opie's party," Clay suggested. "Now, let's finish up so we can go home and Jax can take a shower."
Jax comes up with a sexy punishment for Scarlett and lets her know she's in trouble in a unique way.