CHAPTER NINE

The lot is almost completely empty when we pull in, Jax stops so I can jump off his bike before he walks it into its parking spot and gets off.

Slinging both helmets onto the handlebars he wraps an arm around me and leads me towards the clubhouse, the only bikes in the lot other than Jax's are Tigs and Happys. "Go talk to Hap now?"

"Before Clay and Gem get here?"

Jax nods, "Hap won't say anything other than finally or some shit like that."

I giggle as Jax pulls the door open, "Probably."

The main room of the clubhouse is quiet, but some banging and crashing from the kitchen immediately lets us know where whoever it is that's up is.

Jax tows me over to the door, the chain from his wallet clinking quietly as we walk, but his sneakered feet making very little noise. We can see between the blinds on the giant window where Miles is trying to work the coffee machine. Jax's shoulders shake in silent laughter as he lets go of my hand and nods towards the door.

"Go help the poor bastard before Hap comes out and goes postal." Miles jumps slightly when he hears Jax's voice, but spinning around and spotting me he grins.

"Thank god! Someone who knows how to work this god damn infernal fucken machine! I swear its almost more trouble than it's worth." Miles rants, stepping backwards away from the silver and black appliance.

"What's wrong with it?" I ask, pulling the coffee pot out and filling it with water. "It doesn't come with tits or an accelerator?"

Miles chuckles, "That too. It just wouldn't work."

I slowly work through the machine, clearing the old grounds and the filter, filling it with fresh water, replacing the pot and hitting the on button. The machine stutters to life, but as it spits the hot liquid into the twin pots I can tell that Miles is right. "Well, you're right. I think the old thing is finally on its last legs. I'll tell Gem when she gets here."

Miles' face splits in a wide smile when he's told he's right, picking me up and spinning me in a circle. The second my feet are back on the ground Jax shoots an arm out and slaps him over the back of the head. "My Old Lady." His voice is practically a growl and the blue in his eyes swirls with anger.

We hear clapping which makes us all spin around, Happy and Tig are leaning against the wall with shit eating grins on their faces.

"Bout time bro." Happy remarks stepping over and giving Jax a man-hug complete with slap on the back. "Guess that means no more cupcakes for me?"

I laugh, "Nah, I'll always make you boy's cupcakes. Coffee however, you'll have to wait for, it's gonna take a few minutes to brew."

Happy shrugs and turns his attention to Jax when he says "Hap, can we talk to you for a minute?"

The three of us end up at one of the tables by the bar while Jax starts laying out his plan for the ink, well my plan for the ink. Happy nods and doesn't say much, till Jax mentions the shield and Hap takes a glance at my neck.

"Fuck Jax. Did you try and eat her?"

I can't help the snort of laughter that bubbles out, "He did, he succeeded. That was seconds, thirds and fourths."

Happy shakes his head while Jax looks at me, "That's right; I forgot you have a filthy mouth."

I'm still giggling when I lean over and rest my head on his shoulder, "You didn't mind my filthy mouth on Saturday."

Jax clamps his hand over my mouth "That's enough I think. Clay just pulled in."

I nod, my eyes going wide with the realisation that I now have to face him. I mentally cross my fingers that he had a good Sunday afternoon.

Happy nods once at Jax. "So it's not public knowledge yet?"

Jax shakes his head, "Will be by the end of the day."

"Or within 30 seconds of Aunt Gemma finding out." I mutter.

"Told you about calling her Aunt Gemma, it's gross." Jax shudders at whatever mental picture is in his head.

I nod, "Okay, I'll go find Clay and deal with him. You go talk to your mom."

"Can I have coffee first?" Jax asks, putting on a fake terrified voice.

We both go into the kitchen getting coffee's for ourselves and the destination of our confessions before walking through the lot and back out into the sunlight.

Gemma is in the office already and Jax stops to kiss me hard before he heads off in that direction, the worried look on his face melting the second he turns his head.

Clay is still leaning by his bike, silently watching the goings on, cars are arriving to be dropped off for the week and the non-Son mechanics are all heading into the bays to get overalls.

Handing Clay his cup as I reach him he looks at me, "I'm not gonna like it am I?"

"The coffee? Sure you'll like it. What I have to say, maybe not so much."

Clay pushes off his bike and moves to the nearest picnic table sitting down on one side and wrapping his huge hands around the cup. "Okay, I'm sitting. Tell me."

I sit down across from him and reach over, "You already know what I'm gonna say. Jax asked me to be his Old Lady. I said yes. Hap's working on the design brief we gave him this morning."

Clay nods, "I knew that was coming. Anything else?"

"I'm going with him to Fresno. He's getting ink of me as well. I'm going to LA, oh wait, you already know that. Don't think that there's anything else."

Clay takes a minute of silence, and a mouthful of coffee, "Not surprised about you going to Fresno. Surprised about Jax getting ink for you. LA is fine, I've sorted with Juice and Opie, I still may send Tig or Hap with you as well, I'll decide that tonight."

I smile his mishearing of the ink needs to be sorted now. I'm not sure if it was deliberate or he just didn't hear. "Jax isn't getting ink for me; he's getting ink of me. Al drew some pictures of me a while ago and he's getting one of them. Al's doing it."

Clay blinks slowly, his face betraying the shock he's feeling. "Does Hap know?"

I nod, "We told him this morning. He's doing both mine, but Al's doing Jax's."

"Both?"

I nod again, "I'm getting two. One that I want and his crow. But he better believe that it's the last time he'll ink his crow on anyone."

We both hear a scream from the office and I'm not sure if it's a good thing or a bad thing until we look over and see Gemma hugging Jax and the huge grin on her face.