Hotel Key
Chapter 7
The sound of his alarm pulled Daryl from his sleep. He groaned, reluctantly opening his eyes as he pushed the covers back just far enough to snake his arm out and shut off the loud beeping noise before it woke RickyJo. She sighed, snuggling close to him and hiking one long leg over his thigh. Her head was resting against his chest. She fell asleep in that same position the night before. Daryl guessed she must like it. Because while they both shifted around in the night, she kept finding her way back to that same spot.
Daryl knew he needed to get up. He was due down at the shop. With Merle back on his bullshit and not showing up, Daryl had the work of two people to do. Plus a bunch of people Merle lined up for interviews before he got drunk and lit off. Daryl thought about canceling them. He hated interviewing people. But he was sick of running the place short handed.
Daryl smoothed RickyJo's hair back off her face, pressing a soft kiss onto her forehead before he started trying to slide out from under her without jostling her around too much. He smiled when she made a little groan of protest and snuggled closer, wrapping her arm around his waist to keep him from making his escape. He could still picture her sitting at the kitchen table the night before. She was staring down at her plate, poking at her food with her fork because she was too nervous to even look at him when she spoke. Her voice was quiet and shy when she asked him if he wouldn't maybe like to sleep in her room with her. She flicked her eyes up at him for only a second before she went back to picking at her food. Daryl hesitated a moment before he reached across the table and took her hand in his, giving it a gentle squeeze.
They didn't do any more than cuddle close together. After their last failed attempt to cross the line between friends and something more, both of them were hesitant to rush things. They were sailing in uncharted waters. Even more nervous now that they might lose what they had in their attempts to turn it into something else. Something better. For now, just holding her close was enough. Daryl got the best night of sleep he had in months with her in his arms. And if he had his way, they would be sleeping in the same bed from now on. Hopefully for the rest of their lives.
"I gotta get up," Daryl whispered, "...gotta get ta work." RickyJo sighed and slid off his chest, burying her head into her pillow. Daryl pulled the covers up and tucked them in around her. She looked like she was already almost back to sleep. So Daryl was surprised when she appeared in the doorway of his bedroom a few minutes later.
RickyJo was wearing an old beat up pair of jeans and her motorcycle boots. The lacy edge of her bra was peeking out of her black tank top. She approached him, snagging one of his work shirts from his dresser and pulling it on. All his work shirts had the sleeves cut off. And since it was big on her, the open sides dipped down, revealing a little peek of her bra.
"What're ya doin'?," Daryl asked. She fastened the last few buttons on the shirt before lifting her arms up and gathering her hair into a big sloppy bun on top of her head.
"Ya said ya needed help at work," she responded, reaching into his dresser for the second time without permission. This time she snagged a clean handkerchief and tied it around her head to keep the little pieces of hair from hanging into her face.
"Yer not help," Daryl told her, letting his eyes roam over her cleavage and the way her jeans were hugging her hips. "... Yer a distraction." She giggled and moved into his personal space, wrapping her arms around his waist and kissing him on the neck.
"Ya don't think ya can get yer work done with me around?," she teased. Daryl snorted. He could get a few things done with her around. But work wasn't one of them. He caught RickyJo under the chin with his knuckle, tilting her head slightly back so he could capture her mouth with his. She kissed him back, parting his lips with her tongue. Daryl felt himself instinctively pulling her closer and quickly released his grip on her. He stepped back, chewing on the side of his thumb as he considered the pros and cons of letting RickyJo come to the shop with him. She didn't like working on cars the same way he did. But she knew her way around most basic tasks. It would ease the workload significantly for him and his two employees if she was there. But like Daryl told her, she was also a distraction. She was sexy in his uniform shirt and watching her roll under cars and change tires in it was going to leave him walking around with half a stiffy all day. Not to mention the other two men there, one of whom had recently been released from prison.
"I'll do all yer interviews for ya," she offered, sweetening the pot. Merle was usually the one that handled that part of the job. Daryl hated doing office work. And he hated interviewing people most of all. A fact that RickyJo was well aware of. "And I'll even call the employment agency and hire ya a receptionist," she added with a big hopeful smile.
"Okay!," Daryl said, trying to hold back his laughter. "You can come." RickyJo leaped into his arms, hugging him tightly. He just shook his head. Technically, RickyJo owned the fucking place. So she could come in there anytime she wanted. But he appreciated that when it came to the shop, she deferred to him and respected his decisions.
RickyJo snapped her helmet on and slung her leg over his bike, sliding close and wrapping her arms around him. Even with her leather jacket on, Daryl could feel her breasts pressing against his back. And thoughts of what their bodies felt like twined together all night were still lingering around the corners of his mind. He adjusted his pants and fired his bike up. It was going to be a long day.
"Every single one of these people are felons," RickyJo announced as she flipped through the small stack of applications on Daryl's pigsty of a desk.
"Merle only hires fuckin' felons," Daryl informed her. "He says they work harder and fer less money 'cause they can't get a job anywhere else." RickyJo shrugged her shoulders. That seemed logical enough to her, though Merle's employment practices made her giggle a little. Tossing the applications back where she got them, RickyJo headed for the coffee maker and pulled the glass pot out of the machine. She cringed at the burnt stink of the old stale coffee left inside. She shoved the filthy thing back where she found it and decided she was going to make a run to the coffee shop a few doors down instead of risking possible death by whatever bacteria she was sure must be growing inside the actual coffee machine itself.
"Is there coffee?," a man asked, poking his head inside the office. If RickyJo had to guess his age, she would say he was in his forties. He had shaggy reddish hair and a long mustache that he began stroking intensely the moment he laid eyes on her. She fought back a smile.
"No, but I'm gonna make a coffee run in a minute if ya want somethin'," she offered. The man smiled, sticking his hand out to her and speaking directly to her breasts when he offered up his name and his personal coffee preferences.
"Are you the new receptionist?," he asked, clearly hopeful that she was. RickyJo giggled, snatching her hand back from the man before he could do any more than shake it.
"No," Daryl barked, "...She owns this place." Daryl pointed the man towards down the hall where he ought to be going instead of horsing around in his office. "So ya better get ta work." Once Axel was gone, Daryl gave RickyJo a pointed glance. "See," he told her, "...yer a distraction."
"I think even a one tooth whore would distract yer friend there," she teased. Daryl only shook his head. What just happened was the exact reason he had not hired a receptionist even though he needed one desperately. And if Merle was around, it was even worse. The last thing they needed was some sort of sexual harassment lawsuit.
"You want coffee?," RickyJo asked. Daryl nodded, knocking her a quick kiss on the cheek before he headed in the direction his horny employee had gone. On her way out, she ran into Oscar, Daryl's other mechanic. He was happy to give her his coffee order, though thankfully not as happy as his coworker was. RickyJo knew she had another half hour before the first interview showed up. Which left her plenty of time to walk the few blocks down to the little local coffeehouse and order them drinks. When she got there, a woman with short gray hair was in line in front of her. The woman had a girl with her that looked about the same age as RickyJo's niece Cassie. RickyJo smiled at the girl. But she didn't smile back, choosing instead to cling to her mother and bury her face in the woman's shirt.
"Can I get a drink?," the little girl asked. Her mother shook her head, whispering to the girl that she didn't have any money for that. When they got to the counter, the woman asked the barista for a job application. RickyJo didn't see it until the woman turned with the paper in her hand, but she had a fading black eye and a split lip that looked fresh. The barista had to ask RickyJo twice what she wanted. She shook away the distraction of the injured woman for the moment, reading off everyone's coffee order and adding a hot cocoa to the list. While she was waiting for her order, RickyJo's phone started vibrating in her pocket. She pulled it out and sent Laney right to voicemail, proud of herself for not feeling guilty about it. She guessed she was going to have to deal with the woman eventually. But she didn't have to do it now. And she wasn't going to let it turn into a long drawn out drama this time either. A clean break was best for both of them.
"Hi," RickyJo said, stopping at the table where the little girl was sitting with her mom. She balanced the drink carrier on the edge of the table as she handed over the hot cocoa to the little girl. "I asked for a mocha but they made me a hot chocolate instead," RickyJo lied, "...I thought you might want it." The little girl looked to her mother for permission. The woman nodded, quietly thanking RickyJo for the drink in a voice that was barely above a whisper. RickyJo knew she really ought to mind her own business. This woman clearly had enough problems without her butting in. But when she heard the woman ask for a job application, it started the wheels turning in her mind.
"I don't mean to be nosy," RickyJo said, lying again. She actually did mean to be nosy. Really nosy. "...but I heard you ask for a job application at the counter. I own the auto repair shop down the street and I'm lookin' for a receptionist if yer interested…" RickyJo saw the woman's face light up when she mentioned the job.
"I'm interested," the woman said, sticking her hand out. RickyJo grabbed it, surprised by the strength of the other woman's grip. "Carol," she said, before gesturing towards her daughter. "...this is Spohia."
"I'm RickyJo," RickyJo said with a big smile for little Sophia. "The shop is just a few blocks down. I'll be there all day. Stop by when you're done here. If ya want you can fill out an application and we can chat a little more." Carol nodded and thanked her again, smiling a little when RickyJo nearly dumped all her coffees all over the floor trying to boot the door open with her foot.
RickyJo hurried back to the shop with the coffee. There was a man lingering in the front area where a receptionist would be if they had one. RickyJo assumed he must be the man she was supposed to be interviewing. She greeted him, trying not to smile when his eyes widened at the sight of her. With Daryl's cut of shirt on, a lot of her tattoos were visible. And even if they weren't she was sure the man was just surprised to have a woman conducting his interview. He recovered quickly at least. She would give him that. And he took the heavy carrier full of coffees from her without her asking. Another win. RickyJo snagged the coffee that was hers from the drink holder and took a few big gulps as she led the man down the hallway to Daryl's office. Once he set the drinks down on the mess of a desk, RickyJo pulled out the extra coffee she ordered and handed it to him. He smiled and thanked her. RickyJo looked him over as she plucked his application from the small stack of papers, trying not to be obvious about it. He was wearing a sleeveless shirt and a camo ball cap that he did not remove when he came into the building. Not the best interview attire. But to be fair, this was an auto repair shop not a fashion runway.
"Mitchell Dolgen?," she confirmed.
"Mitch," he corrected, sitting in the spot RickyJo pointed out for him and sipping his coffee. "Are you the manager here?," he asked, "...I talked to a guy on the phone." RickyJo shook her head.
"I'm the owner," she said. "...my …uh …my boyfriend runs the place. With his brother. That's probably who you talked to. He doesn't always like to show up fer work. Which is why I'm here today." Mitch nodded, clearly appreciating her honest explanation. He also looked relieved that he wasn't going to be working directly for her.
"You were a mechanic and an engineer for ten years in the army?," RickyJo asked, reading through his application. He nodded. "What do ya wanna work here for?," she asked. Mitch barked out a laugh, nearly spitting coffee down the front of himself. Since the woman interviewing him was being so blunt, Mitch figured he had nothing to lose by speaking to her in the same manner.
"No place else will even give me an interview," he admitted. "...because I'm a sex felon." RickyJo's eyes widened a little at that lovely bit of information. "Was fu- I mean was carrin' on with this married woman. Her husband caught her and she cried rape. He had a brother on the force and they steamrolled me," Mitch explained. RickyJo nodded like she believed him. But really she wasn't so sure. His story sounded like a well rehearsed lie. But even so, as far as job skills went he was heavily overqualified for the job. And it's not like being a pervert precluded him from fixing cars properly.
"We don't care about that here," RickyJo assured him. "As long as ya do yer job well, yer personal life is yer own." She looked down at his application again, before adding, "...the jobs yers if you want it."
"Hell yes," he exclaimed before getting control of himself. "I mean heck yes I do." RickyJo laughed and stood up, extending her hand for him to shake. He shook it vigorously. RickyJo led him down into the actual shop area and introduced him to Daryl, handing the black coffee with lots and lots of sugar that she brought back from the coffeehouse for him.
"Can ya start today?," Daryl asked. Mitch shrugged and nodded his head, following Daryl further into the shop. RickyJo thought there was probably some paperwork he would need to fill out. But she could always pay him in cash for his work today if she had to. They could figure the paperwork part out later. Because Merle was the one that knew how to do it. And she sure as shit wasn't calling that asshole for help. Speaking to Merle would mean she might have to confront the fact that she had sex with him. And she was perfectly happy living in denial about that for as long as possible.
On her way back to the office, RickyJo spotted Carol, the woman she approached in the coffee shop. She was lingering nervously in the entrance to the hallway. Since there was no one up front to check anyone in, she probably wasn't sure what to do. RickyJo gestured to her, motioning for her to come down the hall and into the office area.
"I hope I didn't come at a bad time," Carol said, twisting her hands nervously and glancing at the disgusting pig mess on Daryl's desk.
"If yer planning to wait until this office is clean ta stop by you'll be waitin' a long ass while," RickyJo quipped. "Let me find ya an application…" She poked around at the mess on Daryl's desk, not feeling hopeful. Giving up, she crossed the room and sat down behind Merle's much cleaner desk. RickyJo pulled the top drawer open and glanced inside, trying to hold back a giggle. Along with the usual items you might expect to find, like pens and paper clips, there was also a crumpled up pair of red lace panites stuffed to one side. RickyJo shut that drawer and pulled open one of the large ones on the side of the desk. It was well organized, with each hanging folder labeled. She breathed a sigh of relief when she spotted one that was labeled blank applications. RickyJo pulled out one of the papers and grabbed a pen, handing them over to Carol. While the woman filled the form out, RickyJo flipped open Merle's laptop.
The laptop was locked with a four digit code. RickyJo tried Merle's birthday. Then Daryl's. Then Jessica's. Then hers, sighing in frustration when none of them unlocked the screen. She grinned and just for the hell of it typed in sixty-nine sixty-nine, startling Carol with her loud guffaw when the lock screen disappeared and she was able to gain access to the laptop. The wallpaper was a slutty looking model perched on a motorcycle. But near her half naked ass, RickyJo spotted what she was looking for; a tile that said ONBOARDING. She clicked on it, relieved that the system seemed self explanatory and she would be able to get Mitch the rapist engineer and whoever else she hired today into their payroll system without having to phone Merle's drunk ass for help. Closing the program back down temporarily, RickyJo started looking through the rest of what he had saved on his desktop. One of the tiles was labeled spank bank. RickyJo glanced at Carol, making sure the woman was concentrating on her application before she clicked on the tile and opened the file. At first, she saw what she was expecting to see.. Nude models on bikes. And pictures of a woman bending over the desk she was sitting at, wearing the red lace panties that RickyJo was pretty were balled up in the top drawer. But then it got a little weird. The rest of the photos were all of her. Dozens of them. There was one of her in a white bikini holding up a fish she caught. And another of her posing in front of one of her Poppa's classic cars with her hand on her hip with a big smile on her face. There were a few of her getting drunk in her hot tub. And even one of her that was taken while she was asleep on her couch. That one creeped her out a little especially since it wasn't the only photo in the bunch that was taken without her knowledge. What a pervert, she thought. Is this really what Merle does in his spare time? Spanks off to pictures of me cooking pancakes in my underpants? What the hell is wrong with him? RickyJo grinned as she dragged the mouse down, selecting all the pictures of her. And just for good measure she also selected the photos of the girl's ass in the red thong panties. Then she hit delete. Guess it's Easy Riders magazine for you now buddy, she thought with a smile.
"I think I'm done," Carol said, glancing down nervously at the application in her lap. RickyJo rose from her seat and took it, scanning the form over briefly. "I've never worked as a receptionist before. And the last job I had was before my daughter was born," Carol admitted.
"Can ya answer a phone?," RickyJo asked. Carol nodded, the corners of her mouth turning up into a small nervous smile as she continued to stare down at her hands. "How do you feel about workin' in a damn pigsty?," RickyJo asked, ticking her head towards Daryl's desk. Carol smiled a little wider and assured her that she didn't mind helping out with the cleaning. "Are you available from nine to five?" Carol glanced up, her face full of concern. That was going to be a problem for her.
"My husband gets home from work at 5:30. He likes dinner ready when he gets there," Carol said. She knew this was a long shot. But she was so desperate for a job. Any job. She had to save up some money if she ever wanted to get herself and her daughter away from that monster.
"How 'bout nine to three?," RickyJo offered. Carol looked surprised that the rules were being bent for her. But she wasn't going to question her good fortune. She simply nodded and confirmed that she could work until 3pm. RickyJo stuck out her hand, welcoming Carol to the team and letting her know she could start the next day. She took her into the garage bay and introduced her around as quickly as she could, since she figured the less interaction Carol had with the criminals that worked there, the better the chances were that she would return the next day.
After walking Carol and her daughter out, RickyJo headed into the garage. Daryl gave her a car to work on that only needed a simple tune up. She got a few curious glances from the other men in the garage. But watching a woman check fluids and change out a few belts only held their interest for so long. When she was done, Daryl looked the engine over, checking to make sure she didn't screw anything up. RickyJo thought she ought to be irritated but the view she got of his ass while he was leaning over the engine was more than enough to make up for him treating her like she didn't know what she was doing. When he got done double checking everything, he pulled the car out of the garage and parked it around the back. When he headed into his office to search his desk mess for the invoice on that car, RickyJo appeared in the doorway, wiping at the oil on her knuckles with a shop rag.
Her jeans were snug and ripped at the knees. Other than the bit of oil on her hands, there was a smear of it across the front of the work shirt she borrowed from him. And another smaller one across her cheek. He had no idea why watching her work on a car was doing such a number on him. But when she laid down on the dolly and slid backwards under that car, he had to excuse himself to the bathroom and adjust his pants. And seeing her now, mussed and slightly dirty from the work, had his dick straining against his zipper all over again.
"What?," she asked, suddenly aware of the way Daryl was staring at her. He sat down behind his desk, giving her a grin.
"I liked watchin' ya work on that car," Daryl admitted. She smiled, a lovely blush rising in her cheeks. She entered his office, kicking the door shut with her boots. Her movements were slow and purposeful as she closed the distance between them and sat down on his desk facing him. Her thighs were spread and her legs stretched down on either side of his chair. RickyJo leaned forward until the tip of her nose was touching his. Then she shifted her head slightly, nipping at his bottom lip with her teeth. She let out a little squeak of surprise when Daryl rose from the chair and grabbed her around the waist. He moved quickly. And before she knew what had happened, she was straddling his lap and his tongue was tangling up with hers. She could feel his throbbing erection through her jeans. RickyJo swung her legs back, sliding down his body until she was kneeling on the floor in front of him. She pulled his belt loose and unzipped his pants, pushing his boxers down far enough to free his hard length. Starting at the base, she ran her tongue up his shaft and swirled it around the head of his dick before taking him into her mouth. She took as much of him into her mouth as she could, gagging when he bottomed out and hit the back of her throat. RickyJo heard him groan when that happened so she back up and repeated the maneuver. The third time he thrust into her mouth, he yanked back out. Daryl slid his chair into her, pushing her under his desk and nearly smashing her in the process. Her head knocked against the underside of the desk. She was about to holler at Daryl when she heard the heavy tread of someone else entering the small office.
RickyJo covered her mouth to stifle her laughter when she heard Merle's loud booming voice. He and Daryl started arguing with each other, the main topic of disagreement being Merle not bothering to show up for work.
"Fuck you Daryl, yer not my fuckin' keeper," Merle hollered. RickyJo heard him opening and closing the drawers of his desk, followed by the jingle of keys. She rolled her eyes. He hadn't shown up to help them. Or to do the rest of the interviews that he scheduled. He just came for his spare bike keys. Because his other pair was locked inside her apartment when he threw them while they were fighting.
"Yer fuckin' fired!," Daryl yelled back. And from the way that Merle laughed, RickyJo guessed it wasn't the first time Daryl told him something similar. She was grateful when she heard Merle's heavy footsteps retreating back the way they came. Daryl pushed his chair back, scraping it against the floor in his haste. He fastened his pants back up and helped RickyJo out from under the desk.
"Y'alright?," he asked. "Sorry I banged into ya like that. Fuckin' asshole startled the shit outta me." RickyJo sunk down onto his lap and wrapped her arms around him.
"I'm fine," she promised, rubbing at her head where it bumped the desk. She leaned in and pressed a kiss to Daryl's neck. But he was quick to lean back and away from her advances.
"Let's not do this here," he suggested. He lifted RickyJo off his lap, setting her back on his desk top. He wanted her. But Daryl also wanted to make sure he got it right this time. "Let's go away for the weekend. Lemme take ya somewhere nice," he suggested. RickyJo smiled, leaning forward and pressing a soft chaste kiss to his lips.
"I'd like that."