The final dart, like the others, just barely landed on the far edge of the target, and Roxanne waved it off in annoyance.
"Forget it!" she shook her head. "I'll never learn!"
"Listen, the high art of darts is ..." Half-Sack started loftily, and now she had to laugh.
"It's a totally dumb game, you can say anything you want about it!" She finished the last of her beer and set the empty bottle on the counter. "I'm gonna be heading home, then."
"Speaking of which, now what about your housewarming party?" Juice asked, and Bobby rolled his eyes.
"You youngsters with your parties all the time, I'm still hung over from Saturday!"
Tig grinned. "Yeah, I can imagine!"
"Don't you dare talk, you weren't even there," Bobby countered dryly, and Roxanne felt herself blushing, fortunately, however, no one took any notice. Except for Tig, who winked at her.
"But we do all agree you're the ultimate party animal," Jax now interjected.
"I'll take that as a compliment," Bobby said, and went to get another beer.
"The thing is, I'd really like to do it," Roxanne assured him after he got back. "But if I did, I'd also need to have everyone over, 'cause I don't wanna leave anyone out. So all of you, Gemma, Clay, my closest neighbors in the trailer park ... and I just can't afford that right now!"
"That wouldn't be a problem if everyone contributes," Opie suggested. "We'll provide drinks and barbecue, for instance, and otherwise everyone who attends brings something. Salad, pie, whatever. That way, for one thing, you'd have low expenses and minimal to-do."
"But on the other hand, a hell of a lot of fun!" Tig added with a smile, giving her a quick hug.
" Fine," Roxanne agreed, a little embarrassed now. "It's a great idea, though!"
The event was supposed to be held the weekend after next, and Roxanne immediately started designing a poster and some flyers. She placed the poster in the clubhouse and spread the flyers in the trailer park. At her objection that there might be who knows who and way too many people showing up - who knew who would get their hands on these flyers - Clay assured her that he and the guys would definitely keep an eye on it and in case of need, one or two of them could be assigned as 'entry control'.
Due to the summer weather and with no rain in sight it could all be held outside and the guys promptly transported the seatings from in front of the clubhouse along with the grill to Roxanne's home. There was plenty of room on the half-dried lawn next to her house, even a dilapidated fire pit, which Roxanne easily restored.
Half-Sack took charge of the music system, Gemma sponsored some garden torches, and if everyone attending the party brought a snack to eat or drink ...
"So in a way, it feels like I'm just providing the location," Roxanne commented as she watched the guys set up.
"What do you mean 'just'?" Opie asked, who was setting up one of the wooden benches within earshot. "It's quite enough."
She decided to contribute at least a pasta salad.
"Hey, does anyone got an air pump or something?" Tig approached with a colorful shapeless plastic something. "I was gonna plug Piney's oxygen tank in first but he wasn't thrilled," he added jokingly.
Opie instantly recognized what it was. "I'll call Donna."
Roxanne had more or less overheard the whole shebang through the tilted kitchen window and now stepped out to take a closer look.
"What are you gonna do with that?" she asked, puzzled, as Tig was about to unfold this colorful thing on the ground and it turned out to be a kiddie wading pool that hadn't been inflated yet. "If you're planning on filling mud into it and ..."
"Hey, great idea!" he interrupted her, knowing exactly what she was getting at. "I can't believe I didn't think of that myself! - No, seriously," he added, as Roxanne scowled at him exaggeratedly. "That's where we put in water with ice cubes. For cooling beverages."
"That reassures me," she muttered dryly before disappearing back into the house to finish the salad.
Donna arrived about half an hour later, and while Tig and Opie were pumping up the wading pool and filling it with water, she put her celery slaw in the fridge.
"So far we're all set," Roxanne said. "Will all be happening outside anyway. Still time for coffee?"
"I'm afraid not," Donna regretted. "I still have to arrange a babysitter and such and such. But I'll see you later."
Everyone had gone home or to the clubhouse again, and Roxanne was filling the first load of beverages, mainly beer bottles, into the wading pool, realizing that Opie and Tig had clearly overdone it with the water.
"Aw guys," she sighed, "half full would have done it."
In no time, everything around the wading pool was soaked and Roxanne, of course, promptly slipped and fell in, thankfully not onto any bottles.
"Crap!" she sweared anyway and stripped down to her underwear on the porch without further ado, just leaving the soaked clothes there before heading to the bathroom. She might as well get ready then.
There was a knock as she was about to step into the showers. It was to be expected.
She wrapped herself up in a towel and headed for the door, determined to brush off whoever was standing there. After all, the party wasn't going to start for another couple of hours.
"That's exactly what I was hoping for!" Tig instantly got stalk eyes and grinned. "The clothes at the door were suspect, after all."
"I slipped because you guys put in too much water," Roxanne replied, completely forgetting at the sight of him that she'd actually wanted him to leave right away. After all, what was that about whoever! But he was so hot ...
"All the better!" Tig pulled her close.
"I don't know if this is such a good idea right now," Roxanne objected, but made no effort to avoid him; on the contrary. "After all, it took me a whole day to recover the other day!"
"Same here," Tig grinned, starting to slowly strip her out of the towel. "But I can do different!"
"Really?" she smiled as she dragged him into the house. "Well, come on inside then. And yes, I mean it ambiguously!"
A few hours later, Roxanne glanced at her alarm clock.
"I should start getting ready." She disengaged from Tig reluctantly. "The first peeps should be rolling in soon. Come on!" She invited him with a smile as she stood naked in the doorway. "If we hurry, we can do another round!"
He didn't need to be asked twice, of course.
The party seemed to be a complete success.
Half-Sack did a great job as DJ, and with the supplies everyone had brought, they had everything from salads and various snacks to pies, cupcakes and marshmallows a barbecue lover's heart could desire.
Clay and Jax took turns on the grill and the first joints went around as well.
"Wow!" Bobby had gotten all misty-eyed and excited. "Super stuff! Who's this shit from?"
"That guy over there with the yellow T-shirt," Roxanne said, waving a hand. That was a little over the top, after all. "His name's Maxwell, don't know if that's his first name or family name. Lives a couple trailers down."
She had barely finished speaking before Bobby walked - or rather staggered - toward him.
"Looks like someone's opening up another source," Chibs said with a smirk, looking appreciatively at his significantly smaller joint. "But he's right, that stuff is really good!" He offered it to Roxanne, who refused.
"I don't care much about it," she added. "Tried it a couple times, I only get sleepy from it."
"And I don't think Tig would like that either!"
Roxanne just smiled meaningfully.
She mingled with the people to do at least some small-talk with each of them, some people she didn't even know yet, and she was just near the road when a police car approached.
Tig, who barely could take his eyes off her anyway, and also the other Sons immediately went into guard position.
"Hello officer," Roxanne greeted as a tall dark-haired man got out. So far, she only knew the older one, chief Unser, slightly, but he wasn't there. Apparently he was off duty.
"Hi. Deputy-chief Hale," he introduced himself and they shook hands curtly. "Miss Boone?"
"That's me. Has anyone been complaining about the partying noise?" she wanted to know. "Can't be, in fact, I gave everyone a heads up and invited the entire trailer park without further ado. Not everyone is here but ..."
"No, no," Hale interrupted her reassuringly before letting his inquiring gaze roam over the party scene. "I just wanted to stop by for a minute. When the guys get together like this accordingly, it's usually trouble."
"Why? They're just a bunch of Harley lovers, aren't they?"
"Yeah, of course, they are. You work in the garage?" he asked, eyeing her appraisingly.
"I do. I haven't anything to do with the club business per se."
"Then keep it that way," he advised her. " Watch your back!"
Before Roxanne could follow up on what he meant, Clay appeared beside her.
"Good evening Deputy-Chief," he greeted with a broad smile that seemed forced, though, before turning to Roxanne jokingly. "Did you invite him, as well?"
"No, he dropped by more or less by accident. Right?"
Hale nodded in confirmation. "I gotta be going, then. Have fun!"
"Will have," Clay assured him, watching him drive away. "What did he want?"
"Just checking up because you guys would probably be causing a lot of trouble," Roxanne replied with a smile. "Am I supposed to be afraid of you guys?"
"Oh, come on!" Clay waved off laughing.
She obviously thought the MC was just a group of more or less crazy Harley fans who weren't really always law-abiding but otherwise a harmless fun society, and he was happy to let her think so.
In any case as long as possible.