“Bro, are you feelin’ alright?” Saint raises an eyebrow at me.
“Yeah, why?”
He hooks his thumb over his shoulder. “Those chicks were hella sexy and couldn’t keep their eyes off you while you flat out ignored them.”
I shrug. “I guess I have a lot on my mind right now.”
Saint stands there, gaping at me. “You sure you’re alright?”
“Fuck off.” I turn to Blaze, who’s grinning like an idiot.
“Follow me, fellas,” Blaze says to us. We follow him to the back room. “I have quite the selection for you to choose from.”
On the table are at least twenty jars of weed, each one a different strain.
“These are all new ones,” I ask.
“They sure are.” The smile on Blaze’s face shows how proud he is. As he should be. He’s doing big things with this place. “Bull requested six pounds of flower and a thousand carts, so take your pick.”
“For flower, we’ll need four pounds of sativa and two pounds of indica,” I remind the guys.
“Candy Kush is always a hot seller,” Diesel says.
“So is Blue Kough,” Saint adds.
“We’ll take a pound of each of those, and the rest will be new strains,” I tell them. Moving toward the table, I’m stopped by my phone vibrating in my pocket. Pulling it out, I have a new text from an unsaved number.
From Unknown: Hey, it’s Marley.
From Unknown: Have you gone to Higher Zen yet?
I stare at the screen in disbelief. Someone has to be fucking with me right now.
To Unknown: The Marley I know hates me and wouldn’t want me to have her phone number.
From Unknown: Get over yourself, Romeo. I don’t know the other guys very well, and Blaze told me if I wanted anything, I had to ask you.
It’s definitely Marley. I chuckle. I save her number on my phone.
“What are you all giddy about,” Saint asks.
“Your mom letting me know she’s ready for this dick.” I deadpan. He flips me off, and I laugh. “Mind your own business, asshole.”
To Princess: We’re still here. What do you need, Princess?
From Princess: I left a tapestry there. Blaze knows where it is.
To Princess: Is that all?
“Yo, Blaze.” I grab his attention, and he walks over to me.
“What’s up?”
“Marley said she left a tapestry here and asked if I would bring it back for her,” I tell him.
“I know exactly what you’re talking about. I’ll grab it for you before you guys leave,” he says.
“Thanks, man.”
From Princess: Well, since you asked . . .
From Princess: Some gummies and bath soak.
From Princess: Oh, and some chocolate.
I laugh to myself.
To Princess: So a little bit of everything. Got it. ;)
From Princess: I mean, if you’re offering, okay.
Once we’re done picking out the flower we want, I head out to the front of the shop to get the things Marley asked for as well as some things for myself. As soon as Blaze is done packing up our big order, we load it up and head out. Shade and I head back to Ace and Nitro’s while Diesel and Saint head to the store to get some food to grill tonight.
Marley and I text on and off again all night, keeping it a good mix of flirty banter. I find myself hoping this keeps up once we’re under the same roof again.
Zero mans the grill, getting it started a quarter after five. The new guys show up thirty minutes later, and a group of chicks follows them shortly after. We spend the evening talking and getting to know each other while the girls keep most everyone entertained. I manage to ignore them, wishing Marley was here with me.
I need to fuck her out of my system and soon.
11
Marley
With Rascal in Colorado for the weekend and Ruger out for the day, it’s been a relaxing weekend. It’s been chill around the clubhouse with everyone keeping to themselves. Tink and Sienna have spent all day with me. The more I get to know Sienna, the more I like her. Her Ol’ Man, Shade, is in Colorado, too. She’s staying at the clubhouse while he’s gone, so she doesn’t have to be by herself.
Some shit happened to her earlier this year, and she told me she hasn’t been a fan of staying by herself since. Turns out, she and I have some things in common.
“Why did you tell me about what happened to you when you barely know me,” I ask her.
“I can’t put my finger on it, but there’s something about you that reminds me of myself. Maybe it’s a certain gleam in your eye, I don’t know. I felt like it was something you needed to know. In case you need someone you can trust to unload whatever is causing you sorrow,” she explains to me.
I give her a grateful smile. “I appreciate that. Thank you.”
“Anytime.”
I text Blaze earlier today, asking him to give Rascal my tapestry I left there. He told me if I wanted anything, I had to ask Rascal. I texted him, and he didn’t even believe it was me at first. Why anyone would pretend to be me to text him is beyond me. He’s kept the conversation going as if he actually wants to talk to me, and honestly, I’m actually enjoying it.
“Why are you cheesin’ so much?” Tink grins at me.
“Have you been texting Ruger,” Sienna asks.
“What? No.” I shake my head. Ruger has been more annoying than anything this week. “It’s nothing.”
“Doesn’t look like nothing,” Sienna smirks.
“Hmm, she’s probably texting Rascal,” Tink says.
“I thought she hated him?” Sienna’s eyes go from Tink’s to mine. “I thought you hated him?”
“He’s an arrogant asshole whose main purpose in life is to annoy the hell out of me. Yes, I hate him.”
“But you’re texting him,” Sienna asks.
“I didn’t say that.”
“But she is,” Tink smirks.
“I am, but only because I need him to bring me back something that I left in Colorado,” I admit. What I don’t tell them is we’ve been flirting all day. Or that I like it.
“Mhm, I’m sure that’s it.” She giggles. Her giggles stop abruptly as Hollywood walks into the main room. She averts her eyes anywhere but where he is.
“What’s the story there?” I whisper.
“Nothing,” Tink says too quickly.
I scoff. “Yeah, okay.”
“She has two gorgeous men pining after her and she constantly denies them both,” Sienna explains.
“Oh.” Then it hits me. “Oh! We talked about this. I didn’t know he was one of the two,” I whisper-shout at Tink.
Her cheeks turn pink.
“Now, I need to know who the other one is,” I tell her.
“It doesn’t matter. I’m not choosing either of them,” she says.
“It’s Diesel,” Sienna whispers.
“Damn. Now that’s a pair.” I fan my face. “I’m sticking with what I said before. Choose them both.”
“Hell, fucking, yeah!” Sienna agrees.
“What if I were to suggest that and they’re disgusted by the idea? Then I’ll lose them both.” Sadness washes over her face.