5 Bikers for Valentines

“We have something for you,” Nick said. “Jacob? You got it?”

I watched as Jacob pulled out another folded up piece of paper, but this time I recognized what it was.

“Oh, no, no. We aren’t doing this again,” I said.

“You don’t even know what it is,” Tyler said.

“It’s a fucking check,” I said flatly.

But all Jacob did was slide it over toward my fingertips.

“Before you open it, just hear me out,” Jacob said.

“You aren’t going to let this go, are you?” I asked.

“We want to help you make your dreams come true,” Tanner said. “The look in your eyes when you were talking about your clothing store… it was mesmerizing.”

“Mesmerizing? Really?” Tyler asked.

“What do you want me to say? ‘Oh, you looked so awesome talking about some clothes, hot stuff.’”

I giggled at his impression of his twin.

“This is serious,” Tanner said.

“He’s right, Tyler,” Adam said. “Shut up.”

“I think I speak for all of us when I say we haven’t ever met a woman in this,” Tanner hesitated, “lifestyle, I guess you could call it, that has passion like that. Most of them just drink, smoke, fuck, and hang on guys like their lives depend on it. That’s all they do. But not you.”

“We know you don’t want to bartend for the rest of your life,” Jacob said. “And you can’t keep living with your mother. This clothing store of yours gives you what you want and what we want for you: a healthier, happier life.”

“One you can be proud of, baby girl,” Adam said.

“So, just take the money, okay?” Tyler asked. “Take it and make your dreams happen. Because we want to see it happen for you.”

“All of us,” Tanner said.

I swallowed down my tears as I slowly opened the check. My heart plummeted to my toes when I saw “one hundred thousand dollars” spelled out in a surprisingly beautiful cursive handwriting. I closed the check and gripped it in my hands, bringing my fist to my mouth to stifle my sob.

“Holy shit. I can’t take this from you guys,” I said breathlessly.

“You can, and you will,” Adam said. “All of it.”

“I can’t take this. I’ve already taken thirty thousand.”

“You haven’t taken anything. We’ve gifted it to you. And if you don’t like the idea of a gift, then think of it as an investment,” Jacob said.

“An investment implies you’re taking some sort of stock in my company,” I said.

The guys stared at me as their eyes slowly scanned my body.

“We take stock in you,” Tyler said. “Does that count?”

“We wouldn’t just offer this to anyone,” Adam said. “It’s not like we go around doling out thousands of dollars to pretty girls who screw us.”

“Fuck, Adam. Seriously?” Jacob asked. “You make it sound like we’re fucking a bunch of chicks?”

“Which we’re not,” Adam clarified quickly.