By the time they were finished, Ava was so tired, but Harlow looked wired.
“Do you want to have dinner with me at the diner?” Harlow asked.
“You can eat at the diner?”
“Yep. It’s not hard to do.”
“But, your diet?”
Harlow blew out a raspberry. “It’s not important. I know what I can eat. Come on, my treat for making me have a really awesome day.”
Ava smiled. “Sure. I’d love to.”
They walked together toward the diner. She followed behind Harlow who found a seat for them in the crowded diner.
“Can I ask you something?” Ava asked.
“Sure thing.”
“Did Smokey put you up to this?”
“The MC dude?”
“Yeah.”
Harlow frowned. “Put me up to what?”
“Coming and asking for a job. Trying to be my friend.”
“Oh, no, absolutely not. I know Smokey, but we’re not close.” She wrinkled her nose. “One of my brothers is a member of the club.”
Ava froze. “He is? Who?”
“He goes by Big Dick. He’s the eldest son. Believe it or not, his real name is George.” Harlow rolled her eyes. “Is that a problem? I saw the MC sign thing, but I’m not part of the club. I rarely see my brother. He stops by for the occasional holiday, but other than that, we rarely see him.”
“It’s fine. Just a surprise.”
Harlow shrugged. “He looks scary with all of his tattoos and muscles and stuff, but he’s a giant softie.”
Their food came out.
“And you don’t know Smokey?”
“I know him. Said a few words to him when I was a kid. Nothing else. Why?”
“I didn’t know if he’d put you up to coming and seeing me, and you know…”
“Is Smokey the baby daddy?”
Ava cringed.
Harlow chuckled. “Oh, my, I didn’t even think that old bastard had any feelings. The way people talk to him, it’s like he’s a robot or something. Holy shit. So he does walk and talk like a man?”
Ava forced a smile, but she felt her cheeks start to ache from the action.
“I’m sorry. That wasn’t polite of me to say so, was it?”
“It’s fine.”
Harlow looked past her shoulder. “Speak of the devil and he appears.”
Ava glanced behind her to see Smokey, Brick, Big Dick, Kinky, and a couple of the other brothers enter the diner.
Silence fell on the room for all of five seconds before everything started up.
Ava spun around and sat, looking at Harlow.
“He does know he’s the baby daddy, right?”
“He knows.”
“Is this a good thing?”
Ava shrugged and tensed up as Smokey put his hand on the back of her chair.
“What are you doing here, squirt?” Big Dick asked.
“I’m eating, or going to be eating with my new boss, asshole. You can carry on. We don’t need you here,” Harlow said.
Big Dick laughed.
“New boss?” Smokey asked.
“I hired her.” Ava didn’t dare look at him.
“Yep, I’m the new blushing assistant at Ava’s. I’m so excited.”
“You know she’s a vegan, right?” Big Dick asked.
“Yes, she knows,” Harlow said before she got a chance to respond. “It’s not a big deal.”
“It is. She bakes actual food.”
“Vegan cooking is actual food. Ugh, you’re such a jerk face. Fuck off.”
“I’ll tell Mom about your language.”
“It would actually require you to be around to tell Mom. I’m surprised you even know what I look like.” Harlow covered her face. “You’re so embarrassing. Please, go away.”
Big Dick laughed. “Hi, Ava.”
“Hi,” she said but didn’t look at them.
No one spoke, and the silence between them became awkward.
“We’re getting a table,” Smokey said. “How are you feeling?”
“Good. We’re going to enjoy some food, and then I’m heading home.”
“I can take you,” he said.
She shook her head. “I drove my car. I can take myself home. Thank you, though.”
“Anything you need, Ava.” He reached out as if to touch her.
Ava tensed up.
His hand clenched, and he turned away, walking past her table. The rest of his men followed.
“That looked uncomfortable. Was the baby consensual?” Harlow asked and then winced. “I might also warn you, I don’t have much in the way of a filter. I say what I think. I hope that’s not going to be a problem.”
“It’s not a problem, and with me and Smokey, it’s complicated.”
“He didn’t force himself on you, did he?”
“No, of course not. Conceiving this baby was … wonderful.”
“Good, I started to worry there.”
She really needed to change the subject. “So, no filter.”
“I say it like it is. It’s why I lost my last job at the bank. I have no tact. I try to.” She shrugged.
“Is this from living with a lot of brothers?”
“Nah, I think this one is just who I am. I can’t change it.” Harlow shrugged. “My mom says I’m never going to find a man who wants to go out with a woman who’s always talking and saying shit they don’t want to hear.”
“What do you think?”
“My mom has been happily married to my dad for nearly thirty years. She says a lot of stuff, and he’s still around. It can’t be that bad. That earned me a nice whack around the back of the head.” Harlow laughed. “My family is wonderful. We’re the classic dysfunctional family.”