5 Bikers for Valentines

My fucking mother was here.

“You boys remember me, don’t you? I know I made an impression on at least a couple of you,” my mother said, seductively. It was all I could do to keep from puking on my shoes.

“Vaguely,” Tanner grinned.

I slid the beers to the guys before I started wiping down the bar. This night was already going to shit. My mother was at the damn bar trying to turn on her charm with the Grove brothers. I had no idea if they knew she was my mother yet, but I knew she was a few seconds away from announcing it. I braced myself as I cleaned up the bar, then switched places with Lindy so she could field the battle that would be my mother and these fucking drinks.

“Get me a shot of whiskey, Lindy dear,” my mother said.

“You want to open a tab or pay for just the one?” Lindy asked.

I peered over as I kept mixing drinks and I saw my mother’s eyebrows rise in confusion.

“What do you mean?” my mother asked.

“I’m just asking how you want to pay,” Lindy said.

“Pay?” my mother asked.

“You know, with money,” Tanner said.

I snickered before I turned my face away from my mother.

“I could get the lady’s first shot,” Jacob said.

“There,” my mother said. “The lovely man with the salt-and-peppered temples will get me my first shot.”

“One shot of whiskey coming up.”

Lindy took out a glass and poured the drink before my mother threw it back. I watched Jacob throw way more money than he needed to onto the bar.

“To cover the beers and tip you for the night,” Jacob said.

“I’ll get you cashed out,” Lindy said.

“Don’t worry about it. It’s only our first round. But I want you to get tipped just in case you and Emma switch places again,” Jacob said.

“Oh, so you know my daughter?”

I cringed at the sound of my mother’s voice as I continued making drinks. I slid them across the bar as the back of my neck began to heat. There it was. She just couldn’t help herself. I could feel all their eyes on me as I continued to sling drinks to the thirsty customers. I wanted to melt into the fucking floor and disappear right there and then. I was pretty sure any shot I’d ever had with any of them was just blown. They would surely look at my sorry excuse of a mother and wonder if I was just like her.

“We do,” Nick said. “She’s pretty fucking awesome.”

“Isn’t she? I did a good job with her,” my mother said.

I physically bit my tongue to keep from saying anything. A good job with me? I fucking raised myself. While she was out partying and drinking it up, I was twelve and home alone making peanut butter and jelly fucking sandwiches. I was cooking full dinners before I was even fourteen fucking years old, so we wouldn’t starve. I was holding my mother’s damn hair back at sixteen as she puked her fucking guts up after a night of doing anything but being a damn mother.

A good job with me? Oh, no. I did a fucking good job with her.

“I’m sure it goes something like that,” Tyler said.

Lindy looked over at me, a grin crossing her cheeks as she tried to stifle her giggle. My mother was so entran

ced with their young ages and their dazzling blue eyes that she wasn’t even aware of the jabs they were throwing at her. It was embarrassing, really. But it was great entertainment.

“Another shot, please,” my mother said.

“Tab or cash?” Lindy asked.