Broken Bells • Bishop Losa

Chapter 9: First Date Jitters

Annabelle spent her entire Friday second guessing every decision she made. Had it a good idea to ask Bishop on a date? She was having her doubts. Was her house clean? To the point the floor was nearly dangerously polished and she had dusted everything twice. Were her cooking skills up to par? Was the dress she chose too fancy? Too casual? Too sexy?

She felt that she would slam her head against the marble countertop if her brain made her pause to overthink one more time, it was nearing 8 o'clock meaning Bishop would arrive soon.

The rumble of his Harley as he parked in her driveway caused a flash of excitement to run through her body before she felt her nerves return, she wiped her clammy palms down her dress to rid them of their moisture before she turned down the volume of her music to be a background hum as she made her way to the front door. Annabelle leaned against the open door, watching as Bishop removed his helmet and riding gloves as he had not yet noticed her dark surveying gaze. This was the first time she had seen his bike up close, the dark shade of green sparkled under the remnants of the sun- the delicate Mayans emblem painted on the side standing out against the dark shade.

"You've got a beautiful bike." She spoke gaining Bishop's attention. He smiled at the compliment for his most prized possession as he slowly sauntered up the steps. His dark eyes scanned the woman before him, taking in the way her dark eyes sparkled within the frame that a curly tendril of dark hair hanging on either side of her face had formed. She had tamed her curly mass of hair into a large bun leaving her neck more exposed than he had ever seen it, his eyes ghosting over the lines of a tattoo that peeked up the side of her neck. His fingertips softly met the mesh of her dress as they rested on her hip and he leaned in to plant a soft kiss on her cheek.

"Dinner is nearly ready, but I've got a favor to ask you." She looked up at the man with a smile as her fingers hooked around his to lead him inside the house. "Could you mash the potatoes? I tried but it was too hard to do with my dominant hand stuck in this damn cast."

Bishop chuckled as he heard the annoyance with her broken arm clear in her voice. "It's no problem, hermosa."

Bishop's eyes followed her body as she led him into the kitchen, he had never seen a dress quite like the one she was wearing and he had to admit to himself that he was glad she was the first woman he got to see wearing it. The short black dress hugged her curves, exposing the array of tattoos that covered her body- on top of the simple dress was second black dress made purely of mesh that had small, bright, delicate flowers embroidered over it.

Bishop removed his kutte from his shoulders and hung it on the back of a chair that sat at the kitchen island to prevent it catching any potato residue as he moved toward the pot sitting on the stove. Annabelle leaned against the island, her eyes glued to the muscles bulging under Bishop's black t-shirt as he mashed the lumpy potatoes to the perfect smoothness. His dark eyes met hers as he glanced over his shoulder to see why she had become so quiet.

"Would you like a beer?" She asked snapping out of her trance as she realized she had gotten caught ogling. Bishop nodded with a chuckle as he refocused on the pot of potatoes. She fished the large bottle of sparkling apple juice out of the fridge as well as a cold beer that she had purchased just for her special guest. She popped the cap off the beer and slid it onto the counter next to the biker before she poured her juice into a wine glass.

"Not a drinker?" Bishop asked, finally satisfied with the smoothness of the potatoes.

"Better for me not to drink, minimizes the chance of me slipping up in my worst habits." She explained before taking a small sip of her juice. "I bought the beer just for you, I trust it in my house because it makes me feel bloated and sick, therefore I myself am not at all tempted by it."

Bishop hummed in understanding as he took a large gulp, sighing in content with its coldness.

Annabelle traded her glass with a small bowl of roasted garlic and melted butter, dumping it into the pot of potatoes and giving it a stir.

"And dinner is ready to be served." She hummed, slipping an oven mitt onto her left hand to remove the roast beef out of the oven where it was being kept warm. Bishop stayed leaning against the counter to her left as he watched her dish out the food onto two plates- roast beef, garlic mashed potatoes, steamed carrots and gravy made from scratch.

"It looks as good as it smells." Bishop complimented, his hand grazing the small of her back. She smirked at him before reaching back into the oven to retrieve a muffin pan.

"Yorkshire pudding is one of the best parts, Bishop." She placed two of the smaller pastries onto his plate and one on hers before covering it in gravy as well. "I know the perfect place to eat."

Bishop was quick to pick up both plates, nodding for her to grab their drinks and lead the way. Bishop followed silently as she led him through a sliding door into a glass room overlooking the backyard that held a small patch of grass and a pool. Upon a flip of a switch the bright lighting in the room dimmed to create a more soothing ambience as the sun started to set below the horizon.

"You've got yourself a nice place here." Bishop placed both plates on the small table in the room, watching as Annabelle settled herself in a chair on one side before he sat across from her. "That diner must pay well."

"My mom and my step-father, Robert set up a trust fund for me after they got married- I think it was a way for him to hide all his bribe money." She admitted, digging into her mashed potatoes. "He was a big shot lawyer on the wrong side of the law. Not long after my mother died, he was sent to prison then it was goodbye New York, hello Charming for me."

"So you work for fun?"

She shrugged. "I'm not one to just spend money on frivolous things, I got this house for a pretty low price- Santo Padre isn't exactly prime real estate in many peoples eyes because of the presence of multiple gangs. I honestly think the renovations cost more than the house."

Bishop smirked, cutting a slice of meat and dragging it across his plate to pick up more gravy, he groaned as the tender meat nearly melted on his mouth. "Ever think about opening up your own restaurant?"

"It has crossed my mind once or twice."

"If you ever do, I volunteer to be your first customer. This is delicious."

Annabelle blushed, hiding behind her glass as she tried to divert his attention. "Robert's mother would make this every Sunday for dinner, I've always tried to replicate it but in my mind it's just never quite the same." She reminisced, her mind travelling back to her childhood spent in a lavish Manhattan apartment but catching herself before she got too lost in her own little world, "The meat's from Carniceria Reyes, it's the best butcher shop around."

Bishop chuckled watching as Annabelle loaded her fork with the last of everything on her plate before shamelessly stuffing it into her mouth. "Felipe is Angels pop."

"That explains where Angel got his brooding moods from."

"His brother's case is getting reviewed. He told Angel he's interested in joining the club if they let him out."

"You'd finally have a prospect to boss around, jefe."

"I'm president, I get to boss them all around whenever I want."

"Fair point."