Tank: Devil's Rose MC #6

Chapter 22: Hazel Martinez

Soon, he gets pulled away from me and into the group of official MC members. I hang in the back for a moment before seeing a group of Old Ladies and decide to join them. I am curious what the meaning of Old Lady is. 

I know it has nothing to do with the age of a woman because they all would have beaten their men up at this point, but I'm curious about the origin of the term of endearment. 

I catch Octavius's eye for a brief moment, and with a tilt of his head, he encourages me to sit with them. They excitedly invite me to sit with them, sliding their chairs over to give me a little more space to sit down.

"Hazel! We're so glad that you're joining us! We freaking love you!"

"Thank you, Fiona. I'm glad to be invited."

She's always so happy and peppy. Not in a bad way like annoying girls in high school, she's genuine about it and wants me to be a part of the group. It honestly makes me happy. 

I could see myself hanging out with these ladies all the time. It wouldn't be something that would make me feel tired like I do with most people. They are sweet and care about people. It's not fake with them. It doesn't take long to realize that. 

It reminds me of my best friends from Beaumont and my other close friends from The University of Texas at San Antonio where I went to college. It's good to have a girl group again. I miss that part of my life and being able to have those late-night talks that feel like a fever dream. Some nights should never be talked about.

"By the way, Tank literally won't stop sneaking glances at you."

"He gets worried, don't mind," I respond with my eyes rolling.

"What is going on between you two? More than friends?"

"We did kinda hook up last night, so I hope so. We haven't put a label on it, but we're more than friends."

"That's amazing. You guys deserve each other. You both are such great people. And you're happy?"

"Oh, very. He's such a good man. I enjoy spending time with him, and there's never a dull moment. It's new, so we're of course going to figure things out, but I'm loving the process."

The women around the table nod their heads.

"It's true. Finding what works in your relationship can be a fun part of it. Learning one another."

"I second that, Seph. It's fun discovering what you're like as a couple."

"Yeah, but you had two tries, Beatrice."

"First of all, it was only a month's break."

"We were on a break!"

"Shut the fuck up, Dakota."

Piper leans over with a cosmo in hand.

"Welcome to the group, Hazel."

"I'm happy to be here."

I drink my red wine slowly as I gaze around the room, taking the atmosphere in. I'm pulled into a conversation with the ladies for a minute before I see a wave from the corner of my eye. I catch Poison's eye, and he increases the pace of his hand until he's waving at me like a complete maniac. 

I see Dakota roll her eyes but practically push me out of the booth to go over to him. I excuse myself, hoping that I don't seem rude around the other women. I have no idea what he wants from me and why he's got to make it so dramatic. 

I walk through the crowd of men who part to make an aisle for me and dodge children that are sneaking around and (trying to) subtly take the wallets from the MC members. Teach 'em young, I guess. 

Although, knowing the parenting style around here, all the kids will give them back by the end of the night.

"Can I help you?"

"Tank is getting a little antsy but didn't want to interrupt your conversation, so I did it for him."

"Oh, that's sweet of you, Poison."

"No, duh. I'm a great guy. A literal saint."

I pat him on the shoulder, not knowing what else to do, but just as I'm about to walk away and tend to my man, he catches me gently by the arm.

"Thank you for taking care of him. He struggles and I'm just grateful that you're around for him."

"I am so happy I can be part of his support system. I mean, you guys are his life, so you do amazing things for him too, Poison. He's very lucky to have you as well."

He wraps me into a hug and then guides me to where Tank is.

The moment I see him, I can tell he's stressed. His jaw is clenched, his hand holding tight onto his glass, his shoulders stiff, and a vein ticking in his neck. Holy jeez, he's hot. Especially in that outfit. He must feel the pressure of my eyes on him because he turns, his gaze harsh and deadly. 

That's when he realizes it's just me. 

His entire body softens like butter. His shoulders are set back into a comfortable position, his face relaxes, and his grip becomes gentle. I weave through the crowd while they make a path for me once again, never taking my eyes off him. I take an achingly slow breath as I near him. 

His hand reaches out to me, wrapping me into his arms, his familiar and comforting cologne entering my nose. He wraps an arm around my waist, pulling my back to his front and kissing the top of my head. He needed the affection.

"Hi, everyone. How's the night going for y'all?"

"Good, Hazel, and yours?" Alpha answers.

"It's been fun! I just feel so welcome here."

"You are, anytime."

Octavius leans down, pressing a light kiss to my neck. I chat with Carbon, Slasher (who are a hilarious duo), Whiskey, and Poison (who are ridiculous as well). I don't even remember what talked about, but it was random and fun. 

They instantly make you feel like you're part of the group. There's no awkwardness, just them talking about funny stories and giving me embarrassing Tank moments to tease him about later on. They don't care about the fact that Octavius was standing right near me the entire time, complaining about every word coming out of their mouths. 

I honestly don't think he minds that much. He likes to put on a show about it because it makes it more fun for the four clowns that are having a blast. They're cute.

I take a look around the room when I feel the pressure of multiple eyes on me only to catch the eyes of Fiona and Beatrice - another iconic duo. I squeeze Octavius's hand to get his attention. He leans down to me to make sure that he's able to hear what I'm saying. 

Why does he have to be the best person ever? He could be a man who makes my life a little complicated. He could be a man who doesn't help me out all of the time or go out of his way for me. He could be a man who just does the bare minimum standard, and I would probably still like him. I would probably be happy that I'm even getting the chance to be with him. 

And not because I'm insecure or because I feel the need to settle with someone, no, it would be because he demonstrates some type of care for me. However, he doesn't take advantage of that. 

Even though he probably knows he could have me while doing the bare minimum, he doesn't. He goes out of his way to do unnecessary things for me. Like, decorating my classroom, buying me drinks, making sure that I get home safe, and keeping his eyes on me at all times, etc.

I haven't gotten that kind of love before. Maybe that stuff is the bare minimum. Maybe it isn't the more spectacular thing that he makes sure I'm protected, but he could not do those things. He could choose to not be super attentive. I can't say that I would say around long, but it's the idea that I didn't even have to ask. 

He does these things as if it's the most natural thing in the world. He just understands what I need. It's not common in relationships that a person just gets you like that. He gets me on another level. I don't have to explain myself.

I've never had that before.