What I Love Most

Chapter 21

The guys tailed Kelly carefully, her trip made their days seem even more exciting than they were. Even a weekly boring church or an oil change was more appealing than this. First, she stopped at Starbucks, then the cleaners, and then they ended up having to park, stash away their cuts, and sneakily follow as she trotted around a shopping mall. As cool and civilized as Jax and Opie tried to look, they still had that aura around them, one that made people look and even step away, especially the oversized, perpetually stormy-eyed Opie. "What do you say we make ourselves known?" Jax asked with a mischievous smile. "Couldn't hurt just to talk to her."

"A few grins and a "darlin'" could probably get her to sign over her first born." Opie joked as they took the table directly behind her in the food court. She was eating, barely taking a moment to breathe between bites and angrily texting someone, they could tell by the dramatic scoffing and huffing they heard from her. "She's going to choke." Opie said and folded his arms, rested his head down for a reprieve from the madness surrounding them. He was physically, mentally, and emotionally drained and it was starting to take it's toll.

"Now that wouldn't get us anywhere. Perk up." Jax slapped Opie upside the head and winked as he got up and walked by the table, flashing her his million-watt patented Teller smile. She did a double take, looking up from her food with flushed cheeks and a tiny, seductive grin for Jax. While Kelly dropped her phone in her purse, he noticed the pack of menthol cigarettes right on top. "Sorry to bother you," he pointed to the box peeking out. "Can I bum a cigarette?"

Perking up she nodded enthusiastically and pushed her food away. "I was just about to have one anyway, you can join me."

Opie laughed as he watched them stroll out the large glass doors. He had a clear view as the girl handed Jax a cigarette and started flipped her hair back and forth, grinning manically and nodding in agreement with every word he spoke. She was trying so hard, Opie wondered how Jax would fare if he couldn't get by using his charms to garner favors and information. Jax had a gift, especially with women and a few of the older guys secretly looked upon it with envy. Crow eaters and porn stars were one thing but normal chicks interested in the real world, instead of biker status or outlaw life, weren't necessarily eyeing some of them. Opie really had no issues getting laid, he and Jax used different skills but always managed to snag the women they had their eyes on. Really, most club members did, it was everything else Jax got so easily that amazed them. His thoughts slowly floated to Mae, getting a piece of strange didn't appeal to him since being with her but he had the sinking feeling it might be all he'd be getting soon if he didn't talk to her. There were so many unspoken issues between them Opie realized, sitting in the crowded food court, what Mae meant about coming home. Even if they didn't talk, they needed to be together, the distance would kill them. So lost in the strange stream of consciousness Opie had drifted down he was startled to see Jax hovering over him.

"Hey," Opie shook the depressing visions from his head. "What'd she say?"

"Menthols are fucking gross," Jax pulled a face and gestured back toward the way they'd entered the mall. "She talked to me about dogs, she's a vet tech or something but she was on the phone and she's meeting someone she called Jay tomorrow at two at Capitol Park."

"Jay? Could have been you for all we know. Why do you think it's him?" Opie was a few paces behind Jax, still trying to clear the haze from his brain. Sometimes he wished he could just turn it off but Opie was always thinking and feeling things to the fullest.

"She was pissed. Kept telling him she wasn't giving him money and he had to get out of this mess himself." They walked a few steps in silence and Jax glanced back at Opie and chuckled, "Oh and she told me it was her stupid brother, so you know."

"Sounds convincing, so we good till tomorrow then?" Antsy, Opie waited for Jax to pull his gloves on and start his bike. "I got some personal shit to handle."