Chalk by Lily J. Adams

Chapter Sixteen: Third Party

 

Lucinda

 

“Mom, can you help me with my science project? It’s a bit hard and I don’t understand some things about the frogs.” Sarah’s vibrant blue eyes were staring back at me seeking an answer.

Answers, I wasn’t sure I could provide. I didn’t have the faintest idea about frogs and what the assignment entailed, but for the sake of my little sweet pea, I wanted to find out. “Tell you what, why don’t we go to the source? Why don’t we go down to the wharf and find out if we can see them for ourselves? Right now I have to get you to school so you won’t be late for class. If we take our flashlights at dusk, we can see if we can hear them at least.”

Sarah’s eyes widened and she jumped in her seat with excitement. “Can we Mom?! I can’t wait to go. Let’s go see!”

Grinning at her enthusiasm, I knew it would at least be good for mother-daughter bonding. “Yes honey, we can go. But we have to plan it. I will ask your dad.” I picked up my cell phone from the counter checking on the time. “Let’s get those little legs moving to the car because we are running out of time. School will be starting soon. We want to miss the traffic.”

Sarah grabbed her backpack swinging from side to side. “Traffic, schmaffic. Traffic schmaffic,”she chanted, causing me to giggle.

Sarah and I made our way out of the door to the car and sang all the way to school with the radio. I pulled up outside.

She then peered up at me. “Mom, do you like Dad?”

My gaze remained forward over the steering wheel. These types of questions were inevitable. “I do like your father. He’s a nice man. We like each other.” Chalk and I were building trust, and despite the situation he was dealing with at the club, I was able to spend more time with Sarah and develop our bond. Chalk had loosened the reins.

“If two people like one another, then they should be together,” Sarah said firmly. “They should live in the same house, especially if they have a child. All my friends have two parents.” She put a little finger to her rose colored lips and batted her eyes at me a few times. “Oh wait, Gina doesn’t. She only has her Mom. Her Dad died.”

I recognized what she was doing…emotional guilt tripping 101. My lips lifted a bit in amusement. Kids learned so much so early and there was no way to stop it. “Honey, all that matters is that both your mother and your father love you, whether we like one another or not. I do like your father very much.” I didn’t take it any further. It wasn’t the easiest thing in the world to explain and I wanted to work on how to explain it to her. Something I needed to get on a united front on.

“Okay Mom, I believe you. I think Dad likes you too. He always smiles when he says your name.”

“Does he?” Now, a full smile came to my lips, content with the fact that Chalk did care about our relationship and was willing to grow it.

Her head moved from side to side like one of those clowns at the fairgrounds. “Yup. All the time.”

“You’re the best, kid. I love you.”

“I love you too. I have to go. I want to ask my teacher about the frogs. There’s one species I’ve seen that I don’t know about.” Sarah’s arms reached out to hug my neck.

I hugged her back, kissing her forehead. “Okay. Bye, sweety, have a nice day.”

“I will, Mom.” Sarah opened the door and stepped out to join the other kids running onto the school grounds.

The pressure in my stomach from my inquisitive child terrified me. Sometimes I didn’t know if I was being a good mother or not. I guessed my thinking was the same as most loving parents. Did I do a good enough job? Was it right what I told her? My only wish was that Sarah didn’t grow to resent me for not being there in her formative years.

School drop-off was always perpetual chaos as cars ducked in and out of spaces wanting to drop and go while kids darted in between trying to get to their friends before class to talk to them. This part of parenting is what I dreaded. I was due at Chalk’s for a coffee to talk about the upcoming parent/teacher night he wanted me to attend with him.

Less than five minutes later, I arrived at Chalk’s house. He opened the door and I could see the newspaper on the table. “That the article?” I asked as he looked up at me.

“Yep. It’s damn good too. Should see the write-up on me and my pool skills. ‘Undefeated pool veteran runs an open competition that operates weekly with a large prize. He invites others to come in and test their skills against him.’” Chalk closed up the paper, handing it to me to read with a proud look on his face. “Might bring more people to Wheelz and finally give me some real competition to deal with.”

Secretly, I felt glad because he wouldn’t be working with that headstrong chick Angie anymore. Something about her that still rubbed me the wrong way. The story I told myself was that I was over it, but deep down, if I saw her again, I knew I would probably turn my back on her. “I wish I knew how to play pool so I could beat you. You’re a little too smug.” I took the paper from Chalk.

His cobalt eyes danced with mischief. He leaned over the paper, crushing it a little to plant a kiss on my lips. “You’re lucky you’re sexy. Helps your cause,” he teased and laughed.

I smirked and read the paper. “Holbeck’s Heroes Come On Two Wheels. Interesting title. Hmm.” Small dig, but I kept reading and found I couldn’t stop. All of the things I didn’t know about the club and their history were coming to light, and the more I read the article the more fascinating it became. The details about the chilling information on Rocky and his involvement in the death of the mystery body floating in the Mississippi River. Silence ran the room as I devoured every word.

Chalk had been looking at other documents he had laid out on the table.

“This is really good,” I commented after finishing. “She did an amazing job, great write up on you too.”

“Yeah, I didn’t expect the level of detail. I hope that part about the murder link will get rid of Rocky showing up. He wasn’t at the pool game last week and that was before the article came out. I don’t know if that’s good or bad.”

I nodded. “Reading this article, it pretty much points to him, so if he does try to come back, it’s going to be warfare. The way she’s painted it is clever, and it makes it sound like he killed the guy. Thing is, I'm worried for her. If you write something like this, you have to think about the consequences. This Rocky guy could come after her. I’m sure he’s going to. He wouldn’t let this go, would he?” I questioned. My concern didn’t run that deep, but I did wonder what the club’s thoughts were.

“Angie is a big girl, she lived in war-torn countries and covered mega stories for huge publications. She went into it with her eyes wide open, and I’m sure she understands the cost,” Chalk said. “If she doesn’t, then we as a club have her back on it. The Road Warriors are after us as well.”

A pang of something that resembled jealousy sifted around my head, but I let it go and focused on the part where Chalk said the Road Warriors were after the Rebel Saints. “What does that mean? Are you going to start carrying a gun more regularly?” I asked cautiously.

Chalk’s expression went sort of blank as he seemed to shut down.

I knew he didn’t want to talk about it, but I wanted to know, so I could get my head around it.

He sighed heavily. “I’m part of the Rebel Saints and will always be. We have been in worse situations than this, but yes I’ve already been carrying a gun. I didn’t want to have to tell you this, but I do need you to just keep a close watch for the next few weeks.”

Gulping down the tight knot in my throat, I paused. My protective mother instinct kicked in as I thought about what this meant for me and Sarah. “Maybe I should get my gun license. I’m not a shrinking violet, Chalk. Keep me in the loop and don’t shut me out.” There was enough force in my tone to let him know I was upset.

“I won’t. I don’t want you to think that,” Chalk spoke softly as he grabbed my hand, drawing me to his lap. His smile could melt any woman’s heart, and he knew that. “Come on, don’t stay angry at me, we can work this out,” Chalk cajoled. “Here, I want to talk to you about this parent-teacher night in a few days. One of the teachers was happy about how Sarah is doing right now, the same teacher that kept snooping around, but hey she’s on track now.” Chalk handed me the flyer.

Meet the Teachers was the heading. “Okay, well, let’s go together. She has a science project and I’m going to help her with it.”

“Ah! Look at you two. Why am I left out?”

“Not at all. You have pool tables to reign don’t you?” I chuckled.

Chalk nodded his head. “I do. You should come next week and Teresa can look after Sarah. What do you think?”

Chalk’s willingness to include me into every area of his life made me less nervous about things. “That’s a great idea. I’ll have to pick up a leather jacket, so I can feel like a badass biker babe, now that I’ve been on the back of your bike one time.”

“You’re already a badass to me. You’ve been through a lot already.” His loving embrace tightened around me as he kissed my shoulder. “How are you feeling?”

“I feel pretty damn good. I can’t complain. I have everything I want. I have you, Sarah, the job, Mom and Dad. I’m grateful. I think we’re doing great.”

“Good, all I ever wanted was for you to be happy.” Chalk then kissed me.

 

 

“Do I look parent-y enough?” I was quizzing Chalk on my outfit which consisted of ankle-length chinos, a teal linen shirt, and boots, topped off with a necklace.

His eyes stayed on the road as we drove to Sarah’s school, but his lips moved into a smile. “Baby, you look great and to be honest, I’ve never seen you look better.”

“You look good, too.”

Chalk’s dimple came out as he took one hand off the wheel and squeezed my hand.

We pulled into the parking lot of the school. Several other vehicles were lined up in the space as I saw them getting out of their cars to enter the front foyer reception.

“Looks like people are already inside.” I’d been nervous about this all day.

“It’s going to be okay. Our daughter is a great student and there’s no need to worry. We’re going to go in here and find out about our little champion and that’ll be it.”

Chalk’s cheerfulness lifted a little bit of anxiety from my shoulders. I didn’t know what I had to be anxious about.

Chalk parked and we exited the car, walking hand in hand inside the school where a sign directed us to the parent-teacher conference room. Chatter was reverberating off the walls, letting us know we were moving in the right direction. We walked into a roomful of parents.

A woman with brown, curly hair was waiting with a pen, clipboard and a rosy smile. “Hi there! You must be Sarah’s parents. If both of you wouldn’t mind signing in right here and taking your name tags, just makes it easier for the other parents to greet you.”

Both Chalk and I looked at one another. How did she know who we were?

“I recognized you from the newspaper, so cool! You ride bikes and play pool. So awesome.” The woman’s name tag read ‘Amy.’ It seemed like Chalk had a fan; her cheeks got a little rosier as Chalk grinned back at her.

“You should come down and play, bring your friends. We have a lot of fun,” he invited.

Chalk was a man that had a certain light. He seemed to be able to mingle with all walks of life, from young and old and both sexes.

“You know what I just might do that. I just might.” She straightened her arm out and handed me the pen first. “Sarah talks about you all the time, that’s how I know who you are. The supermom who helps people get better.”

My eyebrow arched in surprise as my heart filled. “She said that? Oh, my god. That’s so sweet.” I smiled back at Amy.

She nodded. “Yep. It is. You guys produced a great kid. She’s doing so well. Wait till you hear from her science teacher, she loves all the research she’s doing. Even stumped her with questions.”

“Hmm. That’s great to hear.” Chalk put his arm around my shoulder.

A joyful smile came to my lips.

We met a whole bunch of teachers and learned that Sarah had improved her grades and was getting along with all her classmates.

Finally, we headed out into the sultry heat of the Mississippi night hand in hand.

Chalk then said, “See, I told you that we had nothing to worry about. Our daughter is doing just fine. More than fine.”

“Ugh! I hate how I worry so much. I wish I didn’t.”

“You’re a mother. That’s a natural thing to do.”

“I guess so.”

 

Wheelz was different from the bars I knew in California, or maybe it was just this one. The feel of the place was a little grittier. The crowd was a mix of rough around the edges folks and regular everyday people. Wheelz showed how the two very different groups could co-exist.

Harper, who I’d met before, greeted me with a wide open smile and squishy hug. “Hey girl! You came down to see your man play?”

I blushed. It wasn’t like me and Chalk were official technically, but from the way Harper approached it, I presumed Chalk had been talking about me as if we were. “Yes. I hope someone can give him a run for his money tonight. That’s something I would like to see.” I ribbed Chalk.

“That’s not happening, sweetie thing. Undefeated, and I’m gonna stay that way.” Chalk poked his tongue at me as he grabbed two pool cues. One for me, one for him.

I took my cue and laughed at him. “Oh, really? Maybe I can win one game.” I chuckled.

Chalk was laughing, then his face dropped a little. I watched where he was looking because I thought it might have been that Rocky guy. The change was subtle, but I caught it. I swivelled around and saw Angie.

Does she need to be everywhere we are? Can’t she find her own place to go to?

As soon as I saw her, I turned back around to fixate my focus to the pool table and Chalk racking up the balls.

Then Angie came over, she had this cocky walk, with her way too perfect legs and her way too perfect waves in her golden hair. “Well, well, well I see you have another female opponent,” she said in a bitchy tone with a cackle.

A tight smile lifted on my lips as the porcelain balls clacked together inside the triangle.

“Hey Angie, how you doing?” Chalk’s tone was casual as he glanced over at me.

I kept quiet. If I spoke, I was liable to say some horrible things. I wanted my stomach to calm down but it was still tossing around. Something about Angie Carmichael really bothered me. An indescribable feeling I couldn’t put my finger on.

“I’m pretty good.” Angie grinned. “Chalk. You gonna let Lucinda win a game? You have to let her win at least one.” There went that screechy laugh again.

Now it was anger replacing the tossing around feeling inside my stomach.

“Angie, relax,” Chalk warned her in a low voice.

Another one of the Rebels I’d met the last time came over, and I was hoping he would distract her.

“Hey guys,” Coyote said with a big smile but it quickly faded once he recognized the tension between us all.

No one answered as Chalk came a little closer to me and started to rub his pink chalk on the end of his pool cue.

Angie had to keep on going, “Oh, don’t get your panties in a bunch, Chalk. I’m just messing around. Everybody knows I’m the only one that can get close enough to beating you.”

I knocked the balls around in the triangle with force. “Actually, we used to play a lot, didn’t we, Chalk? We had a lot of fun back then, before we had Sarah, right?” I smiled wide at Chalk.

Pausing, he studied my face to see where I was at.

Well, I was about to skyrocket to a hundred percent bitch, depending on the situation.

Coyote was silent with his hands shoved in his pockets.

The only thing I could hear was Angie’s taunts and I was waiting for my moment. The resentment. The fake and fraudulent smiles on my face.

Angie grinned. “Oooo. No need to be jealous or anything. I’m not trying to take your man, honey. If I wanted him I could have him,” she said cockily as she turned up that ugly, rotten mouth of hers.

A flash of red filtered over my eyes and the rage in my cauldron bubbled over as I launched at Angie’s neck. “You bitch! Why don’t you stay away from my family?”

Angie stood her ground, so my main aim became to knock her over like a bowling pin. I pushed her hard in the chest with both hands as she went flying back to hit the side of the pool table.

Loud shocked gasps rang out in the air.

The deer in headlights look on her face let me know that I caught her off guard by the force of bitterness I’d been holding inside. I caught myself off guard.

Her hair started to fly and she looked like a wild banshee, she regrouped by clinging onto the edge of the pool table. I’d winded her. “You must be out of your mind, get you crazy baby mama away from me, Chalk!” She pointed her finger at me as this time she launched at me, reaching out her arm with a claw grip.

Chalk tried to step in and intervene, but he wasn’t quite quick enough to stop Angie.

She latched on and grabbed a fistful of my hair. My head was whipped forward as we both grunted like cavewomen, defending ourselves.

The music went silent in the club as Ink called out from the bar, “Hey! Stop it now! No fighting in the club.”

Someone in the bar had the nerve to call out, “Girlfight! Who's gonna win?”

Wolf whistles rang out but I drowned them out. My next objective was to dismantle Angie’s face. “Let go of my hair, Angie. Let go of it now!” Her grip was so fierce, I thought she was going to rip it straight out of my skull. I lifted my leg to kick her and hit her shin.

Her fingers released part of their grip on my hair. “Oww! You’re freaking nuts! Psycho!” Angie yelled at the top of her lungs as she attempted to drag me by the ends of my hair.

Coyote moved behind Angie as he pried the remainder of her fingers from my hair. “Let up, Angie. That’s enough. Come on. Let go now,” he commanded.

Two large sets of hands grabbed my waist from behind, as my feet came off the ground. I raised up my knees and pedalled, trying to wriggle free of him. “Let me down Chalk, let me go!”

The flailing continued, but his grip got tighter as he whispered in my ear, “Not worth it, baby. Not worth it.” Kissing the top of my ear to pacify me. It was as if somebody said, ‘cue the music,’ because as soon as we were broken apart, the music came back on.

Rage dominated my emotions, and my hair was all over the place. My nails were digging into Chalk’s fingers.

“You’re quite feisty aren’t you?” He chuckled and kissed my ear again as everyone continued to watch the show.

My teeth were bared and Angie was looking at me in shock, bending over to rub her shin. “Don’t you ever say shit about me again you arrogant—”

“Shhh. Stop it. Come on now. It’s over, baby.” Chalk wasn’t about to loosen his vice-like grip.

Once I came to the conclusion that she was out of reach now, I surrendered letting my body go limp.

Angie just kept talking trash, “Can’t you take a joke? My god, there’s something wrong with you. That’s for sure!”

Coyote let her go as she flattened out her hair.

I snickered to myself looking at her flushed face.

“Angie. Shut up.” Chalk looked directly at her, issuing the demand with force. “Over here.” He pointed her away from the crowd who were slowly going back to tending to their own business.

A couple of other pool players gaped on at me with wide open mouths.

I brushed back my hair as I held my head high. “What?” I snapped.

They both looked away quickly hoping they wouldn’t suffer the same fate.

Secretly I smiled, I’d pushed Angie into the other pool table and now, I thought it was funny. I had plenty of fight in me when I needed it.

Coyote came over to me. “You okay? She was out of line for that one. Remind me not to get on the bad side of you,” he scoffed lightly with a raised eyebrow.

The consequence for my reward was a throbbing headache where Angie attempted to yank my hair from my scalp. I patted it to check all the strands were intact and not about to fall out. “She deserved it, she was getting on my goddamn nerves. She thinks she’s better than anyone else, her shit stinks just like everybody else’s does.” I scoffed. My heart rate was back to normal, but I was frowning.

Harper came over to see me.

Chalk was still over there talking to the blonde-haired gremlin, and I wanted to know why.

“She’s a shit stirrer, but she means well.”

Coyote didn’t even realize he was annoying me further by making that statement. I shot him a dagger stare.

The sides of his mouth sagged. “Sorry. My bad. Bad timing.”

“Sure is. She just better stay away from me and mine.” I folded my arms across my chest.

Harper rubbed my shoulder, turning me toward the bar. “Come on li’l lady. Me thinks you could use a drink. How about it?” she offered.

“Works for me. I think I need several,” I admitted.

This night was not going the way I’d hoped.