Page 31 of Cannon

Feeling very smug, I excuse myself from the table and go back to my office, grabbing Pattie and her drink on the way. Getting her settled in her chair, I grab a glass of my personal stock of bourbon and look Pattie in the eye.

“You could have just asked the question, you know. There was no need for the subterfuge, Pres. Unless there was more to it than I’m making of it?” She takes a swallow of her drink, and it doesn’t seem to bother her. “It’s plain tonic water. They were all buying me drinks, or they thought they were. The register will be up against the stock later.”

“I had more questions than you could have answered in the two hours. This way it gave me all the answers I was looking for and a few I wouldn’t have thought to ask. Like, how did you down so many shots. I’ll speak to Thorn later and anything that the register is up, will be classed as your tips for that stint.” I take a swallow of my own drink and enjoy the slow burn as it goes down.

“What do you want from your life, Pattie?”

“If that’s a proposal, Pres, you’re barking up the wrong tree. When I find my man, he won’t be from an MC, that’s for sure.” She empties her glass and then points to mine. Taking my bottle, I give her a good measure.

“We’re not that bad, surely?” I ask with a glint in my eye.

“Not at all, but I don’t want my man meeting up with any club brother that I’ve done the deed with and comparing notes. I won’t keep my history a secret from the right man, or any man. I’m not ashamed, but it doesn’t need to be discussed in an open forum either. I want a good job, a house, a yard with a white picket fence, and a soccer team of kids.” She takes on a dreamy look at this.

“Not sure how the job and a soccer team of kids will fit together.” That’s quite a tough call to have both, I’m thinking.

“Not really. You see, the women in my family run to twins and triplets. I’m a twin myself. Not identical. You wouldn’t know it even if we stood next to each other. I have twin brothers, too. Don’t get me started on how many cousins there are.” She laughs as she looks like she is picturing them.

“Well, twin Pattie, I have a problem and I think you’re my solution. What do you say to that?”

“Hell, Pres. Many times have I been called a problem child, but never have I been anyone’s solution.” Knocking back her bourbon, she smacks her lips and offers her glass for a refill. “Okay, let’s hear it.”

It doesn’t take too long for me to explain what I have in mind, and to be fair, she takes it better than I expected. No dramatics, no arguing, no self-deprecating bullshit. She asks some tactful questions and listens to my reasoning.

As everyone is here tonight, because of the reduced price of alcohol, I call church. Everyone troops in, some the worse for wear already, but they gather and once I bang the table, they quiet down fast enough.

Fury makes himself a target when he asks if he should go get Cannon.

“Really, Fury? Fetch him if you want to, but you will not only have to explain to him that he has another five days in quarantine, but you’ll also have to explain to everyone in this room the same damn thing.”

“Cannon can sit this one out. He don’t have much useful to say when he is here.” Bandit slurs the words, but the entire room goes quiet. “What? You’s all knows I’m right.”

“This is just a quick vote on something. It is unusual, but I don’t think it’s a big deal, or I would have waited until a full church. You all know that Mateo will be out of action for a few weeks. We don’t have a set timeframe for his recovery, but I don’t think we should rush it either. He took a pretty bad beating from those assholes. I want to keep the bar on schedule, so I want to propose someone to step up as Deputy Assistant Manager. So basically, filling in for Mateo but can remain as his deputy if all goes well, and I don’t see why it shouldn’t.” I take a moment and look around the room. Everyone is okay so far, except Bandit who looks as though he’s asleep already.

“Okay, so I propose the deputy is Pattie.”

There is definitely a stunned silence, and then Fury states in a loud, clear voice, “AYE”.

Before anyone else says anything, Bandit wakes up and starts mouthing off at me. “No fuckin’ way. Not a chance. I’m not having a club whore running a business when I got to work construction all day…”

Bear, who is standing behind Bandit, punches him in the side of the head. “Don’t take any notice of that idiot, Pres. He’s just having a loud nightmare. He won’t remember where he got that headache from in the morning.”

“Let’s make this easy. Anyone say ‘NAY’? Good. All those in favor, say ‘AYE’, and say it loud and clear. I want them to hear it in the rec room.”

The entire room shouts ‘AYE’ and I’m sure Pattie heard it loud and clear.

Chapter 19

*~* Barbara *~*

In my head, my plan to get laid, finally, was perfection. All Cannon had to do was follow instructions, and we were good to go. I thought sending the pictures would have him chomping at the bit to get at me, but no. All he could do was laugh. I was so angry, right up to the point that he put us both in front of that mirror. I have to admit, we looked totally ridiculous. How to have safe sex after a nuclear apocalypse.

I tried. No one can ever say I didn’t try to bed my man. It must seem like I’m some loose woman, the way I’ve thrown myself at him, but I want him so bad. I knew I was attracted to him from the first time I laid eyes on him, but since then, I just knew he was the one. I can’t say that I’m not impressed that he didn’t immediately feel the same way, but hell, he’s a man. What do men know about feelings? Their own or someone else’s.

Jamie came in this morning and gave me the all-clear. I didn’t get any of the pox spots, but she did say that it is rare, but you can get the chickenpox without the visible signs. So, would that be chicken-no-pox, I wonder? I asked about Cannon, but he wasn’t getting his all-clear until later today. She was still wary of a couple of places where his spots had been late developing and then drying out.

Tapping at the door has me call out, “Come in.” Pattie slips into the room and immediately gives me a hug.

“Well?” She asks as she parks her butt on the bed.