Page 13 of Ghost

6

Ghost

Iwas slumped against the arm of the sofa in the MC’s clubhouse. Lost somewhere between my childhood and my funeral, I was mentally vacant as the men discussed the club’s fall cross-country trip.

“Brother Ghost,” I heard someone say.

It sounded like a distant whisper. Not something I needed to respond to. I wondered for a moment if it was imagined or real.

“Brother Ghost!” Baker howled.

I stumbled through my mind’s fog and blinked until my vision was clear. Baker’s head was cocked to the side and he was looking at me with wide, waiting eyes.

“What?” I asked.

“What’s your vote?” he asked.

“On what?”

He glanced at the rest of the men and then shifted his eyes to meet mine. “Are you okay, Brother?”

“I think I faded off for a minute,” I said.

“Hard day at the gym?” he asked.

I shrugged one shoulder. “Didn’t go.”

“That’s a first.” He straightened his posture, stroking his beard as he sat up in his seat. “Connecticut or Rhode Island?”

“Connecticut,” I said, not really giving half a fuck what he was talking about or where we’d be going.

I knew the discussion was about our fall motorcycle trip, or at least it was when I slipped into a semiconscious slumber. Hell, I didn’t know if I’d even be around when fall arrived. If I was, I doubted I’d be in any shape to ride.

“Great,” he said sarcastically. “Now we’ve got a three to three tie.”

“Rhode Island,” I said, my tone indifferent.

“Seriously?” Cash whined. “Rhode fucking Island?”

“I’m guessing you were team Connecticut?” I grinned and clapped my hands. “Decision’s made. We’re going to Rhode Island.”

Cash flipped me his middle finger. “You weren’t even paying attention.”

“Doesn’t matter.” I shrugged. “Vote was whether we wanted to go to Rhode Island or Connecticut. Club voted. Rhode Island it is.”

Cash’s face distorted. “Asshole. If you don’t give a fuck, you should side with me, not Reno, Bake and Tito the turd.”

“If I sided with you, it’d be a tie. Then, we’d be voting on two new places. We did that three years ago and ended up in fucking Florida. Not interested in going to that shit-hole again.”

“Ghost needs to take a fucking nap,” Cash complained, turning to face Baker. “We can re-vote this next week.”

“Vote’s complete,” Baker said. “We’re going to Rhode Island.”

“Fuck that shit,” Cash snapped. “I want to see the leaves turning color in Connecticut. Rhode Island’s nothing but rocks and water.”

Seeing the fall leaves sounded like a great idea. I’d never been through Connecticut in the fall. If I were to make a list like Abby’s, going to Connecticut in the fall would certainly be on it.

“Connecticut.” I raised my index finger. “I’m changing my vote.”