Charlie

no way to look

"When we are flat on our backs there is no way to look but up" -Roger W.

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August 22, 1990

Smack

"By a unanimous vote the Council awards the city vehicle maintenance contacts to Hobbs Chevrolet." Randy Jones, Big Jim's brother, head of the city council seals my fate. The other council members nodded in agreement. The Mayor had a smug smile plaster on his toad shaped face. His pale brown eyes dance with delight as he looked my way.

For the past month the work at the shop has dwelled down to nearly nothing. My last hope was here at this meeting. If i wanted to keep the shop open I need them to give me the contract.

With those words I rocketed out of my chair "Are you kidding me!"

"Ms Reese, could you please refram from having your outburst." Randy reprimanded me like one of his spoiled kids.

That was when I saw red. I stepped back up to the small desk they told me to use to plead me case. I felt Griffin grab my hand. "You have not seen a outburst yet Randy Marilyn Jones." I got a little kick out of the chuckle I got for using his middle name. He hated in school, and from the look on his face he still did.

"I'm sorry Charlie, but now that your dad gone you can't rest on his reputation. "He smuggling stated.

"My daddy's reputation! What about mine? Hell! I rebuild your Dodge when I was still a freshman in high school. For the past three years I been running that shop. The only thing that's different now is my dad not sitting in the office playing solitaire. I been single handedly taking care of the day to day for years, and none of you have been the wiser for it." I huffed

Griffin tighten his hold on my hand. I was sure he was not trying to stop me from telling them off. He was more than likely he getting ready to stop me from jumping the small distance, and exchanging blows with the pig who was heading group. I was just about three minutes away from taking that very action.

"I am so sorry, Charlie girl." Hearing his voice was the final straw. The Mayor sat back in his chair, he was resting his fat hands on his bloated belly. He looked like the fat cat, that had ate the canarie.

I snatched my hand away from Griffin, and took the first step to launch myself at Mayor Hobbs. I would have made it to, if not for Griffin holding me back. At that same time that I did this, the room erupted.

Randy was banging his gavel on the desk trying to call the room to order. The Mayor was laughing openly at my reaction. The hand full of club members who came to support me were up on their feet yelling at at the Mayor. The rest of the community sat back watching the show with various degrees of shocked expression on their faces.

To regain the order Randy called for the officers to escort me from the room. As soon as they tried to lay hands on me. Eight of the biggest members of the club helped them to changed their mind. Griffin being the most impressive of them all. None on the officers wanted any part of the club.

Needless to say, the officers allowed the club to walk me out. The whole time I was walking out all I could hear was the sickening laughter of the Mayor. Once outside I pulled away from Griffin. I stumbled to the sidewalk, and let out the most blood curdling scream I could muster.

The club members didn't try to confront me, and for that I was thankful. For a brief moment I looked for the Mayor's car. If I could just get my hands own it. He would definitely need a mechanic, maybe even a good paint and body man. My hands itched with the plan that was forming in my head. Griffin must have seen something in my eyes.

He quickly pushed me back over to his bike. I rode to the meeting with him. He had managed to get me to ride on the back by stating that he did not want me driving if things went south.

Only now I could appreciate his reasons for this. I was definitely not in the best place to drive a motorcycle at the moment. He had me on the back of the bike and on the road before I knew what was happening. I became lost in what I would have to do next. My hands fisted in his cut as these thoughts asualted me.

I returned to myself when, Griffin was helping me to sit on one of the barstools in the club house. The place was packed. People were playing pool. The jukebox was blasting. Along with the club members, Jay, Steven, Amanda, and Cindy were in the room. Along with Amanda was her baby Franny.

For the hundredth time my thoughts turn to what would happen to my friends if I had to close up the shop. I was already scrambling to keep Steven on the payroll. He and Amanda had reconnected. They made the perfect little family. I knew they depended alot on his income. What would they do if the shop closed.

It made my heart ache to think of what Jay would have to do. He had always told me how he hated the fact that his dad worked like a dog in manufacturing company for little pay. Jay would have to follow him into this hell. There were not many other choices of jobs in this area.

I was not sure were Marc and Cindy's relationship was. I knew she loved her job. It had allowed her to move out of her parents house. Even though her parents were good people. They did tend to be a bit overprotective. It drove Cindy crazy to think that she would have to move back in with them. She did not want to feel like she was back in school.

With all of this on my shoulders my stomach was in knots. It had gotten so bad that for the last two weeks I had not slept. On most nights I only got about three or four hours before I had to get up and pace the house like a caged animal.

I had been able to keep this from Griffin until he slept over last week. He tried to help me feel better but, it did not last long. I still was not sleeping well. I would catch Griffin watching me more now.

At this moment I realized that I couldn't keep going on like this. The lost of the city contacts meant that I would no longer be able to keep the shop open. My sorrow hit me like a ton of bricks.

Across the room Jay caught my eye. I stared at him until my eyes began to burn. He reached over and tapped Steven on the shoulder. Steven handed off baby Franny over to Amanda. My eyes blurred with tears when Cindy walked over to say something to Jay. I had to close my eyes and shake my head to keep my stupid tears at bay.

The sudden lack of noise from the room made me aware that all eyes were on me. I tried to take a breath to slow my pounding heart, and regain some type of control over myself. I didn't want to break down here in front of all this crowd.

That's when strong hands cupped my face. I slowly opened my eyes to look at Griffin's face. "It's ok Char. They understand." He reassures me. He pressed his lips to mine. Then gathered into his safe arms. "I got you. Char, I-I love you." He wispered near my ear.

Electronic shock ran through my body. It was followed by a warmth I had not felt since my daddy died. I pressed myself to Griffin as he keeps muttering those three words over and over again. Here he was again making things better for me.

All I could think of was how he had been my rock through it all of this. So I did the only thing I could to think of to thank him..

"I love you, too."I breathed in his neck just loud enough for him to hear me.