The minute that I pulled up to the house I knew that my life was about to change forever. It was one of those feelings that you get, where you know that something is about to change, you can just feel it in your bones. I had been driving around in circles in the neighborhood for about ten minutes trying to decide whether to go to this party that Chase my best friend wanted me to go to, or to go hang out with Drew at the apartment after he got off work like I do every day I wasn't really a party kind of person any more I was more of a curl up with a good book, watch a movie with a good friend, or riding down a dirt road in my Mustang or on a motorcycle. Drew was my ex from high school, and we were just friends. Yeah he was my first love, but that was ten years ago, now we were "comfort" for each other when we needed it, but not exclusive. It was like that ever since we broke up in high school, I did more for him than I had anyone else up until that point. We usually would hang at his buddies apartment then go back to my parent's house and watch a movie and crash. That's when my phone rang, I looked at the caller ID, it was Chase.
"Ellie, are you going to get your ass over here or not? I've seen your Mustang circle past four times now, everyone is going to thing you're stalking the house or something!"
"He isn't going to be there is he? Don't you dare lie to me, I know where you live, and I will tell your mama you have been drinking Chase Tyler!" I explained into the phone, still driving in circles.
"No, Eliana Faith, Jay is not going to be here. If he was would I have invited you?" "I don't know, you tend to fabricate stories all the time anyhow." "Ellie, cmon, I'm not lying, he won't be here. Now turn down the next street and park the beast, and come hang out. There is someone here you haven't seen in a dick year and a half, and we got good tunes, already drunk asses acting a fool, and Smirnoff orange." "Chase, you had me at good tunes and Smirnoff orange. See you in a few buddy!"
I finally found a parking spot a bit down the road from the house. I hadn't been to a party here in several years. I moved to Athens, GA from Louisville, KY around my freshman year of high school. I wasn't the really popular girl, definitely not the cheerleader type. Back in KY I went to private school all my life, so I was dubbed the "quite little private school girl" when I moved. So, who did I naturally gravitate to? The rednecks, outsiders, band geeks, the ones who weren't exactly in the popular crowd. After Jay and I broke up, I moved to Atlanta and finished school, I had started working in the ER and ICU at a local hospital there. Nursing was my dream, and it was the one thing that loser Jay wasn't able to keep me from achieving.
I flipped down the visor to check my makeup and hair. My light brown hair had blonde highlights in it and for now it was about to the middle of my back. I had on a light blue spaghetti strapped sundress with white strappy sandals and silver jewelry. I guess if you got a feeling that tonight is going to change my life at a party, I may as well look hot while doing it. Getting out of the car, I clicked the alarm button. I saw Chase and some very tall dude I didn't recognize walking toward me. "hot girl and a very sexy very loud car!" tall guy said.
"Umm...thank you. I do agree my car is very sexy. 1999 Mustang GT, fully loaded, Mach 460 system, 40 series flow masters, stage 3 shift kit and the tranny is built to race." I said matter of factly. Chase, laughing, said, "man, you just got schooled on a car, which my friend you know nothing about, and by a girl you can't remember who she is!"
"Wait, Ellie? Ellie Parker?" Giant asked.
"Yeah, and you are?" I asked. Looking up at him, because let's face it he had to be at least 6'7". I couldn't remember him to save my life.
"Kolby. Kolby Gilbert, we hung out a few times when you were with Jay."
"OMG, I do remember you now. You got freaking huge now!"
"Yeah, I guess that I did grow a bit" Kolby taughed. "Your car, I love your car. Can I drive it?" he asked, giving me that puppy dog look he used to always do to get his way when we did hang out.
"Not a chance dude. I'm her best friend and she don't even let me touch that thing. Best I get is to sit in it and control the radio when she drives." Chase said, huffing and puffing because he couldn't drive my baby.
We started to walk back around to the party to see what all was going on. There was a big bonfire going in the back with music blaring in the background, it sounded like Paradise City by Guns-n-Roses, there was a crowd full of people playing beer pong in the parking lot, and in the garage there was a few guys I didn't recognize sitting around picking guitar and one guy with a huge mohawk was beating on a drum.
"Hey, Giant, got any Smirnoff orange?" I asked Kolby. "For you, always, I put a special stash in the cooler in the back just for you" he said handing me one. "So, Ellie, are you dating anyone now?" He asked, I assumed to make conversation, but him and Chase had that look like they were up to something.
"Not exactly, I don't know what it is honestly, why?" I replied, about the time my phone rang, I knew by the ringtone it was Drew. "Hang on Giant, I got to take this" I said excusing myself, which Chase followed. He didn't like what Drew and I were doing, but a girl has needs, and we knew what we were doing. He wasn't looking for anything serious and me either.
"Hey Drew, what's going on?" I answered the phone. "Hey, I was just wondering if you was coming over to the apt tonight." Drew asked. I knew he wanted me to, part of me did as well, but I needed time with people other than Drew, Donna, Thomas, and the rest of the crew over at the apartment. I was over there all the time, and I had tried to get Drew to come hang out with Chase and I before, but he's not really a person who's into bigger crowds, where as me, it don't bother me. "No, I don't think so, I'm at this party with Chase and some friends from when Jay and I dated that I hadn't seen since Jay and I broke up. We are having fun. You know you should come, it's not too far from the apt. I can't drive or I'd come pick you up." I said, giggling.
Kolby walked over and handed me a shot about that time. "Giant, what is that?" I asked, "Jose Clear, why?" "Oh shit, Kolby really? Do you not remember what that does to her?" Chase said. "No, what man?" Drew cleared his throat on the other end of the phone. "Did I just hear that someone gave you Jose Clear?" "Yeah, Kolby did, why?" I replied defensively. I knew he wanted more than our friends with benefits arrangement we had, but it worked for us, the couple thing, just didn't. "Because, you know what that does to you, do you remember the night I picked you up off the floor in vomit at Vic's house because you were so drunk you didn't know your name, or the time I drove you home from the bar because you were so drunk you couldn't stand, and I walked home after I dropped you off? I don't want you drinking that stuff!" "Drew, we aren't together, you have no say on what I drink, or who I drink it with, or if I want to get so drunk and fuck some random biker's brains out tonight I will. I'm tired of us dancing around each other using each other for comfort. If you want to be with me, prove it, if not tell me because I'm going to have a great time tonight, and maybe even find me that biker that I was just talking about. Because you know how I am about Mustangs and bikers with tattoos." "uhh, Ellie? Did I just hear a motorcycle pull up over there?" Drew said. "Is that all you have? Asking me if a bike pulled up? Yeah, about three did, but that isn't the point. Either you want to be with me or you don't, because if you don't, I know damn sure I can find a guy tonight who will want to be with me"
I saw the group of bikers sauntering over toward Chase, Kolby, and I. One who was drop dead gorgeous with a smile that could melt the panties off a nun, dressed in all black, ripped jeans, a cut with at gray and white rebel flag and SYLO rockers and a BOSS patch on the chest with a damn backwards hat, looked oddly familiar. "Ellie, Ellie" Drew called from the phone. "Yeh...umm...yeah, what?" I asked. "So, did the motorcycles stop at the party?" "Yes, Drew, they did. evidently they know Chase and Kolby. I hadn't seen them before, or I don't think so because one looks very familiar, but I don't know him. And besides, like I said if I wanted to find me a biker tonight and rock his world I could. What are you gonna do about it?" I said to Drew, standing at BOSS biker, all the while he is giving me this dark almost possessive stare, Kolby just watching him, and Chase talking to some dude with the largest mohawk I'd ever seen. " Umm...I can come by there if that's what you want" Drew stammered. I went to speak, but the next thing I knew my phone is being taken out of my hand, I assumed by Kolby, because that's just how he was, always trying to stand up for a female, which he knew better than mess with me when I was tipsy because I had hit him in the head with a frying pan at one point. But it wasn't it was BOSS biker, dammit I need to get his name.
"Listen here, Drew, is it? Well, the lady seemed like she told you off, because you obviously pissed her off enough to say she was going to find a biker and rock his world. Well, this is the biker she found, and if she wants to rock my world, judging by how hot she looks tonight, I just may let her. Now if she is your woman, I can guarantee she probably won't be for long judging by the conversation. But if she was my woman, I wouldn't let her go to a party looking like she could set the world on fire." With that, he handed me back my phone, smiled at me and said, "I think he's takin car of Darlin' " "Uh Drew, I just found my biker, call me when your head is out of your ass" and hung up.