Page 123 of Size King

“Hey, boss!” says Kelsey.

“Boss?” he wonders.

“We went right into Jacob’s office and quit about twenty minutes ago,” I inform him. “We’re on the market, looking for new jobs. Got anything for us?”

“When can you start?” he asks us.

Kelsey and I high-five in excitement. I go up to Dustin and give him a big hug, holding onto him for many seconds.

“Thank you,” I say.

Kelsey follows suit and comes over to hug Dustin as well. He claps us both on the shoulders and hollers jubilantly.

“We’re celebrating tonight!” he declares. “We’re partying and welcoming our two additions to the Dual Wheels crew! I hope you gals are ready to throw down with some real bikers!”

* * *

The party Dustinis throwing that night is being held at his clubhouse. After we leave the shop, Kelsey and I spend most of our day getting ready for the party. I’m not sure how late the party is going to go. I don’t know whether Dustin has a babysitter for his boys or not.

Dustin texts me the address to the clubhouse. It happens to be quite close to his bike shop, which I’m sure is by design. He says we should try and get to the clubhouse by eight, so we show up fashionably late at eight-fifteen.

The place is packed with men and women; drinking, smoking, playing pool and darts, and just having a fun time. I am stunned to see an actual bar in the center of the main room, full of liquor and mixed drinks. There is rock music playing loud over the sound system, and the vibe is excellent.

I notice that Kelsey has her eyes set on a particular guy by the bar.

“You could get him, you know,” I whisper to Kelsey. “Go get yours.”

She nudges me. “Trying to get rid of me already?”

“No, I just figured if you are interested in him, maybe you could go talk to him, and I could go find Dustin. Maybe?”

She can tell how badly I want to see him, and so she lets me go. “Okay.”

“I promise I won’t abandon you all night!” I say. “I’ll be within shouting distance, okay?”

“Fair enough,” says Kelsey. “Text me if you need me.”

“Same to you!”

I think Dustin must’ve heard my voice because all of a sudden, he appears behind me. He has his infamous smile back on for me. I wonder if it’s cool to kiss him here in front of everyone.

However, I choose to play it safe for the time being. We give each other a long hug and get drinks and a vacant booth.

Dustin and I get to talk more, and I get to learn more about him. He is clearly a proud father because most of his stories include Mason and Austin. It is great to see him be such a caring dad.

I want to ask him more about his wife and how she died. I really don’t want to pry and seem like a nosy rube, but he’d left me pondering for some time.

“The boys really warmed up to you fast when they met you the other day!” says Dustin. “I don’t know how you feel about kids. I know some peoplehatekids.”

“I don’t hate kids at all,” I assure him. “I rather like your kids. I want to get to know them more, just like you.”

“What do you want to know?” he wonders. “Go on. Ask me anything.”

With such a setup, I can’t resist…

“How did your wife die? If you don’t want to tell me, I’ll understand…”

He hangs his head low for a few moments before answering me. I am surprised that he is so upfront, although I’m not surprised by his response.