I've Got This Friend

Chapter 12

Clearly I'm on an Opie kick. Tomorrow will bring chapters for Happy and Juice! Xoxo

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"So where are we going?"

Mae threw her leg over Opie's bike and wrapped her arms around his waist. It had been two days since Half-Sack's wake. She spent both nights at the clubhouse with Opie, one day at her house with Juice while he set up and the next day she was forced to go into work. Opie picked her up from her place not long after she'd gotten home. Neither would admit how excited they were.

"Clubhouse?" He chuckled. "We can have a couple beers before we go out."

Eyeing him, she nodded and let out a little squeal as Opie took off speeding down the street. She didn't see him as the type of man to take a girl out but she wouldn't say no. They were still finding their footing awkwardly looking for a norm to call their own.

"Can we skip the clubhouse?" She begged over his engine as they stopped at a red light. "Please?" Fluttering her eyelashes a she glanced back she tried her best to charm him.

"Yeah, of course."Opie knew the clubhouse was a crutch, he knew he shouldn't have attempted it but did anyway. "Where do you wanna go?"

"Somewhere quiet." Was all she suggested before the light flicked green and they were off again.

Even when the roads grew darker and other drivers disappeared; Mae was never scared. She trusted Opie while with anyone else she'd have thought they were on secluded roads just to murder her.

"Where are we?" She asked as they arrived. "My butt hurts."

Opie chuckled as she jumped off his bike and stretched her back out. "The cabin. It's a club spot, safe haven or retreat type shit. It's quiet," he winked. "There's a creek a few yards away not for swimming but you can stick your feet in. Me and Jax used to fish up here when we were younger."

"Adorable." She grinned imagining them as young men up there. "We can catch the sunset." Mae said as she pointed to the sky.

"Let me grab some beers."

They trudged through the brush toward the water and as they sat Mae could see where the thickness of the forest began just across the creek. Opie opened her bottle as she kicked her sandals off.

"I hope I don't get a tick." She joked.

"I've been coming up here for 30 years and I've never found a tick on me. I think you're safe."

"I know I am."

It wasn't lost on Opie. He pulled a face, embarrassed but exited, and moved his hand closer to hers as they leaned on the trunk of a tree.

"I should bring my kids up here." He mused with his bottle against his lips.

"How are they?"

"They're alright, I guess," he shrugged looking away. "I want to fix shit but I don't know how."

"Trying too hard is always a bad move. You'll figure it out just don't push anything."

As the water flowed between Mae's toes she giggled and splashed around. Inching her hand over she curled her pinkie finger around his with a shy smile.

"Why are you here?"

"I'm not exactly sure I understand. You brought me here, Ope."

The sky was painted a brilliant shade of pink but neither of them could enjoy it until the air was clear again. "Why are you spending all this time with me? Why do you care? An educated girl with her illegal past cleaned up, even before this Jude shit, why were you hanging out with me?"

"Oh," she smiled knowingly. "Now I understand." Mae pulled her feet from the water and turned from the sunset to him. "I like you, a lot. You've got shit going on." She reached up and tapped his temple. "You're more than that leather and I like that, I like you. Sweet and funny and incredibly sexy," she laughed at herself as she blushed. "I like spending time with you, isn't that enough of a reason?"

Opie grabbed her hand before she could pull away and kissed her wrist. "Yeah I guess."

"I think I can make you understand." On her knees, sitting back on her feet, Mae smiled and looked down at herself. "Tell me why you're hanging with me then. Why little old me?"

"You," his nose twitched and Opie looked back up at the sky. "I feel like you get me, I don't have to talk if I don't want to and you don't get pissed about that. You're cute and I feel this need to protect you, make sure you're okay, even the night I met you. I don't feel that about everyone."

"I know you're hurting and you're scared and that's fine because I am too. Just don't question it, go with what you're feeling."

He knew what she meant and it was the best advice he'd ever gotten but part of him had to laugh. If he went with his feelings at that moment he'd be making love to her on the dirty creek bed.

"I'll have to start following that advice, tomorrow maybe."

Mae looked at him and pulled a face. "We missed the sunset."

"Sorry," he laughed. "My emotional instability tends to ruin a lot of shit."

"Stop." Shuffling on her knees she adjusted his beanie. "You're not unstable. Pity and self deprecating jabs masked as goodhearted jokes aren't good for anyone. Don't make me shrink your head, Opie. If you're my client I can't do this."

Mae gave his beard a tug and kissed him sweetly. They were both tender wit one another, physically and emotionally, but the way Opie touched her was always surprising. His size and presence always proved deceiving from their very first meeting. Opie was a kind and gentle man with an incredible capacity for violence when the appropriate opportunity presented itself.

"I like this more than head shrinking."

She laughed wanting to make a joke about growing rather than shrinking but she was too embarrassed and unsure if the crude joke would land well.

"Yeah, me too." It was barely a whisper. Mae shivered as the cooler night air set in. "I'm chilly."

Unzipping his leather jacket, Opie pulled her close. Her body close to his and her breasts pressing against his chest was both calming and sexual. "Warmer now?"

"Much, thank you."

"We should go. It gets really dark up here at night, could be a dangerous ride."

"Oh, okay."

"I'm not taking you home. Why don't you come back to my place? Kids are sleeping but I gotta let the nanny go. We could order in and watch a movie?"

Mae perked up and smiled relieved that their night wasn't ending so quickly. "I'd like that."

"I'll take you out," he promised. "On a real date, if you want."

"I like this actually." She said as they walked back to the clearly where he parked. "Everything, just the way it is, is perfect."

They were probably about ten or fifteen minutes from Opie's when the ominous red and blue flashing lights spooked him. Hale switched on his sirens as he approached the bike toward a stop sign and Opie pulled over.

"What is this, Hale?" He asked not bothering to turn off his engine.

"Anonymous tip," he shrugged. "I'll need both of your IDs before I search you and the bike."

Mae was terrified but Opie was just annoyed. "Anonymous tip? Bullshit, you can't search us for that." As she pulled her license from her purse, Opie stopped her. "Don't Mae, he's got no right."

"I assure you, ma'am, I have every right. We can either deal with this here, Winston, or at the station house."