KHAOS' SAVING GRACE - SONS OF SILENCE MC (BOOK 3)

Off To A Great Start

CHERRY POV

    I reached the main bus terminal in Houma. I buy a prepaid cell, a newspaper, and a ticket to Lafayette there. A little over two hours and I will be starting over. I read the paper on the ride there. I am looking for a car, job, and home. I found one of each that interests me. The house is small and needs some TLC, it's in between Lafayette and Breaux Bridge. It's only a few steps above a Cajun shack but cheap and somewhat cute. The job is cook/bartender at a small but busy tavern. The car is a 2002 Hyundai Elantra that runs but needs new tires and a tune up. It's cheap and will work if it runs as well as advertised. If I buy the car and house, I will still have around thirty thousand to escape if need be again. I hope I don't need to. I want something permanent in my life. I thought I had found it but all good things must come to an end.

    I reach Lafayette at dawn on my third day on the road. I find a cheap hotel that will take cash near the terminal and catch a few hours of sleep. I wake a little after noon and shower, get dressed in clean clothes, call about the house, then the car, and the local beauty shop. The lady will bring the car for me to check out in an hour. I have an appointment at the salon in two hours, so I go down and across the street to the tavern for food and application. Then meet the woman about her mom's house at five. Time to get back to living. Goodbye Cherry, hello Gabrielle LeBlanc. Yes, I took Gabrielle as my name to remind me of Khaos and not to trust easily anymore.

    I reach the Tavern a few minutes later. I order my food and water. I want to get the feel of the place and its regulars before I commit to applying here. I strike up a conversation with the waitress, Trisha. She seems nice enough. I found out it is a nice tourist town, no close MC, none that come through, and a great place to work. I feel bad for lying to her and telling her I ran from an ex that is in a MC. I let her think the worst about my family, all to get the information I needed to know they wouldn't find me. I know guilt is what I will have to live with, and I will learn to. I might try to figure out how to write the ladies and not be tracked. I want them to know I am alive and moving on. Maybe my friend that helped with my new background and ID can help me. I have known her since childhood. She was a hacker turned cop until she retired and married a doctor who helped me live about the time, I escaped Alejandro. I grab an application on my way out and take it to my room to fill out later.

    I head downstairs to meet Caroline, the woman with the car. I look at it and take it for a test drive. We make small talk the whole time. She seems like a great woman. Too bad she is moving; she reminds me of Sheila and would have been a great friend. She is a retired nurse moving to Ohio to be near her grandchildren. Her daughter married a military man who went back to his home state to be a recruiter. They now have three kids. I pay the full $2500 she is asking for it, even though I know I could get it for less. I asked her for a recommendation of a shop to have the tune up and tires done. She tells me about a tiny family that runs one, it is about twenty minutes away. I thank her and wish her luck in her new journey.

    I walk into the salon with five minutes to spare on my appointment time. "Hey hun. Welcome to Beauty By Betty. I am Betty. Do you have an appointment?" she asks. "Yes, I am Gabrielle and I have an appointment in five minutes." I reply. "Well, you sure are a beauty. Whatcha wanting to get done?" she asks. "Thanks. I want to get my hair and brows lightened closer to strawberry blonde and a cut that is easy to style but still long enough to pull back." I reply with a smile. "Are you sure, hun? You have such a beautiful natural color that I hate to destroy." she states with a frown. "I am sure. I love my color too but recently broke up and decided it was time for changes. He loved my hair, and he gave me a nickname for it. All it does now is remind me of his lying cheating ass. Pardon my language. Thinking about him just makes me so mad and makes my unladylike side come out." I say quickly when I see her react to my cursing. "Totally understandable. I can't stand a cheater and don't worry about the language, what shocked me was someone would cheat on someone as beautiful as you. His loss. Have a seat and let's get started." she gushes. We make small talk the entire two hours it takes to do my hair. I like her, so I told her I hope to see her again. "Why would you want to hang around an old woman like me?" she asks. "You remind me of my mom. A great woman with a great heart. Funny too. I need more of that in my life. I think we all do." I reply while paying and give her a twenty-dollar tip.