Molding Stone

Errands and Unwanted Situations

The bar seemed darker than usual as the prospect moved the boxes of liquor from where Mark had stacked them next to the door to the store room and put them away. It was routine now, Jerry came before opening five days a week and helped with all the little things that had been made difficult or impossible while on a crutch.

There wasn't an exact schedule due to Jerry still being, for all intents and purposes, property of the club. The club was more than happy to let me put Jerry to work around the bar, only calling him away sporadically and I knew better than to interfere when they did. Kozik had joked one night that having Jerry working at the bar kept him out from under their feet during the day. Jerry was far from a good mechanic, spending more time asking questions and doing menial tasks than doing real work around the shop.

Jerry was a nice guy that I truly couldn't see making it far with the club. I got the impression that Happy and Kozik felt the same with the few interactions I had seen between them. Jerry was young, barely out of high school and soft spoken. He wasn't very intimidating in any aspect of his appearance and overall didn't fit in with the image of a biker, let alone an outlaw biker that would more than likely end up spending time in prison if he did manage to get patched in. He seemed to be star struck with the thought though, wanting desperately to fit the stereotype and stuck on how 'cool' it would be to become an official member of the club.

In a way I pitied him. I could see just how badly he wanted to be in the life, wanted to be a part of the club, but couldn't see him actually achieving it. I had tried to pay him for his help, but he'd seemed almost offended at the idea. He told me that if I really wanted to pay for the help then I should give the money to the club. I had to admire that about him, he had the brotherhood mentality if nothing else, though I found he wasn't so opposed to being paid in alcohol and sent him back to the clubhouse once a week with his pick of liquor.

While Jerry was finishing up with putting the bottles away I was taking down the chairs from the tables. I was half way across the room when the bar phone started ringing. I sighed as I started my way back across the room, Jerry probably couldn't hear the phone from the back and it was likely whoever was on the other end wanted me anyway. I gimped as quickly as I could since I didn't bring my crutches down with me this morning. Happy would likely grumbled if he knew, but I didn't much care when he wasn't around to catch me.

"The Crossed-Eyed Cricket." I answered, slightly out of breath when I finally got behind the bar.

"Where's the prospect?" Happy demanded shortly.

"Well hello to you, too." I snarked as I leaned against the bar.

"He's in the back, putting shit away. Can I take a message or do you need me to get him for you?" Happy grumbled with someone on the other end.

"Tell him we'll be there in five."

"Can you make it ten? It'll take me at least three just to get back there." I asked, even though I knew while I was asking that the answer was more than likely to be 'no'.

"Well then you better hurry and we both know you'd be faster if you used your crutch." The phone clicked before I could respond and I pulled the phone away from my ear to scowl at the receiver in my hand.

"Asshole." I grumbled as I slammed the phone back on the hook.

"Who's an asshole." Jerry asked as he came out of the back hallway.

"Happy. They're going to be here in five minutes. Can you do me a favor and grab my crutch from the top of the stairs?" I asked and Jerry smirked before disappearing back down the back hallway, he was gone only a minute before coming back with my crutch in hand. Jerry was more than aware that Happy and Kozik weren't impressed with my disregard for doctor's orders, but I'd sworn him to secrecy the first day he'd walked in and found me without my crutch. He wouldn't say a thing to the guys as long as they didn't directly ask, he refused to lie to them and I could respect that.