Bulldog - Hope Ford Page 0,1

trying to convince me that I need to go, but I keep refusing. I’ve never been there, I don’t even think I’ve driven by it, but I know it’s not my thing.

The rest of the day goes by in a blur. I keep having this nagging feeling in the pit of my stomach. It’s like I’m hyper aware that I need a change, I just don’t know what that is. But I’m doing my best to ignore it.

My phone dings on my desk and I pick it up.

Ugh. A text from Charlie, my ex-husband.

Don’t forget Friday night. I need you to help me host the dinner for the Seneca Bar Association.

My mouth drops and I start typing furiously. We’re not married. I’m not hosting anything.

I almost text him to have his girlfriend, Chloe, help him, but by texting that it would imply I care that he has a girlfriend, which I do not.

I put my phone down and it dings again. I scan it quickly and type back, I can’t. I have plans.

And before he can respond, I type out a group text to Tamara, Carrie, and Bryce. I’m in. Ride or Die!

I take a deep breath and push the send button. A few seconds go by and I hear a whoop from an office down the hall. Yep, pretty sure that was Tamara. Followed by laughter from Carrie and Bryce. They all chime in and my phone starts blowing up.

Yes!

Alright!

You are going to be glad you did!

I chuckle, send them all a heart emoji, and then I get back to work. But I still can’t stop shaking my head. Who names their bar the Ride or Die? I mean, it seems pretty ominous to me.

My luck, it’s probably a bunch of overweight, balding men that get together on weekends wishing they were real bikers. Regardless, it’s probably not really dangerous, and it will be interesting if nothing else.

2

Bulldog

Seventies rock is blaring from the ol’ jukebox. It’s a Friday night and the bar is already hopping and it’s only nine o’clock. Working as the bouncer for the Ride or Die is never boring. There’s always the same crew here, but it seems lately there’s more and more outsiders showing up. It’s a biker bar, after all, but tonight there’s all kinds of people here.

Candace, a woman that comes in pretty regularly, has her arm on me and I know all I have to do is say the word. She’d go out with me—on a date, to the backroom, whatever I wanted. But just looking at her, I know she would be temporary and I’m starting to wish that the women in my life weren’t so fleeting. It’s not like they’re wanting to exit my life. I’m the one with the walls up. It’s just that the women I meet don’t seem to have any substance to them. It seems that a lot of the guys of the Heartlands MC are settling down and I can’t help but be a little jealous of what they’ve found. I’ve never seen them happier. But regardless, I know Candace is not what I want. So I dismiss her with a shrug of my head and then go back to looking at one table across the room.

I stare over at the four women that came in a little while ago. Well, actually I’m only looking at one of them. I don’t know what it is that the women I’ve been kicking to the curb are missing exactly, but whatever it is, the woman that I can’t seem to look away from has it. I knew when they came in they didn’t belong here. I mean, they all dressed the part, well except for her. The beautiful redhead with the green eyes. She has on a long, fitted skirt and button-down shirt that is almost buttoned to the very top. The rest of the ladies have on short skirts and belly-baring shirts, and it’s obvious they’re looking for a good time. But my girl is sitting there, watching everything, and seems to be taking it all in. I wait for a look of disgust or even a lift of her nose, but she doesn’t. She seems to just be observing it all.

I almost walk over to her table a dozen times, but for the first time in a long time I’m not quite sure how to approach her. I watch her with her friends, and it’s obvious that she’s the responsible one of the group, keeping