12 - Cajun Christmas

*We sent your bigger Christmas presents to the Cajun’s clubhouse. You know, new encyclopedias. – Sid*
Camille flew home for Christmas for nearly two weeks. But Christmas morning, her usual presents weren’t there. She knew why. A set of encyclopedias would not fit in her carry-on, and Trigg was not paying for extra baggage.
Especially since it was cheaper to ship them. She did get a new e-reader and it was already full of books that were bought with the gift cards that her brothers and sisters had given her. For fiction, she preferred fantasy because random facts stuck in her head from the encyclopedias. Nothing could ruin a good story worse than inaccuracies in the details.
When she flew out, Gator’s wife, Danielle, had taken her to the airport. Carrying her backpack through the airport after her return flight, Camille was glad to see Darkness.
Without thinking, she flung her arms around his neck. He crushed her small body into his and breathed a sigh of relief. Just having her back made him feel better. The past week and a half had been the longest year of his life. He had already decided that the next time she went home, he would go with her.
“Swamp Thang is outside making laps because he refuses to pay for parking.” He said as he sat her back on her feet.
Smiling at him, Camille laughed. “He’s an idiot. He’s probably wasted more gas than what parking would cost.”
“Yeah. Not one of the brightest.” He agreed. “Anything else?”
“Nope. Just the carry-on. That’s the advantage of having clothes at both places.” She gave a small laugh. “Pulled my sweats off just before we landed. It was snowing on our way to Boston.”
Chuckling, he grabbed her hand. “No snow down here. Well, maybe at the Daquiri Barn.”
“Still can’t believe you have drive-thru liquor stores.”
He held her hand without the dog lead in it and they went through the terminal to the door. It took a moment for Swamp Thang to get back around to them. They continued to discuss the virtues of the drive-thru Daquiri Barn. Darkness and Camille shared a laugh when they had to stop just outside the airport and get gas.
Camille used the pit stop as a chance to call home and let her parents know that she had arrived safely. Her father told her to call when she got into her new encyclopedias. She could see Sid rolling her eyes telling her to ignore him.
When they got back to the clubhouse, the brothers met her with a round of hugs. Even the club girls were happy to see her. Unlike most of the women affiliated with the brothers, Camille did not look down at them. After four years of living at the Shack and getting to know the club girls there, it just seemed natural to befriend the ones here too.
Even if her mom continuously reminded her that not all club bunnies were like the girls at the Shack.
“There were several boxes that came in for you while you were gone, Cher.” Gator said as he hugged her. “Some of them were fucking heavy. What the hell did you ship, damned bricks?”
“Kind of.” She laughed. “Will you go get the girls?”
“The club girls?” Gator asked confused.
“Unless some of them are secretly girls?” she jerked her thumb at the surprised group of brothers behind her.
“I don’t think so, but I also haven’t been in their pants.” He admitted.
“Is there a problem?” Joanne, the vice president’s girlfriend, asked.
“No. Darkness, Cougar, can you help me?” Camille started down the hall towards her room and the two men followed.
Unlocking her door, she pushed it open and found exactly what she expected to find. There were five boxes, four large and one about the size of a shoe box. She pointed to two of the larger boxes with her handwriting on the labels.
As the two men sat the boxes down, Cougar also asked if she mailed bricks. Shaking her head, Camille sat her own box on top of theirs.
“Wimp ass pussy.” She teased as she pulled out her pocketknife and sliced through the tape.
“Hey, that was fucking heavy!” he objected.
“I know. Who do you think took them in to be shipped?” she asked, pulling out a box wrapped in silver and blue snowflake paper. “All you boys got the same thing.”
She looked at the name on the tag and then started handing out the boxes. Moving to the next box, she continued until she neared the bottom and handed over silver and pink snowflake boxes to the few old ladies that talked to her. The last box had a few more boxes for the old ladies and the rest were for the club girls. More of the club girls talked to her than the old ladies.
“Did you make these?” Cypress asked, looking at the wooden toolbox with his road name engraved on the lid.
“No. I wrote out the names but Sticks and his crew did the work.” She said as she started to break down the big boxes.
“Same with these?” Danielle asked, holding her jewelry box.
“Yeah. I did get to push the button on the CNC for the necklaces.” Camille said as Joanne gasped.
She pulled out a gold chain with a purple pendant of a Louisiana outline and her initials in the center. “How did you get this color?”
“It’s called purple heart. That’s the natural color.”
“We got you something, too.” Rosie, the main club girl, said as she handed Camille a box. “It’s not near as nice as these.”
“You don’t ever get us anything.” Danielle sneered.
“I’ve seen the way you treat them.” Camille replied. “Allow me to remind you, they are still people.”
“But they’re sluts.” One of the girlfriends said.
“Unless you’re a virgin or only been with your husband,” Camille said pointedly, “you also qualify as such.”
“And you?” the same woman demanded.
“Me? My father taught me not to kiss and tell. Mainly because he doesn’t want to hear it. My mother on the other hand, wants more grandbabies.” Camille replied as she opened the box the club girls gave her and then laughed.
“I love it.” She said pulling out the miniature spinning wheel.
“When you fell asleep in the kitchen, we decided that you looked like a sleeping beauty.” Rosie said. “We made Tink some treats.”
At his name and treats, his head popped up from where he lay with his head between his front paws.
“Go on.” Camille laughed and he hopped up and followed the girls down the other hall.
“Holy crap! There’s tools in here too!” Swamp Thang said and suddenly all the guys were opening their toolboxes.
Camille couldn’t help but laugh as they all turned into little kids. They compared the different designs on the wooden handles of the various motorcycle mechanics tools.
“Wait… are these hand tooled?” Cougar asked as he looked at one of the screwdrivers.
She smiled at the group of men. “I did get to help finish one set at the forge. Pagan and his guys made the tools and then Sticks’ crew did the handles. The sockets and wrenches were bought, and handles added.”
Pushing up the sleeve on her T-shirt, she flexed to show off her muscles. “I got to pound out some of the hinges and latches. That was more brutal than weight day. And swimmers should not spend that much time in that kind of heat.”
“Cher, where have you been hiding those guns?” Gator asked.
“Please. I work out with the Devil Herself, Kevin would strangle me in a Nelson before making me push until Taz was tired.”
“Taz? As in *THE* Devil Herself?” Swamp Thang asked with wide eyes.
“Yeah, she’s got a fight down in New Orleans in February. I’ve got twenty tickets.”
Almost all the hands flew up into the air making her laugh.
“Cher, we might need more than twenty.”
“Twenty was the most I could get. Do a lottery for them.” She suggested as she stood up. “That’s what the Saints do for the general tickets.”
“Ok, so nineteen tickets-“
“Twenty.”
“Don’t you need one?” Swamp Thang asked.
Camille shook her head. “I’m working that night. I’ll be ringside.”
“Working, huh?” Cougar smirked as he eyed her up and down. “You going to be in a skimpy bikini?”
“Sweet Jesus.” She shook her head as she headed to her room and then returned with the last large box. As she sat the box down, she saw some of the brother looking at her in shock. “What? I lift.”
“Go ahead, Coug,” Darkness laughed, “ask her about the bikini again.”
“Don’t like bikini’s.” Camille admitted slicing the tape. “Might as well swim naked.” Pulling out an encyclopedia on the world’s religions, she winked at Cougar. “I like skinny dippin’.”