Chapter 221: Plans
*Sometimes fate steps in to help after she knocks you on your ass. – Mike*
Standing from her chair, Rye stretched her arms high above her head and felt her back pop. The loose black t-shirt for a band she had never heard of rode up exposing pale flat abdominal muscles. She tugged down her shirt before running her hands through her short black hair.
Rye wore her hair in what her coworkers had called the Karen bob. Longer in the front, short in the back and her natural gray patch falling on her right side. It worked well with her oval face and required minimal effort.
She’d had a job interview this morning and still wore her makeup. Smokey purple eyeshadow and dark purple eyeliner brought out a bit of a purple tint to her pale blue, almost lavender, eyes. Light blush accented high round cheeks that could look better with more regular meals. Her full lips were dusky pink with a purple gloss over them.
Rye had walked over to refill her coffee when the large heavily tattooed biker walked into the room. Rye knew the type. After her dad had died, they had been around. A lot.
But only for one night. Never to be seen or heard from again.
She knew the type and stayed away from them. It was nothing less than utter shock when the man smiled at her and struck up a conversation.
“History?” he asked.
“Yes, sir.” She replied flatly.
“My wife teaches history at the high school.” He beamed. The man actually beamed. Everything about him lit up. “She can’t wait to get back to her kids. I’m pretty sure that half the high school was up her last night and today.”
Rye couldn’t help but smile back at him.
“Evie has been on bedrest since before Christmas. Our boys were about three weeks early, probably out of sympathy for their mom.”
“The twins?” Rye asked as she walked back to her table.
“Yeah.” He answered proudly. “Camden and David.”
She half expected him to pull out a wallet already full of pictures. Instead, he took his mug to the sink and washed it. After he finished with the large mug, he sat down at her table.
“Ink.” The man offered her a hand. Even his hands and fingers were tattooed.
“Rye.” She quickly squeezed his hand and then tried to return to her studies.
“I’m pretty good at reading people.” He said and she let out a sigh. “There’s some major stress around you.”
“I have no job, an infant and one of my last classes is make or break on my graduation.” She said exasperated. Shaking her head, she decided that she was tired and stressed. Why else would she be telling this to a stranger? And a man at that.
“What kind of a job are you looking for?” Ink asked as another biker walked in.
“What?” Rye asked surprised.
“What kind of job are you looking for?” He repeated.
Narrowing her eyes at him, she hissed out; “I’m not a whore.”
“Never said that you were.” He answered with a slight shake of his head. “You sound like you’re not from around here. Just trying to help.”
Her shoulders slumped and she looked and felt ashamed. “I’m sorry.”
“If I was a young lady from the south, up here, I’m assuming on your own, and was approached by someone who looked like me, I’d assume the worst also.” Ink grinned at her as the other man approached the table with a plate full of fruit and a thick sandwich cut in half. “She’s awake?”
“And starving.” The second man chuckled. The larger man turned his attention to Rye. “I’m Tank.”
“Rye.” She said, accepting his hand.
“Our wife had twins yesterday.” He beamed proudly just as Ink had. And they both looked at her expectantly.
“I have the little guy in back.” Rye was not surprised when both sets of eyes flicked to her arms looking for tracks. “My sister had him, but he’s mine now. If…” She trailed off, tears filling her eyes, afraid that she would fail little Michael.
“If you can find a job.” Tank said.
Rye nodded and brushed away tears with the back of her hands. “I need a job that pays well enough to take care of an infant, pay rent and daycare. Insurance would be great.”
“There’s a new daycare that is opening up next month.” Ink told her. “They are doing interviews this week. We know the owners; we can get you an interview.”
“No offense, why? You don’t know me from Adam. And I could be playing you.”
“Take this to our woman.” Tank said handing the plate to Ink. “I’ll talk to Rye; you seem to scare her.”
“And you don’t?” he asked standing up.
“It’s my colorful personality.” Tank said as Ink winked at her as left the room.
Tank sat in the chair and studied the younger woman. “I work for a security company that provides protection for abused women. We also do the security for the daycare. It’s where our boys will be going. If either of us thought that you were bullshitting us, Ink would not be talking to you.”
“I’m sorry. I’m not used to…” She huffed out a breath. “I don’t have good experiences with men. And I’m not used to getting offers of help.”
Tank grunted and pulled her notepad and pen towards him. After finding the number in his phone, he scribbled on the lower corner. “Talk to Karan. She’ll get you in for an interview. I gave you our numbers also. Our wife is also a teacher.”
He grinned at her confused look. “My little brother is in college for his teaching degree.”
“Oh.” She blushed.
He stood up and rested a gentle hand on her shoulder. “I promise, not all of us are assholes. Some of us just need a good woman to straighten out our lives.”
“Miss Lynch?” the family services caseworker said as she entered the room.
She was probably in her late forties with the beginning of crow’s feet and laugh lines. Gray hair was sprinkled in her brown curls that were being confined in a tight ponytail. The skirt suit that she wore was smoky blue with black lace peeking out of the buttoned blazer. Nude tights covered her legs and black kitten heels graced her feet.
Her honey brown eyes were friendly, but tired. And her thin pink lips were pursed together.
Rye stood up and smiled at her, hiding her fear. Something she’d learned to do years ago. “Yes, ma’am.”
Tank walked towards the door, nodding at the caseworker. “Miss Walker.”
The woman gave a small nod herself before coming and sitting at the table with Rye.
“I see that you have completed all of your classes already.” She gave a friendly smile. “I’m impressed with how quick you got through those.”
Motioning to the laptop and book on the table. “Classes are something that I’m used to.”
“How is the job search going?”
“Not so great. But Mr.… umm.”
“Tank.” Miss Walker chuckled. “I’ve known him for years and I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone call him by anything other than Tank.”
“Okay, well, Mr. Tank suggested that I check out a daycare.”
“The Clubhouse.” She nodded. “From what I understand, they are already full and don’t even open until next month.”
“Are they that good?” Rye asked surprised.
“Not sure, this is the first daycare that they have done. But the other businesses are good, with great benefits. I have worked with them on several charities.”
“I just talked to Michael’s doctor about his detox program.” Sadness filled the older woman’s voice as tears filled Ryes eyes. “They are progressing as well as can be expected. It’s still a long road. And, we are going to have to start doing UAs on you.”
“Okay, what’s a UA?” Rye asked confused.
“Urine Analysis. A drug screening.” Donna explained and found her honest naïveté refreshing. “It’s standard with a family member taking an addicted infant.”
Rye stopped herself from asking why the woman didn’t just call it a piss test. “Okay, what do I need to do?”
Sheila explained where she would need to go. Then she went through the process. If this girl did not know what a UA was, she probably did not know that someone would watch her pee.
Rye thought that she knew all about that side of addiction. Suddenly she wondered how her mother and sister had passed the piss tests. They went over the next steps of getting Leigh Anne’s parental rights terminated. After that they would move from guardianship to adoption.
When the older woman left, Rye felt better about the process. Now, she just needed to find a job. Grabbing the notepad, she called and scheduled an interview with Karan.
