Cyrus (22 page)

She looked up at me and then quickly down as
she unbuttoned her pants and then she did this little thing with
her hips as she wiggled them off. And yes, I wanted her on my cock
when she did that little wiggle and no this wasn’t the time or the
place to be thinking about that.

“You need some help?”

She laughed as she hopped around on one foot
trying to pull her leg free, “No I think I can do this.”

I wanted to do that, real fucking bad. Those
little blue lace panties were so hot, just like the green ones,
just like anything that covered the hottest little pussy I had ever
touched. It was that right? I was whipped by that sweet little
cunt, not the girl… and I could deal with that.

“Cyrus?”

My eyes swept up slowly, I wasn’t even going
to try to hide that I had been looking at her, what was the
point?

“Yeah Birdie let’s do this. Hop that fine,
fine little ass up on the table.”

She smirked, “If we’re gonna be friends do
you think you should talk to me like that?”

“You were supposed to work on being ugly. I
can’t hold up my end of the deal if you’re not gonna.”

“Yeah.” She grinned and looked away.

“Lay back now Birdie. I wanna show you what
I’m gonna do to you.”

She laid back and I grabbed a blanket out of
the cupboard and covered her, and no-- I didn’t want to.

I grabbed a little white board and a marker,
I drew a circle and the plus. “This is what we’re working with. I
want to do a bird cage, small dainty like you. But the pisser is
the circle should be filled in. I was thinking not completely but,
swirls like this, thicker over the plus sign and smaller off of it.
The door of the bird cage has to be open and at some page in the
future, probably not today, a bird taking flight away from its
cage. What do you think?”

She swallowed and smiled, “I think it’s
perfect.”

“I am gonna go fast, get this done before
Kat and the others get here. What music do you like?”

“Um anything, everything. It really doesn’t
matter.”

“It matters, Metal, Rock, Pop, come on girl
you have to have an opinion on something Birdie. What do you like?
What gets to you?”

I know I was a little on edge, okay a lot on
edge but I was nearing completion on what I promised her. She had a
place, a job, a life where she got to take charge and control of
her destiny. She was safe, she didn’t even realize how safe yet.
Tony was long gone, last I checked George said he was in the
mid-west, Missouri. That’s where he was from before he ran away
from home at sixteen. Fucked up story, as much as I hated that
bastard and would rip his throat out if he ever came back here, I
really hoped he could get his shit together. I despised weak fucks
who let drugs take over their whole lives. And now, Birdie’s tattoo
was getting fixed. Promise fulfilled, job well done soldier.

“Hey, did you hear me?” Birdie sat up and
looked at me.

“No, sorry I was just thinking.”

She smiled, “Thinking is good right? Why be
sorry about it?”

“Music Birdie, choose now.”

“Rock.”

“That’s perfect.”

I turned on the tunes and grabbed my
tools.

“Let’s get this shit done,” I clapped my
hands together and rubbed them fast and hard heating them up, “You
cold?”

“Nope, let’s get this over.”

She was nervous, cute as shit but I wanted
her strong, tough, I didn’t want anything to ever cage her
again.

I started when Alice in Chains
Voices
did, love this tune. Definitely something to focus on cause the
damn voices in my head were perverted, unruly teenage boys lately.
I was jerking off these days!? What the fuck was that about.

The song ended and I looked up at Birdie,
“How we doing?”

“Good, you like that song?”

“Yeah I do.”

Stone Sour
Tired
was rocking in my
head until Birdie giggled.

I sat up and looked at her, “Tickle?”

“No, did they just sing pulling down my
little penis?”

“What?!” she was laughing and now I was.

“I am almost positive he sang pulling down
my little penis.”

“Nah Birdie, Pulling down a little piece,”
which was just as bad, all I could think is little penis and her
little piece that my forearm was resting on, “Can you keep it
together so I don’t fuck this up?”

“Sure, I’ll try,” she smiled as she laid
back down.

It was quiet for a few minutes and she let
out a slow deep breath.

“You alright?”

“Am I allowed to talk?”

“Talk not laugh. What’s up?”

“The beginning of this song said your
name.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Yep.”

“Sirens Birdie, It’s called Sirens.”

“Nope they said Cyrus.”

“Alright Birdie, so far you’ve talked about
a song that said pull my little penis down and now this one has my
name?”

“Yes but by noooooo way are the two
connected,” she started giggling and I stopped. She propped herself
up on her elbows and looked at me, “No way connected.”

“Would you lay your ass down and let me do
this? Damn you’re full of it today.”

“No, I’m just happy.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Yep, my good friend Sirens,” she stopped
and laughed, “Well Cyrus did the sweetest thing for me.”

“He’s not sweet,” I reminded her because
obviously she wasn’t getting it. I was a dick.

“Well anyway, I feel free. Your niece played
a big part in that too. If she can smile, and laugh, and be happy…
so can I. Someone loved me once, two people loved me.”

“Of course they did Birdie, they do,” I had
to look away from those eyes right now or I might actually say shit
I regretted or cry like a little bitch. My fucking chest actually
burned. I wanted to leave the room, I needed a fucking minute, but
I couldn’t leave her.

“There’s regret, deep regret that I didn’t
trust my feelings about Tony. That I felt I needed him to …well it
doesn’t matter that’s the past. All of it’s in the past, thanks to
you. After you fell asleep last night I went through the boxes, all
of them and I remembered,” tears welled in her eyes. “The dreams
that I had at night Cyrus, were real, they weren’t imagined. I know
my Dad used to take me fishing. He worked at a training facility
for the division for youth, I remember going there when he played
basketball on Sunday’s. My Mom danced, well on Saturdays she taught
dance and she danced with me all the time. She did give me
breakfast in bed, did you know that?”

“Yeah Birdie I saw the picture, both of you
had crowns on.”

“It was mother’s day, I remember it because
I wanted to make her breakfast in bed and give her the card I had
made in kindergarten and she made me breakfast instead. ‘It’s both
our days Tara, I’m a Mom because of you,’ I remember that.”

I reached up and wiped her tears and she
laughed, I must have looked nervous because she told me they were
not tears of pain but of joy.

The ocean’s release
, I
understood.

The song
Wait for Me
played when I
was cleaning up. She was looking in the wall mirror swaying those
little hips, she was happy.

“I love it,” I looked over at her, “You
can’t even see the other.”

“I’m glad you’re happy with it,” and then
she hugged me and kissed my nose.

What the hell was it with her kissing my
nose? Why the hell did it make me feel like a child?

“Let’s go get something to eat,” I took her
hand and walked out the door as Kat was walking in.

“You are alive?” Kat gave her best effort to
smile.

“Yeah, but Charlotte isn’t well so do me a
favor and see who we can get to cover Momma’s, Jase, and my shifts
for a week,” I let go of Birdie’s hand and started the computer up,
“Kat this is Tara, Tara Kat.”

“Pleasure,” Kat nodded.

“Pain,” Tara nodded.

“Excuse me?” Kat snapped a little and I
looked up from the desk and saw Tara smirk, she was coming out of
her shell.

“I just got a tattoo fixed. You said
pleasure and all I could think was pain,” Tara smiled at her.

“Oh, you’re the girl they’ve been looking
for.”

“Kat watch it,” I snapped.

“What’s that supposed to mean!” she snapped
back.

I looked past her, “Tara, I wouldn’t say she
doesn’t mean to be a bitch but obviously she does. She pulled the
same shit on Carly the first time she met her. If you ignore her
she’ll go away.”

“So we keeping this one too?”

“She’s a family friend Kat, if that’s what
your insinuating,” I motioned her over, “Only about twenty hours to
fill, can you figure it out?”

“We need more people, my artistic visions
are going to shit lately. We’re tired Cyrus.”

“Fine, Zandor’s home for a while…. I’m sure
he’ll want to play a little in here. After I talk to them, I’ll get
back to you.”

“Why do you guys even bother with this place
anymore? You’re fucking rich and own a dozen companies. It’s not
like you need this place-- why not sell it?”

“This is our place Kat, always will be. As
far as tired goes, I put in sixty hours plus at Steel and then my
weekends and a few nights a week I’m a hundred percent here, so
don’t ever complain about tired to me. I get it may drain you
artistically, but if you don’t want this anymore that’s your
choice. Just say the word.”

“Listen Cyrus….”

“No, you should be feeling just fine today,
you had Friday and Saturday off. If you’re talking shit because you
played too hard this weekend fine, but you don’t make those choices
here. Look at the fucking sign out there ‘Forever Steel’ Kat. Again
do what you can to fill hours. Email me and let me know what we
need to fill. I’ll talk it over with Momma and be back at
close.”

~

She fucking pissed me off, I grabbed
Birdie’s hand and walked towards the door and she stopped me, “Are
these yours?”

I looked up at Mommas little room dedicated
to her children’s art, “Most Moms put shit on refrigerators, Joe
Steel builds a mini museum. Let’s get the hell out of here before I
do something I regret.”

I opened the door for her, yeah I did, not
even thinking and she curtsied, “Thank you kind sir.” Before
jumping in.

I started the Jeep and the song
Wait for
Me
by Kings of Leon started. She reached over and turned it up
and reclined the seat back and propped her feet on the dash. She
lifted her shirt and unbuttoned her pants and rubbed around the
gauze.

“Does it itch?”

“A little,” she looked up and smiled, “Thank
you, I really like this.”

“You sure?”

“Yes, very sure. It’s beautiful.”

“Kings of Leon,” I had to say something to
switch the subject.

She laughed and finally covered herself and
sat up, “What?”

“Their new song, haven’t heard it yet. I
love the band.”

She just smiled and nodded
, beautiful
fucking Birdie
.

I knew what I needed to do for her, and it
was gonna be real fucking hard.

Passing

He was oddly quiet on our way back and his
phone rang. He tapped the button, “It’s Cyrus you’re on
speaker.”

“She’s gone man,” I knew it was Jase.

“What do you need from me?”

“Not sure, just wanted to let you know. You
gonna be able to work tomorrow? You feeling better?”

“Like a champ Jase. Strong and here, I’ll be
at Steel in the morning, take all the time you need. Listen I don’t
want to lay this all on you now but Kat is getting burnt and I’m
sure the others are as well. I wanna do some hiring, you okay with
that?”

“Hell yes! Life’s too damn busy. I just
thought you would freak if I mentioned it. Set shit up, do what you
need to do. Zandor’s home he can help interview. Get the ball
rolling. Just keep in mind we will have calling hours and a funeral
in a couple days.”

“I’ll be there.”

“I know you will. When did you talk to
Kat?”

“Just left a few minutes ago, she was a rag
to Tara. SO I may have been a bit harsh. Either way she needs to
reel it in, crazy fucking talented, but damn.”

“You fix the tattoo?”

Jase sounded a little off when he asked.

“Yeah man I did,” Cyrus’ tone mimicked
his.

“Alright man, think it through…”

“Jase! I will talk to you soon,” Cyrus
snapped at him.

Jase laughed, “Sure, talk to you soon.”

“Hey,” I felt weird about interrupting but I
couldn’t help it, “How is Bella?”

Jase laughed, “She’s great Tara, and
apparently she has a magic blanket…”

“She does,” I was happy it helped, “And
Carly and Joe, how are they?”

“They’re girls Tara, they’re crying…a lot. I
had to get out of there. But I left them in good hands, my Little
Bell and Zandor have got it covered for a few minutes.”

Cyrus laughed, “They’re taking care of Momma
and Carly?”

“They are,” Jase let out a long harsh
breath, “Get shit done Cyrus, and Tara good luck tomorrow. Shorts
and a tank top is really the uniform?”

“Sure is, tight stuff too. I wonder who was
in charge of picking those out. I grabbed a size bigger just
because it felt almost obscene.”

Jase laughed loudly, “Must be a man.”

“Has to be, probably a purvey old man at
that.”

Jase roared and I laughed too. I looked at
Cyrus and his face was expressionless.

“If Bella needs a place to hang out I’m
available.”

“Thanks Tara, we may take you up on
that.”

~

We pulled in the driveway, “What exactly is
your job there?”

“Trainer, which I have never done, but they
seem to think I qualify. I was applying for the receptionist
position but I guess this was available as well. I did some after
school clubs when I was in high school at the Y for the younger
kids and they said I would be perfect.”