Authors: Marie Harte
The guys circled him.
“Not sure what you mean.”
“So you what? Banged into a door for that shiner?” Lou asked.
Sam just stared at his bruised cheekbone.
“What shiner? It’s a little purple,” Johnny scoffed.
Foley laughed. “Yeah, right. So give us a play-by-play. Did you break the fucker’s nose or what?”
Johnny sighed. “Rena told, didn’t she?”
“Yep. Sang like a canary.” Lou grinned. “I barely had to ask her. At least you won.”
“So what exactly happened?” Sam asked.
“Some dickhead tried to force himself on Lara, so I broke his face.”
“Huh.” Foley looked at him.
“What?”
“You actually beat someone in a fight. I’m proud of you, little guy.”
Sam snickered, and Lou laughed.
“Little guy? I’m six-two, Foley. Just because you guys bulk up to mask your”—
spot of genius here
—“
embarrassing
size doesn’t mean we all need to.”
Sam frowned. “Embarrassing size? What?”
“Sue told me about it,” Johnny lied. “You know, Foley, how you’re small. Down there.” He glanced at Foley’s crotch.
Sam and Lou stared, wide-eyed.
Foley’s brows shot sky-high. “She
said
that?”
“No, but you look scared. Did I hit a nerve or what?”
Foley took two steps toward him, and Johnny raced back toward his station. “Back to work, no-neck. You too, Sam. And Lou.”
“Asshole,” Foley growled, then turned on his heel and went back to work.
Lou gave him a thumbs-up, and even Sam gave a nod of approval.
Later, while Johnny was cleaning up, Lou joined him and sat to watch. “So. You and Lara.”
Johnny shrugged. “I like her, and she didn’t appreciate some jerk pawing her. Neither did I.”
“Surprised you left his head on.”
“Me too. But Lara and Ray insisted.”
“Rena too.” Lou gave him a toothy grin. “She told me.”
“Rena.” He huffed. Lou didn’t move. “Go ahead and say whatever it is you want to say.”
“You. And Lara.”
Johnny noticed Foley and Sam watching him. Everyone had gone silent.
“There is no me and Lara.” He didn’t want the guys to know about his date, and he felt weird because he wanted to keep it a secret. “So I helped her. So what?”
Foley shook his head. “Brother, we know better than that.”
“Not to change the subject, but my dad needs some help this weekend to—”
“Sure thing.” Foley nodded.
“Count me in, too,” Sam agreed.
Johnny shook his head. “Naked women, and you’re all agreeable.”
“And?” Sam just stared at him.
Predictable. “What about you, Lou? You want to hang out at the club?”
“Nah. Got some things to do this weekend. But if you want to grab a quick brew, call me.”
“Will do.”
“I mean, you’ll want someone to talk to after you blow it with Lara. I have no doubt you’ll manage to ‘run into’ her again. Just to check on her, I’ll bet.” Lou winked.
Johnny flipped him off, secretly counting down the hours until his date.
Chapter 6
Lara had wiped her palms on her jeans four times already. She checked her phone again. Another ten minutes and Johnny would be picking her up. God, she hadn’t been so nervous for a date since tenth grade, when Mitch Hannah had asked her out. Her first date, and she’d been both thrilled and scared.
Kind of like how she felt now. She took a few deep breaths and tried not to think too hard. It was just Johnny. Her friend. The guy who’d pounded Ron for her. No big deal.
So why couldn’t she settle down?
She wondered about her outfit and continued to stare at herself in the mirror. Though Seattle had officially started fall a week and a half ago, it sure felt as if winter had come early. The weather had shifted from freakishly, overly warm to freeze-your-butt cold in the span of a few days. So she’d decided on a pair of decent-enough jeans, boots, and an overlarge red sweater that hung off one shoulder. It made her feel sexy without revealing too much. A bare shoulder was no big deal. She’d vetoed several other shirts because the cleavage would give him the wrong impression, or at least an impression she knew better than to give.
She wanted him.
Bad.
But sex with Johnny might hurt her in the long run. She could see it now—they’d have sex, she’d confuse it for love, end up falling for him, then get dumped, gently—because Johnny was nothing if not a gentleman. Work at Ray’s would be brutal, seeing him flirt with other women while he went back to being “just friends” with her.
So why bother going out with him? Because she couldn’t help herself. She couldn’t stop thinking about him. Especially how endearing he’d been, swearing up and down how she didn’t owe him. Not exactly the actions of a man who just wanted in her pants. Most of the guys she knew would have used anything to their advantage to get with her.
She hadn’t dated terrible people. A few had been questionable, but most of her exes just hadn’t interested her enough. The past few years she’d aspired to make something of herself, and that meant putting a relationship on the back burner. The guys she’d dated hadn’t been able to handle not being number one in her life. Truth to tell, if they’d been more remarkable, she might have put them first. Johnny, though, had that something that made her wonder. Could she lose herself in someone like him? He was certainly one of the best-looking dates she’d ever had—have.
He’s not here yet. Maybe he’ll back out.
Disappointment, not relief, filled her at the thought. “Gah.”
Yep, Johnny definitely intrigued her more than anyone else ever had.
A knock sounded at her door, and she nearly jumped out of her skin.
She deliberately took her time answering it. “Hi.”
Johnny just stared at her.
Self-conscious and annoyed with herself for it, she raised a brow and pretended to be confident. “I’ll try again. Hello there.” She stepped back to let him inside, then shut the door behind him.
“You, ah, I’ve never seen you with your hair down before. It’s nice.” As he said it, he scowled.
“Then why do you look disgusted?”
He blew out a breath. “It’s not you, it’s me.”
It sure was. He filled out a pair of black jeans amazingly well. He wore a beaten leather jacket over what looked like a button-down shirt. Not a T-shirt, but a dress shirt with an actual collar and buttons.
Her mouth dried. “Isn’t it a little early for the ‘it’s not you, it’s me’ speech?”
He blinked, then grinned. “Yeah, that’s supposed to be
your
line when you dump me after dinner. I figure if I can actually get you to the movie, I’ll qualify the night as a success.”
She smiled, feeling more at ease. “Unless you act like a complete idiot, I’m pretty sure I’ll stick around for the movie.”
He waited for her to grab her purse and don a jacket, then they left after she locked her door. He asked, “So what movie did you pick?”
He’d left the movie up to her, but he’d chosen the restaurant. She didn’t know if she wanted him to pay, or even if he’d offer. It was always a toss-up to see how she felt about her date and his intentions, and she used the bill as a marker of his suitability. A nice guy with more than lint in his pockets would offer to pay.
And once again, growing up a hairsbreadth from poverty put money at the forefront of her thoughts. Although…she’d heard from a lot of friends that the true measure of a guy could often be found in the way he handled his money. Maybe she wasn’t totally off the mark.
“I decided on something fun,” she answered, thinking of the movie she wanted to see.
“Please no chick-flick. Please no chick-flick,” he said under his breath, but loud enough to be heard.
She laughed. “I was thinking more along the lines of that new horror flick. The one about the possessed doll and the Ouija board?”
He lit up. “I was wanting to see that.”
“Oh good. I passed the test. Your turn. What did you pick for dinner?”
He guided her to his car and opened the door for her. He stepped away for her to enter, but not far enough. She had to brush by him to get in, and the feel of him so close set those butterflies in her stomach to flying faster.
Once she’d buckled in, he crouched down and stared her in the eye. She saw his gaze pass over her face, her hair, and center on her mouth before he met her eyes again.
“Dinner?” she asked, wishing she didn’t sound so breathy.
“You’ll see.” He winked, stood, then shut her door.
He whisked them off to their mystery restaurant in no time, and to her surprise, they listened to classic rock in companionable silence, enjoying the crisp evening.
“I know you like seafood, so I thought we’d go here,” he said as they pulled into the parking lot.
“Oh, Ray’s Café. I love this place.” A very different Ray’s from the bar where she worked. Rena and Del had treated her to Ray’s Café last year on her birthday. It wasn’t superexpensive and had amazing food, but it was a place she had to budget to frequent. “You like seafood?”
“Shrimp is my thing.” He escorted her inside. “But I’m also a steak guy.”
“You must have quite a grocery bill.”
“Well now, I didn’t say I cooked it. Just that I like to eat it.” They came to the host. “Oh, hey, Lisa.”
The older woman at the front smiled at them. “Johnny. Great to see you.” She nodded to Lara. “Welcome to Ray’s. I have your table. Follow me.”
They sat and were soon given water, rolls, and menus. Their table by the window overlooked Puget Sound and the setting sun over the Olympic Mountains. Purple clouds dotted a pink-and-blue sky darkening as the sun set. Dappled sunlight glistened off the water, reflecting prisms of color that dazzled as she watched. A few birds wheeled overhead, adding to the natural splendor, while the mountains stood fast, anchoring the beauty all around.
“Gorgeous view.” She couldn’t take her eyes from it.
“Yeah, I know.”
She turned back to him and saw him focused on her, not the window. “And, um, stellar service. Nice that we got such a great table without a wait.” The restaurant looked crowded. Only a few unoccupied tables.
Johnny shrugged. “I worked on Lisa’s car a few times. Her husband has a cherry ’Vette.” He took a sip of water. “I also made reservations. Lisa and I aren’t
that
tight.” He grinned. “No need to be jealous.”
She huffed her derision. “Please.” She glanced at the menu and revised her idea of eating whatever she wanted. Between dinner and the movie, she’d have to pull some serious overtime at the bar.
She glanced up and saw him staring at her, so she buried her nose in the menu again.
“I’m buying, so eat up.”
She looked over at him. “Lobster it is.”
He chuckled. “Go for it. Might as well. I don’t offer to buy all that often.”
“No, you’re too busy winning at darts and making the guys pay for you.”
“Yeah. I’m damn good.” He wiggled his brows. “Now figure out what you’re gonna eat. We don’t have all night, or we’ll miss the movie.”
And somehow, because he didn’t seem to be trying too hard to impress her, she started to relax. She chose some crab cake sliders while he ordered the blackened rockfish and an appetizer for them to share. His dinner cost more, so she felt better about things.
“You don’t want a drink?” he asked after ordering a beer.
“Water is fine for me.” At his look, she said, “I’m a social drinker. But I like water with meals.”
“So what? I’m not social enough for you?”
“I’m trying to keep my wits, Mr. Charm. Besides, water is free. You can thank me later when you’re buying me a tub of popcorn at the movies.”
“Is that right?”
“Yeah. I’ll buy our tickets, but you’re in charge of food.” She gave him a big smile. “And I eat a lot.”
He gave her an assessing once-over. “It’s going to all the right places.” He rubbed his heart. “Oh boy, is it.”
“Stop. I’m wearing a sweater, for God’s sake.”
“Yeah, but ever since I found out you’re going to be a nurse, I keep envisioning you in those naughty nurse outfits. How about it? Make my year and wear one in a few weeks for Halloween.”
“Because a tiny white skirt, garters, and cleavage screams professional.” She snorted. “Tell you what. I’ll be a naughty nurse if you’ll be a hunky mechanic. No shirt, just jeans and some manly sweat. Maybe even a dab of grease on your face to look authentic. Yeah, man-candy all the way.”
“Done.” He held out a hand across the table.
She stared at it. “What’s this?”
“A deal. Shake on it.”
She took his hand, her entire body flaming at his touch. He gripped her and pumped once, then let her go. Boy was she needing to get laid if a simple handshake turned her on.
He smiled at her. “I can’t wait.”
“I was joking.”
“I wasn’t.”
The waiter returned with an appetizer of calamari, and they both ate while they asked each other questions. To her surprise, she and Johnny had quite a bit in common. They both lived alone, worked long hours, and enjoyed hanging with friends.
“Favorite color?” she asked.
“Black. You?”
“Red.”
He nodded. “Figured.”
“How’s that?”
“I can just tell.”
“Sure you can.” She ate another bite of delicately battered squid. “Do you like all kinds of music or just classic rock?”
“Actually, I’m a fan of electronic dance music. Classic rock is manly. Trance and techno more fun.”
“Hmm.”
“What?”
She studied him, looking for signs of subterfuge. He kept liking the same things she did. “I like EDM too.”
“Shows you have good taste in music.” He pushed the last two pieces of their appetizer toward her. “Eat up. You need to save your energy for later.”
She’d wondered if he’d try something at some point. Though disappointed, part of her felt relieved he was acting true to type. “Is that right?”
He managed to look wounded, his deep green eyes practically mournful, despite the glow of revelry in them. “Now, Lara, I have a feeling you’re misreading me.”
“Oh?”
“I just meant that after the movie you’re going to be all pumped up. So when we hit that all-night batting cage, you’ll need your strength.”