Test Drive (3 page)

“Shut up, dickheads.” Johnny glared. “Drink your beer, and let’s throw a few darts.”

He waited until Foley stepped to the line before he added, “Oh, and guess what Lara told me about Sue?” When Foley hit a lousy one
outside
the ring, Johnny smiled wide.

Foley rattled. Mission accomplished. Now to get in Lou’s headspace and win the game. He shot a glance at the bar, saw his favorite brunette laugh, and thought about strategy. About his endgame.

Because Johnny always played to win.

Chapter 2

Lara did her best to ignore her reaction to Johnny Devlin, grateful for the Friday night crowd, and struggled to catch a breath as she poured glass after glass and pitcher after pitcher. Someone selected some techno from the digital jukebox, so for a while she could groove to some decent music, not all that alternative crap Ray had added to appeal to the new stoner crowd they’d picked up.

She poured a few house beers, grabbed two domestics, and wiped down the bar. But despite herself, she found her gaze drawn to Johnny and his hulking gang. All four men commanded attention just by breathing. She couldn’t believe her friend Del had never tried to date any of the gorgeous guys who worked for her, but then Del was all about business. She’d never sex up an employee, because
she
had a head on her shoulders. Besides, she knew the guys.

Hell, Lara knew them too, but that didn’t stop her from constantly fantasizing about Johnny. Not John or Jonathon. He was a funny, sly, too-handsome-for-his-own-good
Johnny
.

She sighed and served another beer. After four years of working at Ray’s, she should have been past her infatuation. Talk about a bad boy with no promise of a tomorrow on the horizon. Still, the man had game.

Johnny could charm a snake out of its skin. He had height and lean muscle, not puffed up like his muscular buddies, but the build of an athlete, maybe a runner. Broad shoulders, ropy biceps, rock-solid forearms, and long, graceful fingers never failed to tempt her into wondering
what if
.

She shivered, too easily remembering the feel of one of those fingers over her hand. Not to mention his warm lips.
God.
She had been dreaming about his wicked mouth for far too long.

“Yo, Lara. Help Josie on tables, would you?” Ray, her boss, asked. The ex-prizefighter looked like a human punching bag who’d doled out his fair share of whoop ass, but he had a marshmallow for a heart.

“Sure thing.” She bustled to help Josie, giving herself an excuse to look at Johnny’s table now and again.

He probably didn’t style his hair, because it always looked like he’d just run his fingers through it. Sandy-brown, short on the sides and longer on the top, that silky hair framed a face almost too pretty to be masculine. He had longer lashes than she did, for cripes’ sake. Full lips, a square jaw, and aquiline nose hinted at a man of control and strong passion. For all his flirting, his mossy green eyes seemed sharp, able to see through subterfuge.

“Hey, sweetie, gimme a pitcher of Everly.”

She smiled as she worked, pleased to once more focus on her job. Two more rounds for the bikers in the corner, a food order for one of the regulars, and then she filled Sue’s tray with tequila shots and two nasty cocktails that would do better as gas for her car. Lara tried to stretch out her time, but she couldn’t help herself. She promised to get smelly guy a pitcher of the cheap crap Ray kept on tap for the fiscally impaired, then deliberately left her area to see if the guys needed anything.
From the bar
, she told herself.
Just the bar.

Now Foley and Sam were a pair. They towered over her and had muscle to spare. Foley was all charm and grins, Sam all dark intensity that oddly, made her feel safe. She was fascinated by their tatted arms, wondering when she’d find the courage to go under the gun. They treated her with respect while always giving her that sly once-over that told her they liked what they saw. Flattering and pleasing, because she could flirt back, but she knew they’d never take what she didn’t want to give.

Lou Cortez, on the other hand, made her a little uncomfortable. He seemed so domineering, so quiet and assessing all the time. He had a swarthy complexion and to-die-for brown eyes. Talk about handsome in a bottle. She wondered how hard someone would have to shake him to see him explode, because his powerful presence showed a distinct command of himself at all times.

Even now, while the others goaded Johnny, Lou sat back with a smirk on his face, as if laughing at a private joke.

“Look, Johnny, pretty Lara’s come to watch you choke.” Sam patted his knee and said to her, “Want a front-row seat?”

“I would but…” She nodded to the heavy tray on her arm. “This isn’t even my section, but since I like you guys, I thought I’d see if you needed anything.”

“Besides a brain for frick and frack?” Johnny said with a nod toward Foley and Sam. He stood at the line, holding a dart, sizing up the board.

Lou chuckled.

So did Lara. “Sorry, guys, that was funny.”

“Don’t encourage him.” Foley tipped back a beer. “Honey, would you mind bringing us another round? It’s sure to be on Devlin.”

“Whatever, loser.” Johnny launched the dart and hit the bull’s-eye. He let out a whoop. “That’s right, suckers. I am now too far ahead to catch. Though if you try hard, you guys might, and I mean
might
, reach Lou. You’re really sucking tonight, Lou.”

Lou sighed. “You know it’s bad when Sam’s close to tying me.”

“Hey.” Sam glared.

Lara grinned. “He’s just jealous of your manliness, Sam.”

“No shit.” Sam flexed biceps anyone with ovaries could appreciate.
Down, girl.

Yet her gaze sought Johnny again, as if drawn to him. Deliberately looking away, she asked Foley, “What are you having?” She accepted the pitcher from him and waited.

“Whatever’s the least expensive on tap,” Foley muttered.

“I’d suggest a step up from that one if you value your liver.”

“Fine.” Foley sighed. “He’s never going to shut up about this.”

“You are right about that.” Johnny smirked for all he was worth. “I think you’re lucky for me, Lara. Hurry back.”

She did her best not to ogle him like one of his pathetic groupies. A glance at a few regulars nearby told her the sharks had sensed attractive, eligible bachelors and were circling. Despite the danger signs on all four men, even Lara knew a prime male specimen could be forgiven a few run-ins with the law when he looked like any one of these guys.

Superficial, stupid, yet true.

She turned and left, forcing herself not to run.
Breathe in. Breathe out.
So pathetic that she had to work to regulate her breathing whenever Johnny was around.
Relax. He’s not looking at you.

But a glance over her shoulder showed she’d been wrong. Johnny was staring at her ass, a lazy look of pleasure on his face. When he glanced up and saw her watching him, he put a hand over his heart and blew her a kiss, then made the phone sign with his fingers and mouthed “Call me.”

She made her rounds and returned to the guys to drop off their drinks, just in time to catch Foley giving Johnny another ration of crap for not having the balls to ask her out. If only Foley knew… She pretended not to hear that last bit before turning to leave.

“Hey, Lara,” Johnny said.

The others with him quieted. Inwardly, she tensed, but she gave no outward appearance of anything amiss. She turned back around. “Yeah?”

“Add a basket of fries to Foley’s order, would you? A big one. We’re hungry.”

Both relieved yet oddly disappointed an offer for a date would not be coming her way tonight, she winked at Foley then left them to their taunting and one-upmanship.

Despite her fascination with Johnny, she knew without a doubt he would bring her nothing but trouble—the one thing she didn’t need. If she ever wanted to get out of this part of town, she needed to focus on her future, not on the potential for terrific sex with a philandering hottie who might or might not have a criminal record. The Websters did favor a particular type at the garage.

Lara didn’t discriminate. She knew better than most that second chances could be fleeting, and she had no problem making friends with those who’d gone through rough patches in their own lives. Hell, her sister could be the poster child for divorce; her parents had never had more than two nickels to rub together; and most of her cousins knew the inside of the county jail better than they knew their own homes. How she’d never ended up there, she still didn’t know.

You’re no better than any of these guys
, she told herself. After a pause, she had to add,
But I could be.

The arrogance of the thought shamed her. Then she watched a few of Ray’s regulars getting into yet another fistfight while their barfly girlfriends egged them on. Josie and Sue added to the commotion by placing bets, and the entire bar laughed and jeered, heightening the rowdy atmosphere.

Another Friday night in a long string of Friday nights at Ray’s.
If I don’t get a move on with my classes, I’ll never get out of here. Hell, that’ll be me betting on Judd, or maybe I’ll be the one
dating
Judd, just another girlfriend with a revolving door to anyone who can promise a better life.

Like Kristin. She sighed and started cleaning up around the bar. Her sister had married four times, was no doubt looking for a
fifth
Mr. Right, and could barely handle her own kids. Lara loved her nieces, but Jesus, they could be a handful. Four and eight going on thirty, the pair of them. If Kristin would stop looking for validation from anything with a penis and get a damn job, maybe Lara wouldn’t have to—

Her cell phone interrupted her thought before she lost herself down the rabbit hole of dysfunctional family. “Yeah?” she barked into it as she continued to wipe down the bar.

“Honey, it’s Mom.”

“Hi, Mom. I’m kind of busy, so—”

“I just wanted to let you know that Kristin got a new letter from Ron’s attorney. Looks like he might be willing to settle.”

Finally. The dickhead had money coming out his ass but refused to part with an extra five grand out of principle. What principle? That his cheating should somehow entitle him to a wife who shouldn’t care what he did? Even though the creep had tried hitting on his wife’s
own sister
? Ron gave her nothing but a bad vibe. “Good. The sooner he’s out of her life, the better.”

“He hasn’t been bothering you, has he?”

Not lately. “No, why?”

“He said something to Kristin. Never mind. I’m sure it’s nothing.”

Terrific. As if working at the bar, dealing with family, and her nursing classes weren’t draining enough, now she had to worry about Ron bugging her…
again
.

“Okay. Thanks. I’ve gotta get back to work. We’re slammed.”

“Right. Sorry for calling. Just wanted to make sure you’re okay.”

Lara heard noise in the background, the chatter of many people. “Are you at work?”

“I’m on break. Picked up some extra shifts this weekend.” Her mother sounded excited.

Lara closed her eyes, tired for all of them. Then she forced herself to sound happy. “Awesome news. I’ll see you tomorrow for lunch.” And not a moment before.

“Bye, honey.”

She tucked her phone back in her pocket and finished her shift. She told herself it was okay to appreciate the eye-candy playing darts but kept her distance. Lord knew she had a weakness when it came to Johnny. No sense showing him.

After closing, she walked out to her car with a few of the girls, then drove home to the ratty little apartment she could call her own. It might not be much, but it was all hers. The first thing in her life she could say that about. As usual, she couldn’t help feeling relief to be independent, finally.

Living with a family who struggled and worked hard to make ends meet, she’d never taken anything she had for granted. But without a higher education, she hadn’t been able to do much more than work just to pay the bills. Fortunately, she’d had a plan, even at the end of high school. One that had changed a few times, but still.

She just had to keep plugging away to make it happen.

Reaching her apartment complex in no time, she parked and darted into her building. After locking herself in and feeling safe despite the iffy nature of her neighbors, she took a quick shower to rid herself of the stale beer and hint of smoke she’d picked up from the “nonsmoking” restroom in Ray’s. Though the city had locked down on tobacco use, Ray didn’t always enforce the rules. To him, if he didn’t see it, it didn’t exist.

Her shower hit the spot. Now clean, she sank into her couch and put on some mind-numbing television. A sitcom she could laugh at would do the trick. Nothing that required too much thinking. She wrapped a blanket over herself and reclined on the couch. Like clockwork, her eyelids refused to stay open much past three a.m., and she let herself go.

Lara woke to a bright, chirpy Saturday morning. She took another shower just to wake up, then dressed in workout gear and brought along her books and a bag of casual clothes to change into later. She had plenty scheduled for the day. After lunch with the family, she had a study date with a few classmates, then dinner with Rena. And God, could she use the downtime.

Lately she felt frazzled. A weekend or a few nights off work would have helped, but she had too much coursework to do and work to manage so she could eventually pay off her tuition and books. Her student loans helped only so much. She knew it would be worth it in the long run, and she’d fully committed to nursing. But damn, a full course load and nights at Ray’s were draining her.

She drove her clunker of a car to Seward Park, needing a short run to relax. The two-point-four-mile loop would be just the thing today to de-stress her. She could feel the tension building at thoughts of lunch with the family. Mention of Ron last night had put her on edge. She hated that prick.

After a light stretch and grateful for the overcast weather, hoping it might keep many of the overeager running enthusiasts at bay, she set out on a leisurely jog.