“Are you about ready to head home?” Hannah asked.
“Sure,” I answered as I made a quick scan of the room. Luke had disappeared.
I followed Hannah and Trey through the club and out the front door. The fresh air immediately helped calm my nerves.
“Let's go to Cheesy's before we go home.”
“Are you serious?” I asked. “I thought we were on another diet.”
Cheesy's was a greasy diner close to our apartment. They served the best cheese fries and were open twenty-four hours a day.
“It can start tomorrow.” She shrugged.
“Sounds good to me,” Trey spoke up as he held the door open for the cab.
I rolled my eyes as I climbed into the far side of the backseat. Hannah had never been a relationship girl. She liked to have her fun but never settled down for long. Trey was tall and all lean muscle and seemed like he was interested in more than one night with my friend. He seemed nice enough, and a part of me was hoping she would give him a chance to stick around.
The cab dropped us off, and we were soon seated in a red vinyl booth with burgers and cheese fries in front of each of us.
“What were you trying to tell me earlier?” Hannah asked between bites.
“I'll tell you later.” I gave her a look letting her know to drop it. Trey obviously knew Luke, and I didn't want him to tell him I was talking about him. Wait, why did I care. I should ask him about Luke now.
“So what's the deal with your hot, angry friend?” Hannah turned to Trey, beating me to the questions.
“Who?” he laughed.
“The one standing next to our table. He looked pissed.”
I sat in silence and listened as this conversation took place in front of me.
“Oh Luke. He's always pretty tense when the bar is busy like that. Who knows what his deal was tonight.”
“He was staring at Riley,” she said matter-of-fact.
“No he wasn't.” I nearly choked on my Coke.
“Um, yeah he was.” She reached for more cheese fries. “It was getting tense in there.”
“Shut up.” My face was burning red.
“Just saying.” She laughed and leaned into Trey.
“I have his number if you want it.” He reached for his phone.
“I hate you both.” I stood up and placed some cash on the table. “Let's go home.”
The next few days were back to our normal routine which consisted mainly of schoolwork and only two text messages from Chris, the ex-boyfriend. I didn't reply to either. Hannah and I had the exact same school schedule and were in our final semester of our senior year. We both had internships with local advertising agencies and hoped they would bring us on as actual employees once we had our degrees.
“I got my first actual assignment at work,” I said as I threw my backpack on the couch.
“Oh yeah.” Hannah barely moved from her spot on the black, overstuffed recliner.
“Yeah,” I went on. “I have to get five local businesses to sign up for our quarterly mailer. They don't have to provide a coupon or anything. Just their logo and business information.”
“Have you gone anywhere yet?” she asked, finally turning her attention to me.
“I was about to,” I replied. “Want to go with me?”
“Sure,” she answered and turned off the TV. “It'll be good experience for both of us.”
We drove down to College Street in Hannah's red Camaro. During the daytime, this street was known for its restaurants and shops so it would be a good place to start. Since it was still early, the bar scene was almost nonexistent. After talking to about fifteen store owners, we got four to sign up. One agreed to a ten percent off coupon, but the others just liked the advertising option.
“Let's get a drink,” she said as we looked down the street to see what stores we hadn't solicited yet. “Trey sent me a text message. He and some friends are at that bar we met at on Saturday.”
“Okay, fine,” I replied. “We actually got a lot more done than I thought we would.”
“You could ask the bar and see what they say.”
“Or I could just drink.” I laughed. “Trey, huh? You like him?”
“I don't know.” Her cheeks turned bright pink. “I don't really do the whole 'like' thing.”
“Yeah, yeah.” I nudged her as we walked into the bar.
I noticed the sign above the door this time that read The Green Room. The place was nearly empty since it was three o'clock on a Wednesday afternoon, and we found Trey and the few guys he was with easily. Hannah began shaking hands, and I slipped away up to the bar so I could talk to the owner about the ad before I had a drink.
Looking around in the daylight hours, I could see the dark walls were lined with black leather booths, and tables were placed all around the room. University of Texas memorabilia cluttered the walls, and signed dollar bills hung from the ceiling. The dance floor area seemed much smaller than it had the other night. I was sitting at the main bar in the center of the room, but there was a smaller bar closer to the entrance that I hadn't noticed the other night.
I opened my folder on the bar when a deep voice caused the hair on the back of my neck to stand up.
“Can I get you something?” I looked up to see Luke standing behind the bar.
“Oh, um… I.” Of course I would forget how to talk when I saw him.
“Oh yeah?” He smiled.
I shook my head and gathered my thoughts. “Sorry, I was hoping to talk to the owner of this bar. Do you know if they are around?”
“Yeah, they're around.” He took two steps and stood in front of me on the other side of the bar. “I own this bar.”
“You what?” I couldn't hide the surprise in my voice if I was paid to. “You own The Green Room?”
“Surprised?”
“Well...” I might as well be honest. “Yeah, a little.”
When he stared at me, I found it hard to breathe. His arms flexed underneath his white t-shirt, and my eyes immediately went to the ink that snaked across his skin. I knew my face was redder than the sweater I was wearing, and I desperately wanted to start fanning myself with the papers spread out before me. He pulled my attention back in by tapping his finger on the bar.
“Okay, sorry.” I shook my head, and he let out a quiet chuckle. “I work for Linx Advertising, and we are asking local companies if they would like a spot in our quarterly mailer. It can be a coupon or just your business information. There are several options to choose from.”
I handed him the paper that listed the prices and watched as he slowly took it in his hand. He rubbed the thin paper between his fingers.
“Just so I understand.” He looked up and the same venom was back in his glare. “You walk into my bar, barge into a private conversation that I was having with an employee, and now you come back asking for money.”
Once the shock filtered through my system, anger set in. “Fine, be a dick. Whatever. There are plenty of businesses that will benefit from this. And you should learn to respect your sister. No one deserves to get yelled at like that.”
I quickly gathered my papers without looking up and made my way back to Hannah. She handed me a cup of beer as soon as I sat on the stool next to her.
“Did they sign up?” she asked.
“Nope.” I tipped the cup back and took a huge drink.
I snuck a glance at the bar to see Luke was gone. I had never met anyone with so much anger. Even when Chris was mad, it was a controlled kind of anger. Luke seemed like he could explode at any minute, and I had no idea why I seemed to piss him off so much.
After two cups of beer that still didn't taste good to me, Luke still hadn't shown back up. What was he doing? Did he leave? Why did I care?
“Trey and I were going to head to dinner,” Hannah leaned over and whispered in my ear. “Can you make it home alone?”
“A date in the middle of the week?” I teased. “Yes, I can make it home. I'm actually about to leave.”<
br />
“Hey, Riley.” Trey walked back up to the table and handed me a piece of paper. “Luke wanted me to give this to you.”
I looked down at the paper and it was filled out with his company information, a free drink coupon logo and a check for the advertising space. You have got to be kidding me.
“He gave this to you?” I questioned.
“Yep.”
“To give to me?” I asked.
“Yeah.”
“As a joke?”
“No, he looked serious about it.” He tipped back his cup and took a long drink. “I was talking to him back in his office, and he handed it to me before I walked back out here.”
What a confusing jerk. I put the paperwork into the folder and tucked it under my arm.
“Okay, well thanks.” I stood up and hugged Hannah. “I'm out of here. You guys have fun tonight.”
I walked out into the evening air and suddenly realized we had been sitting in Luke's bar for three hours. The bus stop was only two blocks from here and was a much cheaper option than a cab. I turned the corner and looked down to put the folder into my large blue purse.
“Oh, sorry.” My shoulder knocked into someone in front of me.
“Can't stay away from me, huh.” The familiar green eyes bored into mine again. “Are you driving home?”
I squared my shoulders and began walking again when he grabbed my wrist.
“Seriously, are you driving? Weren't you just drinking?”
I tried a few times but failed to pull my wrist from his grip.
“I'm taking the bus,” I finally answered.
“No, you're not. I'll give you a ride,” he stated as if there was no other choice.
“No, I'm riding the bus.” I stood up straighter. “Thanks for the advertisement space, but you didn't have to do that. I can take care of myself.”
“And what if I want to take care of you?” He took a step closer and tightened his fingers around my arm.
My tongue went dry, and my palms began to sweat. The closer he got to me, the harder it was for me to breathe. The scent from the black leather jacket he was now wearing invaded my senses. The overwhelming feeling that I should turn and run away took over, but a stronger force kept my legs in place. We stared at each other, waiting for the other to talk.
“You're coming with me.” He slowly moved his hand down and interlocked his fingers with mine. I found myself following after him as soon as he started walking. Like a damn puppet. I was starting to get concerned with the amount of idiot I became around him.
“Here,” he said handing me a helmet.
“Wait, you drive that?” I gaped at the huge chunk of black and metal in front of me. Of course he rode a motorcycle.
“You scared?” A smirk spread across his face.
“Yeah, a little bit.” I wasn't even sure if I was talking about the bike or of him.
“Good.” He climbed on and motioned for me to get behind him. “You should be.”
I pulled the helmet over my blond hair and climbed on behind him. He grabbed both of my hands and wrapped them tightly around his waist. Before I could decide how much I liked this and hated it at the same time, he took off down the road.
“That's it,” I shouted over the engine.
He pulled the bike into my apartment complex and came to a stop in front of the building I had pointed at. I felt his chest rumble beneath my arms. They were wrapped tightly around him, and I couldn't bring myself to loosen the grip.
“You're safe.” He laughed. “The only thing injured here will be my ribs.”
“Sorry.” I released my hold and took the helmet off of my head.
He stepped off of the bike and turned to help me down. I stumbled once my feet hit the ground and landed further into his arms. His chest inhaled sharply, and his muscles tightened around me.
“Thanks.” I stepped back and glanced down at my hands, suddenly feeling shy.
“If you ever need a ride, just ask.”
I looked up to see him smirking and instantly my face was the color of a cardinal.
“Okay, thanks.” I turned and quickly made my way to my apartment. I wouldn't allow myself to turn back. He was watching me. I could feel it. Once the door to my apartment was closed, I heard the bike's engine come back to life and roar down the street. I let out the breath I had been holding since I landed in his arms. Who was this guy who already had so much power over me?
Chapter 3
“I want a tattoo,” I announced as I walked into the living room.
“Whatever.” Hannah rolled her eyes from the couch.
“I'm serious.” I crossed my arms over my chest. “I've always wanted one but he would never let me get one.”
“And what tattoo do you want exactly?” She turned her full attention to me.
“It's a quote about following your dreams. I want it on my side.” I watched to see how she would react.
“Are we going now or later?” she asked.
“Now.” I smiled.
I pulled my car into a space in front of a tattoo parlor that I had done way too much internet research on. They only had one bad review, and I wasn't getting anything pierced so the same issue shouldn't happen with me.
“I kind of want one too.” Hannah was flipping through books as I filled out the paperwork the receptionist gave me.
“You already have two.” I laughed.
“But I don't have one on my wrist.” She turned the page.
I tapped my foot nervously against the tile floor until a beautiful girl, who was covered in tattoos, walked into the waiting area and called my name.
“That's me.” I stood up, and we followed her back to her table.
“I'm Erin.” she smiled.
“Riley.” I smiled back. “And this is Hannah.”
She nodded at Hannah and turned her attention back to me. “What are you having done today?”
“It's a quote.” I pulled out the piece of paper from my purse. “I wanted it on my left side just below my breast.”
She studied the words before looking back at me. “Is this the font you want too?”
“Yeah.”
“Perfect. Let me work up a sketch and I'll be right back.”
I leaned against the table and took in a few deep breaths. I knew I was going to be nervous, but this was more than I expected. It was getting harder to breathe, and the room was starting to spin. There were several other men in the room getting work done and a woman at the front booth was getting her lip pierced. No one was screaming out in pain so that made me feel a little bit better.
“Are you going to puke?” Hannah cut into my panic attack. “Because you look like it.”
“I've been tattooing for over ten years.” Erin was standing in front of me again. “No need to be nervous with me.”
“I'm probably going to pass out, just so you know.” I tried to laugh but nothing came out.
“It'll be okay, hon. If you do, I'll just wake you up when it's over.”
She had me take off the gray t-shirt I was wearing, leaving me only in a black lace bra and low rise jeans. Once she had pressed a paper against my side and applied the tattoo outline, I looked in the mirror.
“I love it.” My nerves began to calm. “I really do.”
“Let's get started then.” She motioned toward the table and I climbed on where she had me lie partly on my right side and back with my arms above my head. “It's going to sting and burn at first. Just let me know if the pain gets to be too much.”
“Don't worry. I will.”
I sucked in a deep breath as soon as I heard the low buzzing of the needle and seriously thought about jumping off the table and running to my car when it felt like something was carving into my side.
“You're doing great.” Hannah was sitting on my other side and holding one of my hands. “She's already on the third word.”
“You're a liar,” I grunted out. “She just started. Tell a story or something.”
�
��Holy shit,” she whispered.
“What happened? Did something go wrong?” Erin stopped the needle and pushed me back onto the table.
“If you don't lay still, I swear I will tie you down.”
“Oh, sorry. I won't move again.”
“He's here.” Hannah was leaning close to my ear.
“Who?” I opened my eyes and followed her gaze.
Sitting a few tables down and talking to another artist was Luke. He was explaining something on a piece of paper that the artist eventually took and walked away with. I watched as he pulled his shirt over his head and leaned back against the table. His strong chest and chiseled stomach were screaming for me to run over and touch him.
“He's so freaking hot,” she said next to me.
Before I could agree, his eyes shot over and locked on mine. My mouth parted open to say hi but nothing came. Instead we lay on our separate tables and stared at one another. He looked down my body, reminding me that I was only wearing a bra, leaving half of my body exposed to him.
“Don't squirm,” Erin reminded me.
“Sorry.” I clenched my teeth as she pressed the needle against my skin again.
He smirked as he watched me lay helpless, locked in his gaze. His artist walked back to his side right as I heard Erin say she was finished. It took me a few seconds before I could sit up and walk over to the mirror. It looked better than I ever could have imagined.
“It looks amazing.” Hannah was staring in the mirror too. “And it's perfect for you.”
Don't Dream Your Life, Live Your Dreams was written on my side. The author of this particular quote was unknown, but it had become my new motto for life. It reminded me that I was strong and staring at the tattoo in the mirror I felt empowered to chase after every one of my dreams.
Erin spread some ointment over the marking and covered it with a sterile bandage. “Keep this on it for about a week. You can take the bandage off later tonight.”
“Thank you.” I smiled but really felt like hugging her.
Bad Boys of Romance - A Biker Anthology Page 7