Downshift (Skid Row Kings #1)

by Winter Travers

  “I’m sure car shopping is fun you actually have money. That car,” I pointed across up, “is going to have to make it, at least, another five years.”

  “We’ll see about that,” he mumbled, shifting in reverse.

  “There is no ‘we’ll see about it,’ Luke. A new car is not in my budget, but neither is fixing that piece of shit. I’ll have to walk or ride the bus from now on.” Ugh, there went my perfect evening with Luke. Now all I was going to worry about was my car and where I was going to get the money to fix it.

  “Calm down, Princess.” He shifted into drive and pulled out of the parking lot, heading to my apartment. “I’m sure it’s nothing bad. Replacing your battery cables won’t take much. I can always help you sell that one and find a used car that is more reliable.” He reached over and grabbed my hand, lacing his fingers through mine. “We’ll figure something out.”

  “You could always become my personal chauffeur. You seem to be doing it already,” I laughed.

  “Does that mean you want to spend more time with me?” He looked at me out of the corner of his eye, smirking.

  “No. Yes. Well, no. I don’t know.” Luke busted out laughed, and I rolled my eyes. I had no idea what the hell I wanted. Luke sped around a corner, and I leaned into the bags and heard bottles clanking. “What did you all buy?” I asked, looking into the bags.

  “A little bit of everything. I didn’t know if you had beer, so I picked up a six pack and then I didn’t know if you liked beer, so I picked up a six pack of that girly shit chicks like to drink, too.”

  “You mean wine coolers?” I spied a purple wine cooler and smiled. He even managed to buy my favorite kind.

  “Yeah. Plus, I just grabbed whatever looked good. Our last picnic together got interrupted, so I thought we could give it another shot.”

  “So we’re going to have a picnic on my carpet?”

  “If you want,” he said, looking uneasy. He was trying too hard, and I loved it. I had never had someone try to impress me before.

  “I think it sounds perfect. Although, I must know what movie you got.” I really watched any kind of movie, but I wanted to make him sweat a bit.

  “I somehow feel this is a trick question.” He pulled into the apartment complex parking lot and parked where my car normally was. “How about I make it a surprise?”

  “Why can’t you tell me now?”

  “Because I feel if I say the wrong movie, you won’t let me through the door.”

  He shifted into park and turned to look at me. “I swear no matter what movie you bought, you can come in.” I put my fingers behind my back and crossed them. There was one type of movie I couldn’t do. Scary movies gave me nightmares for weeks. I was a wuss, I know.

  “Not telling you, Princess.” He opened his door and tugged me closer. “Plus, I live with a fourteen-year-old. I know your fingers are crossed behind your back.” He pressed a kiss to my cheek and hopped down from the truck.

  “Hey, my fingers are not crossed.” Liar, totally. “Just promise it’s not a scary movie.”

  “Scouts honor, Princess. I want you jumping in my arms because you want me, not because you’re scared of Freddy Krueger coming out from behind your shower curtain.”

  He walked around the front of the truck, leaving the door open. He grabbed the handle on the passenger side, and I quickly leaned over, hitting the door lock button. His mouth dropped open, surprised. “You better run, Princess. As soon as I get this door open your ass is mine,” he threatened, digging his keys out of his pocket.

  I reached for my purse and heard the doors unlocked. I reached over again, hitting the button then slid out of the truck and hightailed it to the front door. I looked over my shoulder as I dug my keys out of my purse and saw Luke with the two bags in his arms and he was shutting the door. “Shit, shit, shit,” I muttered, stabbing the key into the door. I heard his footsteps behind me, and I knew I wasn’t going to make it.

  I opened the door and felt him at my back. “You can’t run from me, Princess. Although the chase is all part of the fun,” he whispered in my ear.

  A shiver ran through my body at his words, and I knew I was going to be in a heap of trouble tonight, but I knew it was going to be the good kind of trouble.

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  Chapter 14

  Luke

  “You want to grab some plates, Princess?” I asked, setting the bags on the coffee table.

  She tossed her purse next to the door and kicked her shoes off as she walked into the kitchen. Her jacket came off, tossing it on the back of the couch then she reached up into a cabinet and pulled out some plates. It looked like hurricane Violet had just been through her tiny apartment. “Here ya go. I’m going to get out of these wet clothes quick. If you need anything else, just look for it.” She handed me the plates and headed down the short hallway to her room.

  I pulled all the food out of the bags, arranging it on the low table and tossed the ice cream for later into the freezer. I stuck the beer and wine coolers in the fridge, seeing that it was a good thing I brought food because all she had was milk and ketchup packets.

  My damp shirt was sticking to me, and I walked over to the small duffel bag I brought in and pulled out a dry shirt. I normally kept it in the truck for when I was at the track or racing for extra clothes, but I was thankful I had it with me tonight.

  I tossed the dry shirt on the back of the couch and pulled the wet one over my head. “Do you need to put anything in the oven?” Violet called.

  I peeked down the hallway, seeing her door was still shut and pulled the dry shirt over my head. “No. Just the microwave.”

  “What the heck did you buy that needs to be microwaved?” she asked, walking down the hall and into the kitchen.

  She had on black pants and an oversized white shirt that was hanging off of one shoulder. She looked like she was ready to curl up on the couch and chill. Fucking perfect. She brushed her hair from her face and had it pulled back in a loose braid. All that braid made me want to do was run my fingers through it and watch it fall around her shoulders.

  “Earth to Luke,” she said, waving her hand in my face. “What do you need microwaved? I can do it.”

  “Oh, uh, I got stuff for nachos, so the queso needs to be warmed up.” I grabbed the jar from the table and handed it to her over the couch. This place was so small that I managed to be in the living room but could reach the kitchen.

  “Yum, I love nachos,” she said, grabbing the jar. She pulled a bowl down from the cabinet and poured half the jar out. “Anything else?” she asked, setting it in the microwave.

  “That’s it, Princess.” I looked down at the table, making sure there wasn’t anything more that needed to be warmed. “I grabbed a foot long from Jimmy John’s I thought we could share and then a crap ton of junk food.”

  “Sounds like a perfect picnic. Junk food and movies.” She pulled the bowl from the microwave, stirred it and then put if back in for another thirty seconds.

  “Normally I put the whole jar in, hit two minutes and wait for it to start bubbling over.”

  Violet laughed and leaned against the counter. “I don’t think we could eat a whole jar of cheese.”

  “Yeah, you’re probably right. I normally do that for Mitch, Kurt and I.”

  “I don’t even want to know what a food bill for the week is for you three. I’d probably cry.”

  “Well, I can tell you one thing,” I walked over to the fridge and opened the door. “We definitely have more than milk and ketchup in our fridge.”

  “Hey, don’t make fun. I need to go shopping. I’m waiting until tomorrow when I get paid.” She pulled the bowl out and stirred it with the spoon.

  Wait, did that mean Violet didn’t have enough money to buy food?

  She shook off the spoon then licked it clean. “Princess, you need food? We can go grocery shopping.”

  Violet shook her head and laughed. “I’m good, Luke. This is how it always is b
efore payday. I have stuff in the freezer and cabinets to eat, too. Stop worrying.” She walked into the living room and set the cheese down. “Ah, you brought Twizzlers, my favorite!”

  I was still stuck on the thought that Violet didn’t have enough money to buy food. I remember growing up and never having enough to eat, and I had vowed that would never happen to anyone I knew again. I looked around Violet’s apartment, it dawning on me that she didn’t have a lot of money. She had a shit car, a job that probably barely covered the rent and she had no food.

  “Luke, come sit down and stop worrying about how empty my fridge is. You’re making me feel bad.” Shit, that was the last thing I wanted to do.

  “You want one of your wine things?” I asked, walking to the fridge, trying to shake off thinking I need to fix things for Violet.

  “Yeah, please.” I opened the fridge and realized that wasn’t the best thing to do because it reminded me all over again that she didn’t have any food. “Luke, stop staring into the fridge and shut it. I promise the next time you come over my fridge will be over running with food.”

  I grabbed a beer for myself, one of her wine things and swung the door shut. “Sorry, Princess. I just remember growing up, and our fridge always looked like that.” I sat down next to her and handed her wine cooler to her.

  “I’m not poor, Luke, but I’m definitely not rolling in money. I get by. You don’t need to worry about me.” She handed me the chips, “Open those.”

  I grabbed them and realized I needed to get the hell over it. I remember I hated pity whenever someone realized how hard off we were growing up; I’m sure Violet didn’t like it either. “Alright. Should I put the movie in?”

  She grabbed a chip out of the bag, loaded it up with cheese and shoved it into her mouth as she nodded her head.

  “So, I actually got two movies because I had no idea what you liked.” I rummaged through my duffel bag and pulled them out. “The first one is Burnt.”

  “Oh, that’s with the hot chef.”

  I tossed that one by the door. “That one’s out. I’m the only hot one here tonight.” She giggled and stuffed another chip in her mouth. “So, that leaves San Andreas with my man The Rock.”

  “That’ll do. I haven’t seen it yet.”

  “Neither have I, Princess. You want me to put it in or you?”

  “You do it. I’m busy stuffing my face,” she laughed, taking a drink.

  I stuck the movie in, and the previews rolled as we both ate chips ladened down with cheese and split the sandwich between us.

  “For the record,” she laughed, “The Rock is way hotter than the guy in Burnt.”

  “I should have known. I guess I’m going to have to compete for you over The Rock tonight.” I tossed my arm over her shoulders and pulled her close.

  “I wouldn’t worry too much, I have it on good authority that you give The Rock a run for his money any day.”

  “We both do have those shaved heads that the ladies can’t resist.”

  “Don’t forget the bulging muscles and tattoos.”

  “I think you just paid me a compliment on my bulging muscles, Princess.”

  “Don’t let it go to your head, speed racer.”

  I busted out laughing, choking on the chip I had just put in my mouth. “You did not just call me speed racer.”

  “Sure did. Now, we can be Speed Racer and Princess.”

  “I think I might like the sound of that.”

  She leaned forward, grabbing the bag of Twizzlers and curled up under my arm as the opening scene of the movie played. If you had told me three weeks ago that I would be curled up on Violet’s couch watching a movie with her, I wouldn’t have believed you.

  I kicked my feet up, resting them on the coffee table and leaned into Violet, pressing a kiss to the side of her head. She looked up at me, a smile spread across her face, and I couldn’t help but believe I had never made a better choice in my life by getting to know Violet.

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  Chapter 15

  Violet

  “Vi, Vi, you need to wake up, Princess.” My pillow moved underneath me and started talking to me, sounding like Luke. I cracked one eye open, seeing the TV’s blue screen in front of me and all the carnage from the picnic spread out on the coffee table.

  I snuggled back into my pillow, not wanting to wake up and clean up the mess. “Vi, you need to get up. I have no idea what time you need to be to work, and it’s already eight o’clock.”

  “What?” I shouted, springing up from the couch. I needed to be to work in forty-five minutes, and I needed to get at least two cups of coffee in me before I left. Wait, who the heck was talking to me?

  I looked down where my pillow was, or what I thought was my pillow, and saw Luke sprawled out, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. “Morning, Princess,” he smirked.

  “We fell asleep.”

  A grin spread across Luke’s face, and he sat up. “Yup, we sure did.”

  “Are you being a smart ass? I feel that you're a smart ass.” Did I mention I wasn’t a morning person? Especially when I hadn’t had my coffee yet.

  He reached up, cupping my chin and leaned in, pressing a kiss to my lips. “I think you need coffee, Princess,” he whispered. I nodded my head dumbly but didn’t move. “You want me to make it for you while you get ready?” I again nodded my head, dazed by the fact Luke was mere centimeters away from me, and it was only eight o’clock in the morning. What a way to wake up.

  “I think your kisses might be a good substitute for coffee,” I whispered. His thumb stroked my cheek, and I leaned forward, closing the distance between us. He growled low as I pushed him backward onto the couch, our lips devouring each other.

  He wrapped his arms around me, our bodies pressed together, “I think you might be right, Princess,” he whispered against my lips.

  “I should really get ready for work,” I whispered back.

  He slipped his hands under my shirt and stroked my back. “Raincheck? Tonight after the race?”

  “You’ll come over after you’re done racing?”

  “No.”

  “Oh.” Well, I was confused as hell. Didn’t he just say raincheck?

  “I’ll pick you up when you get off work. I want you to be there when I race tonight.”

  A smile spread across my face at his words. “You're awfully nice to me.”

  “You deserve it, Princess. I was an ass the first time I met you. I needed to open my eyes and look past my own ego.”

  “You’re very surprising, Luke Jensen.” I brushed a kiss against his lips, firm and warm against mine. “I really need to get ready for work.” I pushed up and off the couch and grabbed the blanket that fell to the floor.

  “I’ll get your coffee for you while you get ready.” He stood up, stretching his arms over his.

  “Thanks,” I mumbled, ripping my eyes off him and walked into the bathroom.

  I turned on the water in the shower and sat down on the closed toilet. I heard Luke moving around in the kitchen, and I covered my face with my hands. What the hell was going on? This was all too much for me to take in. Luke wanting to go on a date with me was mind-blowing enough. This Luke Jensen, walking barefoot in my kitchen making my coffee, was beyond comprehension.

  I remember Luke putting on the movie, and I subtly cuddled into him, and I’m pretty sure I passed out ten minutes into the movie. “Oh my god,” I groaned, rubbing my hands down my face. I had Luke Jensen in my apartment, cuddled up with me, and I freakin’ fall asleep. “Who does that?” I asked the empty bathroom.

  “Vi? You OK?”

  I slapped my hand over my mouth and squeaked. Shit, of course, when I talk to myself Luke hears me. “I’m good. Just getting ready to shower.” Except I hadn’t even taken my clothes off. I was so going to be late for work today.

  “Coffee should be ready in a minute. Do you take anything in it or just black?”

  “Um, just a splash of milk and two Splendas from the ca
binet above the stove.” I was a tan coffee drinker. I couldn’t choke it down black.

  “Alright.” I heard him move away from the door, and I finally got my butt in gear. I managed to undress and shower in less than five minutes.

  I was standing in front of the mirror, a towel wrapped around me, brushing my hair when he knocked on the door again. “Um, yes?”

  “You want your coffee, Princess?”

  That was a stupid question. I opened the door, just enough to stick my arm out. “Gimme, gimme.” I wiggled my fingers, blindly reaching for the cup.

  “Stop moving your hand, Princess. You’re going to spill it all over.” He touched the handle to my hand, and I wrapped my fingers around it and pulled it into the bathroom with me.

  “If you hurry up we can grab some breakfast before I drop you off at work.”

  My stomach growled at that idea, and I took a sip of coffee. “Mmm, perfect.”

  “What was that, Princess?”

  I set the cup down and peeked my head out the door. “Sounds good. Just give me ten minutes.”

  Luke’s eyes traveled over what he could see of me and a smile spread across his lips. “OK, Princess,” he whispered, leaning down and brushing a kiss against my lips. “I’ll be waiting.” He backed away from the door and walked over to the couch, plopping down on it. “Nine minutes, Princess. You can stare at me later.”

  I gasped and closed the door shut. How the hell did he know I was staring at him? I wasn’t staring at him, I was just… just… aw hell, I was staring at him. I grabbed my cup and took a sip. “Pull it together, Violet. You’re acting like a love-struck teenager.

  “Eight minutes, Vi.”

  “Ugh,” I flipped off the bathroom light and stuck my head out the door. “I think your watch is off.”

  “Seven and a half minutes.”

  I shook my head and dashed down the hallway and closed my bedroom door shut behind me. “Seven minutes,” Luke shouted.

  A smile spread across my lips and a giggle bubbled up. I searched through my closet, grabbing a black and red plaid skirt that hit just above my knees and a black button down shirt. It was my rock/geek look. It was also the end of the week, and I hadn’t done laundry in over a week. I was running out of clothing options.