Trio

by P. F. Kozak

  TRIO

  TRIO

  P.F. KOZAK

  DEVYN QUINN

  JANE LEDGER

  APHRODISIA

  KENSINGTON BOOKS

  http://www.kensingtonbooks.com

  CONTENTS

  Hot Pepper

  P.F. Kozak

  No Strings Attached

  Devyn Quinn

  Bring It On

  Jane Ledger

  HOT PEPPER

  P. F. KOZAK

  Acknowledgments

  Thank you to ML and to IK. Your love and support keep me going. And to my grandfather, who took me to Rip’s Bar and Grill when I was six years old, sat me on the bar, and let his coal miner buddies buy me candy. Grandpap, you taught me that sometimes you have to break the rules to give love a voice. Alla famiglia! Ti amo!

  1

  P epper grabbed her purse and went out the back door, slamming it shut behind her. Her sister had really crossed the line this time. If it wasn’t bad enough that she had to come crawling back home and ask for help, Lois wouldn’t let her forget how she had disappointed everyone by leaving. This time, she had actually called her a failure, to her face.

  She got into her car, which she hoped would start. It needed work. But that took money, which she didn’t have. Damned if she would ask her sister for it. She would walk first.

  When the motor turned over and started to hum, Pepper breathed a sigh of relief. She didn’t know where the hell she would go, but she did know she wouldn’t spend another night sleeping on her sister’s couch.

  Almost out of habit, she headed downtown. Maybe she would run into someone she knew. She smacked the steering wheel with her hand. And what if she did? What would she say? “Oh, and by the way, can I sleep on your couch until I can afford my own place?” Yeah, right.

  She drove around for about half an hour, checking out some of her old haunts. The high school looked the same on the outside. Not having been in it for over ten years, she didn’t know if she would recognize anything inside. The public library had already closed for the day, or she would have stopped to check her e-mail.

  A new mall had opened on the edge of town. She didn’t bother stopping there, either, since what little money she had should stay in her wallet. Then she drove down Elm Street, and saw the sign for Buck’s Bar and Grill. Lois told her only a few nights before that Ted owned the place now, since his father passed away. She smiled, knowing she might have just found another sofa.

  Pepper parked in the gravel parking lot between two pickup trucks. Obviously, some things never change. Buck’s had always been popular with the after-work crowd, the guys stopping for a beer before going home. Later, anyone looking for some company for the evening would drop by, or couples would come in for a drink.

  Everything inside looked the same as she remembered, except for the addition of white Christmas lights strung across the room, and the pictures. Paintings she recognized as Ted’s hung over the bar, as well as on the walls by the tables. She knew his father would never have allowed the lights, or his artwork, in here. Evidently, Ted really did run the place now.

  Lois told her Ted would sometimes tend bar in the evenings, but the guy behind the bar tonight wasn’t Ted. She didn’t recognize him. Making her way past the men in work clothes and baseball caps, she managed to squeeze in at the end of the bar.

  “Excuse me, is Ted here, please?”

  The bartender gave her the once-over before he answered. “Yeah, he’s in the office. What’s your name?”

  “Could you tell him Pepper would like to speak to him?”

  “Sure will, sweetheart.”

  He disappeared through a side door for a few minutes. When he came back, Ted followed.

  “Pepper? What the hell are you doing here? I thought you were still in Pittsburgh.”

  “Not anymore. I got laid off and ran out of money. I’m staying with my sister right now.”

  “Hey, kid. I’m sorry to hear that. Run over there and grab that table in the corner. I’ll buy you a beer.” Ted went behind the bar. He grabbed two bottles of Iron City and two glasses, and then came back to the table.

  “Thanks, Ted. I can use a beer.”

  “Tell me what happened. I thought you were doing okay in Pittsburgh.”

  “I was. When my bank offered me the transfer to their headquarters, you know I jumped at it. I had no reason to stay here. I did okay, too. I learned the ropes, they made me a loan officer and sent me to school.”

  “Lois told me you got a promotion. I didn’t know they made you an officer.”

  “Yeah, well, big f’ing deal. I got promoted, and went to school. My last review was a good one. My supervisor told me I’d probably get promoted again within the next year. Then a bigger bank swallowed us up. They handed me my pink slip and told me not to let the door hit me in the ass. So much for making a better life for myself.”

  “You couldn’t find anything else?”

  “No. It’s really bad right now. There aren’t many jobs to be had, anywhere.”

  “What are you going to do?”

  “Don’t know.” Pepper poured the rest of her beer into her glass. Screwing up her courage, she plunged in. “I have a favor to ask, actually maybe a couple of favors.”

  “Tell me what.”

  “I need a job and a place to stay for a while. I don’t suppose you could use a waitress here and maybe have a sofa I can sleep on?” Pepper raised her glass and took a sip. Her hand shook a little. She hoped Ted hadn’t noticed.

  “What about your sister? She doesn’t have room for you?”

  “I’m sleeping on her sofa, have been for almost a week. Every day, I hear the lecture of how I should have been a beautician like her. Today, she told me if I weren’t so stuck up, I wouldn’t be such a failure.”

  “She said that to you?”

  “She sure as hell did. That’s when I left and came here. I drove around awhile, and ended up on your doorstep.”

  “Jesus Christ, Pepper. You’d think after all this time, she would have softened a little.”

  “Not a chance. You know, once a bitch, always a bitch. I had no place else to go. I thought I could put up with it until I could find a job, and save enough for my own place. But, after today, I’d rather sleep in my car than hear her mouth off to me again.”

  Ted flagged the bartender to bring them two more beers. “If you want a job here, it’s yours. As you can see, business is good. You could fill in on the floor when I need extra help, but I think it would make more sense if you help me with the books. With your banking experience, you’ll probably handle the accounting better than I ever could.”

  “God, thank you, Ted. You’ve always been a good friend.”

  Ted nervously tapped his fingers on the table. Pepper remembered he always did that when he felt uncomfortable. He confirmed her suspicion when he said, “We have to talk about the other.”

  The disappointment welled up in her throat. She tried to swallow it. “It’s all right. I understand I can’t intrude on your life.”

  “Pepper, it’s not that, not at all. This is more about you than about me.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  “Butch is staying with me right now, has been for several months.”

  “He is? What about Sandy?”

  “They finally called it quits. Sandy agreed to a no-fault divorce if Butch gave her custody of Stacy. It’s over.”

  “Lois didn’t tell me.”

  “Probably because everyone sides with Sandy. Butch left her.”

  “Why? I know he loves their kid.”

  “Yes, but he doesn’t love Sandy. He never has.”

  “He should have thought of that before he knocked her up.” She took a good swig
of Iron City.

  “You’re still pissed at him, aren’t you?”

  “Why the hell shouldn’t I be? He fucked up both our lives by getting her pregnant. You know damn well I thought we’d get married.”

  “Yes, and I also know he still talks about you.”

  “He does? How do you know that?”

  “I live with him, remember?”

  “Yeah, you told me that. Shit, if I stay with you, I’ll be living with him, too!”

  “That’s my point. I have the space. My dad left me everything. That big old house is all mine. When Butch asked me if I’d rent him a room, I thought, what the hell, why not?”

  “That’s how he ended up with you?”

  “You know my house is close to his garage. That’s good for him, and I like having the company. Can you handle living in the same house with him?”

  “Ted, I don’t have many options right now. If you have a place for me to sleep, and a shower I can use, I’ll deal with it.”

  “Well, in all fairness, I can’t offer that to you until I talk to Butch. He has dibs.”

  “Yeah, I remember. Dibs is sacred.”

  “You know, he still does that. He’ll call dibs on a piece of cold pizza in the damn refrigerator.” Ted took his cell phone out of his pocket. “Let me call him. If he’s home, it’ll only take him a few minutes to get here.”

  While Ted called Butch, Pepper went to the ladies’ room. She put on some lipstick and checked her hair. She hadn’t seen Butch since she left Willows Point. The last time she saw him, he’d come into the bank to make a deposit. He’d heard she planned to move to Pittsburgh, and asked if she wanted to have a good-bye drink with him. She said no. There had been no contact between them since.

  When she came back, she saw Ted behind the bar talking to the bartender. She waited for him at their table. He came back carrying another bottle of Iron City and a glass. “I got him. He’ll be here in about ten minutes.”

  “Did you tell him I’m here?”

  “I told him you’re back in Willows Point. I didn’t say anything about your moving in with us.” Ted grabbed another chair from the next table and put it between them. “I figure we’ll ask him together. Let him say no to your face. I bet he can’t.”

  Pepper pressed her cool glass against her cheek. Her face felt hot. “Ted, before he gets here, I want to know for sure that you’re all right with this. I don’t know if you’re involved with anyone. Will my being around be a problem?”

  “I’m not involved with anyone, and your being around won’t be a problem.”

  “What happened to John?”

  “It didn’t work out. We went different directions.”

  “When Lois told me you moved back home, I wondered what happened.”

  “The next promising art student came along and that, as they say, was that.”

  “I’m sorry, Ted. I didn’t know. God, I really didn’t mean to lose track of you guys. It just happened.”

  “This feels like no time has passed since I saw you last.” Ted put his hand over hers. “You know, Pepper, Butch isn’t the only one who thought of you over the years. I still remember our wild days.”

  “So do I.” Pepper squeezed his hand. “The three of us really had something special in high school. You were the only one who really understood when Butch dumped me.”

  “He didn’t want to. With his parents and Sandy’s family pressuring him to do the right thing…he caved. He married her because he had to, not because he wanted to.”

  “Yeah, right. That, and my E-Z Pass, will get me on the Turnpike.”

  “Look, Pepper, I know he hurt you. I also know one of the reasons you took the job in Pittsburgh was to get away from him. But that’s water under the bridge now. You’re right. We did have something special together. That’s why I think it could work if you moved in with us.”

  “Do you mind if I ask you something?”

  “What?”

  “Have you and Butch done anything together since he’s moved in?”

  “Absolutely nothing.”

  Pepper scratched Ted’s wrist with her fingernails. “So, you’ve both become monks?”

  “More or less.”

  “That really sucks.”

  “As I recall, so do you, very well.”

  “Okay, I’ll pay my share of the rent with blow jobs. Is that the deal?”

  Ted smiled. “It could work. There aren’t many women that can give me a hard-on. You’re one of the very few. In fact, you’re giving me one now. There’s something to be said for that.”

  Pepper glanced at the locals sitting at the bar. “Do they know you swing both ways?”

  “Not really. If I make jokes about big tits a few times a week, they’re all satisfied I’m one of them.”

  “Even with your painting?”

  Ted pointed to the far end of the bar. “See that guy down there, the one with the Pirates ball cap?”

  “Yeah, what about him?”

  “He bought one of my landscapes for his wife’s birthday. Says she really likes what I do and surprised her with it.”

  “No kidding!”

  “No kidding. Because I went to school there, I also got an exhibit at Indiana University. I sold about half a dozen from that show, flowers and landscapes mostly. I’ve even sold a few right here.” He gestured to the wall behind them. “All these are for sale, except for that one.”

  Pepper looked at the painting that wasn’t for sale. “Is that the field where you, me, and Butch had our picnics?”

  “Same one. That’s why it isn’t for sale.” A few moments of uncomfortable silence followed, as Pepper struggled with the memory. Ted kept the conversation going. “Yeah, between painting and the bar, I’ve been busy.”

  Pepper tried her best to keep things light. “Glad things are good for you. How’s Butch doing?”

  “Butch is doing okay, too, even with the divorce. He’s running the garage now. His uncle retired.”

  “Think he’ll fix my car for a blow job?”

  “Why don’t you ask him? He just came in the door.”

  Pepper looked toward the door. Butch hadn’t yet seen them sitting in the corner. He had his head turned, looking for them at the bar. Her heart thumped in her chest as she stared at his profile. His Roman nose and curly black hair were just as she remembered. He had a suntan, making his olive skin even darker. In his jeans and T-shirt, he still looked every bit the hot Italian stud.

  She jumped when Ted put his hand on her arm. “Steady, Pepper, you’re shaking.”

  “Shit!” She took a deep breath and shook her hands, hoping to dry her sweating palms. “Ted, I might need something stronger than a beer.”

  “You got it, kiddo. I’ll get us a bottle.” Before going behind the bar, he stopped and spoke to Butch. Pepper saw Ted point back to the corner table and Butch nodded. When Butch turned and came toward her, she put her hands in her lap so he wouldn’t see them shaking.

  “Hello, Pepper. It’s been a long time.” He bent over and kissed her cheek.

  “Hi, Butch. You’re looking good.”

  “So are you.” Butch sat down in the chair next to her. “How’ve you been?”

  “Not too bad. And you?”

  “I’m doing all right.”

  Fortunately, Ted returned at that moment and interrupted the banal conversation. He put a bottle of Jim Beam and three shot glasses on the table. He glanced at Pepper. “Everything okay here?”

  “Fine.” Pepper hoped that sounded believable. “Could you pour me a shot?”

  Butch picked up an empty shot glass. “Me, too.”

  “Shots all around.” Ted opened the bottle of whiskey and poured them each a drink. Pepper concentrated on keeping her hand still and picked up her glass. Ted picked up his and raised it to his companions. “To friends reunited.”

  Butch raised his and toasted in Italian. “Cin Cin.”

  Pepper offered a weak “Cheers,” and then bolted back her shot. S
he held out her glass for a refill.

  Ted poured another one. “Have you had any dinner, Pepper? You don’t want this to knock you on your ass.”

  “No, I haven’t eaten anything. I left before Lois finished cooking dinner.”

  “You’d better eat something, so you don’t get shitfaced.” Ted flagged down the waitress. “Butch, you want a burger?”

  “Sure, and a side of your greasy fries, too.”

  “Fuck you! You’re not paying, so quit complaining.”

  “Well, hell, if it’s on the house, throw in an order of wings, too.” His typical Butch wisecrack didn’t hide his concern. “What the hell happened, Pepper? Why aren’t you in Pittsburgh?”

  The urge to cry nearly overcame Pepper. She drank her second shot before she answered. “I lost my job.” That’s all she could say. The waitress came just then to take their order, giving her a chance to get it together.

  After Ted ordered them some food, he told Butch what Pepper had told him, sparing her the ordeal of having to tell her story again. While Butch listened, he focused on Ted, but held Pepper’s hand. The familiar feel of his fingers wrapped around hers calmed her. Ted stopped just short of asking Butch about her staying with them.

  Ted picked up the bottle and poured Pepper another shot. “I’ll let Pepper ask you what she asked me.”

  “Ask me what?”

  With Butch still holding her hand, and with his dark eyes fixed solely on her, Pepper plunged in. “I asked Ted if I can stay with him for awhile, until I get on my feet. He’s already said I can work here at the bar, but told me you have dibs on the house.”

  “You know about me and Sandy? We got divorced?”

  “Ted just told me. I didn’t know when I asked to stay with him, and I didn’t know you had moved in with him.”

  “What the fuck difference does that make?” Butch turned to Ted. “You got a problem with her staying in your house if I’m there?”

  “Not at all. But I thought you might.”

  “Why?” Butch never had been one to pull any punches. His shoot-from-the-hip style had survived his failed marriage. “Do you think Sandy put me off women?”