She crossed her arms. “Good luck with that.”
“There’s nothing a little alcohol can’t fix. Plus, I’m infinitely charming and persuasive. Your stubbornness has no chance against my awe-inspiring powers.”
He gave an evil laugh and she rolled her eyes, but the truth was she couldn’t help but be charmed. He did have that superpower. He put her at ease and guided her to places she’d never thought she’d go with a joke and a smile. Her friends were going to love him.
Some of the nerves that had been hopping in her belly calmed down. The thought of bringing Ren and Hayes to meet her friends had seemed risky when Ren had suggested it. So much about her life lately was separated into neat categories—her “real” life in one sphere, Ren, Hayes, Dmitry, and Lenore in this other place. Bringing the two together was scary. Her friends could reveal all kinds of things about her if the alcohol was flowing. They had enough dirt on her to be the equivalent of the mom showing naked baby pictures.
And Ren and Hayes held even deeper secrets, things her friends would never suspect about her. But at the same time, she didn’t want to have to lie or hide anymore. It hadn’t just been her months as Lenore. Sometimes it felt like she’d spent her life putting on a show, changing costumes, rotating masks, never knowing the right script. She was tired.
She needed to trust that her friends loved her, that Ren and Hayes liked her as is. She just wanted to be Cora—whoever the fuck that was. And this would be a good, though slightly terrifying, step in that direction.
Plus, the thought of going out for a night of fun without all the work stuff and angst hanging over them was damn appealing.
“I think charming people don’t point out that they’re charming.” She put her hand on his shoulder to steady herself and kicked off the dreaded heels and then grabbed a pair of black lace-up boots she’d left by the door. She slipped them on and tied them.
Ren smiled.
“And if I’m forced to sing, you’re going to have to be up there with me.” She stepped onto the porch and hooked a finger in his belt loop. “Plus, I’m thinking I’d be an idiot not to bring the hot Japanese guy to my epic karaoke battle. The competitors will be so intimidated.”
Ren flashed a grin, looped his arms around her waist, and planted a quick kiss on her lips. “Right? We’re going to kill it.”
“Truth. Something could die if I attempt to sing. That’s for sure.”
He laughed at that, the sound echoing down the empty street, and then released her so she could lock up. Ren grabbed her hand when she was done and led her down the front steps and to his car like a proper date. A twinge of giddiness moved through her at that. She couldn’t remember the last time a guy had taken her out. Kevin had been all about hanging out. Not going out. And he certainly hadn’t treated anything they’d done like a date.
When Ren released her hand to open the car door for her, Cora reared up and gasped. The street was dark and the bushes in her driveway had blocked it, but parked at the curb was a gleaming Corvette Z06. Moonlight gleamed off its shiny hood. If there were such things as car angels, they’d be singing.
Ren cocked his head. “You all right?”
She nodded quickly, breaking herself from her frozen state. “Yep.”
But really, she was still staring. The machine was something to behold—metallic red and obnoxiously sexy in the way only American muscle cars could be. She wanted to roll herself on it like a girl in an eighties rock video. But she tried to be cool about it. She did not want to look like one of those women impressed by a hot car. She managed to contain herself until she and Ren climbed inside and he turned on the engine. The sound of it was like a lion’s roar, deep and full and ready to eat up the road.
Cora sucked in a breath and touched the dash. “Good God.”
Ren looked over and chuckled. “Right? I think the same thing every time I turn her on.”
Turn her on. Well, the car wasn’t the only one getting that treatment.
“Is now the right time to admit I have a total car fetish?” She petted the dash again.
“It is always the right time to confess your fetishes. I’d love an itemized list in fact. With pictures.” He gave her an I-dare-ya grin. “But I wouldn’t have guessed car fetish for you.”
“Yeah, looking at the piece of junk I own, you probably wouldn’t. But man, if I had the money to blow, this is exactly the type I’d buy. Fast and obnoxious and fuck-the-speed-limit red.”
“Now you’re turning me on.” He pulled out onto her street. “Where’d you pick up a thing for cars?”
She ran her fingers over the seat. “My dad taught me a lot about them, and he’s let me take spins in some of the cars he’s refurbished over the years. He’s the chief mechanic for Bax Renway.”
“The stock-car driver?” Ren leaned back and glanced over, looking impressed. “That’s awesome.”
“Yeah. It’s fun. I get great seats when the races roll through Texas.”
Ren tapped his fingers along the steering wheel like there was music only he could hear. “Was it hard to have a dad who traveled all the time?”
“Not really. He’s my biological dad but never lived with me or anything. He and my mom were just good friends and were never in a romantic relationship. When she decided she wanted a baby and hadn’t found the right guy yet, he volunteered to be the donor and to be a part of my life if I wanted him to be.”
“Wow.”