I didn’t bother looking up, just continued to eat chips and salsa, between sips of strawberry margarita. Teddy was lucky I decided to drive, because these margaritas needed at least two more shots of tequila. I hated being out because people stared. People were cruel and they simply thought it was okay.
“You don’t stand a chance with the smokin’ redhead, she’s got expensive tastes. But take the ugly fat friend, she’ll be grateful for a night with a stallion like you, Greg.”
&
nbsp; The other one, Greg I assumed, laughed with too much energy like he was trying too hard to impress. “She might not be ugly and I don’t mind having something to grab on to. Fat chicks love a good hard fuck.”
I didn’t bother to turn around because I could guess what they looked like. One would have dark hair and the other blond, dressed like some after work office drones. One would probably be better dressed because he made more money, probably not Greg. They were both players, probably even had some kind of scoring system for their conquests. Not Greg laughed. “Damn man, you’re making me want to change my mind about which one I want to stick it to.”
I rolled my eyes, grateful when Teddy returned to drown out their asshole bro chatter. “Good news, she’s decided on old Hollywood. She’s got an audition for some gangster flick set in the twenties and wants these photos to help her land the role.” She rolled her eyes and took a long sip from her glass.
We placed our orders and as soon as the waitress rushed off, the two dickheads screwed up their courage and approached our table. The stupidly good looking one, not Greg, trained his focus wholly on Teddy while not Greg turned to me, practically pinching his nose just to inch closer. “So,” he began but I put up a hand to stop him.
“I’ll stop you right there, Greg, the fat ugly chick isn’t interested a good hard fuck with your tiny limp dick. Go back to the bar and wait for your bro to strike out with the hot one.”
He looked at me, eyes flashed surprise for a moment and then anger. “Whatever.”
“Oooh, good comeback,” I scoffed and rolled my eyes before returning to my margarita. I might not be much to look at but even with the scar I was average looking. I knew my strengths and weaknesses and one day I might find someone who could tell them apart. Until then, it was just me. Not Greg continued to lay down every cheesy pickup line and compliment he downloaded from some pickup artist website, while I dug into my fish tacos. Teddy looked longingly at her spicy beef nachos while Todd—because of course, Todd—did his best impression of the hot jerk from every teen movie and soap ever created.
Finally, she called time of death. She turned her big blue eyes up to him, just a hint of a smile in them and flicked her hair off her shoulders. “Todd I’m going to be honest with you because you are seriously hot and I think we have a connection.” It was a total lie, but it was part one of her best letdown. “I’m not looking for casual sex. I want a husband and kids and I plan to have both within the next eighteen months. I’m not sure that’s what you’re looking for, is it?”
This was my favorite part. Where he tried to figure out how to best lie without just telling her what she wanted to hear. He wanted to just say that’s what he wanted too, because he was that kind of guy, but he sensed Teddy would be able to tell if he was lying. “I’m not opposed to all that, I mean it’s part of the plan, right?” He flashed a charming grin that probably got him out of all kinds of trouble.
“Eventually.”
His shoulders fell and he walked away without a goodbye.
“You enjoyed that,” I accused.
“Maybe, but he deserved it.”
“No way, if you’re interested go after him. Don’t let me stop you.”
“If this wasn’t so good, I would throw it at you,” she pointed at a nacho before tossing it in her mouth. “I know you don’t know this, but it’s kind of the girl code. If a guy doesn’t like your best friend, he’s toast.”
I swallowed and tried to ignore the warmth that spread through me at hearing her call me her best friend. We were friends, sure, but I assumed she had other friends she shared things with or went on shopping trips with in those fancy casino shops. “Oh.”
She laughed. “You know what I love about you Jana, you’re like a robot with your big brain and super observation skills. I feel like I’m teaching you about regular humans.”
I smiled because I knew she meant it as a compliment. “I’m saying thank you only because you’re my friend.” My best friend, apparently. We finished our food and paid the bill, but as we were leaving I felt a prickle of awareness, of being watched, wash over me. I’d felt that feeling once before and I’d reacted too late to save myself a lifetime of heartache and a world of pain. I scanned the restaurant but I didn’t see any faces I recognized, not that I would. I ran far from my last foster home in Detroit and changed my name so that when he got out, the bastard who did this to me could never find me.
I picked up the speed and hauled ass to Teddy’s fancy ass Benz she insisted I drive. I did love the cool gadgets though so I only put up a token protest before driving us back to my place.
Chapter 3
Max
“He thinks taking an art class will help. Why can’t I just paint in my own damn yard?” Carl Brandt was my commanding officer for years and a good friend even longer, and right now he was my sounding board.
“Man up, Ellison. You can take off a man’s skull at a thousand yards, you can damn well go and paint some fruit in the desert.” He also didn’t ever pull a fucking punch, no matter how much you wished he would. He didn’t sugarcoat or coddle.
“Just like that?”
“Hell yes,” he grumbled, voice thick like a man who indulged in expensive cigars a little too often. “One of these days Max, you’re gonna want to get laid again, or maybe make some little frogs for me to command. To do that, you’ll need to get your head on straight. If painting gets you there, do it.”
I nodded even though he couldn’t see me, because I guess I just wanted someone I respected to tell me what I’d been thinking. “Thank you, sir. Class starts in an hour.”
His deep thunderous laugh sounded down the line and I couldn’t help but smile. “Sounds like you’re ready.” He let his words hang in the air for a minute and I soaked them in. Could it really be as simple as being ready to be better? “Any word on your brother?”