Skid Row Kings Complete Series

by Winter Travers

  “Try me.”

  We stared each other down, Luke crossing his arms over his chest, too, and leaned back in the booth. “I have two brothers and a sister. I can do this staring shit for hours.”

  My eyes twitched at his cockiness, and I broke eye contact, looking down at the table. “I’m just not a part of The Ginny Marco fan club, that’s all.”

  “I really doubt that’s all. I’m pretty sure if there was a way to escape without her seeing you, you’d be out in the truck by now.”

  I shrugged my shoulders, not wanting to admit he was right.

  “Look, you can tell me when you come back from the bathroom.”

  I looked up at him, confused. “I don’t have to go to the bathroom.”

  “Yes, I think you do.” He nodded over my shoulder, and I turned around in time to see Ginny walk out of the kitchen

  “Shit, shit, shit,” I grabbed my purse and scurried off to the bathroom. “Thank you,” I whispered. Luke nodded his head, a smirk on his lips, but I didn’t have time to appreciate it. I had to get the hell out of there before Ginny came over.

  I pushed open the bathroom door, thankful it was empty and pushed it shut, leaning against it. What were the odds that I would run into Ginny here? It had been ten years since high school, but the bitch still managed to terrify me every time I saw her. I ran my fingers through my hair and knew I had to get a grip.

  I leaned against the sink and peered into the mirror at myself. Maybe she wouldn’t recognize me. I had lost thirty pounds since high school, and I didn’t have such a baby face anymore. I mean, I wasn’t thin by any means, but there was a slight difference from what I looked like in high school.

  My hair was a warmer brown than the pale, straw color it was growing up and the horrible acne I had thankfully cleared up a couple of years ago. I had seen a couple of people from high school a couple of years ago when they had brought their kids into the library, and they hadn’t even recognized me. I just prayed that Ginny would do the same.

  I turned the water on, splashing some on my face and wet a paper towel and pressed it to the back of my neck. Someone knocked on the door, and I about jumped out of my skin. “Just a minute.”

  “Vi, it’s me.”

  Vi? It’s me? Who the hell was me? “Um, who is it?”

  “It’s Luke, the guy who bought you a coffee maker and now dinner.”

  Oh shit. What the hell was he doing knocking on the women's bathroom door? “Um, I think the men’s room is just down the hall.”

  “I don’t need to use the bathroom. I just came to tell you that I had Ginny make our food to go, and if you want, I’ll give you the keys so you can wait in the truck while she gets the food.”

  “What? Why?” What the hell was going on? Luke had said he was starving, and now he wanted to get the food to go?

  “Look, I sound like a damn idiot talking to the bathroom door. Just finish up and meet me out in the truck.” I heard him walk away from the door, and I looked back in the mirror. I grabbed the paper towel off the back of my neck, tossing it in the trash and high tailed it out of the bathroom, skirting around the hostess station and busted out the front doors. Thank you, sweet baby, Jesus, I didn’t have to see Ginny again.

  I walked over to his truck, realizing he hadn’t given me the keys, but I didn’t care. I leaned against the truck, crossing my ankles and looked up at the sky. It was a clear night, and there were thousands of stars out, all twinkling and shining brightly.

  I don’t know what possessed Luke to decide to get the food to go, but I was thankful none the less. I stood by the truck for over ten minutes before Luke walked out of the restaurant.

  “Shit, I forgot to give you the keys and by the time I realized it you were out the door.” Luke jogged over to the truck, a huge bag laden down with delicious Mexican food. He beeped the locks open, flashing the headlights and I opened my door. I managed to climb in without flashing the whole parking lot this time and shut the door behind me.

  Luke opened the back door, set the food next to the coffee maker, slammed the door shut and climbed in behind the wheel. He didn’t say anything, just started the truck and we headed out of the parking lot.

  “Um, not that I’m not grateful for leaving, but why did we leave? I thought you were starving?”

  “I was, and I am. I could tell you weren’t going to be able to relax, so I figured we could just get the food to go and eat it at your place or mine.”

  “Um, my place is pretty tiny. I don’t even have a kitchen table. I can just grab my food out of the bag and take it with me.”

  “How do you not have a kitchen table?” He asked, glancing at me.

  I looked forward, watching the traffic on the opposite side of the road and shrugged my shoulders. “I live in an efficiency apartment. There’s not a lot of space.”

  “Well, then we’ll eat at my place and then I’ll take you home.” He turned down a back road that led to the shop and sped down the road.

  “You do know the speed limit is twenty-five on this road, right?” I gripped the armrest on the door and grabbed my seat belt, clicking it into place.

  “I’m not into limits, Princess. With limits, you never realize your potential.”

  “As poetic as that sounds, I think speed limits are there to keep you safe, not stifle one's potential.” We were approaching a sharp turn and Luke wasn’t letting off the gas. “Luke, slow down!”

  “Relax, Princess. I know what I’m doing. Be thankful we’re not in my car. I’m pretty sure I could make you squeal in that.” He slammed on the brakes, and we skidded around the corner, all four wheels screeching.

  I bit my lip, holding in the scream that was ready to come out and decided closing my eyes was going to be the best thing for me to do. He jammed down on the gas, rocketing us forward, slamming me back into my seat.

  “How long you think it will take us to get home, Princess?” He asked.

  I peeked one eye open, trying to see where we were and slammed them shut when I saw another turn coming. “Um, well, with a reasonable person driving it would take about seven minutes. With you going Mach five, I think we’ll be home in at least five.”

  “Hmm, you really believe that it will take five minutes? I think I can beat that.” I already thought we were flying, but he managed to go faster, my fingers digging into the seat and my stomach dropped to the floor.

  We skidded around another corner, my body slamming against the door and I heard the coffee maker and food shift in the back seat. I was going to be pissed if my beloved tamales ended up scattered all over the floor. “Um, I’m really not into betting, so do you think you could maybe slow down before we crash or our food ends up in my lap?”

  “We’re not going to crash, Princess.” He stomped on the brakes, and I opened my eyes to see we were at the stoplight just down the street from the garage. “I’ve driven ten times more than you have. I’m the safest person to be behind the wheel with.”

  “Um, I’ll take your word for that,” I muttered as he stomped on the gas, squealing the tires.

  The body shop came into view, and I breathed a sigh of relief. Thank God we were almost there. He skidded into the parking lot, sliding sideways and we came to a rocking stop in front of the door. “You are absolutely crazy.” My heart was beating out of my chest, and I felt like I had swallowed a rock.

  “You haven’t seen nothing yet, Princess.” He winked at me, making my heart beat even faster and he jumped down from the truck.

  I sat in my seat, not moving, wondering what the hell had just happened. Luke calling me Princess and winking at me somehow gave me butterflies even though I thought he was a dick. Talk about conflicted feelings.

  “You coming in or are you going to eat your food in the truck?” Luke asked, opening the back door and plucked the bag of takeout off the seat.

  I grabbed my purse off the floor, hitching it over my shoulder and opened the door. Just as I was about to jump down, Luke walked over and held his
hand out to me. “It’s rocky in the parking lot. I don’t think your shoes can handle jumping down on it.”

  I shook my head, not wanting to read into the fact that Luke was helping me down from the truck and grabbed his hand. I put one foot on the running board, and he steadied me as I stepped down. He instantly let go of my hand when my feet were firmly planted on the ground, but I couldn’t help but notice the warmth and firmness of his hand. Somehow in those five seconds, he had held my hand he made me feel safe. “Thanks,” I mumbled, closing the door shut behind me.

  I followed Luke, not wanting to check out his backside, but I couldn’t tear my eyes away. I had known from the second I had met him that he was handsome, but now I seemed to be taking notice, marking down details in my mind and committing them to memory. His jeans hugged his legs perfectly tight, but not to the point where he looked like he was wearing a pair of my jeans. His shirt was snug across his shoulders, with some car design on the back, and the sleeves hugged his bulging, muscled arms. The man definitely knew how to fill out a shirt. He had tattoos on his arms that were peeking out of both sleeves, making me wonder what they were and how far they traveled up his arms.

  He unlocked the front door, holding it open for me and I stepped inside. The front office was dim, the lights of the garage bays shining through the connecting door. “Is anyone still working?”

  “No, Mitch and Kurt forgot to shut the fucking lights off again.” Luke walked over to the door, opened it and reached a hand in, turning off the huge lights. “I don’t know how many times I’ve told them to shut the fucking lights off.”

  He headed up the steps, and I scurried behind him, watching his butt as he walked up the stairs. I needed to stop being behind Luke, my ogling was getting out of hand.

  At the top of the steps, it opened up to a huge living room with three huge leather couches in the shape of a ‘c’ with a massive TV against the wall on the left. There were huge posters of old cars and car part advertisements on walls. To the right was the kitchen with a huge island with pendant lighting over it and five stools tucked underneath. Along one wall were the most beautiful cabinets I have ever seen in a dark mahogany color with a light marble counter top. It was freakin’ gorgeous.

  “Wow,” I whispered, taking in the other wall of cabinets and counter that had a huge farm sink with a huge chrome fridge and stove.

  “Sit at the island. I’ll get some plates and shit.”

  I tossed my coat and purse over the back of one of the couches and made my way over to the island. I glimpsed a long hallway that I assumed led to the bedrooms.

  “This place is huge,” I marveled, pulling a stool out and sat down.

  “Needs to be. Four people live here.” Luke grabbed two plates and forks, setting them in front of me. He walked over to the fridge and held up a can of diet soda to me, and I nodded my head yes.

  He pulled out the stool next to me and started emptying the bag of food.

  “So I know you’re older than Frankie, but what about your brothers, are you the oldest?” I grabbed the container he held out to me and popped open the cover. The delicious smell of perfectly cooked tamales wafted out, and I moaned. I couldn’t help it; Miguel’s tamales were a small piece of heaven.

  I looked at Luke, wondering why he didn’t answer me and I was met with his piercing gray eyes staring at me, a smirk on his lips.

  “You got a thing for tamales, Princess?”

  “Um, it’s just that, well, tamales from Miguel’s are almost sinful. You have to have a certain level of respect for them.” I blushed, hard. I did not just basically voice my weird opinion on tamales, did I?

  “I’m going to assume you aren’t one of those chicks who are afraid to eat.”

  “That would be a big, fat, negative,” I said, grabbing a fork and cutting off a piece of tamale. They were still warm and moist, the perfect bite. The second it touched my tongue, I closed my eyes, savoring the tender meat and rich masa. Pure. Heaven.

  “You’re going to have to stop moaning, Princess, otherwise I’m never going to be able to eat.”

  “Sorry,” I mumbled, grabbing a napkin and wiped my lips. I really needed to get a grip. It was food, delicious food, but still just food.

  Luke just shook his head and finished grabbing everything from the bag. He set the chips and guacamole in between us and tucked into his own food. I opened my burrito and suppressed my moan as I took a bite and just asked my question again.

  “I’m the oldest. Kurt and Mitch are three years younger than me and eleven months apart from each other. They both live here.”

  “So they’re both what, twenty-seven?” Yes, I was definitely fishing trying to find out how old Luke was.

  “No, twenty-nine. Mitch used to have his own place, but then he got in trouble and was in jail for a year and just decided to move in with me when he got out. Kurt started working for me, and it just made sense for him to live here instead of driving to and from his house. I have the room, no reason for them not to use it.”

  “That’s pretty nice of you.”

  He shrugged his shoulders and grabbed a tamale, biting off half of it. “They’re family. If this was only one bedroom and they needed some place to stay they could.”

  I didn’t say anything more because I didn’t know what it was like to have a family like that. My mom and dad loved me, but they weren’t around anymore. I envied Luke for having that kind of relationship with his sister and brothers.

  We ate in silence, both of us lost in our own thoughts. By the time I had devoured my tamales, half of my burrito and a healthy share of the chips and guac, I was beyond full. I always seemed to eat too much whenever Miguel’s was involved.

  “You ready to head home?” he asked, piling all the garbage up on his plate.

  “Um, yeah. I’ll just snap the lid back on this and grab my purse.” I don’t know what had changed, but it seemed that Luke had gone back to being a complete dick.

  He dumped all the garbage and grabbed his truck keys. He stood at the top of the stairs, waiting for me to struggle into my coat. He flipped the lights off as I walked by and jogged down the stairs. I felt like I had done something wrong but I had no idea what.

  I hopped in the truck as he locked up the front door again. I shut the door, and he climbed in as I buckled my seat belt. I thankfully only lived a couple of minutes away so there really wasn’t any need for small talk.

  I told him where I lived, and all he did was grunt and turn up the music. What the hell was going on? I thought that we had made some headway tonight, but evidently not.

  He pulled up to the front door of my apartment, leaving the truck idling and he jumped down. I slid out, grabbing my purse and the to go container and walked around the front of the truck. He was holding the huge box, waiting for me.

  “I can get it.” I hitched my purse over my shoulder, dug my keys out, set the container on top of the box and grabbed it from him. “Um, what about my car? Do you need my phone number?”

  He shook his head no and closed the back door shut. “We’ll drop it off tomorrow.”

  Oh, I hoped I wasn’t going to have to pay more for them to deliver it. I was about to ask, but Luke moved to get back in the truck, acting like he couldn’t leave fast enough.

  “Um, thank you for the ride,” I said. He nodded his head and climbed back into the truck. I backed up, surprised. I saw him shift the truck into park and told myself to get the hell out of there. I didn’t need to stand there like some lovesick girl watching him drive off.

  Ugh, I shook my head as I walked to the front door. “You’re an idiot, Violet.” I had for one small second thought maybe Luke had liked me, but he was obviously just being a decent human being like he had said before.

  I entered my code to get through the front door, the lock releasing and I pushed through the door, not looking back to see if King Douche was still sitting there.

  “Hey, Violet. You need help with that?” I looked down the hall to see Mr. Bern
ard, his head sticking out into the hallway.

  “Um, no. I should be good. It’s only one flight of stairs.”

  “OK, hun, you have a good night.” He waved at me and ducked back into his apartment.

  I definitely needed help, but Mr. Bernard was seventy-nine years old and had two bad knees. I don’t think he knew what he was volunteering for. This damn Keurig didn’t weigh a lot, but it really wasn’t easy to carry. Throw in the damn container of takeout that was sliding all over, this was going to suck.

  I managed to slide the container of food to me and held it down with my chin and started the trek up the stairs. I didn’t live in a senior living apartment, per say, but more than three-quarters of the occupants of the apartments were over the age of sixty. I stayed because the rent was cheap and no one ever bothered me.

  At the top of the stairs I breathed a sigh of relief, thankful I had managed to make it without my burrito falling all over the floor. I juggled the box in my hand, trying to get the key into the lock and ended up setting it on the floor to get in.

  I flipped the lights on, grabbed the Keurig off the floor and placed it on the small counter top. I had taken my old Keurig out to the trash on the way to work this morning, so I quickly unpacked the new one, taking off all the plastic and stickers and set it up. I was tempted to run one cup of coffee through it but looked at the time, seeing it was passed eleven, and knew I would have to wait until the morning.

  I set the box at the door, turned off the kitchen lights and got ready for bed.

  After I had brushed my teeth and slipped on my pajamas, I laid in bed, knowing I should be sleeping but just couldn’t.

  Luke and his sudden mood change kept going through my head. All I had done was ask about his brothers, and he seemed to change attitude like flipping a switch.

  I still thought he was an asshole, but for a little bit, I had seen what a nice guy he could be. He helped me avoid Ginny, bought me a Keurig and dinner. All three things he didn’t need to do. Gah, I don’t think I would ever understand that man.

  I had only known him for two days, and he was taking up way too much of my thoughts. So what if he was hot and was nice to me for a little bit. For a majority of the time he had been king Douche to me, and he wasn’t worth my thoughts. Tomorrow when he dropped my car off, I would pay him, tell him thank you and never see the man again.