“Okay, well, I’ll be sure to put them all to good use.”
“You won’t be wearing any of them for long,” he says, spinning me back towards my job and slapping my ass. “Now get back to work.”
“Aye aye, boss.”
He walks away with a chuckle.
I get back to work with a smile.
* * *
The plane ride to L.A. isn’t long and we arrive just as the sun is setting. I’ve never been here before, so I’m fascinated as we drive through the busy streets. We arrive at our hotel and check in. Tazen has planned for us to meet his family for dinner, which has my stomach twisting with nerves. I hope they don’t think I’m too … average … for their son.
The hotel is beautiful, but I did notice Tazen didn’t go over the top with the room. I think he did that for me, and the very idea makes my heart swell. He doesn’t want me feeling uncomfortable. It is a nice room, though. It has a massive king bed, a beautiful patio that overlooks the lights of the city and a seriously awesome bath. As soon as we shut the door, I drop my bags and rush out onto the patio.
Tazen is behind me in seconds, wrapping his arms around me.
“You like it?”
“It’s amazing,” I breathe. “So pretty.”
“Yeah, I liked living here.”
“Why did you leave?” I ask, twisting so I’m facing him.
“Florida has better clientele for racing—so therefore more business for me. And more opportunities to build racing cars.”
“You made a good choice. What time is dinner with your family?”
“At seven. We have an hour.”
“An hour?” I cry, turning and rushing back into the room. “Oh no.”
He laughs, sitting on the bed and kicking his boots off. He watches in fascination as I rush around the room, pulling out clothes, showering, doing my hair and getting dressed. He doesn’t move from his spot as I do. When we have only ten minutes to go, he showers and changes, like I’m making a big deal out of nothing. Damn him for being so casual. I’m dying of nerves.
“Ready?” he asks.
I’m pacing by the door, of course I’m ready.
He laughs, I glare.
“Come on,” he says, taking my hand and leading us out. “They’ll love you.”
We get into the elevator and I turn and glance at myself in the mirror. My dress is black, but it’s not tight or short. It’s snugger fitting around the bust, but flares out at my waist and goes to my knees. My shoes are the only pair of heels I own, and they’re sling-back pumps, also black. I left my hair down and did some basic makeup. I look nice, but I feel so out of place.
I don’t do dresses.
“You can get back into your jeans later,” Tazen teases.
My god, he knows me so well. My heart melts.
“Not funny.” I squirm. “I hate dresses.”
“Maybe,” he says, placing a hand on my lower back and leading me out of the elevator. “But baby, they don’t hate you.”
“Dammit,” I grumble. “Why do you have to be so sweet?”
He flashes me a grin and we exit the hotel. We catch a cab to a nice restaurant in the middle of Hollywood. It’s quaint and looks like it serves delicious food. I’m fidgeting like mad as I wait for Tazen to point out his family. He leads me inside and then waves towards a group of four people. I look in their direction and my heartbeat starts thumping harder.
The older woman, who is clearly his mother, Regina, is an attractive, raven-haired beauty. She’s tall and slim, wearing a nice halter dress in red. She’s got a man on her arm, who I’m assuming is Tazen’s stepfather, Josh. He’s handsome, with salt-and-pepper hair and kind, blue eyes. To his left is a younger woman, who I am assuming is Retro. She’s … well … Retro.
Her hair is bright blue. No kidding. She’s wearing a black-and-white polka-dot dress that looks like it belongs in the fifties and she’s got sleeve tattoos up her arms. She’s gorgeous though, there’s no denying that. The man standing next to her must be Tazen’s brother, Kellian. He is as good-looking as his brother, with his long dark hair and dark brown eyes. He’s got a more gentle face than Tazen, not as rugged, but he’s handsome as hell.
We stop in front of them and I’m concerned I’m going to throw up on someone’s shoes. I’ve never met someone’s parents before. What if I say something wrong? What if they hate me and demand that Tazen find someone better? I want to gag. Instead, I force a smile as their eyes take me in. Tazen lets go of my hand and hugs them all, sharing back pats and kisses.
Then he steps back and wraps an arm around me.
“Mom, Josh, Retro and Kell, this is my girl, Quinn.”
Oh boy.
“Oh Tazen,” Regina says, stepping forward. “She’s beautiful. Hi, Quinn, it’s so lovely to meet you.”
She reaches out, pulling me in for a hug. Well, I guess Tazen’s mom likes me. That’s a good start.
“It’s lovely to meet you too, Regina.”
She smiles warmly at me, and Josh extends his hand. “Josh, good to meet you, Quinn.”
“Hi, Josh.”
“Finally, I’ve been waiting for this moment,” Retro says, throwing herself at me. She pulls me in for a hug, then steps back and studies me. “Gosh, you are pretty.”
I laugh softly. “Thanks, so are you!”
She touches her hair and grins. “I know.”
Kell rolls his eyes and extends his hand. “Pleased to meet you, darlin’.”
Oh boy. Charmer like his brother, too.
“You too.” I smile.
“Right, now that’s out of the way, we can let poor Quinn breathe,” Regina says and we all laugh.
The ice is broken. Thank God.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
“So you’re a mechanic,” Josh asks, digging into his seafood soup.
I nod, poking my fork into my pasta. “Yes.”
“That’s impressive. How long have you been working on cars?”
“All my life, basically,” I answer.
“Nice.” Josh nods his approval.
“She’s fucking good at it, too,” Tazen sings my praises. “I gave her a hard time at first, but it turns out she’s got more skill than half of my seasoned mechanics.”
My heart swells at his compliment and I smile at him. He winks at me.
“That’s hot,” Kell says. “I wish I could find a girl that wasn’t a ditzy Barbie doll.”
“Then maybe you should stop shopping for them in dollhouses, son.” Josh laughs.
Kell grunts. “Probably right.”
“I’m totally in awe,” Retro says. “I wish I was that bad ass.”
I look at her. “Pretty sure you are.”
She grins. “Yeah, that’s totally true.”
“Love yourself much,” Tazen says, grinning at her.
“Bite me, Taz. You’re no better.”
He smiles knowingly at his sister.
I laugh at their banter.
“So,” Regina says, looking at me. “Do you have siblings, Quinn?”
I shake my head. “No.”
“And your parents?”
Tazen reaches over, squeezing my hand, but I don’t mind answering. I can’t hide from my past any longer, and I’m not going to be ashamed of it. I did nothing to be ashamed of.
“My mom died of cancer when I was younger. It was hard on my dad and he became an alcoholic. He’s getting the help he needs now, though. So we’re getting there.”
I hate the pity in their faces, but I push past it.
“That’s a shame, love. I’m sorry,” Regina says.
“This girl,” Tazen says, pulling me close and pressing a kiss to my temple. “Is tougher than anyone I’ve ever met.”
I turn and smile up at him. He leans down, brushing his lips across mine. When we turn back to everyone, Regina is watching us with a twinkle in her eye. She’s happy her son is happy. My heart swells at that.
“And how’s the garage going, Taz?” Josh asks.
They get into a conversation about the garage and I spend that time getting to know Regina and Retro. When we’re all finished and the night has progressed, they announce they’re leaving. We all stand and say our good-byes, my heart warm that I got to meet Tazen’s family and they’re so amazing. I hug them all and then Tazen and I head back out to the street.