“Right?” Courtney shook her head. “It was dark and it seemed way smaller too. Asa has a way of seeing right to the heart of things. He has a great instinct like that.”
PJ grinned. “That was an awesome way to compliment and warn me at the same time. Bravo.”
Courtney tipped her head back, laughing. “He said you were smart and funny as well as pretty. Come on then and let me keep poking into your life. I need to report back on you to my mom and sister. We’re all dying for details.”
“He must love that.”
Courtney nodded. “Yes, of course. He’s so serious all the time. Always was. He worked extra jobs so he could help my mom get us into a better place to live. Even when he enlisted, he sent nearly all his money home to us. But we’re grown, my sister and me, and our mom is fine. He needs to lighten up in ways that don’t include driving too fast.”
“Ha. Don’t hold your breath.” Asa liked to live on the edge. Fast was like breathing to him.
“At least he has a thick skull. When he was a kid he was legendary for how crazy he was. We didn’t have a lot, but our mom found the money and the parts and stuff so each one of us had a bike. Asa rode his off the top of the roof of the church. He rode it off things. Into things. There was a public pool we’d go to all summer long. He and his friends would sneak in at night and ride into the pool on their bikes and skateboards. Then it was dirt bikes. He broke his arm twice. Anyway, then he went into the army and we worried, but it gave him direction and some control. He’s still crazy, but racing on a track is better than on a street.”
“Safer too. Have you seen him out there?” When Courtney shook her head, PJ continued. “They have an emergency team at the track for every race. A medical team, fire suppression crew. They wear some protective gear.” Not as much as she’d hoped, but she knew who Asa and his friends were. They’d be safe – within limits – but still push it as far as they could. “He’s really good at it. And when he comes off the track, he’s totally full of joy. It’s worth the nervousness when I see that expression.”
“He’s so fearless when he’s on wheels of any kind. But… I like the tone in your voice when you talk about what makes him happy.” Courtney paused and then went back to the subject. “Mainly I’ve accepted it. Drives my mom crazy, but he tries to shield her from most of what he gets up to.”
Ha! PJ bet.
“Anyway, so Asa says you’re amazing with custom paint. He showed us some pictures. He’s proud of you.”
PJ blushed. “He is? Well, wow, that’s nice to hear.” It was sweet that he showed her off like that. There was an Asa very few people got to know. One who was soft and tender all while being very protective. It was something she yearned for. Each thing he shared, every moment they reached a new level of trust and he let her in a little further made her greedy for more.
“It’s pretty cool that I get to do what I love. It pays my bills and that’s nice too. I get to be around cars, also a plus. Asa tells me you’re a dental assistant.”
“I am. I just work down in Burien. Did he try to get you to switch dentists? He does that a lot. I’m sorry.”
PJ laughed because he had. “I’ve had the same dentist since I was a kid. But I think it’s so adorable that he does it to everyone. If people only knew.”
“At my graduation he brought the biggest freaking bouquet of roses I’ve ever seen. And then he had to hold it the whole time and never complained.” Courtney smiled as she shook her head. “He was very proud of me, and my sister too. I’d say something like his bark is worse than his bite, but that’s not true. It’s just that he has a very small intimate circle. He hasn’t added a woman to it before. Which is why they never really hold on when he walks away.” She stood, moving to the windows. “You’re in it, though.”
“I think so. Yes.” It was why she wasn’t really that bothered by the fact that their larger circle included a few women he’d slept with. He never looked at anyone the way he looked at her. And that was more than enough to keep any worries away.
“I really have to ask you something. Is Asa as big a pain as he seems like he’d be to date? He’s so bossy. That must drive you nuts.”
“He’s actually pretty sweet. I mean, he glowers at anyone who looks at me sideways, but he doesn’t get too bossy about anything that’s important to me. Your mom did a good job with him. He’s a gentleman.”
Courtney looked dubious. “He gets into fistfights with his friends for recreation. Has he told you about that?”
PJ laughed. “He has, and that remains my reaction too. I’d rather get a new pair of shoes or a book. But he’s handsome and charming and he runs over to his mom’s house to fix her leaky faucets. I can’t complain.”
Asa’s baby sister smiled like PJ had just won a blue ribbon.
“Asa and our mom have a really deep connection. She fought for him. Years of her life she fought for him and never gave up until he was back home. He adores her.”
PJ swallowed. He hadn’t told her that story yet. And while she was hungry for details about him, she wanted Asa to tell her. To share himself by choice.
So she shifted the topic to something else, really liking Courtney Barrons.
Chapter Eighteen
There were already about ten people at the restaurant when PJ and Asa arrived. They liked this place and their group often came in on a weeknight to hang out.
Duke stood at the bar with Duane, one of Twisted Steel’s mechanics, and when he saw them both he raised a hand in greeting.
“Asa.” Duke tipped his chin before turning to PJ with a big teasing smile. “Delightful, de-lovely Penelope. Nice to see you both. Though one of you is nicer to see than the other. Just sayin’.” He winked and Asa groaned.
Then Duane made a comment about Mustangs that had Asa sputtering.
PJ joined in for a while, as she had her own very strong feelings on the subject, until the argument finally got down to some ridiculously esoteric level and she kissed Asa’s cheek, patted Duke’s forearm, and wandered off.
Mick arrived and joined them at the bar for a while as people came and went.
By the time Asa looked up, PJ was off with Duke and some of the others at a table halfway across the restaurant, already eating, smiling and apparently having a good time.
He wanted to be having a good time with her too. Asa began to extricate himself from the discussion so he could head over to her.
“Where’d your hot blond girlfriend get to anyway?” Mick looked around, and then once he caught sight of PJ he headed over like Asa wasn’t even there.
Asa followed. “For a guy who started out pretty much hating her, you sure have changed your tune.”
“I’ve had the time to get to know her and realize how wrong I was. I probably began to fall for her when she flipped me off. You don’t deserve all that youth and beauty¸ so I’m just hanging around waiting for her to figure it out. Then I’ll sweep her off her feet and you can eat shit.”
Asa flipped Mick off. “It’s nice for you to have dreams you’ll never achieve. You need to set the bar way lower, though.”
Mick flipped him off in return, but his attention had already shifted back to PJ. He bumped her fist as he slid into the booth across from her.
“You’re eating already?” Asa noted the little plates from the conveyor belt on the table in front of her.
She laughed like he was crazy. “Yes, of course! You were all high on Mustang talk so I came over here to have a drink and eat and let Duke charm me. Plus I was able to watch you from my seat. You’re very sexy when you get worked up about cars.”
Duke snorted. “Gross.”
Asa shot Duke a look. “Then get up so I can sit there.”