Tom stood in the shadows and while the bar was filled with a mingling of unidentifiable voices Elizabeth's laughter pierced his ears. He cast his stare to the far side of the room where the foursome was still playing darts. He felt his body stiffen at the sight of Jason and Leo both teasing Elizabeth and her playfully pushing them in the chest. Tom ground the thick heel of his boot against the dingy floor. "Make it a double this time," he stated turning around and waving his shot glass in the bartender's face.

The dark haired man behind the bar looked at the bottle of Jack Daniels he had been pouring shots from. It was nearly half empty and Tom had been its primary consumer. "Don't you think you've had enough buddy?" he asked.

"Not nearly," Tom responded never once taking his eyes off of Elizabeth. She had paired herself with Jason and from the looks of the score board they were beating the pants off of Leo and Melanie. "Give me a beer with that shot," he instructed as he swallowed the last gulp of warm liquid from the bottle that sat before him on the bar.

The bartender just shook his head as if he had seen guys like Tom many times before from his perch behind the highly polished bar and pulled a frosty beer from the cooler and filled the shot glass to its rim with amber liquor. Tom sat down and turned the barstool giving him a direct sight line to Elizabeth. He watched her intently as she and Jason threw dart after dart and when they had finally beaten their opponents again there was a high five that turned into a victory hug. A hug that made Tom's blood boil.

He was so lost in his own world that he hadn't even realized that Jason was now standing beside him. "Hey man," Jason said elbowing his old friend. "When did you get here? Yeah four beers please," Jason said to the second bartender as he pushed their empties towards him.

"I've been here a while."

"Really?" Jason gave him a funny look not sure what to make of his friend's sudden strange behavior. "I didn't even see you come in."

"You've been busy," Tom stated as he downed the last of his shot. "Another," he said raising his glass once more.

Jason stared at him with an odd expression on his face. It wasn't that he hadn't ever seen Tom drunk before but something about him tonight was different. "I think maybe you've had enough. Why don't I take you home?" he asked shooting the bartender a glance that said there'd be no more drinks that night for his friend.

"I wouldn't want you to have to leave your new friends," Tom sneered.

"What are you talking about? You're my friend."

"If you say so."

"Tom, what the hell's going on?" Jason asked tugging at Tom's arm.

"Nothing, not a damn thing – thanks to you!" With that said Tom threw a couple dollars on the bar and stormed away from Jason leaving him starring at his friend's retreating form.

"Jason?" Leo came up behind him. "What's up with him?" he asked even though he could have cared less what was or wasn't wrong with Tom Boudean.

"I wish I knew," Jason said more than a little dumbfounded.

Theresa's car rolled to a stop in the already overflowing bar parking lot. She pulled down the visor, flipped open the mirror and applied another layer of fire engine red lipstick and gave the rest of her face a once over. She reached across the console for her purse and let her long slender legs extend from the open driver's door. Smoothing her tight leather mini she closed the car door behind her with a thud.

She could hear the music from inside reverberating the walls and she was ready for a party – especially since she hadn't been having one earlier with Billy. He'd been in rare form after his loss to Jason that afternoon. And it only made matters worse that Leo Jorgenson had also beaten him across the finish line. It was like a double whammy for Billy. She wasn't even sure what place he came in in the qualifier but wherever it had been only gave him a fifth start in the upcoming feature. No matter what or how she tried to get him out of his funky mood nothing worked. All he did was stomp around the garage in a rage going on and on about how he was going to make Morgan pay for thinking he could one up him again. Finally after several hours of his never ending tirade she slipped out unnoticed. Looking at her reflection in the car window she adjusted the red tank top that fit her like a glove to reveal just a little more of her ample cleavage surely she wouldn't go unnoticed here.

Theresa made her way across the parking lot missing the myriad of pot holes in her black spike heels. The door pulsed beneath her hand and just as she was about to enter she was nearly run down by a guy making a hasty exit. "Hey, watch where you're going!" she shouted. "You just about knocked me out."

"Sorry," he mumbled barely looking up at her.

But he raised his head just enough for Theresa to know exactly who he was. He was a member of Jason Morgan's crew – Tom Boudean. Suddenly she was more than a little intrigued. If Tom was there than it stood to reason that Jason was as well. She liked that thought. "You know it's customary when a man nearly plows a woman down that he buys her a drink. You wouldn't want to break with tradition would you?"

Tom turned around and gave her the once over. She was attractive but in an obvious way nothing like Elizabeth's subtle beauty. Even though she wasn't Elizabeth Ryan Tom found himself turning around and following her back into the bar.

Theresa smiled pleased with herself as she felt Tom's presence behind her. She scanned the over crowded bar hoping to find Jason's handsome face in the mix but she was unsuccessful for the moment.

"What's your pleasure?" one of the bartenders asked as Theresa leaned deeply into the lacquered bar giving the man a plentiful view of what she thought to be her most valuable assets.

"Whatever he's buying," she said with a laugh.

The bartender looked over to see the young man he had been serving shots of Jack Daniels to for the better part of the night. "I think he's had his fill," he commented.

"I'll take a beer and give the lady whatever she wants," Tom's speech was a bit slurred as he climbed onto one of the barstools and patted an empty one adjacent to him for Theresa to join him.

"Make me something fruity," Theresa instructed as she slithered her way into the seat next to Tom allowing him the same view of her bulging breasts. "I'm Theresa by the way," she said as their drinks were placed before them.

"Tom," he said taking a long swig from the frosty brown bottle. "You want to dance?" he asked taking her a little by surprise.

"Sure," she answered thinking that maybe from her vantage point on the dance floor she might be able to find Jason in the crowd.

Tom grabbed her hand and literally pulled her into the middle of the wooden floor his anger still coursing through his body with all the force of a raging river about to overflow its banks. Theresa danced around Tom with moves that would make even the most experienced exotic dance embarrassed. She rubbed herself against him in all the right places and when she wrapped her arm around his midsection her hands gently grazing his engorged groin she knew she was having the desired effect. Even though she knew that Tom wasn't the main prize he wasn't bad looking and if she had to choose between spending the night alone or being with him she would definitely choose him.

For a brief moment Tom allowed himself to get lost in the effects Theresa was having over his body. She had all the right moves and he was beginning to weaken to her advances until his view from the dance floor brought Jason and Elizabeth into his line of vision once more. There they were on the edge of the dance floor dancing. Elizabeth's moves were far less provocative than the woman he was dancing with but for Tom seeing her even holding hands with Jason was enough to spike a fever pitch in him all over again.

"What are you starring at?" Theresa asked when Tom basically stood still eyes fixed to the corner of the room.

"Nothing," he muttered never removing his eyes from the pair. The music had now slowed and Elizabeth was wrapped securely in Jason's arms.

Theresa followed his gaze and saw the object of her earlier quest however she was less than pleased by who he was with. She felt her muscles tense at the sight of Elizabeth Ryan. Instantly she was jacked off at how close they appeared almost as if the rest of the bar didn't even exist. It didn't help matters that it seemed as though the man she was dancing with was as infatuated with the Ryan princess as Jason Morgan apparently was. "You dancing with me or would prefer to cut in on them?" she asked angrily forcing Tom's eyes to meet her face.

"I need a drink!" Tom announced turning away from her and heading back to the bar.

For a moment Theresa stood there watching Elizabeth and Jason. The way he looked down at Elizabeth adoringly made her want to hurl. What was it about Elizabeth Ryan that turned all men into mush? She wasn't all that great. Hell she couldn't even keep a man satisfied. Her failed relationship with Billy Weston had been proof of that. Yet there Jason Morgan was fawning all over her like she was the greatest thing. Theresa wasn't sure what pissed her off more the fact that every time she looked Elizabeth was by Jason's side or that no matter what she did he wouldn't give her the time of day and actually seemed to enjoy blowing her off. Either way it didn't really matter since she was never one to back down from a challenge and this was most definitely a challenge in her eyes. She looked back toward the bar and saw Tom downing the last of his beer and signaling for another. She made her way back to the vacant seat beside him. "How about another one for me?" she asked showing him her empty glass.

"Yeah, whatever," Tom grumbled.

"Another please," she smiled brightly at the bartender as he took her glass. "What's with the sulking all of the sudden?" she asked sensing that Jason's friend was just about as happy with the apparent little romance of the newest Ryan driver and the team owner's daughter as she was. Perhaps Tom Boudean could be of some use after all.

"You know what, drink your drink and leave me alone," he growled.

"Touchy aren't we?" she snipped back.

"Just leave me alone okay?"

"What if I don't want to?" she purred. "What if I was having fun and want to keep having fun?" she asked letting her brightly painted fingernail trail from his cheek down his neck causing Tom to shiver for a moment.

"I'm not your guy, okay?"

"You were a few minutes ago. What happened to him?"

"He's gone."

"I don't think so," she announced as she gently caressed his semi-hard form. "Seems to me you still have a little fun left in you," she said with a wink.

Tom swallowed hard around the lump in his throat her skilled touch had produced in him. "I'm really not in the mood okay?" he barked moving away from her.

"Oh really?" she starred at him skeptically moving next to him again. "Why not?"

"I'm just not! I've got other things on my mind – other people." His eyes again went to the table that housed Elizabeth and Jason who now had his arm gently draped over her shoulder.

"Other people huh?" she raised her brow. "And who might that be?" she asked thinking she already knew the answer.

"Forget it. Just take your drink and go."

"And if I don't?"

"Then I'll leave." Tom had already had enough of watching Jason and Elizabeth getting cozy.

"Not before you tell me what's got you so jacked off. How about this time I buy you a drink?"

"Whatever," Tom said with a huff in his voice.

"Here," she said offering another bottle of beer. "So tell Theresa what your problem is or better yet who the problem is." She sat there feeding Tom several more beers while he went on and on about his friendship with Jason and how no matter how hard he tried he always came in second place and he was sick of it. He made several overt comments concerning Elizabeth Ryan and Theresa had been correct in her assumption that Tom Boudean didn't want her and Jason together anymore than she did. As she took the final sip from her drink she definitely knew that Tom would come in handy in her quest to make Jason Morgan hers.

"Where are you off to?" Melanie asked as Elizabeth got up from the table.

"Ladies room if you must know," she said with a smart-alecky grin.

"Aren't you going to go with her?" Leo questioned Melanie. "I always thought that a girl never went to the bathroom alone," he joked.

"I think I can manage on my own," Elizabeth stated.

"You sure?" Melanie asked. While she wanted to run off to the privacy of the ladies room to question her friend about her sudden change in demeanor that evening especially when it came to Jason she also wasn't ready to vacate her place next to Leo. She found herself enjoying his company a great deal that evening. The fun they were having playing darts and dancing was an experience a little foreign to Melanie and if it was to only last that one night she didn't want it to be over too quickly.

"I'm sure. Anyone want anything from the bar on my way back?" she asked.

"I'll take another beer," Leo said.

"Nothing for me thanks," Jason added.

"Okay."

Elizabeth looked back over her shoulder as she made her way toward the ladies room door. She still couldn't believe that she let her walls down and allowed Jason Morgan to step inside the confines of her heart. She was still more than a little frightened that she was setting herself up for another fall but something in her heart told her this time it would be different. It had to be because if it wasn't she wasn't sure she would survive it.

She stood at the mirror giving her make up a once over and applied a bit more lipstick to her pale lips before leaving the ladies room and heading for the bar. "Two beers, please," she said. As she waited for her drinks to arrive Elizabeth turned her head and saw Theresa Kennedy at the end of the bar. Instantly her stomach tightened at the sight of her. She seemed to be in the thick of things always looking for the next great conquest on the NASCAR circuit. There was a name for women like her – it was race whore. The many years Elizabeth had spent on the circuit with her father she had seen her fair share of women like Theresa – even feared a few might end up as her stepmother. Thankfully Pat Ryan hadn't been as stupid as some of the other drivers she had known. "Three bucks," the bartender said forcing Elizabeth from her own private thoughts.

"There you go. Keep the change," she said handing the man behind the bar a five dollar bill. As she made her way back to their table Elizabeth's resolve about Jason and her fledging relationship began to weaken. Suddenly all she could think about was Billy and how he unlike her father hadn't been so good at saying no.

"You okay?" Jason asked as Elizabeth slipped into the booth next to him. He could see the change in her expression.

"I'm fine," she said.

Melanie and Leo looked at one another and then back to their friend. It was more than obvious that the Elizabeth who had left the table moments before wasn't the same one that had just returned. It was then that Melanie caught sight of Theresa Kennedy across the room. She elbowed Leo and nodded in the direction of the bar. Immediately he understood. "You want to dance?" he asked Melanie.

"Yeah, I would."

Elizabeth couldn't help but be taken a little bit by surprise by Melanie's eager response. Normally she would have made any excuse necessary to not have to put herself in any situation with Leo. Maybe her friend was finally coming around to what she had always known – that she and Leo were perfect for one another.

"Don't you think it's more than a little convenient that she shows up here of all places?" Melanie asked as she easily fit into Leo's arms.

"That's what I was thinking," he concurred starring hard at Theresa. "God only knows what she's thinking."

"Oh we know what she's thinking," Melanie said matter of fact. "What the hell are we going to do about?"

"Nothing," Leo said.

"WHAT!" Melanie did little to hide her shock at his remark. "You are kidding right? This is Theresa Kennedy we are talking about. I don't know about you but I'm not about to let history repeat itself," she stated forcefully her protective nature getting the better of her.

"Neither am I," Leo said trying to calm her down. "But I think it's a bit early to be jumping to the conclusion you are. Theresa's nothing more than a bar fly and this is," he stressed, "her hang out. It stands to reason that she would be here."

"I still don't like it. I'm getting a bad vibe," Melanie said her stare boring holes in Theresa Kennedy's back.

Leo tightened his grasp around Melanie's waist. He had the same vibe but didn't want to add to Melanie's paranoia. He didn't trust Theresa Kennedy in the least. "Don't worry okay? We still have a plan to concentrate on," he said with a smile. "Tonight was just a start for us. We still have a long way to go."

"I still don't like it!" Melanie stressed.

"I know, I know. Can we dance now?" he asked with a slight grin.

"Okay," she said laying her head against his chest all the while Melanie never took her eyes off of Theresa Kennedy.