Sara woke up the next morning with only a sheet covering her. She looked over for Juice and saw that he wasn't there. She frowned slightly and looked toward the bathroom door. It was wide open, and he was not in there. She got a sort of sick feeling in her stomach hoping that she hadn't just been a one night stand. Sara climbed out of bed, pulling on her clothes from the previous night. She walked into the bathroom and washed her face, trying to figure out why Juice would leave without even saying goodbye.
Juice walked back into the hotel room balancing two cups of coffee on top of two small Styrofoam food containers. He smiled hearing the water in the bathroom running. He waited until it stopped. "Good morning..." called out Juice.
Sara jumped a little at hearing an unexpected voice. "Juice?" asked Sara. She walked out of the bathroom, her robe hanging open. She smiled brightly and walked over to him. "I thought maybe you had left for work..." said Sara. She couldn't say that she thought Juice ran off after a one-night stand. That was too insulting.
Juice set down the containers he was carrying and walked closer to her. He tangled his fingers into her hair and kissed her. "You thought I'd just leave without saying goodbye?" asked Juice with a smile. He kissed her again and pulled back, rubbing his thumb against her cheek. "Never. I just walked across the street to get coffee and breakfast for the two of us."
Sara blushed embarrassed. "I don't know what I was thinking. So what did you get for breakfast?" asked Sara peering around him at the containers.
Juice chuckled. "Nice dodge. You were thinking that I am a biker that sleeps with random girls and then disappears before they wake up. I got their pancake special. I didn't know what you might want to eat. I hope that is okay." He pulled the plastic utensils from his pockets and handed her a set wrapped in plastic. Juice handed Sara a cup of coffee and one of the breakfast containers before having a seat in a chair sitting next to the bed.
Sara smiled sheepishly. "I happen to love pancakes. Thanks, Juice. You are really sweet." said Sara sitting on the bed Indian style. She took a sip of the hot coffee.
"Well, I felt bad. I haven't exactly taken you out to dinner yet. I was thinking...if you aren't busy tonight...why don't you come over to my place for dinner. I'll cook." said Juice, he started eating breakfast.
Sara swallowed a bite of pancake almost choking. "You cook?" asked Sara with a grin. "Sure, I'd love to come over for dinner. I mean I need to see if Lola is okay first though."
"Yes, I cook...don't tell anyone. The guys would bust my chops, but I really like cooking." said Juice with a smirk. He nodded when she mentioned Lola. "I understand. She's been through a lot. I won't hold it against you if you can't make it to dinner tonight."
"I happen to love cooking, too. That was one of my favorite parts of living in Italy. It was a beautiful country and great inspiration for reveling in the history of art. But I learned so many wonderful things about cooking. I made my way up and down the boot learning about art and trying Italian cuisine." said Sara as she ate breakfast.
"I love Italian food. I miss it a lot being out here in California. A lot of people are surprised that I love it so much with me being Puerto Rican. New York is a melting pot. You can't help but eat different kinds of food when you live there. I grew up on a steady stream of pizza and calzones from the neighborhood pizzerias. But it was going over to my friends' houses for dinner that was truly the best. Old-fashioned, home-cooked Italian food." said Juice.
"That had to be great. I grew up around Southern cooking and Creole dishes. That was my only real exposure to the food, so going to Italy was like a whole new world." said Sara.
"I can't imagine a small town girl going off to Italy on her own...that is courageous. It took a lot for me to leave Queens." said Juice drinking his coffee.
"I don't know. It wasn't as hard as you might think for me. I've always had a wanderlust...like I was searching for something, but didn't know what it was. So when I had the opportunity to go to Italy I couldn't pass it up. I immersed myself in the culture and tried to learn the language. When Lola came to visit me, she joked that she was worried I'd never come back home. But I did, and I've bounced around and now I am settling in Stockton. Lola lives in Santa Barbara. I feel like I could really be comfortable here." said Sara.
Juice smiled listening to her. Sara was fascinating to him. But more importantly he was glad to hear that she just might want to settled down right there in California. "I understand the wanderlust. I think that is one of the reasons that I joined the club. Something about hopping on my bike and taking off on the open road is... freeing. But of course once I was a part of the club, I realized that it was a brotherhood. People that you could always depend on. The guys might bust my balls, but they are my family. I get a lot of crap from the guys because I was the new guy for a long time before we started getting more prospects. One of our prospects is getting patched into the club in about a month. I'm actually his sponsor. First time I've been anybody's sponsor."
Sara took in everything he was telling her about himself and his life with the club. She was curious about the club. Sara had always walked the straight and narrow. She knew that some motorcycle clubs were just Harley enthusiasts. But - considering Juice was carrying - she figured it was more than that. "So you say you went to prison?" asked Sara curiously.
"I did. I served 14 months on a weapons charge. It wasn't bad though. I wasn't alone in prison. I served my time with five other brothers. Trust me it made doing my time a lot easier. Being in on your own is no fun..." said Juice, as he finished breakfast.
"You've been to prison before that?" asked Sara, trying to hide her shocked face.
Juice chuckled and said, "Yeah, we all have. If you come by the club you will see all of our mugshots hanging on the wall. We've all done time for the club. That freak you out a little?"
Sara said "No...of course not. Well... maybe a little." Sara finished her breakfast and closed the container, setting it aside. "What did you go to prison for the first time?" asked Sara.
"Assault..." said Juice shrugging his shoulders. "I got into a fight at a bar and put a guy through a wall. He ended up in the hospital for a couple of months after what I did to him. I got sentenced to two years for that." He watched her expressions play over her face. "I am freaking you out...aren't I?" asked Juice. He set his empty breakfast container aside and walked over to the bed. He caressed her cheek. "I'll understand if... if the outlaw biker thing is too much for you."
Sara rested her hand on his hand. "It is new." She paused and added, "But just because something is new doesn't mean that it is bad. I like the man that you are. I'm not about to run away now."
Juice leaned down and kissed her softly. "Good." He glanced at the clock and frowned. "Listen, I need to head into work. I'll call you when I get off to see if you are free for dinner."
Sara stood up and tied her bathrobe tight. "That sounds good to me. I'll talk to you later." Sara walked Juice to the door and opened it for him.
He smirked. "I'll see you later." He leaned in and kissed her before walking out the door.
Sara closed the door behind him and smiled to herself. "Today is going to be a good day." Sara threw away their trash from breakfast and took off her robe. She was still decidedly sleepy. She curled up in the bed deciding to get a couple more hours of sleep.
At 1:00 Sara walked out of her hotel room dressed in a multi-colored summer dress that fell just above her knees. Her long blonde hair was held back by her sunglasses. Sara knocked on Lola's door. "Lo?" called Sara through the door when she didn't get an answer. Sara knocked harder to get Lola's attention. "Lola! Wake up!" called Sara through the door. Sara could hear some bumping in the room and finally the door opened a crack.
Lola stood behind the door wearing a t-shirt that obviously didn't belong to her. "Hey! I am still sleeping... but I am okay. You don't have to worry about me. I am not depressed or anything..." said Lola with a smile. "How was your night?"
"My night was fine... but I am more concerned about what you did last night." said Sara. She tried to look around her best friend to get a glimpse at the bed. "What did you do? Or shall I ask who?" Sara put her hands on her hips. "Lola Anne."
"Sara Jane." said Lola in the same tone. Lola moved the door back slightly to reveal Tig asleep in her bed with the blanket draped across him. She pulled the door up again so the sunlight wouldn't bother him.
"How did that happen?" asked Sara incredulously. "And I thought he was the one that you said looked like he might kill you in your sleep..." said Sara thinking about the first time they had encountered Tig at the garage.
Lola said, "He came back last night to see if I was okay. And one thing led to another and...well - Voila!" She snickered quietly. "I told him about the 'kill me in my sleep' thing actually... and he asked if that made him more or less attractive. I told him definitely more. I really just could not resist those eyes of his. They are like... hypnotizing. That, and he is hung like a horse."
Sara bit her lip trying not to laugh. "I am glad you had a good night, Lola. But are you sure this is a good idea? I don't want you to get hurt." Lola didn't trust men as far as she could see them, but she had a knack of falling for the ones that were damaged in some unseen way, and it always turned out bad. Exhibit A...Jared.
"I am not going to get hurt. The only thing I am at risk of his walking funny after he leaves. You have nothing to worry about. I am really exhausted. I think I am going to turn back in..." said Lola.
Sara nodded and said "Alright. Go get some sleep. I will see you later. Juice actually asked if I wanted to have dinner with him tonight. If you think you will be okay... I think I will tell him yes."
Lola smiled and said "I will be fine. Go have fun with Juice tonight. You deserve it. Love you, doll." Lola closed the door.
Sara heard the lock turn as she walked away from the room. She went to her car and drove over to the diner to pick up lunch. She drove to the Teller-Morrow garage and pulled onto the lot. She hoped that she wasn't making an absolute ass of herself.
Chibs chuckled. "Juice. I think this one is for you, brother."
Juice was working on a car but took the time to look at what Chibs was talking about. A goofy smile flickered across his face seeing Sara getting out of her car.
Chibs whistled slightly. "Look at the stems on that one." said Chibs, watching Sara climb out of her car, just a bit of her thigh showing as she did.
Juice cleaned his hands off with a rag and walked over to greet Sara. "Hey." said Juice. He kissed her on the lips. "Is there something wrong with the Tahoe?"
"Uh, no. I was actually wondering when you take your lunch break. Is that weird? This is weird, isn't it?" asked Sara nervously.
Juice smiled. He thought she was adorable. "No, I don't think it is weird at all. I can break for lunch now. Did you want to go over to the diner?"
Sara smiled at him. "Well, actually..." She leaned over into the car grabbing the bag from the diner. "I already picked up lunch. I was just hoping that you were free to share it with me.."
Juice's smile brightened. "And if I hadn't been free?" he asked with a smirk.
"Well, I would have just left your lunch with you and went back to the hotel to eat." said Sara with a smile.
"It is a nice day. Why don't we sit outside and eat?" asked Juice. "Just let me run inside to wash my hands." said Juice showing her his oil-covered hands. "You can have a seat on the picnic bench over there." said Juice, closing her car door for her.
"Actually, I picked up a sandwich platter from the diner. I felt weird about bringing you lunch and leaving the other guys in the cold. The tray is in the backseat if you wouldn't mind grabbing it." Sara carried the food over to the picnic table and had a seat.
Juice watched her walking over to the picnic table, and had to smile. He grabbed the sandwich tray from the backseat carrying it into the club. He cleared a space on the bar and set it down. Juice jogged to the back to wash his hands, and then headed back outside to join Sara. He whistled to get the guys' attention in the garage. Juice yelled, "Sandwiches in the club!"
"Thank you, for bringing lunch. You are a sweet girl." said Juice. He leaned in and kissed her on the lips before opening the container on his side of the table.
Opie walked out of the club eating a sandwich from the platter that Sara brought. "Who brought the sandwiches?" he asked.
Juice said "Sara did. Opie this is Sara Reed. Sara this is Opie Winston."
"Well, thanks for the sandwiches, Sara." said Opie with a wink. He clapped Juice on the back. "This one might be a keeper," he said, heading over to the garage.
Juice shook his head at Opie's comment hoping it didn't make Sara uncomfortable. "Thanks again for bringing lunch, Sara. And for bringing something for the guys. What have you been doing today?"
"No problem. It was just an excuse to see you before dinner tonight. That is, if you still feel like having dinner with me." said Sara. She took a bite of her salad and chuckled. "My day has been mostly uneventful. I went back to bed after you went to work. And I slept for a couple of hours. I was really tired this morning for some reason..." Sara laughed seeing the proud smirk on Juice's face at her statement.
"Sure, we are still on for tonight. You think Lola will be okay by herself tonight?" asked Juice snacking on a couple of fries. Then he proudly added, "And I can't help it if I am a love machine, baby." Then he devoured his burger.
Sara burst into later and shook her head at Juice. "And you won't work for nobody but me?" asked Sara teasingly. Juice laughed. Then Sara slid her foot out of her high heel sandal and rubbed foot against his calf as they talked and ate lunch.
She continued telling Juice about her friend. "I think Lola will be just fine. I stopped in to see her this afternoon, and she was otherwise occupied. I suppose she is taking the old adage to heart... the best way to get over someone is to get under someone else. She seemed satisfied and safe. I guess in this situation that is all I can really hope for."
Juice chuckled heartily. "I've always found that to be a good motto to live by. Sex with someone new tends to help you forget about your problems. You think she is safe with the guy she picked up? It's not some nutcase, is it? And if you keep rubbing your foot against my leg like that and I will take you inside and show you love machine..."
"Well, that depends if your friend, Tig, is a nutcase or not? So... is he?" asked Sara, quirking a curious eyebrow at him. Then, in response to his proposition, she leaned across the picnic table to make sure Juice was the only one that could hear her. "Don't go making promises you can't keep, Mr. Ortiz." The words slid out of Sara's mouth in such a seductive manner that it surprised even her. Sara slid her foot higher up the inside of Juice's leg with a smirk. She laughed to herself and slipped her foot back into her sandal.
Juice raised an eyebrow at her response. Trying to stay on topic, he said, "Tig is definitely a nutcase. But he is a lovable nutcase, and he wouldn't hurt a woman. So your friend is safe. And that explains why Tig called in sick today. I wish I would have thought of that this morning. I would not have minded staying in bed with you longer." He gave her a desirous look and stood up from the table. "Let's go to my room," he added with a smug look on his face.
"Juice..." said Sara, blushing deeply. She couldn't deny that it was an appealing proposition.
He shook his head and said "Come on. I like to make good on my promises." Since they were mostly finished eating, he threw away their trash and waited expectantly.
Sara stood up and walked over to the Juice with a smile on her face. "Let's go."
As they were about to walk into the club, the sound of automatic gunfire started. On instinct, Juice knocked Sara to the ground and shielded her body from the gunfire. The shooting lasted only seconds before the car sped off. Juice moved off of Sara. "Are you okay?" asked Juice worriedly. He looked her over making sure she hadn't been hit.
Sara nodded numbly. "Yeah. Yeah... I'm fine." said Sara. She felt like her heart was going to be right out of her chest. She was a southern girl that grew up around hunting. Gunfire she could handle...but normally it was directed at animals. Not people.
Juice helped Sara off the ground and got her to sit down on the picnic bench. "You are okay..." said Juice lightly caressing her cheek.
Clay walked around checking everybody out. Clay walked over to Juice and Sara. "You okay, Juice? Are you alright, darlin'?"
Juice nodded and said "We're fine, Clay. Sara is just shaken up right now..."
Clay nodded and said "Okay. She needs to get out of here before the cops get here. They'll want to question everybody."
Juice nodded. "Alright." He helped Sara onto her feet and walked with her to the car. "Go back to the hotel and wait for me to call you. Okay?" He opened her car door for her. Thankfully her car had been spared any bullet holes.
Sara nodded slightly. "Okay..." She climbed into her car. "Will you be okay?"
"I'll be fine. You just get back to the hotel." said Juice. He leaned in the window and kissed her on the head. Then he moved back and hit the side of the car to signify that she should get going.
Sara saw Gemma's Cadillac peeling out of the parking lot, and Tara's Cutlass was right behind her. Sara followed suit and hauled ass off of the lot. She headed back to the hotel and parked in the first space she saw. She rested her head on the headrest and tried to control her breathing. That was the single scariest moment of her life. She sat in the parking lot until she heard the sirens as the police raced toward the garage. Then she hopped out of the car, grabbed her purse, and made a beeline for her room. About an hour later, Sara felt more relaxed and she decided to go check on Lola. Sara went next door and knocked.
Lola opened the door, now fully dressed. She said, "I was just about to come over to check on you. Are you okay? Tig told me what happened as he was getting ready to leave. We didn't hear his cell phone buzzing until 20 minutes ago." She hugged Sara and let her into the room. "You can sit on the bed. The maid just left."
Sara said, "I am fine. Just wondering what the hell I am getting myself into with this guy. I mean... we are like kismet, Lola. But getting shot at..." She walked over to the bed and sat down. Sara ran a frustrated hand through her hair. "He's been to jail. He carries a gun. And apparently he gets shot at! I am stupid right? This is stupid?"
Lola had a seat next to her and said, "I can understand why this would scare the hell out of you. It's not like he is an accountant. You are dating a full-blown criminal. I can't give any relationship advice considering I called off my wedding and spent most of today having sex with a perfect stranger... who happens to be the same age as my father. I wouldn't blame you if you wanted to pack your shit and run for the hills. And if that is what you want to do, I will haul ass with you. But it might not be so bad to get to know him a little more. My mom once told me this thing about my uncle. She said that... sometimes, good men do bad things to make a living. But they are still good men... honorable men. Do you think that Juice is a good man? An honorable man?"
Sara sighed and said, "I hate when you are logical. You are supposed to be the crazy one. Your nickname is Loco Lola for a reason." She laid back on the bed thinking over the things Lola had said. "He is definitely honorable. I mean he threw his body on top of mine as soon as the shooting started. I didn't even have time to react. Oddly enough... in a hail of bullets, I felt as safe as a person could feel. Let's not talk about me. We should talk about you and Tig." She really just wanted to get Juice off of her mind.
"There is nothing to talk about with Tig. You are trying to avoid the topic we are already on. You know I have family in the area… I can ask around about Sons of Anarchy. How long should we stay here in Charming?" asked Lola with a chuckle. "I think that we should spend some time here in good ole Charming. I mean it is the summer. What the fuck else do we have to do? We both teach. We have until August before classes are back in at the colleges."
"Just when I said you weren't crazy, you go and prove me wrong. I have to move my stuff from Louisiana." said Sara.
"Your stuff that is sitting at your parents' house already boxed up. Hell, we can fly back in July rent a U-haul and drive the thing back here together. Or you get one of those storage container things and have them truck the stuff across country. So I shot down that excuse. Give me another." said Lola.
There was an urgent knock at the door.
"Saved by the knock..." chuckled Lola as she walked to the door. She looked out the peephole and then opened the door for Juice.
"Is Sara..." Juice trailed off seeing Sara on the bed. He walked over to her. "Sara..."
Sara stood up and wrapped her arms around him before she could even think of anything else. "Are you okay...?" whispered Sara against his neck. At that moment it felt like all of her doubts melted away as Juice held her in his strong arms.
Lola said, "I am going to give you two some privacy." She grabbed her bag and walked out of the hotel room, closing the door behind her.