Chapter 8
Josephine found herself sitting at the bar in the clubhouse for the first time. Bobby had just been released from prison, so the club was throwing one of their famous welcome-home parties. Juice had managed to convince CeCe to watch the twins an extra night, though convincing wasn't the word Josephine would use. CeCe jumped at the opportunity to spend more time with her "grandbabies" as she said. Sipping her mixed drink and looking around, Josephine couldn't help but feel like she was fully settling into the lovely town of Charming. Only took three months, she thought to herself. Over the past two months, Josephine had found herself spending more time with the club and their families.
Shit, I could even consider Tara a friend.
One quiet night in the ER, Josephine had been sitting at the triage desk with Anna again, when Tara came out and joined them for a few hours. It had surprised both the nurses for a doctor to be willing to hang out with them, but after the shift, all three of them found themselves back at Josephine's for breakfast with the twins.
Glancing around the club, Josephine finally spotted Juice who was leaving the 'Chapel', as the members called it. Jumping off the stool to her feet, Josephine planned to make her way over to him when her drink, or fifth drink, finally hit her. Retreating onto her stool, she noticed him looking around the club and waved to gain his attention.
Juice spotted her, a grin on his face, and made his way over with Chibs close behind.
"Hey you," he greeted once he was close enough, before leaning to give her a sweet, short kiss. Pulling back he licked his lips, "Tequila?" Josephine nodded before sipping on her drink.
"Who knew apple juice and tequila would make one hell of a drink?" Josephine laughed.
"My special secret." The bartender stopped in front of them, a smile on her face.
"Boys, meet Melissa, my new favorite person," Josephine smiled brightly at the young woman behind the bar. She was about the same height as Josephine, with dark hair and a bright smile to match her eyes.
"Your lovely Old Lady was telling me about her life on the East Coast," Melissa said with a smirk. Juice shot Josephine a curious glance.
"East Coast? You told me you grew up in Colorado." Once the words tumbled out of his mouth, he could have sworn Josephine's smile faltered a quick second.
"I did, but I lived on the East Coast for about a year or so," Josephine responded, before downing the rest of her drink. She motioned towards Melissa, "Can I get another one?" Chibs laughed, slapping Juice on the shoulder.
"Ey lad, think ya need to cut off your ol' lady," he said with a chuckle, before turning to disappear back into the crowd. Juice laughed lightly before shaking his head at Melissa.
"Jo, think you had enough for the night," Juice kissed the top of her head as Melissa took the glass from Josephine's hand. Josephine groaned lightly as Juice took her hand in his.
"But it was so yummy," she whined, before turning to pout at Juice. Just then, a hand appeared between the two of them holding out a glass. Turning to see the owner of the hand, Juice found Jax standing next to them as he passed Josephine the glass.
"C'mon man, it's a party! Let the girl drink!" Jax said with a chuckle as Josephine started sipping on the drink. Without hesitation, Josephine sunk back onto the stool at the bar, turning to talk to Melissa.
"So where on the east coast did you live?" Jax asked as he leaned against the bar next to Josephine.
"Oh! Pennsylvania! I loved it," she responded taking another sip.
"Not a fan of PA, but I did like Virginia. Have you been to Busch Gardens?" Melissa asked as she popped off the caps on two beers, passing one to each of the men in front of her. Juice took it, sipping it and listening to the conversation.
"Oh, I loved Busch Gardens! Apollos Chariot was the best!" Josephine giggled as Jax quirked an eyebrow.
"How old were you when you moved to Colorado?" he asked, between sips of beer. Josephine turned to look at him, a smile on her face.
"Oh, I moved when I was 6. Haven't been back to the East Coast since." Juice noticed Jax's eyes narrow just the slightest, before smiling back at Josephine.
"Well, enjoy your drink! I gotta go find Tara," he chuckled before turning to walk away from the bar. Juice stepped into Jax's vacant spot as Melissa mixed another drink.
"Apollo's Chariot? I thought that didn't open up until '99?" the bartender asked. Josephine quickly swallowed the sip of the drink before smiling.
"Oh! I didn't ride it, just knew from friends that it was great," she chirped before chugging the rest of her drink. Turning to Juice, she forced a smile.
"Think you were right," she laughed lightly, "I had way too much to drink."
"Let's get you home," Juice smiled, reaching out for her hand. Without hesitation, Josephine let him guide her out of the club and to his bike.
"You good to ride?" he asked her as he put her helmet on. Her eyes were glassed over, a light pink tinge to her cheeks.
"Fresh air might do me good," she whispered before Juice leaned down to kiss her lightly. He pulled away and climbed onto his bike before Josephine jumped on behind him. Wrapping her arms tightly around him, she rested her head against his shoulder.
"No falling asleep, Jo," he called to her sternly as he started up his bike. She nodded against his shoulder. No worries about that, she thought to herself as she found herself deep in thought.
a/n: Just a short chapter before the real fun starts. Hope you enjoyed it! Again, this is an AU story, doesn't follow the main story line to a T!