5

Little Toy Bikers and a Woman on the Run

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Chapter 385 Guy Talk

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Scarlett picked up Tara for dinner and a little shopping. They were celebrating being free of Josh Kohn. Over chips and salsa, the two women talked about men.

"I am so glad all the drama with Kohn is gone," Tara said.

"Jax is still skeptical. David said Kohn called from the airport on his way back to Illinois," Scarlett said before dipping a chip in salsa and popping it into her mouth.

"I think he finally realized that he needed to go back and try to salvage what was left of his career."

"I just hope he stays gone. It kind of worked out well for me because I needed someone to help me with my store and I've hired Sack to help out. He's the prospect Jax ordered to watch over me."

"Jax was very kind about making sure we were both protected. Steve was really nice."

"Nicer than the kids' book writer?" Scarlett asked. She still suspected that Jax had been playing matchmaker for Tara when he chose Steve or maybe he just happened to be the most available guy who could help. She was trying to figuring out which explanation was correct.

"I don't think that's going anywhere. He calls me when he's out of town, but I feel like I'm more of a duty or a chore."

"Writers aren't known for their social skills. Maybe he's just a little socially awkward."

Tara laughed.

"I'm usually the socially awkward one," Tara said.

The waitress brought their combination plates a shredded beef taco and a pork tamale for Scarlett and a chicken taco and cheese enchilada for Tara.

"I like Italian food and Chinese food, but I could live on Mexican food," Scarlett said digging into her tamale.

"Me too. I missed Mexican food when I lived in Chicago. There were some Mexican restaurants, but it just wasn't the same."

"Back to Eric," Scarlett prodded.

"I don't know. He's still out of town for a couple of more days."

"What does he think of the Kohn situation?"

"I haven't told him. I thought it would make me look bad or he wouldn't want to be with me if I had a stalker. Now, I don't know if I'm going to bother telling him. It's not important now anyway. It's over."

"Fingers crossed," Scarlett said.

"I like Steve a lot. He asks me questions about my life and listens to the answers. Eric rarely asks me about my life and if he does, he doesn't seem like he's listening to my answers."

"I know that feeling. Why are you even with him if he's like that?"

"I miss being with someone."

"What about David Hale? He's nice."

"He's a great guy, but I'm just not attracted to him."

"Now we're back to Steve. Is he someone you could be interested in?"

Tara had been asking herself the same question over and over again. She didn't like the answer. It could make her life more complicated.

"I like him a lot, but he really wants to join the MC. That's the part that worries me. I don't know if I want to get back into that world."

"Sometimes I feel like I'm in over my head, but it's a choice I made. I can understand your reluctance. Is it possible that he might be content just hanging around the MC without officially joining?"

"I don't know. When Jax and I were together, it used to drive me crazy knowing that he loved the MC more than me and would always place it ahead of our relationship."

"I don't really think about it," Scarlett said. "I don't feel like it's going to be a problem. If it gets to be, Jax and I will work it out."

"I didn't have the maturity to see it that way," Tara confessed.

"You were in high school."

"Jax and I weren't really a great match. We were friends that always watched out for each other. People always seem to think that friendship is the basis for romance. It's the basis for love, but not the passionate kind. We loved each other in more of a platonic way. I want that mad, passionate, soul scorching love."

"It's kind of terrifying," Scarlett confessed.

"Maybe I'm using the MC as an excuse not to get more involved with Steve. Maybe I'm afraid of falling that deeply in love with someone."

"I tried to resist Jax. I tried really hard," Scarlett said with a sigh. "The way I feel when I'm with him is like this pleasure drug."

"You and Jax are really good together. I want what you have with someone."

"You think that someone is Steve or Eric?"

Tara shook her head as she thought about Scarlett's question.

"Eric should be the right guy for me, but I like Steve a lot."

"See them both until you figure it out."

"You just solve problems so easily," Tara said.

"Just not my own."

They finished their dinner and went by the store that sold scrubs. Tara discovered that she liked wearing jewel toned scrubs because the saturated colors made her feel stronger and more powerful. In consultation with Scarlett, she picked out a pair of dark turquoise scrubs that would look good with her pale skin and dark hair.

The more Tara thought about Scarlett's common sense approach to her Eric/Steve problem, the more she liked her solution. Of course she was free to date as many men as she wanted at the same time. She wasn't exclusive with Eric. Maybe if Eric knew there was another guy interested in her, Eric would improve his behavior.

Scarlett dropped Tara off at her house and left. She walked up the sidewalk to the house and unlocked the door. She walked into the kitchen flipping on the lights and turning the oven on before taking the big bowl of chocolate chip cookie dough she'd make when she got home from work from the refrigerator. She was going to bring a lot of cookies to work tomorrow.

Tara dug the pans out of the cupboard, sprayed the pans with cooking oil and then used a scoop to fill the cookie sheets with batter. She put the pans in the oven and set the timer.

She just remembered that she's forgotten her new scrubs in Scarlett's van. She wanted to wear them tomorrow or she'd have to do laundry. She decided she'd give Scarlett a call and see if she could drop them by. Tara explained she was in the middle of baking cookies and asked her to drop off the bag she'd left in the van. Scarlett agreed to come by in exchange for some cookies. Tara told her she would leave the front door unlocked so she could come on in since she was going to busy with the cookies.

Tara took the first batch of cookies out and got them onto cooling racks before scooping out more cookies and setting the timer. She unlocked the front door and walked down the hall. She wanted to take off her shoes and put on her slippers.

She had just walked through the doorway of the master bedroom when Josh Kohn rushed into the bedroom.