“So how are you going to entertain me today, NFucker?” Ben had to smile at his little ingenious name. Might have to keep that one.

“You’re a real piece of work, you know that?” Nick shook his head at his miniature dirty mirror image and started the truck.

“Yeah, I work hard at it.”

“Good…you like workin’ hard?”

“Not really, why?”

“Cuz today, my man…you’re gonna work off the $1000 I had to cough up last week to replace my tires.”

“WHAT!? How the hell am I gonna do that!?”

“You’ll see. I figure since you like using a blade so much, you can put it to good use.”

“And if I don’t want to?”

Pulling to the traffic light, Nick turned his gaze to Ben, raising an eyebrow at his sudden forgetfulness. “You forgot something real important, Ben.”

“What’s that?”

“I’m not the only one here on court order.” Cheesy grin. Traffic moved and so did Nick, knowing he had this kid by the balls. Right where he needed to be.

“A car dealership? What, I’m gonna slash everyone’s tires?”

“Yeah, that’s it, Ben. That’ll teach you. Get out.”

Nick met Ben at the sidewalk, waving off an oncoming salesman. “No, not buyin’…thanks.” Taking Ben by the arm, they made their way to the back of the building. “Okay, here’s the deal…”

“Wait just a minute. How the hell do you know I’m the one who slashed your tires to begin with, huh? Maybe you’re punishing the wrong guy.”

Nick held Ben’s gaze without saying a word, remembering Kevin using that little trick on him when he was younger. Hold it long enough, and the tough, “I’m innocent” stand would falter. Just a few more seconds, and….

“Jesus…you just assume it’d be me, huh?”

“You denying it?” His grip on Ben’s arm never moved, even when Ben tried to squirm free. Not too tight, just enough to show who was in charge at the moment.

“I just get sick of getting blamed for everything.”

“Then quit doin’ stupid shit and I bet the blame will go away, Ben. Now, we’re goin’ in there to meet my friend who owns this place. His landscape contractor dogged him last week and needs the bushes out front trimmed. I told him I had the perfect guy to do it…this one time anyway. No fee.”

“I’m trimming bushes!? How stupid.”

“Okay, you trim bushes or we go back, tell Solana about what happened last week and let her discipline you. It’s your decision.”

“This isn’t Miss Romero’s idea?”

“Nope. She has no clue, and if you cooperate, she never will.”

“How is this paying you back?”

“I get to hold the bag and watch you work. My friend gets a free trim and you get a good sweat goin’ and learn a new skill. That’s worth about $1000 to me.”

”You’re a prick, you know that?”

Quoting Ben’s words back to him, Nick smirked and opened the door. “Yeah, I work hard at it. Oh! One more thing. If you’re the least bit shitty with my friend, the deal’s off, got it?”

“How long for $1000?”

“’Til the job’s done.”

“You’ve got to be kidding…look at all of these bushes!”

“Be thankful you didn’t screw up my rims. You’d be here for the next month. Now, let’s go.”

“Yeah, yeah…damn.”

“Well, well, Nick. Long time, no see. What brings you here today?”

“I was dropping Ben off and thought I’d stop by and say ‘hi.’ You live through your hangover?”

Shooting a glare up at Nick and his impudent grin, Solana quickly shut the door behind him. “Shut up! I don’t want the kids hearing that.”

“Oops. Sorry.” Nick pointed to the chair, asking for permission to sit with his eyes. “You got time?”

“Yeah, about 10 minutes…everything okay?”

“Yep. I just uh…I dunno…after seeing you at Rain, I thought I should…I dunno.” Bumbling idiot. He was a complete bumbling idiot in front of this woman. If he wasn’t acting like a first class jerk, he couldn’t form a complete sentence.

“Well, um, I was a bit more trashed than I thought. I honestly only remember getting in your car and walking in my house. Did I even…God, what did I do?”

“You weren’t that bad, really. Just a little dancin’ is all.” Nick wagged his eyebrows at Solana, giggling when her face whitened in fear.

“Shit…with YOU!?”

“Yeah, just a little. You talked fine though. I didn’t think you were that far gone.”

“God, I remember none of that.” Getting up and pointing to the coffee machine, Nick shook his head no and she poured herself a cup. “Thanks for getting me home, though. I need to just concentrate on being a mom. I’m good at that. I suck at the single’s scene.”

“Eh, I bet you’re just out of practice.”

“Quite possible.” Sitting back down, she looked at the handsome man sitting across from her. Either he had changed in a very short time, or he faked it well. He didn’t seem so hard, so inapproachable, so angry. Or maybe her opinion of him had just changed. Maybe he hadn’t been that awful to begin with? Either way, she was liking it. She felt comfortable with him and having him be with Ben. Even Ben seemed more in control since Nick showed up. He had a long way to go; was still a powder keg, but yet…Nick’s influence had been evident. “Can I ask you a question?”

“Sure.”

“Did you go back to the club after you dropped me off?”

“Nope; went home.”

“Alone? You?”

Nick had to chuckle. Oh yeah, a woman in his bed every night. Hardly. “Yeah, me…I’m not THAT big of an ass.”

“So you’re saying you’ve never taken a woman home after a night out like that.”

“No, I’m not saying that. I’ve brought home women before, yeah. I just don’t every time.”

“How do you do that?”

“What? Come home alone or with a stranger?”

“Isn’t it the same thing?”

Starting to quickly answer ‘no’, Nick caught himself. He let her words sink in, and sat back, letting them talk to him for a moment. “You know, in the morning, no…they’re totally different.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah, come morning, having a stranger in my bed is much lonelier.”

Smiling at his honesty and saddened he’d know that truth from experience, she nodded in support. “I’d imagine it to be. Can’t say I’ve ever experienced it.”

“Don’t. It’s not worth it.”

“Yet you do it anyway?”

Looking down at his hands, Nick brought one up to start nibbling on a fingernail. Damn her. She wasn’t supposed to be picking at his brain…just her client’s. This sucked. “Yeah, I do. Haven’t for a bit, but…I honestly can’t say I’ve quit either.”

“Not asking you to. Your life, Nick. I was just curious. Wondered why I felt so out of place there the other night.”

“You seemed to fit in just fine.”

“Yeah, with a few too many drinks in me. I dunno…I just need to be a mom and not worry about the rest. It’s hard enough, thank you very much.”

“Makes me wonder how Ben’s mom does it. Five kids, all of ‘em are shits in their own way.”

“That’s why she reverts to drugs, Nick. She can’t do it.”

“What do you do when you can’t do it?”

“Go in Rosalie’s room and watch her sleep. What about you?”

“Drink too much. Workin’ on that. One more session and he said I’m okay to go.”

“Good…you just overdo socially?”

“Yeah…but, it’s stupid. Escape thing for me too. I need to,” Nick lifted his finger to do quote marks in the air, “Find something to fill the voids in my life. Find my own worth.”

“You think you’re doing that?”

“I’m trying. I never thought Ben would make any difference, but the other night, I saw his grimy little face starin’ at me when I almost ordered my third beer.”

“It stopped you?”

“Yep, that’s why I was out dancin’…with some hot, drunk Latino chickie.”

“Oh hush up. You’re not gonna let me forget that are you?”

“I think you told me you already did. I should be insulted.”

Heaving a sigh and looking at her watch, Solana looked up to Nick, amazed that he wasn’t the punk she thought he was. At least not this minute he wasn’t. “Well, don’t be. I just should not drink like that. I was stupid. And now, Mr. Carter…I have a client comin’ in. Did you need anything else?”

“Nope…just wanted to pop in. See how the headache was.”

“Now that you’ve been here, I think it’s returned.”

“You know, you don’t HAVE to hate me. I’m not that bad.” Nick got up and walked to the door happy he’d stopped by. Having no agenda at all was sometimes the best agenda to have.

“No, you’re not. You’re just easy to torment.”

“Thanks…I’ll talk to you later, Solana.”

As he stepped outside the door, he stopped, hearing her call him back. “Yeah?”

“Um,” looking down at her desk, feeling overcome with stupid nerves for no apparent reason, she brought her brown eyes up to meet his expectant blue. “You know, you can uh…you can call me Lani. My friends call me Lani.”

His smile spread from ear to ear, but he wanted to dismantle her just a little. “Okay, Lani…you…you can call me Neeck.”