Page 18 of Purr For Me
“Didn’t think I’d see you here tonight.”
Any semblance of a smile fled from Lexie’s expression as she turned to meet Marcus’ eyes. “I’m allowed out now, I’m over twenty-one.”
He downed a shot. “I didn’t know you were coming here. You know, that’s no way to talk to your boss.”
“I don’t see my boss. He’s at home with his wife and kids.”
A tiny thrill of satisfaction ran through Lexie at Marcus’ scowl.
“Lexie, the only reason you still have a job is because Tom and I have an agreement.” His silver-gray eyes cooled a couple of shades. “He let you in the door because you’re friends, but the only thing keeping you employed is the quality of your work. But if that starts to go downhill…”
Marcus’ meaning was clear to Lexie. Her cheeks burned with indignation, but she restrained the emotion. Keeping her job was more important than antagonizing him. Suddenly, she heard her grandmother’s voice in her head.You catch more flies with honey, dear.She’d spent her summers at her grandmother’s farm in Idaho, and Charlotte Emery had been full of sage, old-fashioned advice. Lexie applied that particular adage to the current situation.
She swallowed a little pride as she raised her chin a fraction. “Marcus, I owe you an apology.”
The way his dark eyebrows shot up almost made Lexie laugh. “For what?”
Lexie took a moment to gather her thoughts, so she didn’t sound like an idiot. She hadn’t been planning on having this conversation with Marcus tonight, but something nudged her to continue. “I shouldn’t have acted like a bitch to you in the past, but I’d like to explain why I did.”
A suspicious frown settled on Marcus’ face. “Is this a joke?”
Lexie shook her head. “No, I promise. You know what Jason is like and everything he’s been putting me through, right? I know what he put you through and I can see why you’d want to blame me too. We all know he shouldn’t have been racing that day, and even though clipping your car was an accident, if he was drugged up… It was his fault. Not mine. I’ve never touched drugs. You’re tarring me with the same brush, just like I was with Kade. I thought you were happy owning Bad Boy Autos, but I see the resentment in your eyes every time you look at me. You really want to be driving on the circuit, don’t you? I must be a constant reminder of all you’ve lost.”
“I try not to think about Jason Colter, but…”
Meeting his gaze, Lexie replied, “You’re a lot like Jason—reckless, wild, irresponsible, and you sleep with anything in tight jeans or a miniskirt.” Lexie held up a hand when he would’ve responded. “Just don’t end up like the man you despise. Don’t drink yourself into alcoholism. Don’t let Jason beat you.”
Marcus leaned back in his chair as a surprised laugh escaped him. “Wow. Genuine concern for me.”
Lexie grinned, enjoying catching him off-guard. “Honestly, I’m kind of surprising myself.”
He arched an eyebrow as he looked down at the drink he held in his hand. “I guess you’re making sense.” He looked at her as his smile faded. “I don’t want Jason to win anything. And I’ll never end up like him.”
“Probably not, because you have a family that loves you. They won’t let you self-destruct. Just watch the booze.”
Marcus’ jaw tightened. “Don’t start. I get enough of that from Kendra. She keeps saying I should grow up. Wewerepretty wild in racing circuit days, weren’t we?”
“I know, and that’s what stuck in my mind all this time instead of seeing that you’ve changed,” Lexie said. “I mean, you’ve settled down some, opened a successful business, and become more involved with your family.”
He let out a derisive snort. “That only happened because I got hurt. Because of Jason. If I hadn’t, I’d still be out on the racing circuit, doing what I love the most.”
“True, but you turned what happened around and made something positive out of it. Unlike Jason, who dealt with it by turning to drugs.”
Marcus shifted on his stool, the movement conveying his discomfort in talking about the situation. “Okay, I think this Hallmark moment is over.”
Lexie cracked up, which drew a laugh from Marcus. Sobering, she said, “Look, the bottom line is that constantly fighting isn’t good for us, and it’s not good for business.” She stuck a hand out to Marcus. “Truce?”
His measuring stare made Lexie a little afraid that she’d overstepped, but after a few moments, Marcus shook her hand. “Truce—so long as you’re not coming onto me.”
Another woman would’ve been offended, but Lexie found Marcus’ leery attitude hysterical. “I’m not. Trust me,” she assured him in a humor-laced voice.
He smiled and released her hand. “Good. And on that note, I’m going to the head. See you in the morning.”
“Okay.” Lexie watched Marcus saunter away from the bar. She didn’t have any delusions that she and Marcus would ever be bosom buddies, but she hoped that they wouldn’t fight as much. And she hoped his drinking never became a problem.
When she finished her beer, she ordered a double bourbon to nurse while the band played, and then headed for a small table along the far wall that had just been vacated. From that vantage point, she could see the stage where the band was doing a sound check. Renegade Blues was a great cover band, but they also played some original songs. Lexie sipped her drink and looked forward to their performance.
She jumped when someone said her name and tapped her shoulder. A jolt of surprise ran through her as Kade moved to the other side of the table.
