PJ frowned at Audra. “I know you’re probably right. What if he doesn’t take me seriously? I mean, why should he? He doesn’t know me. He doesn’t know what I can do. I didn’t have my portfolio yet.”

She’d been building a portfolio of her painting work so if – no, when – Asa met with her, she’d have something concrete to show him.

“Really? So you’re going to carry around a portfolio with you at all times? Like he’d have been cool with you just breaking it out at the bar? You know how to do this, PJ. This is like your destiny and whatnot.”

PJ snorted. “My destiny?”

“You know what I mean. You were raised to run your family’s business.”

“And then I turned out to be an artist. The shame of it.”

Audra threw her balled-up napkin at PJ’s head. “You know my opinion of Howie’s parenting.”

Howie being Howard Colman Jr., PJ’s father.

“Just because you dropped out of college doesn’t mean you’re not smart. You knew it wasn’t right for you. Thing is, you know cars. Your grandfather raised you to love them like he did. And you’re artistic and damned good at painting things. I’m sure Asa is just really busy. But even if he doesn’t take you seriously now, he will once you’re done with him. On a side note, apart from your ability, which we’ve already established as mighty, he’s also going to want to get you into bed. You said you two had that sort of chemistry.”

PJ had known Audra since they’d both been kids. It was one of her favorite things in her life that they had such a strong friendship. She knew Audra would say exactly what she needed to hear.

“We did have the tinglies for one another. But he and Duke built Twisted Steel from the ground up. It’s not like they could have done it if he’d been following his dick around like it found him water.”

“A dowsing dick?” Audra asked.

“I think I saw that in the Jim Rose Circus a few years ago.” They both laughed. “He just seems like the kind of man…” PJ paused, trying to find the right words. “He’s under control. It sort of rolled off him. He’s in charge of himself. I’m not saying he doesn’t get laid on the regular. I’m just saying he doesn’t lead with that head.”

“I need to get a closer look at this guy. Which is an excellent segue into me reminding you that you’re my best friend, so you need to say you’ll do this pinup calendar photo shoot so my boyfriend can keep a job. It pays. There’s sure to be hot guys around, and you’ll keep your spot as the best friend in the whole world. Which is priceless.”

Audra’s boyfriend, Tom, had combined forces with some other graphic arts designers and what had been planned as a fun little side project had transformed into a full-blown pinup calendar showcasing the wares of local indie artisans of everything from clothing to jewelry.

And the shoot would undoubtedly take place at a garage of some sort, which gave her another chance to network.

As PJ had told her sister a few weeks before, it was good to attract a whole new kind of business to keep Colman relevant and integral. All those gearheads, the build-and-restore crowd as well as the racing teams, needed paint on their projects. Why not expand Colman Enterprises to fill a market need?

Money was good. Work was good. Doing something nice for a friend was also good.

“Oh, all right.”

A commotion followed as a group of their friends came in, including Tom and PJ’s ex. Aaron looked around until he saw her and headed her way.

“I gotta go,” she muttered, gathering her stuff.

Audra put a hand out. “No. We were here first. This is our place.”

“Just not when I know he’s going to be here.”

It wasn’t even that she couldn’t get over him or still loved him or any of that. It was more like she was so embarrassed that she’d ever actually fallen for any of his crap that being around him was the equivalent of Sunday dinner at her parents’ house.

Tense. Uncomfortable, with the bitter stench of disappointment and passive-aggressive anger in the air. It made her tired and irritated. But he was a good lesson. That’s how she’d chosen to think about it.

They were part of the same social circle – which was how she’d found out about the cheating – so they’d see one another frequently. She wasn’t going to get rid of her friends, and eventually she’d tolerate his existence again. But she wasn’t there yet.

Aaron tried to slide next to PJ but she held a hand out. “No.”

His pretty face screwed up a little as he struggled to understand. “Come on, Penny.”

PJ curled her lip. “I’m not your fucking Penny. Just go be elsewhere.”

Aaron had convinced himself they were somehow meant to be. Maybe because she was the first woman who’d kicked his butt to the curb when she’d caught him stepping out. Maybe it was that he wanted what he couldn’t have. Whatever. She didn’t care why, really. Although she had been pretty pissed until she got the all-clear back from her doctor, because heaven knew what he could have given her.

“How long are you going to punish me?”

PJ looked at him and then over to Audra, shaking her head. “Is he kidding with this?”

“You know where I am when you realize we’re meant to be together, Penny.”

“Dude, have some self-respect.” Tom, Audra’s boyfriend, rolled his eyes and dragged Aaron off. “Come on, let’s get more pitchers. It’ll give you something to do so my girl won’t scoop your eyes out with a spoon.”