Spark in the Dark

Chapter 9

Juice looked around the house. The back of the couch was to his right. She had a table across the back of it with a couple pictures and other knick knacks. He let his eyes wander. "Wow, you have a really nice place."

"Thanks. Turns out porn pays well."

"Sex sells. Who knew?" Juice joked and Shawn laughed. Juice suddenly had an urge to pull her to him and kiss her. He had to look away from her in order to stop himself from doing it. "So, where's your computer?"

"Over here," she walked over to sit on the couch and picked it up from the table. She handed it to him and he got to work. Shawn watched him work, his face serious with narrowed eyes and his fingers quickly clicking away at the keys. "I'm going to get a beer. Do you want one?"

"Huh? Oh, yea. Sure," Juice answered distractedly.

Shawn got up and headed into the kitchen. She pulled two beers out and twisted to tops off. Taking a big gulp from one bottle, she tried to calm her nerves. She told herself she was nervous because of her laptop and not because the way Juice smiled made her weak in the knees. She walked back into the living room and handed him his beer. He took as sip and went to set it down on the table. He paused for a moment and then reached out to grab one of the coasters she had there to set his beer on that.

"Thanks," Shawn said and Juice looked at her. "I'm kind of OCD. It would have killed me if you hadn't grabbed that coaster."

"I'll keep that in mind," Juice said with a laugh and went back to work. After several minutes, Shawn had drank half her beer before Juice set her laptop down on the table.

"So all I have to do is hit enter and if this worked everything should be ok." He looked at her and she moved closer to him in order to see the screen better. Juice hit the enter key. The screen did a little flash and then Shawn's desktop appeared once again.

"Oh, my God! You did it!" Shawn exclaimed and threw her arms around him. Suddenly realizing what she had just done, she tensed, then felt Juice do the same.

Juice didn't know what to do. Should he hug her back? Pull away? He didn't want to offend her. Before he could decide, he took a deep breath and smelled a flowery scent. He didn't mean to, but he turned his head slightly to smell her hair better. Shawn started to pull away so Juice did the same.

"Sorry," Juice said.

"For what? I hugged you."

"For-," Juice realized she may not have noticed him smelling her hair. "Uh, I don't know, I guess."

"Do you want to sit outside? Finish your beer?"

"You don't have anymore work to do?"

"I better not. Don't want to push my luck."

"Lead the way then," Juice said and they stood off the couch.

Shawn walked out the front door with Juice right behind her. She sat back down on her porch swing and he sat next to her.

"So..." Shawn said after a stretch of silence.

"So..." Juice repeated. "Was it always your life ambition to produce porn?"

"No," Shawn chuckled. "I actually thought about being a lawyer. Tig was arrested when I was ten. Did some time inside. I had to live with his girlfriend at the time, Colleen. She treated me like shit. I thought if I became a lawyer he wouldn't have to do any more time."

"Why didn't you?"

"Law school costs a lot of money that I didn't have."

"Seems like you're doing good now."

"Yea, but I'm too old now."

"You're never to old to follow your dreams."

"You read that on a greeting card?"

Juice shook his head. "One of those inspirational posters."

"What about you? Being an outlaw biker your calling in life?"

"No. Never thought about it when I was a kid. Kids in my neighborhood didn't have a lot of options. But I like it here. I really want this to work out, ya know?"

"They'll patch you in, Juice. The guys obviously like you."

"They think I'm an idiot."

"They think all the new guys are idiots. For good reason, most of them are. That's why most of them don't last. Just prove to them you're not."

"How do I do that?"

"Don't do anything stupid." Like sleep with Tig's daughter, the intrusive thought filled Shawn's mind. She realized how badly he wanted to be a Son. She also realized how easily she could screw this up for him. "I should get some sleep."

"Yea, I need to get going," Juice said and drank the last of his beer. They stood and faced each other.

"Thanks, again."

"No problem. Anything you need."

Juice walked down the steps of her porch and out to his bike. Shawn leaned against a pillar and watched as he pulled away. She knew she liked him and had a feeling he felt the same way. Shawn decided then to back off. If they got involved, it may cost him his patch and without that, he may move on from Charming. She'd rather be his friend and happy in SAMCRO than have a fling with him and end up losing him forever.