Once Sabre dropped me off, I was at loose ends. I endured an hour long conversation with my mother, hearing again the one hundred reasons I should be living back home. After that, I was so stressed that I decided to do what I always do, get lost in the kitchen. I go into the bedroom and grab my favorite gray yoga pants, put on my sports bra and a pink, (almost faded white) t-shirt over top of that. Feeling much more relaxed and at ease, I undo the chignon I had my hair in and just gather it into a ponytail on the top of my head. My hair is long, so even pulled up like that, the bottom of the ponytail still comes to the middle of my back.

Once all that is done, I go into the kitchen, grab all the fixings for my meatloaf and begin making dinner. I love to cook. It is part of the reason my ass refuses to fit in anything but a size fourteen these days. I don’t mind; I actually like the size I am. I’m comfortable with my body and my life. There’s not much I would change, except maybe my parents and the scars from my childhood. Those would be nice to live without.

The timer for the meatloaf is just going off when the doorbell rings. I pull it out of the oven, leaving it on the stove top and hurry to the door. Looking through the peephole I see two men. The one in front is tall and muscular. He’s got on a black t-shirt, but his arms and hands are covered in ink, he has on sunglasses, and his dark hair reminds me of a warm cup of coffee. Behind him stands another man, less tattoos, and with blond, sandy hair. He doesn’t have as much ink and he’s definitely skinnier, but you can tell he’s in good shape. He’s got friendly green eyes, and he’s wearing this smile that for some reason makes me want to smile, too. I get a little nervous wondering why they are at my door and shake it off a moment later. My parents have managed to make me afraid of my shadow. These guys are probably just from Sabre’s garage. I open the door, leaving the chain latched and look at the two men.

“Can I help you?”

“Sabre asked us to fix your car and drop it off,” the guy in the front says.

I smile and relax a little more. “Just a second,” I tell him, closing the door. I undo the latch on the chain and open it all the way. The man hands me the keys to my Blazer. “How much do I owe you?” The guy looks startled when I ask. The other man that was behind him comes around to stand beside him now. They both look at me grinning like they know a secret I don’t. It’s very unnerving.

“I’m sure Sabre will give you a bill,” the smaller of the two says with an easy laugh.

I frown because I specifically told him to have his mechanics bring me the bill. Still, it’s not their fault, and I feel bad that they’ve had to work so hard in this heat.

“Thank you so much for getting it done so quickly. Would you like something to drink? I mean it’s so hot outside, and I feel terrible that you’ve been out in it for me.”

“I don’t think that’d be a…”

“Sure would, Ma’am. Thanks!” The agreement is from the skinnier of the two, with a sly grin on his lips. He reminds me of a big prankster. I instantly warm to him.

“Please call me Annabelle,” I answer, standing back to let them in. There’s a moment of fear as I hear my father’s voice in my ear about trusting the wrong men and bringing disgrace on the family. I shake off those memories. I’m a grown woman now. It’s time I start living my life and leaving the past behind me.

“Holy shit, it smells good in here!” The blond one says; and I was right, I really like him. The darker one cuffs him over the head.

“Show some respect to Sabre’s woman!”

I stop, and despite the tingle of excitement the man’s words bring, I need to set them straight.

“I’m not Sabre’s girlfriend, we just met today. I was stranded. He was just being nice. I’m lucky he runs a garage.”

“Sabre doesn’t run a garage.” I hear from behind as I go to the fridge to get them some drinks.

“I’m afraid all I have is water or soda? Well, I did make some peach tea this morning?”

“You make your own tea?” This time from the darker one.

“Well, yeah.”

“Tea is good!” They both say it in unison.

I’m not sure what to make of the looks on their faces. I go ahead and fill two glasses with my tea and some ice from the dispenser. By the time I get it done they’re sitting at the bar, so I slide the drinks over to them.

“Okay, I’ve got to know names here, I feel silly calling you the blond and dark one,” I tell them to break the ice because the silence makes me feel a little awkward. To busy myself, I go back to putting dessert together. I’m making a chocolate lasagna and it has to freeze for an hour, so I might as well do that while the guys are cooling down.

“We’ve been called worse, but I’m Keys and this ugly fuc…guy is Shaft,” he says already finishing his tea. He looks so forlorn at his empty glass that I get the pitcher from the fridge and bring it over to fill both of their glasses back up.

“Would you guys like to stay for supper?” I ask before I can second guess myself. I’m alone so often, and though I probably should be wary of having strangers in my house, something about these guys make me feel safe. It was the same feeling I got around Sabre, only with Sabre, it was more intense.

“Sure, let me just shoot a text to our road boss, we were supposed…speak of the devil,” he adds as his phone starts ringing.

“Yo. (Pause) No, we’re finished. Sabre’s woman just invited us to eat with her. C’mon man, it’d be rude to say no. Besides, she makes her own tea and shit, you should taste it.”

Again my face warms at being called Sabre’s woman. Why does he keep saying that? Why do I like it so much?

“Hey, Peaches? Torch and Beast want to come over and eat too, is it cool?”

I blink. Torch and Beast? Still, he asked, and it’d be rude to say no. I was always taught to never be rude. Then again, I was always taught to never have strange men in my home, either, and now I will have four.

“They’re all part of the club, Sabre would be cool with it,” Shaft says and I don’t know why that makes me feel better, but it does. “Sure, but I’m afraid it’s just meatloaf and mashed potatoes, some corn, and I am going to make a….”

“They’ll be here in ten,” he cuts me off.

I decide to just go with it. After all, Sabre would approve. Maybe I’m coming down with the flu? I shrug it off and ask the question that’s been on my mind since they introduced themselves.

“Now, I have to know, how did you get these names? Sabre? Keys? Shaft?”

The men look at each other for a minute and shrug. Shaft is the first one to speak up. “Well, Sabre got his because he’s freaky with knives. Like, I think he could kill a fly by throwing a knife from 100 feet away. Though some of the men say it’s because he’s like a sabre tooth tiger, once he bites into something, he really latches on. He doesn’t let go until the problem is gone or solved, whichever.”

I listen to him talk and put my dessert together without really paying attention. My mind pictures Sabre holding a knife and caressing the blade while he’s talking to me, and my breath lodges in my throat. I try to concentrate on the dessert, but I’m still thinking over what Shaft said about Sabre. I can’t help but be intrigued—even if I shouldn’t be.

Brittany, my big tabby cat, picks that moment to come in. She sniffs around the feet of Keys and swishes her tail at him. When he doesn’t take the hint, she grabs him with her claws, at the back of his leg. I’ve been on the receiving end of that little temper tantrum. It’s never good, even if he is wearing jeans.

“Ow! Son of a bitch!” He growls looking down to where Brittany is meowing at him and waiting. I get the feeling he wants to kick her into next week. To his credit, he doesn’t.

“That’s Brittany. She doesn’t like to be ignored. Sorry. If you pet her, she’ll move on,” I tell him, not bothering to admit that she’ll just move on to Shaft. “Now, how did you get your name, Keys?” I ask and look up to see he’s stroking Brittany behind the ear.

“There’s not a car I can’t hotwire and start. You named your cat Brittany?”

I begin to answer him and then stop, “Why would you need to hotwire a car?”

“Why wouldn’t I?” He asks in return and looks so thoroughly confused, I let it go. “So then, how did you get the name Shaft? Was it because of mechanical work? Or did you really get into that TV show or movie?” The silence stretches for so long that once I put the top layer of cream topping on the dessert and move it to the freezer, I have to look at them. “Well?” I prompt.

Shaft looks like he almost blushes but says nothing and neither does Keys. I close the freezer and go back to the bar. “C’mon, tell me how you got your name?”

I was so intent on my guests that I failed to notice the door open. In walks two more men. I can only assume these are Torch and Beast. Holy hell. Where is this garage and how in the world did I miss it all this time? Do they not have one ugly man in the bunch? One man is big and brawny and has this shaggy beard. Normally, I’m not a beard kind of girl; right now I so am. He has on this white t-shirt my girlfriends in college used to refer to as wife-beaters. I always thought they were ugly; but somehow, he makes it look like the best thing a man could wear. He’s covered in ink everywhere. I’m just assuming this is Beast because well, the name fits. The other guy is muscled for sure, but he’s leaner and more…pretty. Still, he’s sexy, there’s no doubt about that. His hair is kind of long and falls over to one side, and it makes a woman want to run her fingers through it. I bet he got his name because women all over carry a torch for him.

“Peaches, this is Beast and Torch,” Keys says, pointing to each one to confirm their identity and yeah, I was right. I smile at them and then decide, as big as they look, I better make more food. I pull out the dough I had rising earlier and start shaping rolls.

“Hello,” I answer, feeling slightly intimidated with all four of them staring at me.

“What are we talking about?” Torch asks and before I can answer, Shaft does.

“Peaches wanted to know how I got my name.”

“Oh, that’s easy,” Torch says.

“It is?” I ask before placing another roll in the pan. I go to preheat the oven and come back to my dough. I’m ignoring looking at the men because honestly, I’m feeling out of my element here. I wish Sabre were here and that’s a strange thought to have.

“Yeah, Shaft here doesn’t care where he puts his cock. Beast once told him he’d put his shaft in a black snake’s mouth if someone would hold it open. The name just stuck,” Torch speaks up. I stop to think about what he said. My parents would be scandalized. I throw my head back in laughter. It feels strange…but, it feels good, too. I think I like being around Sabre’s men.