Someone To Love

One month later.

Lora stood inches away from Jesse, grinding her body against his with the loud, fast beat music that played over them.

The Toretto's living room was packed with the usual weekend crowd, countless bodies dancing and partying through out the house.

Dom and Letty were up stair celebrating their latest race while Mia danced with Vince on the other side of the room.

Jesse looked up at Lora, smiling at her as he slipped his hand onto the small of her back, holding her against him as they danced to the music.

A few minutes later the song changed into a less danceable one and slowly the couple pulled apart, laughing and out of breath.

"You need a beer." Jesse assured, walking with Lora towards the kitchen where Mira, Leon and Vince now stood talking. "Lora, girl! I want to introduce you to someone." Mia insisted, snatching her away from Jesse as soon as they entered the kitchen.

Jesse watched as the two girls walked quickly off into the crowd, then turned towards Leon and Vince. "What the hell are you doing, man?" Vince demanded, pushing him slightly.

"What? What are you talking about?" Jesse asked, grabbing a Corona from the fridge before looking up at the taller, stronger male. Vince grabbed Jesse by the neck, turning him so his gaze fell on Mia and Lora.

"Her. She's been around for a month and you haven't even asked her out."

Shaking Vince off him, Jesse turned to the guys.

"She's just a friend, I already told you I don't like her that way." He assured, fumbling with the top of the beer bottle for a few minutes.

"Yeah I hear you saying that but I don't believe you, dog." Leon muttered, walking off with Vince - leaving Jesse alone in the kitchen now.

He looked around slowly and made his way back to Lora.

~


"I've been thinking about racing again, but there's no way I'm going against Dom." Lora assured, sitting down beside Jesse in his Honda.

"Yeah? I can get you out there racing Hector and a few others, they never go up against Dom cause they know they can't win."

Lora laughed, "Oh, I'm not saying I couldn't beat him - I just wouldn't want any hard feelings, you know." She assured, causing Jesse to laugh.

"Yeah, that's big words for such a little girl." He teased, glancing over at her.

"You'll see. I'll take you for a ride one-day and show you my skills." Lora promised, smiling up at him.

They settled down into a comfortable silence for the rest of the drive; both having their own thoughts to deal with. After ten minutes, Jesse pulled into the apartment complex parking lot and parked the car.

"You wanna go out with me?"

The words slipped past his parted lips quickly as he gripped the steering wheel.

"What?" Lora asked, turning her attention from the window.

"Um, I was going to ask you.. if you wanted to.. do something.. get together.. one night.." He stampered, his knuckles turning white as he stared straight into the apartment building.

Lora smiled, "Yeah. I'd like that." She assured, watching as his grip slowly eased up and his hands fell to his sides.

"Really?" He asked, turning to look at her now. The moonlight was shining through the window, casting a soft glow on her features.
"e'se's this Italian Restaurant down town that I've heard a lot about, Saturday around 8pm?"

Jesse was stilling staring as if he was seeing Lora for the first time. She unbuckled her seatbelt slowly, "I'll see you then, okay?" He smiled and watched as she made her way up the stairs of her building.
---------------------------------

"Well, what do you think?" Mia asked, leaning down onto the counter in front of Lora as she ate her sandwich.

"About what?"

Mia smiled, nodding towards Jesse - who emerged slowly from the garage, wiping oil from his hands.

Lora slowly moved her eyes to where Mia was pointing, "He's okay."

"Just okay, huh?" Jesse walked up to them, studying the dirt under his short nails.

"Hey ladies. Mia, the team needs some sandwiches." He said, quietly. Lora watched Jesse sit down beside her and turned to face him,

"We still on for tomorrow night?" She asked, wiping her mouth before taking a long drink of her soda. Jesse nodded, resting his elbows on the counter.

"Alright, well I've got to get to work. Thanks for the food, girl. I'll see you tomorrow?" Lora asked, standing up.

Mia nodded, smiling at her as she made the teams lunch. "Later, Jess." Lora grinned, putting her sunglasses on as she made her way across the street to the Supra.

~

"I heard Jesse finally grew a pair." Letty declared, grinning as Jesse emerged from underneath Dom's Charger.

"Yeah, someone's got a date." Vince added, laughing with the others. "Yeah, laugh it up guys. I'm just going out with her because she's hot." Jesse assured, picking up one of the various wrenched before pushing himself under the vehicle again.

"Don't play the fool with us, Einstein. We know you." Dom exclaimed, cleaning his hands on a rag.

"You know me?" Jesse asked, poking his head out from under the Dodge. "If you know me then you know I don't let chicks get under my skin. Just another girl, my friend.. just another girl." He proclaimed, matter of factly before returning to the task at hand.

Dom turned towards the others and gave them a look, causing a roar of laughter to spread through the garage.

~

"I don't know, Mia." Lora muttered, looking down at the light blue sundress she wore.

"What about that one?" Mia pointed to a short purple dress on a chair beside the mirror,

"It's just Jesse. Dresses aren't for Jesse." Lora answered, making her way back to the bathroom to change.

"You are in denial. When he walks into the room your whole face lights up, Lora." Mia assured with a laugh, pushing herself from the bed and across the room.

"He is adorable, isn't he?" Lora murmured, grinning to herself as Mia fumbled through the closet.

"See you can't fool me." Lora emerged from the bathroom slowly, wearing flared blue jeans, a tight red army clad sleeveless top and black boots.

"What about you? I see Dom with Letty, then there's Vince and Leon with their racer whores but never nobody with beautiful, sweet Mia." She exclaimed, brushing a hand through her shoulder length black hair as she peered into the mirror again.

"There was a guy." Mia started, pulling out another dress from the closet.

"I really cared about him.. but he turned out to be a cop and Dom hates cops. The guy ended up leaving town."

Lora frowned, "Damn, girl. Have you talked to him since?" she wondere
M
Mia just shook her head no and turned towards her friend, "I think you should wear this."

~

A blue Mustang with silver streaks down the side pulled into the Italian Restaurant slowly, parking beside a red Ford Truck.

"Thlacelace is kind of fancy. Maybe I should have worn a dress..." Lora thought, aloud.

"I think you look great." Jesse assured, unlocking the doors.

"Thanks."

She was wearing faded blue jeans with a tan rose print coming up the side of the leg and a tight fitting cream colored halter top that tied in the back, exposing a small tribal to ono on the small of her back.

"..beautiful." Jesse had muttered to himself when she had walked out of her apartment earlier.

The waiter snapped his fingers, bringing Jesse back to reality as he sat down across from Lora, looking around the large room. A few vanilla candles were scattered on the individual tables with soft music playing in the background.

~

"Dom destroyed his dad's Charger about a year ago, racing with a guy. Because I was in the hospital at the time we haven't been able to work on the one he's got now. It's a high rise double kicked holly carburetor with a 427 Hemi engine but I think when he raced last week he burnt up some pistons." Jesse explained, twirling some spaghetti onto his fork.

Lora sat back in her chair, wiping her mouth with a napkin. "You really know a lot about cars.. I think 's 's cool, I'd love to know what I'm talking about when it comes to vehicles. I mean don't get my wrong, I can change the oil and a blown tire.. but that's about it." She admitted, causing Jesse to laugh.

"I can teach you everything I know, when you've got a motor in front of you it's real easy."

Lora nodded, "Yeah, anything comes easy to the mad scientist." She assured, smiling at him from across the table.

~

"After my dad went to jail I just couldn't deal with school anymoreJessJesse muttered, glancing over at Lora from across the hood of his vehicle.

They were parked along the beach, laid back on the hood of the Mustang talking and enjoying each other’s company.

"I dropped out a few weeks into my third year of high school and Dom took me in like I was his own."

Lora turned her head to look at him, "I get that. My mom left when I was seven and then the rest of my family fell apart. My dad drank a lot and my brothers were always gone. I'd go to races just to get out of the house." She said, sitting up slowly.

Jesse watched Lora cross her legs and turn towards him, holding her head up with her hands.

"My dad left about a month later and I went to stay with my brother in Sacramento, but he got into some bad shit so I left there. I guess I couldn't deal either." She shrugged, smiling down at Jesse.

"We're not so different, you and I." She teased, mocking Austin Powers.

Jesse laughed, sitting up to face her.

"It sucks that you had to go through all that growing up, my mom bailed on me too. She left when I was real little though so I don't really remember her that much. I say the hell with it, who needs 'em?"

Lora agreed, looking down at her hands nervously as Jesse laced his black painted fingertips with her own. Slowly, she looked over at him, smiling as he looked up at the sky, resting the other hand behind his head.

"Yeah, this right here? This is the life."
-------------------