Saving Dallas (Saving Dallas 1)

“So, Dallas, you are in real estate?” Jenn asked from the end of the table.

“I am. I own Knox Companies.” Jenn almost choked on her drink. I wanted to kick myself for opening my mouth.

“You are Dallas Knox? Oh my god! I had no idea.”

“That’s me.” I responded a little embarrassed. For some reason, I didn’t want these women to know who I was. The public already had stereotyped me into what they wanted me to be and I wanted these women to not know the real me, but the “me” that Luke knew.

“Wow. That’s impressive. You know I used to work for a real estate company. That was a long time ago though. KD is actually fixing to take the exam to get her real estate license,” Jenn said recovering from her shock.

“Really? Well KD, I hope you will consider my company. I could probably pull a few strings to get you an interview,” I said winking at her. They all laughed.

“Oh my god! That would be so great!” she said, her face lighting up. KD would be good for business. She definitely fit the part. She was attractive and outgoing and seemed that she could be very persuasive. Red had made her way down the table to me and reached out to take my hand in hers.

“So, I hear y’all are official.”

I looked down at my lap smiling. “Yes, we are. He really is amazing, Red.”

“Yes he is. But don’t underestimate yourself, Dallas. You must be pretty great too, to land a catch like that.” Her smile was genuine, as were her words. These women were not much different than me. I had expected them all to act like Maddie and treat me like an outsider, but since I had arrived, none of them made me feel the least bit uncomfortable or out of place. I felt like I had known them all forever.

Red leaned in close to me, her face taking on a serious expression. “Ok, I am going to lay a few ground rules out for you. This is your family. There is nothing these ladies would not do for you. They don’t trust you right now, but that comes with time. If you are with Luke, then you are with them. Don’t do anything to draw too much attention to yourself. Be friendly but don’t suck ass. They can see straight through the bullshit. Be genuine, respectful and above all, loyal. If you see your sister in trouble, it is your place to help her. If a man wants to join in with this club, he has to prospect. It’s the same for the women. Until you prove your loyalty, you will never be accepted. Don’t let their charm and looks fool you, these women can be very ruthless, and that includes me.” She sat back and seemed satisfied with what she had just told me. I felt like it was a speech she had given many times. I appreciated the knowledge and her honesty, but it worked both ways. These women would have to earn my trust too. I knew better than to judge a book by its cover. I was a threat to all of them, especially Red. If I stepped in, her position would belong to me and I wasn’t sure how much she would like that. She was good at what she did, but if I was going to be with Luke, then I would have to learn her role and to prove I could do it; I was going to have to be better than her.

“Who is Maddie with?” I asked. She was my biggest problem and I had to cross that bridge before I could build another one.

“Maddie is a long story, but in a nutshell she is a part of this club. She isn’t with anyone, but her history with the club is a long one. I’ll leave the rest of that story up to Luke to tell.”

Well I had already violated one rule. I had not shown any respect to Maddie, nor had she shown any to me. I guessed that was why nobody seemed to care what I said to her earlier. A commotion at the pool tables across the room drew our attention.

“Here we go,” Red said rising and heading across the bar. The other women stood and followed suit. I sat still, not sure what to do. Should I follow? Should I stay? Was this really my business? KD turned to look at me and discreetly motioned with her hand that I should join them. I could tell she didn’t want any of the others to see what she was doing. She was helping me out. I was sure it was because of the job I mentioned earlier, but it was still a nice gesture.