Barber Shop Ink: Always Blue in Memphis

by Penny Blush

  "I know, right?" Jax said incredulously thumping his own fist on his chair arm. "That's not even the worst part," he continued as Hedge groaned, pulling the hoodie down past her chin. “The whole time she was there ranting and railing and gathering whatever shit she had at that fuck stick's place; they kept on fucking. Right in front of her the whole God, damn time!"

  “What the hell?” Shocked that I was that’s all I could be. What a low life piece of shit.

  "So, there you have it, that's my story of woe," she said, slumping down dejectedly in her chair. "In one day, I lost my job, my home, my car, all my possessions, my boyfriend and my sparkle. Hence the glamorous vision you see before you," she said sarcastically, waving her hand up and down her jumper covered self.

  “Holy shit Hedge! I don’t even know what to say. I mean, damn!” I said scrubbing a hand over my beard covered cheek. “Damn girl, what cosmic force did you piss off?” I joked, trying to lighten the mood.

  “Yeah, yeah, I know, my life sucks. Moving on,” she said flicking her hand in a shooing motion. “So here I am, bumming off my cousin until I get my new ID so that I can access my bank accounts, get a job, a life and move off the couch. You know, rejoin society and adulthood.”

  I sat and listened to Hedge tell her story and all of the shit that had happened to her over the last month. The poor thing had indeed taken a cosmic beat down, and I felt like a giant asshole for giving her a tough time earlier. Despite all the shit she had been through, she somehow managed to come through the other side with her sense of humour and faith that better things were coming, intact. Before I even knew what, I was saying; I was offering her a job.

  “You can come and work for me if you want?”

  "Umm, thanks," she laughed, obviously thinking that I was joking. "But I don't know if you heard me, I'm a hairdresser, a stylist, not a tattoo artist."

  "Yeah, no, I caught that. I also heard that you were the manager and let's face it," I said, looking at Jax, "we really could use one."

  "Hey, yeah Bro, that's an excellent idea! Cuz you should totally come and work for Memph," Jax said, excited by the prospect.

  “Thanks for the offer. But I think I will have to decline.”

  “Why?” Jax and I asked at the same time.

  “It’s not like you’re doing anything else,” Jax added, earning him a death stare from Hedge.

  "Well, I'm a hairdresser, and if I were to manage your tattoo shop, I wouldn't be able to use my trade. I wouldn't be able to do what I love," she said, sounding like she was trying to convince herself that this opportunity was not something that she may consider.

  “Hedge, Doll,” Jax started leaning forward taking her hand, “take it, please! It will give you something to do while you're figuring things out. Besides, we need some serious help. We can't seem to keep a receptionist. Our last one moved interstate." Jax continued when Hedge gave him a look, "our receptionist issues aren't because of us," he said waving his hand back and forth between the two of us. "Some of them have gone on to apprentice for us or others. Some have gone off to college, but most just can't handle the hour's ‘cos it's not like we work normal regular shop hours and besides if you take this job, it would be more like a gift for you."

  "How is it in anyway a gift?" I asked, dumbfounded, shaking my head. "Dude, do you hate your cousin that much? The place is organised chaos at best! The stockroom is a complete mess. No one can work out the ordering system. Payroll and accounts are a nightmare! I say it’s more of a punishment than a gift."

  "See?" Jax started, hands in the air like I had just proved his point. "You love organising things and computers and junk. It's perfect!" Jax turned to me making sure that the offer was serious. "Memph, if you're for real, hiring Hedge is truly the best move you could make. That Donovan jack off was essentially broke and on the verge of bankruptcy. He was working out of some dinky little shop with like, three chairs, until Hedge walked in and took charge, turning him into a multimillionaire."

  "Jax, you make it sound like I was some Fairy Godmother, miracle worker. That I walked into his salon waving my magic wand and ‘poof', instant success. Donavan was a great stylist, he just couldn't manage himself out of a paper bag, or work a computer, or do his books and besides that stuff is a no-brainer for me, I just find it easy," Hedge replied, sounding somewhat embarrassed by the praise.

  “Doll, Donavan would be working for a ‘Cutz R Us’ if it hadn’t been for you and you know it.”

  “Please Hedge, you would be doing me a massive favour,” I begged, liking this idea more and more. “I barely have time to catch my breath, let alone run the shop properly. Tonight is the first night off I’ve had in about twelve weeks.”

  “And besides, it will get you out of the house and off my couch,” Jax said, ducking the empty bottle that Hedge had thrown.

  "I would pay you, naturally," I was full on begging now.

  Did I sound as desperate as I thought I did?

  "I don't know if you could afford me," she smirked in reply, but she seemed like she was considering it. I'm positive that it was a done deal, but I would do anything to make it happen.

  Jax was right our shop was a nightmare and needed urgent help. Business has been going exceptionally well, and our books have been full for the last six months with hardly any space left for walk-in's, which has meant that all the admin/daily running stuff has fallen by the wayside. The other artists could care less what the place looked like as-long-as they were getting paid.

  The more we talked about having Hedge come on as the manager, the more I realised that I could really use the help. Having a manager would take the pressure off me and allow me to concentrate on my clients instead of all the other crap that needs to happen. Hell, I might even be able to have a regular day off to catch up on everything else in my life that I have been neglecting – like sleep.

  “Dude, you’re losing her! You need to do something to sweeten the deal,” Jax said, looking at me with mock panic. “You have no idea how much we need her superhuman organisational skills. Honestly, within a few weeks, the shop won't even recognise itself, and you'll be wondering how you ever lived without her!"

  Shit! The way Jaxon's talking, it's like there's a bomb about to go off and she's the only one who knows how to disarm it. The more I thought about it, the more it feels like this certainly is the case.

  Ever since my Pops died and left me the shop, I feel like I have been treading water, scarcely making ends meet, not having the time to do any upgrades or changes. If this girl can work even half the magic Jax says she can; I could use her help.

  What could I do?

  I didn't even know this chick, apart from the fact that she is Jax' cousin, so she must be good people, I'd take that on faith. I trust Jax; he's like a brother to me, but this was the weirdest job interview I had ever conducted. We were drinking, she was in PJs, and her cousin was begging me to take her on like life as we knew it would end if I didn't. I hadn't even seen her properly. Normally I like to be able to, you know, see the face of the person that I am hiring. Not that her looks would have any bearing on whether-or-not she could do a decent job, but the very male side of me couldn't help but chime in with yeah, but a bit of eye-candy around the shop would be nice.

  For the second time, tonight I spoke before thinking, “if you come work for me, you can have the flat above the shop rent free for as long as you want.”

  Man, I sounded desperate.

  “I don’t know?” She was still hesitant.

  Why was she fighting this? I mean it was a job and a place to live for free. She can’t possibly want to keep living on Jaxon’s couch, can she?

  “How about this,” Jax said looking at his cousin, “come by the shop with me tomorrow and have a look around, check out the apartment. See what’s what and then decide. Sound like a plan?”

  I sat there, holding my breath; everything crossed hoping that she would say yes.

  "Okay fine. Sure. But I agree with nothing yet. Get it
?"

  “Okay. Yes, sounds good. Come by tomorrow, check the place out and then we’ll talk.”

  "Okay, yes, fine, sure."

  Why did it feel like life was about to get more interesting?

  Hedge agreed to come by the shop and with that, the conversation shifted to other things.

  The conversation flowed freely, and so did the drinks. Jax and Hedge were more brother and sister than cousins, the way they heckled and teased each other. They carried on more like twelve-year-old kids rather than adults in their twenties, and it made me feel a pang of jealousy, I missed that with my brothers, who both had joined the Navy and were now SEALS. It had been forever since I'd seen them or talked to them and even longer since we'd been in the same time zone, let alone the same room!

  The guys at the shop are just as much my family; they are brothers by choice. We have each other's backs, but it's not the same.

  For the first time in a long time I felt relaxed and the more we talked, the more I got to know her, the more I found I honestly genuinely liked Hedge. She's funny, smart, passionate and sarcastic as hell. The more we talked and drank the more she loosened up, and she shed the ‘I hate the world' blanket she had been carrying around like a shroud from the first time I saw her. I can't believe how much she changed in a few hours.

  I now understood what they meant when they said she had sparkle. Her face still hidden by flame and shadow, her body hidden by that damn humongous hoodie, but I could still tell that when she is in her element, back to being her ‘Sparkly Unicorn' self, she would be a sight to behold.

  I might not be able to see her face, I couldn't see her eyes, but I could feel her inner light, her aura or soul or whatever you want to call it glowing. She just seemed like the kind of person that you would want to be around, that just being in her presence somehow made your life better.

  I felt so relaxed and comfortable around both Jax and Hedge it felt like we all had been friends and hanging out together our whole lives. When was the last time I just hung out with friends, talking having some drinks without worrying about work all the time?

  “Shit Dude,” Jax said, sounding relaxed but tired, “It’s two AM.”

  I can’t believe that we had lost track of time like that, time truly does fly when you’re having fun. “Good thing we don’t open until midday tomorrow, well, today.”

  I scrubbed my hands across my face. Man, I was tired, but it was a good tired, a relaxed tired and not a full body, mind and soul exhaustion.

  Jax scratched at the stubble on his cheek yawning, "I'll bring Hedge with me when I come in, and she can check shit out."

  “You cool with that?” I asked her.

  Jax shifted in his chair looking at her, chuckling quietly, “Dude, she’s asleep.”

  That was about the time we decided to call it quits for the night. Hedge was out to it, and it didn't look like anything was going to wake her. Not that we were noisy or anything, it was just that the evening was still, quiet and well it was two AM, and everything just seemed louder somehow. Hedge must have been dead asleep; she didn't even flinch at the sound of clinking glass as we cleaned up the bottles and cans lying around the yard.

  “I should just chuck a blanket over her and leave her out here,” Jax chuckled, working the fire to make sure that it was on its way out.

  Looking at Hedges’ sleeping form, I asked, “Dude, how is that even comfortable?”

  She had her arms twisted up and around so that they acted as a pillow and her legs were all twisted up under her and over the arm of the chair.

  “I know, right?” Jax stated looking at his cousin and shook his head as he poured some water on the dying embers of the fire. “She’s a human pretzel. Just leave her man. I’ll wake her and Zombie walk her inside in a minute.”

  "All good, bud," I bent down, sliding my arms behind her back and legs, "get the door will ya?" I asked, picking her up. I shifted her weight so that I had a better hold of her. The change caused her to snuggle down against my chest, murmuring incoherently. "I've got you Sweetness," I whispered against the top of her head.

  “Just dump her on the couch, I want to make sure this fire’s out properly,” Jax said, sliding the door open.

  I cradled her in my arms as I walked into the lounge room. As I approached the couch, I suddenly became incredibly pissed off that the sweet little thing cradled in my arms has been sleeping on the sofa and not even a sofa-bed; she's been sleeping across the couch cushions. I did not want to put her down. I wanted to make myself comfortable on the sofa with her nestled up against my chest safe and warm.

  I lowered her sleeping form on to the cushions, making sure that she was comfortable before reluctantly stepping back. She rolled over wriggling until she was comfortable and I grabbed the blanket off the back of the sofa and knelt on the floor to tuck it around her. Her movements had dislodged her hood, and I got my first look at her face. Although I couldn't see her eyes, I could still tell she is gorgeous. She had sun kissed skin with a light smattering of freckles across her nose and cheeks.

  Sighing contentedly in her sleep, she reached up without opening her eyes, like she had done it a thousand times before, instinctively knowing where I was and rubbed her hand through my beard.

  “Safe,” she muttered and then, “home.”

  Sucking in a breath, I sat back on my heels. What the hell was that? Did she say ‘home’? Did she mean that I was ‘home’ and that she felt ‘safe’ with me? That can’t have been what she meant. No, it can't be. She was just talking in her sleep; it didn't mean anything.

  I felt like I'd survived a sucker-punched to the heart. The touch of Hedge's hand on my face sent a current straight through me, the tingling sensation raising the hairs on my arms. Man, I was so tired that I was hallucinating, meaningful touches and her saying things. She probably didn't even say ‘safe' and ‘home'; she was probably just mumbling in her sleep. Memphis, buddy you are exhausted and need to get your ass home and get some shut-eye. Shaking myself, I leant forward lightly brushing my lips on her forehead in a brief good night kiss.

  "Good night Sweetness. I'll see you tomorrow. Sleep sweetly."

  Chapter 10 Hedge

  I woke up feeling like I had had the best sleep of my life. I woke relaxed, rested and just a little bit excited for my new beginnings and best of all I was hangover free!

  I got up, pressed play on my ‘Good Mood' playlist and happily danced into the kitchen to make coffee and pancakes for breakfast, cause let's face it you can't be anything but happy when there are pancakes involved.

  Jax stumbled into the kitchen still three parts asleep and grumbled, "Morning,” as he slumped down bleary eyed at the breakfast bar.

  “Good morning Sunshine!” I replied brightly, placing a steaming cup of coffee and a stacked plate of pancakes in front of him.

  I watched as he dumped a gallon of syrup on top of the pancakes. Cutting the stack into eighths, he stabbed a small pile with a fork. Resting an elbow on the counter holding his head in a hand and waving a pancake laden fork at me he asked, “why are you all ….?”

  “No reason,” I shrugged, “I just woke up happy, I guess. I can go back to being all slobby and mopey if you want?”

  “Hell no,” he grumbled around a mouthful of pancakes.

  I came around to his side of the bench giving him a kiss on the cheek. “I’m going to use the bathroom,” I declared dancing off down the hall humming along to the music filling the house, leaving a grouchy Jaxon to his pancakes.

  I sang my heart out in a stellar shower duet of ‘Can’t Stop the Feeling’ with Justin Timberlake as I bathed, washed my hair and scrubbed my body. Thank God for laser hair removal, ‘cos after a couple of months of not giving a shit about my appearance, I would have been in some serious personal grooming trouble!

  Okay so, if I am going to go check out the tattoo shop today and restart my life, I refuse to do it wearing my running gear. With a towel wrapped around my body and another around my hair, I wa
lked out of the bathroom across the hall to Jaxon’s room.

  “Jax just letting you know I’m raiding your clothes!”

  “What are you yelling about woman?!” Jax called out, walking into his room. “What the hell are you doing in my room? You know this is my sacred space.”

  I turned to find him standing in the doorway with his hands on his hips, looking pissed. I would have believed that he was angry if it wasn’t for the glint of mischief in his eyes.

  "I already know where your porn stash is Cuz; you could do with updating it by the way. I'm just after some clothes."

  “What’s wrong with your clothes?”

  "Umm, what's right with my clothes? Besides, I'm going to the tattoo shop today and looking at the apartment. I am NOT doing it in my ‘Active Wear’,” I said, making air quotes. "When I said that my life was restarting today, that also includes making the conscious decision not to leave the house in ‘Active Wear' unless it is in the course, of being active. Besides, it's hot out I'm not wearing all black. I want to make a good impression."

  “Memphis knows your situation; he’s not going to judge you. He met you last night, remember? He was the slightly taller but less ruggedly handsome dude sitting out by the fire.”

  I remembered alright. I recalled Memphis's voice, his height, and that ass but I hadn’t gotten a good look at his face to make an informed decision on his level of rugged handsomeness.

  “Jaxon, did you just call yourself ruggedly handsome?”

  “What? You know it’s true,” Jax replied, flicking invisible lint off his shoulders.

  I rolled my eyes at his ridiculousness, "I remember that he was there listening to the story of my pathetic life. Pathetic and frumpy, that was not the kind of impression I want to leave a potential employer with. You know how I am usually presented to the world, dressed, styled, polished and fabulous," I spread my arms out like I was some Goddess addressing my admirers.

  “Whatever weirdo," Jaxon walked over to his closet throwing open the doors. "Have at it Doll," he said, turning to face me. "I not sure that you'll be able to find anything but…." he waved his hand in from of his clothes, and I noticed that he had an envelope in his hand.