Barber Shop Ink: Always Blue in Memphis

by Penny Blush

  “No, he won’t,” she gasped as I pushed slowly into her. “He’s shipping out next week remember, he won’t have time to reschedule.”

  Her tongue, duelled with mine as I picked up speed, I growled because she was right.

  “Damn it,” I kissed her again slowing my movements. “This is going to fuck with my head for the rest of the day until I can have you again.”

  I felt her smile against my lips, her eyes sparkling with a teasing glint. "Memphis, I’m sorry Baby, but you have to let me up so I can get in the shower."

  I let out a long, low, frustrated groan but did as she requested, slipping out of her as I rolled off her and onto my back. I lay there watching as she sat on the edge of the bed stretching her delectable curvy body, like a cat, before walking towards the bathroom. I was mesmerised by the sway of her ass, the curve of her hips and the graceful way she moves.

  “Hey lazy bones, you’re going to be late,” she called from the bathroom, the sound of the water from the shower jets hitting the tiles.

  “Yeah, yeah, bossy, I’m coming,” I called back.

  Well, not yet I thought glancing down at my painfully hard cock tenting the sheet. I reached down, taking my cock in my hand and started stroking, closing my eyes. I heard Hedge clear her throat. I opened my eyes and saw heaven. Hedge was standing in the doorway of the bathroom leaning up against the door frame her mahogany brown hair falling in soft, delicate waves around her shoulders.

  "Baby, are you going to join me?" she asked her voice going husky. "Or am I going to have to finish what you started …" she looked me in the eye as her hand caressed her breast, then slid down her body, "… by myself," she sighed slipping her fingers between her legs.

  Before I had even registered that I had moved, I was stalking towards her.

  “Hedge, get that sexy ass in the shower, now.”

  We spent the next hour making sure that we were both thoroughly clean and satisfied.

  I sat on the edge of the messed-up bed, pulling my boots on, watching Hedge standing in the bathroom in her underwear putting on her makeup. The woman was gorgeous clean faced, and the makeup just added to her beauty. I tried to convince her to wear a pair of sweats and her Davan jumper, no makeup and just chuck her hair up in a ponytail so that it would hide all her hotness from everyone else. But she was not willing to play, spoilsport.

  "You do realise that I do all of this for no one else but me," she said, returning to the mirror to apply a dark red lipstick.

  Once again, I was moving before I knew it, drawn to her like a magnet. My eyes following the glide of the lipstick across her lips in the mirror as I stood behind her.

  “Do all what?” I asked.

  "The way I dress, how I style my hair, the way I wear my makeup, my heels, it's all for me and no one else. I do it because it makes me feel good. I don't do it to impress anyone but me." She turned around, closing her arms around my waist, “so, as comfy as your choice of outfit sounds, I’ll be picking out my own outfit thank you.”

  "Can't blame a guy for trying," I sulked, leaning down to give her a quick kiss. "I have to get out of here, or I'll never get to work." I kissed her again, "if I don't leave right now I'm going to have you again."

  I groaned, kissing her one last time before turning to exit the bathroom.

  “Get going,” she said smacking me on the ass. “I need to finish getting ready.”

  “Don’t boss me, woman,” I growled, heading towards the front door.

  “You love it,” she called out to me as I stomped down the stairs.

  Yeah, I kinda do.

  Chapter 27 Hedge

  I walked down stairs about fifteen minutes after Memphis. One of my unique skills is that I can be very stealthy, especially in heels, where most other women would be given away by the tell-tale click of heels on the wooden boards of the steps, not me. You wouldn't know that I was behind you until you felt my breath on the back of your neck.

  Today, my extra light steps were buoyed by the fact that I was floating on air after spending the most amazing afternoon with Memphis.

  Yes, we finally had an unobstructed moment together, and yes, we had sex. Oh, my God did we ever, have sex. After the first round of amazingly intense sex, which felt more like a connecting of souls than just a biological imperative, we made very good use of the six hours we had to ourselves. We touched, tasted and teased each other. We had sex, we fucked, and we made love, sweet, intense, passionate love. We talked and cuddled and napped in each other's arms. It was perfect.

  I could feel every cell in my body tingling with satisfaction and I had to keep checking myself for a goofy smile that I’m sure was on my face. I could hear voices at the bottom of the stairs, one of them was Memphis, so I stopped and listened.

  “About fucking time,” Bear congratulated.

  “God, damn it, I was sure I had a shot,” Davis teased.

  "Forgetting for a second that she is my cousin," Jaxon said, "I totally agree, you guys were always trying to pretend that nothing was going on between the two of you. You’re like two magnets pushing against each other. You just needed to be flipped, have your poles line up, so to speak."

  “Oh, they flipped alright,” Bear’s deep voice rumbled with laughter.

  "Their poles definitely aligned," Davis snickered.

  “Alright, you’ve had your fun,” Memphis said with authority. “I don’t want anyone saying anything that is going to make her feel uncomfortable or whatever. She’s the shop manager don’t forget that, and you will show her some respect.”

  "Or what, we'll have to answer to you, Big Guy?" Bear said in a tone usually reserved for talking to babies.

  “Damn straight you will. I mean it. I will not hesitate to drop you on your giant ass Bear if you or anyone, disrespect her or makes her feel uncomfortable or embarrassed in any way.”

  “You claiming her boss?” Bear asked.

  “I already have.”

  “DUDE, you son of a ...” Jaxon started – big bad cousin ready to defend my honour.

  I heard the slapping sound of a hand connecting with a head.

  "Not like that you, asshole," Memphis snapped. "Hedge has been mine since the moment I laid eyes on her."

  "Dude …." Jaxon had started before he was again cut off.

  “Yes, Jaxon I know when I first met her she was a snarling she-beast and looked like a proper disaster, but I could just tell there was something about her, something in her soul that touched mine. And you can laugh all you want and think that I have gone soft and that I should hand in my man-card, but for her, I would. She makes me feel things I haven’t felt with anyone, before, ever. So again, I say do not disrespect her or you will answer to me.”

  Hearing his words my foot popped - like actually, popped up, and I may have swooned a little at Memphis being all manly and protective. I would have to remember to thank him properly later.

  “Good answer Bro,” I heard Jax say and what I presumed was a slap on the back.

  I stood on the steps being all gooey and girly for a little while longer to compose myself so that I didn’t go into the shop and drag Memphis by his beard back into my bed. I switched off my stealth mode, making my heels crack on the boards of the stairs, announcing my presence.

  “Hello Boys,” I said, walking through the shop to the reception desk, giving Cassidy a quick hug. “Hey Sunshine, how’s your day been?”

  “Good thanks,” she replied, a knowing smile on her face. “We should have dinner together,” she whispered.

  We should have dinner = girl code for ‘you need to tell me everything.’

  The boys weren't so subtle with their interrogation.

  “Got a bit of a glow happening there, Hedge,” Bear said. “Had a bit of afternoon delight, did ya Boss-Lady?”

  “Did you get Memphis to give up his flower?” Davis asked.

  "Guys," Memphis warned his voice rumbling.

  I know he was just protecting me, and it was so cute and sweet,
but there was no need.

  “My lady,” Davis said, dropping to his knees hoisting a takeout coffee cup in the air like he was presenting a trophy. “Many have tried, but all have failed.”

  I took the coffee from him, laughing.

  “What the hell are you talking about?” Jax said, wheeling his stool over to slap Davis upside the head. “Get up ya idiot.”

  “Oww, I was just congratulating the Lady Hedge here on bagging the Boss-man,” Davis replied, rubbing the back of his head.

  “Sorry about these rude, inconsiderate imbeciles,” Jax said, giving me a quick hug.

  “It’s fine Jax, really,” I said, giving him a hug as best I could while still holding my coffee.

  "I just have one question to ask," Jax loudly whispered, exaggeratedly looking around at everyone. "Did you tap that?" he asked, touching his right shoulder, tilting his head indicating in Memphis’s direction.

  I raised an eyebrow at him. Jaxon took a step back, dropping down to one knee raising his hand high, bowing his head. I gave my coffee cup to Cassidy and rubbed my hands together. CRACK!

  One mega sonic high five later and laughter broke out throughout the shop from everyone, except Memphis. The boys all applauded and then hi-fived me, while Memphis brooded. I walked over to where he was sitting on his stool setting up his station. He looked grumpy, but the twinkle in his eye gave him away. I stood between his long legs, wrapping my arms around his neck, his hands automatically going to my waist.

  “What’s the matter, Baby?” I asked, stroking his hair.

  “I told them not to say anything,” he pouted.

  “Why? Are you embarrassed, that they know about us?” I was having too much fun teasing him.

  He growled squeezing my hips, “never.”

  “Neither am I, so who cares what they think?” I said.

  Leaning in to kiss him, there was half a second of resistance before he kissed me back, in a long, deeply passionate kiss. We came up for air to an explosion of catcalls, cheers, and wolf-whistles, well, everyone except Jax, who was making gagging sounds.

  "Get back to work you clowns the show's over," he snapped at the boys while hugging me closer for a minute. "Sorry Baby Girl," he apologised again.

  “Memphis, it’s fine, I grew up with Jax. I’m not that easily offended.” I gave him a quick kiss again. “Better get to work,” I said, turning to the reception desk, but Memphis caught my hand pulling me back to him.

  “Hedge, what are you wearing?” He asked looking me up and down.

  “What, don't you like it?" I asked, running my hand down my fitted black dress.

  This dress was another of Tabby's fabulous finds, it hugged my curves, but allowed me to move comfortably. It was midnight black, save for a piece that was red and white polka dots across the bust. I had restyled my hair into the rockabilly ‘victory rolls' that I had earlier this morning and had changed my black ankle boots for dark red, platform pumps.

  “Oh, no Baby Girl, I like, I like a lot, maybe a little too much,” his kiss was telling me just how much he loved my clothing choice. Shaking his head, he added, “you are going to be a distraction.”

  "I'm sorry Baby. I can go upstairs and take it - off - if you’d prefer?” I asked, batting my eyelashes at him.

  “Fucking distraction,” he grumbled.

  The bell over the door chimed, and Cassidy called out, "Memph, Darcy's here."

  I turned to see Jax checking out progress already made on Darcy's sleeve. "Baby Girl you got to get out of here," he murmured.

  “Why is that?”

  “Cause if you don’t get out of here and let me work, we’re going to find out how quickly you can get out of that dress.”

  "We're at work Memphis,” I said, wagging a finger at him. “You can look, but you cannot touch.”

  “Is that so?” He asked, running a hand up the back of my leg until he grabbed my ass.

  "Hedge, usually I would break his fingers for touching you like that, but I kinda need his hands in working order,” Darcy said, a lopsided grin on his face.

  "Hey Darcy, thanks for the offer, but I can handle him." I gave Memphis one final kiss on the cheek, whispering in his ear, "finish your work and then we'll see about the dress." I put a little extra sway in my step as I walked away and thought I heard Memphis mutter, "trouble”.

  At eight o’clock, Garry the butcher came in with a tray of sausages, steaks and a few loaves of bread. “Thought I’d bring you boy’s dinner to say thank you for helping me out the other night.”

  “Sweet, cheers! Are you staying?” Davis asked, taking the tray from Garry.

  “Na, have to be home to read to the grandkids before they go to bed.”

  “Are they staying with you?” Davis asked.

  “Na, it’s on that Skype thing. I hate computers but at least this way I can see them all the time. Enjoy the food boy’s and thanks again.”

  I checked the computer for bookings to see who was free, “Jax,” I called out.

  “Yeah Cuz” he replied, not looking up from the magazine he was reading.

  "Fire up the BBQ; you're cooking."

  We all had dinner together, as a family, Memphis and Darcy taking a break for a quick bite to eat before getting right back at it again.

  I walked back into reception after helping Jax clean up and found Cassidy checking out hairstyles on Pinterest.

  “What are you looking at?” I asked.

  “Sorry I didn’t mean … I know I should be … During work hours,” she stuttered, trying to close out of the app.

  "Hey Cass, don't worry about it, all the clients are taken care of, and there's nothing to do in the shop, it's fine. Show me.”

  It was almost ten o'clock. Barber Shop Ink was open till midnight because most people couldn’t make an appointment until after work hours. I waved my hand at the screen indicating for her to show me what she was looking at. She clicked open the app and brought up her ‘Hair Styles and Things’ board. She had hundreds of pictures pinned to her board of different cuts, colours, and styles.

  "I was just looking," she whispered. "Thinking about a change maybe."

  Cassidy's words made Jax’ head pick up. I noticed him out the corner of my eye trying very hard to look like he wasn’t paying attention to what she was saying.

  “Are you looking at changing the cut, or the colour, or both?” I asked.

  Switching to consult mode, running my stylist's eye over her hair. The colour was faded, but it had faded out well into a lovely, pastel pink. The style had grown out, not terribly, but it had grown out in such a way that there were so many more possibilities. My brain started working overtime, a hundred-different colour and style combinations running through my head.

  "I'm not sure. I like the pink, but it's super faded, and I don't know, I think I want to keep it but change it. And the cut is just like… Whatever," Cassidy said, running her hand through her faded bubble gum pink hair, fluffing it up. "I don't know, the same but different."

  “That makes no fucking sense,” Jax grumbled.

  Ignoring him, I went back to asking Cassidy questions about what she wanted. To anyone else, her comments about what she was thinking with her hair made no fucking sense, as Jax so eloquently put it, but to me, it made perfect sense. She wanted a change but nothing too dramatic; she didn’t want to lose herself in a contemporary style.

  We spent the next hour talking and looking up ideas online, with a plan in place, Cassidy decided to call it a night. The boys had packed up and gone home, leaving Memphis finishing up with Darcy.

  It was close enough to midnight that I walked over to the front door, engaging the lock and flipping the closed sign over. I watched Memphis at work in the reflection of the shop window. Memphis worked on the tattoo for a few hours until his eyes got sore, and he had to put his glasses on. They were thick black rim glasses which gave him a hot, nerd vibe – A very smoking hot, tattooed, nerdy, mountain man vibe.

  I walked over to, where he wa
s working; I stood behind him, watching him work. He took a moment to look over his work, wiping off the excess ink rolling his shoulders. I placed my hands on his broad shoulders, resting my chin on the top of his head, massaging his shoulders, trying to relieve some of the tension.

  "Wow, Darcy that looks amazing!"

  The colours, the shading and the lines of the tattoo were so striking and intense it made the image look 3D. Memphis was truly an artist, and his design was breathtaking.

  “Thanks, Hedge, I did nothing really," Darcy said, twisting his arm this way and that, looking at the almost finished work of art on his arm.

  "I think that there is another hour or two before it's finished," Memphis said leaning back into me. "It's up to you Darcy, do you think you can stick it out for a few more hours or do you want to come back?” Memphis tilted his head from side to side so that I could work my thumbs into the corded muscles of his neck.

  "If you're up for it man, then I'm okay to sit for a little while longer," Darcy said, keen to see the finished product. "I'm just going to take a break for few if that’s okay, I'll just call Darla and let her know what's going on."

  As Darcy walked out the back to make his phone call, Memphis snapped off his black latex gloves, looping a hand around my waist pulling me into his lap, kissing me.

  “It has been way too long since I’ve had these lips on mine,” he said, kissing me again.

  I rested my head on his shoulder, resting my hand over his heart and just breathed him in. He smelt all woodsy, warm and manly; I sighed contentedly.

  “You comfy there Baby Girl?” He mumbled, kissing the top of my head.

  “Umm, humm,” I replied sleepily.

  “Baby Girl, go up to bed. I’m going to be a while.”

  I didn’t want to presume that he would be coming up and I didn’t want to come across as clingy or needy just because we had slept together, but I also really wanted him in my bed again.

  “Okay, I am pretty tired; someone wore me out today," I joked, trying to work up the courage to ask what I really wanted to. I stood up giving Memphis a quick kiss on the cheek. "Umm… are you…"