“Don’t worry, sweetheart. I’m not going to mess up your ink,” X assured her with a wink.
She responded with a dreamy smile that made me laugh. Only X could get away with threatening to fuck up a customer’s tattoo.
“What the hell are we listening to anyway?” X was back to scowling.
“It’s called reggaeton you uncultured swine,” Cooper answered.
“You can’t tell me this shit is cultured when every song has the same damn beat.”
“That beat is called dembow and it’s the foundation of every reggaeton song.”
“Yeah, that’s pretty obvious since you can’t tell one song from the other.”
“Instead of bitching, you should be thanking me for expanding our musical horizons.”
“It’ll be a cold day in hell before I thank you for making me listen to this shit,” X informed Cooper. “I’ll give you a hundred bucks to play something else, anything.”
“No deal,” Cooper said and then squealed when a new song came on. “Oh, I love this song. Becky G is the best.”
I laughed because I knew he was hamming up the glam just to get under X’s skin, which was obviously working based on the grimace on X’s face. The dude looked like he was legit in pain.
As usual, Flynn stayed out of the conversation, instead focusing on whatever he was drawing since he didn’t have anyone at his station.
“Did you see her on the Latin Billboards with Daddy Yankee and Bad Bunny and Natti Natasha?” Cooper’s customer asked him.
Cooper lifted his eyes from the tattoo he was doing on the guy’s bicep to give him a big smile. “I did. It was so awesome. Dura Dura is such a good song.”
When Cooper and his customer launched into a conversation about their favorite reggaeton artists, X sighed and looked my way.
“Come on, man, you know I’m right about this garbage,” X told me.
“I think it’s kind of cool,” I admitted.
It sure as shit beat the Chris Isaak that Cooper had made us listen to the last time he had control of the music.
“Bullshit,” X said. “You’re just in a good mood because your little nurse boyfriend is probably putting out.”
“Watch your mouth,” I warned, deepening the bass in my voice.
X raised his head to give me a speculative look. I was far from being a prude, and I’d done my share of talking about my hookups with the guys, but Ned wasn’t some hookup. He didn’t deserve to have anyone talking shit about him.
After a moment, X went back to what he was doing without some kind of smart ass remark, which was good. I would hate to have to kick my best friend’s ass in front of all these people.
“Speaking of your nurse boyfriend, when are we going to meet him?” Cooper asked.
I frowned. “You guys have met him before. He’s been in twice.”
“One time was when he came with his brother to get tattooed, and the other was when he stopped by to bring you food,” Cooper reminded me. “That’s not the same as actually meeting him.”
With any other guy, I would worry about introducing him to this obnoxious bunch. Having grown up one of five brothers, I was sure Ned could take whatever they dished out.
“Forget meeting him,” X said. “I want to know when he’s going to bring us some more food. That lasagna was the best.”
Thankfully, I had gotten to taste it. No thanks to the bastards I worked with who had each helped themselves to a giant piece.
“I need to find a man who can cook like that for me,” X said.
Once again, the girl he was working on gave him a surprised look. Though she didn’t say anything, there was no mistaking the disappointment in her eyes.
“Or you could just learn to cook,” Cooper suggested.
“I can cook, just not as good as Heath’s nurse,” X replied.
“His name is Ned,” Cooper said before I could.
“Which totally doesn’t fit him,” X said. “The guy’s too cute to be saddled with an old man name like that.”
X wasn’t far off. Ned had shared with me that he and his brother, Roger, had been named after their grandfathers.
“Good thing what you think doesn’t matter,” Cooper said.
“Damn, what’s with you today?” X asked. “You’re mouthier than usual.”
“You could always come over and give me something to keep my mouth busy, Daddy,” Cooper teased, and X flashed him a dirty look.
I shook my head. If Cooper wasn’t careful, he was the one who was going to get his ass kicked.
“Anyway, I don’t care about his cooking. I just want to meet the guy, you know, officially,” Cooper said. “Not that I would object if he happened to bring us something.”
X snorted but didn’t say anything.
“I’ll see what—”
That was as far as I got before I was cut off by the sound of a woman shouting from the front of the shop. Even without her yelling ‘I want to see my worthless son’, I knew who it was, and I cringed.
Since I hadn’t seen or heard from her since Gary’s funeral, I’d hoped we were done with her. I should have known Marjorie’s silence was too good to last.
I shot a glance at Cooper. Though he hadn’t stopped what he was doing, the look on his face said he was thinking along the same lines as I was. I would have been surprised that she remembered she had a worthless son, but I’m sure that knowledge came in handy when she ran out of money.
Steeling myself for the confrontation that was coming, I pushed to my feet. Even if Cooper hadn’t been with a customer, I would have handled the latest run in with Marjorie just to keep him from having to deal with her.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t the first time she’d come into the shop, nor would it be the last. Marjorie was like a bad case of herpes. Just when you thought you had it under control, that shit came roaring back with a vengeance.
When I came around the corner, I was relieved to see there were no other customers upfront. Marjorie thrived on an audience. Without one there, I could likely get rid of her faster.
I hated the way her eyes lit up when she saw me. That wasn’t happiness at seeing me in her gaze. It was the satisfaction that came from throwing a fit and knowing I had shown up. If I was smart, I would just call the police and let them deal with her. Maybe I still would.
I also hated how alike we looked. Both of us had the same blond hair, though hers was currently a shade of platinum I had no doubt had come from a bottle. We both had blue eyes as well, but Marjorie’s eyes were shifty, like she was thinking ahead to the next move that would get her what she wanted. The similarities ended there. I’d gotten my height and bulk from the old man. Even the years of drinking and drugs hadn’t thinned him out before finally killing him.
The jeans she wore looked painted on while her pink shirt had been cut off to allow her stomach to hang out. There was a pair of black high heels on her feet to show off her pedicure, the same pedicure that matched her manicure. What a miracle it was that she had always been able to afford that kind of luxury, but she had never managed to make sure Cooper and I had enough to eat or were properly clothed.
“What do you want?” I demanded.
Damian had already stepped back to allow me to deal with her but stayed close by to deal with any customers that might come in. I prayed I could get her out of there before that happened.
Marjorie’s lower lip jutted out in an exaggerated pout that made me curl my upper lip in response. “Is that any way to talk to your mother?”
“Last I checked I didn’t have a mother, just an egg donor. Now, tell me what you want before I call the police to haul your sorry ass out of here.”
There was a quick flash of hatred in her eyes. An expression I had become all too familiar with. Then it was gone.
“I need some money to hold me over until I get your dad’s social security check.”
Though I’d expected the answer, I still laughed. Of course she needed money. That was all Cooper and I were to her, piggy banks
and not sons.
It pissed me the hell off that she was collecting money for Gary’s death. I didn’t give a shit that they’d been married for more than twenty years when the old bastard finally bit it or that he had at one time worked enough to pay into the social security system. By the time he’d died, he was an unemployed drug addict. If anyone deserved to collect death benefits earned by his sorry ass, it was me and Cooper.
“I’m not giving you any money, not now and not ever so you may as well get the hell out and never come back.”
“I’m going to be homeless if you don’t help me.”
“It’s amazing how few fucks I give about that,” I retorted, and Damian snorted behind me.
“You always were a piece of shit.” Marjorie finally let go of the poor-me routine. “Where’s your brother? He’s a sweet boy. He won’t let me live on the streets.”
That right there was why I was dealing with her and not Cooper. I wasn’t about to let her try and guilt my little brother into giving her a dime. The kid had been through enough because of her and Gary.
“Cooper’s not going to give you any money. If you’re worried about being homeless then you should get a job.”
“It won’t pay me in time. Rent’s due by the fifth.”
“Then you’d better start looking for a nice shelter before they fill up.”
“You think you’re funny, don’t you? Lording your money over me like you’re better than me, but you’re not.” Marjorie pinned me with a look of unfiltered hatred. “You’re nothing but a cock sucking faggot.”
It was no surprise that her true feelings were showing, now that she’d realized she wasn’t getting a dime out of me.
“There’s the other cock sucker now,” Marjorie sneered.
For a minute, I was afraid she was talking about Cooper, but it was X who had stepped up beside me. Standing with his beefy arms folded over his barrel chest, he made for an intimidating picture.
Despite the insult, X didn’t say anything. He wouldn’t. No matter how much he wanted to, he would let me handle this, just like he always did.
I would have been embarrassed to have him witness this, but for as long as he’d known me, he had seen this and much worse from Marjorie. Just like I’d seen his father treat him like shit until the day X had outgrown the old man and fought back.
“It’s time for you to leave,” I told Marjorie.
The smile she gave me would have looked right at home on a pit viper. “I like it here.”
“Stick around for the cops. That’s fine with me.”
“You won’t call the cops on your own mother.”
I pulled my cell phone from my pocket. “Last chance, Marjorie.”
When she didn’t budge, I started dialing 9-1-1.
“Fine, fine, I’m leaving, but I’ll be back. Maybe you’ll be in a better mood then.”
That was never going to happen, but I didn’t engage with her any further for fear she wouldn’t leave. I didn’t take my eyes off her until she was out of the shop and strolling down the road like she was hot shit. Obviously, no one had bothered to inform her that she was way past her shelf life.
I hated that woman, and there were times I was afraid of how much.
X’s hand came down on my shoulder. “You all right?”
“Yeah, I just need a minute.”
“No problem. Take all the time you need. D and I can handle things here.”
When I stepped outside, I half-expected to see Marjorie lurking in the bushes. Thankfully, she had taken my threat to call the police seriously and had beaten a hasty retreat. Whether she believed me or not, that wasn’t an idle threat. If she hadn’t left, I would have called the cops. I had no doubt it would come to that one of these days. For now, I was just glad she was gone. With any luck, it would be a while before she came around again.
In need of a distraction, I took my phone from my pocket again and sent a message to Ned: Hey, baby. Are you busy?
Ned: Never too busy for you, sexy. What’s up?
I smiled at his use of the word sexy as I replied: I could use a friendly voice.
It took only a few seconds for my phone to ring, making my smile even wider.
“Is something wrong, babe?” Ned asked before I could even say hello.
I loved the endearments he was using so comfortably. It made me happy to see we were both on the same relationship page.
“My mother came by the shop,” I finally admitted.
Ned drew in a sharp breath. “Why?”
“She wanted money, claims she’s going to end up homeless if Coop and I don’t help her, but the manicure and pedicure say otherwise.”
I was aware of the bitterness in my tone, but I couldn’t help it. No matter how much time had passed, it was still hard to stomach her neglect.
“Is she still there?”
“No, I convinced her to leave when I threatened to call the police.”
“If she comes back, I can always call Derek and have him come down there and arrest her.”
I chuckled. “Maybe I’ll take you up on that next time. How was work?”
“Fine, but that’s not important right now. What time is your last customer?”
“I’m not sure. I think around nine. Why?”
“Good, as soon as you’re done, I want you to come to my place so I can take care of you.”
“You don’t have to do that, baby. I know you work early tomorrow.”
“I know I don’t have to. I want to, and trust me when I say you want me to.”
My smile was back. “I do, huh?”
“Yeah, you do.”
“Are you sure? It might be after eleven when I get there.”
“I’m sure.”
“Okay, baby, I’ll see you as soon as I can.”
“Good, just text me when you’re on the way so I don’t worry about you.”
“You got it. Talk to you later.”
“I’ll see you soon,” Ned promised and then ended the call.
Shoving my phone back in my pocket, I felt a surge of energy. The night may have started out shitty, but thanks to Ned, it wasn’t going to end that way.
As if the universe realized it owed me something after my run in with Marjorie, my last customers turned out to be easy. The newlywed couple wanted matching tattoos, a lock for him and a key for her. With something that simple, I was able to finish up before ten. I wasn’t surprised when the guys gave me shit for the rush cleaning job I did on my station before bailing, but I didn’t care.
The only thing I cared about was seeing Ned. I wasn’t sure if he was planning on me staying the night, especially since I was coming straight from work, but I’ll admit I was hopeful. It wouldn’t be ideal with as early as he had to be up in the morning, but I would get up as early as I had to for the chance to spend the night with him in my arms.
I made sure to send him a text message to let him know I was on my way. In return, I got a smiley faced and thumbs up emoji that made me laugh.
Ned’s neighborhood was quiet by the time I got there. In fact, his house was the only one with a porch light on, though a few others did have windows that were lit up to indicate someone was still awake inside.
There was enough room in his driveway for me to park my truck alongside his car. The sound of me setting the alarm seemed louder than usual.
When Ned opened the door, he took my breath away. It didn’t make sense how sleep pants, a tank top and bare feet could be the sexiest thing I had ever seen, but there it was.
“Hey, I’m glad you made it,” he said, offering me a gentle smile. “Come on in.”
I had barely crossed the threshold when he turned and pulled me into his arms. With Ned tucked against my body, I rested my cheek against his soft hair, enjoying its subtle scents of spice and fruit. I don’t know how long we stood there, neither of us saying a word, but as he allowed me to hold him, the tension I’d been carrying since Marjorie’s visit slowly ebbed away.
Still
in my arms, Ned pulled back to look up at me. “Are you hungry?”
My stomach answered for me, letting out an embarrassing growl. “I guess I could eat,” I answered, and he laughed.
I didn’t admit that my stomach had been too tied up in knots after Marjorie’s visit to let me eat. Now, though, it was like my body knew the threat was behind me and was ready to recharge.
“Go ahead and take a seat at the island and I’ll warm up your dinner,” Ned said, already turning to lead me into the kitchen.
Once I was seated, he moved to the refrigerator, pulling the door open and leaning inside. As he bent over, searching its contents, my gaze homed in on the way his pants stretched across his tight ass.
Ned had been clear that anal was off the table, and I meant it when I said it wasn’t a deal breaker. I wasn’t interested in him just to get at his ass, no matter how nice it was. I wondered, though, if it was just penetration that was a no-go or if his ass was a total no-fly zone. If that was the case, I would respect his decision, but I wouldn’t deny hoping he would trust me enough to let me rim him. I would love to be able to lube up and slide my dick between those luscious cheeks, but with his history I didn’t know if that would be a good idea. I hadn’t wanted to bring it up the other night, not with how distraught he was, but we were going to need to talk more about it. I needed to understand his limits.
“Heath!”
The way he snapped out my name wasn’t angry. It was more like the sound of someone who had been saying it for quite a while with no response.
I was sure my eyes were glazed over when I looked at him. How did he get from the fridge to standing across the island from me without me noticing? Thankfully, his smile was amused.
“You didn’t hear a word I just said, did you?”
“Sorry, I was lost in thought.”
I wasn’t going to share what those thoughts were. Now wasn’t the time.
Ned’s expression softened. “I asked what you wanted to drink.”
“Water’s fine.”
“Did you want plain or sparkling?”
“Plain is fine,” I replied, though I smiled at the thought of him having sparking water.
Anything that sparkled suited him because he was the kind of man who had this light inside him. A light that drew others to him.
Going Inksane (Nice Ink Book 1) Page 18