by Lyssa Layne
Lucas
After being stuck in the car with Juli for the last twenty minutes, I’ve come to the unpleasant realization I don’t like her. Up until now, I’ve only ever been exposed to her in small doses. In passing, or at an event so large we were in no way obligated to exchange more that pleasantries with one another. But this drive here, with just her and Memphis, complete torture.
“You know, you should really let me set you up with one of my girlfriends. Then we could double date!” Good God, if this is the conclusion she’s come to after the last round of grunt and grumble responses from me, she really is an idiot.
“I’m with someone.” And I’m over making polite small talk.
“He’s seeing Heartbreaker,” Memphis explains. He sounds like he’s on autopilot when he talks to her. The words come out. They make sense, but he’s checked out.
“The one with the tattoos on her face?” I don’t need to see her expression to know she disapproves. Her tone just said it all.
“Yeah.” So did mine.
“Oh. Well, she seems nice.” God, she’s fake. What the hell does Memphis see in her? “Is it serious though?” She laughs as if she’s made a joke. “Listen to me – is it serious?! How serious could it be?!”
“Excuse me?” Memphis needs to stop the car, and now. I need out of the backseat and as far away from Juli as humanly possible.
“I just mean, she’s clearly not the woman you’re going to marry. Can you imagine?”
“Yeah. I can.”
“Drop it, Jules,” Memphis warns her quietly. “Lucas isn’t interested in dating any of your friends. Trust me.”
I can see her reflection in the rear view mirror. She’s pouting now. At least it’s in silence.
Even better. We’re finally here.
“I’d thank you for driving if I didn’t feel like you owe me an apology for offering me a ride,” I grumble as we walk across the lot up to the front door.
“Sorry, dude. I forget how she sounds when you don’t know her.”
I find it hard to believe that getting to know her could possibly improve my impression of her, but for the sake of our friendship I nod.
“Welcome to – oh. Never mind.” Princess ends her greeting with a dismissive wave in our direction and slowly meanders out from behind the counter to see us. “What brings you boys in here tonight?” She gives me a much faster once over this time, and saves the slow undressing with her eyes for Memphis, completely disregarding Juli, who seems temporarily frightened into continued silence.
“My girl is thinking about getting a piece done. Thought maybe one of you could squeeze her in. Won’t be anything major. It’s her first one,” Memphis explains, purposefully moving his arm around Juli’s waist and bringing her closer to him. I’ve got to hand it to him, he knows how to maneuver around the sticky parts of a relationship smoothly.
“Mouth can do it.” Princess stares straight at Juli as she says it, her usual sweet demeanor underlined with a wicked pleasure. Either she’s got a mean streak I’ve never encountered before now, or this isn’t her first interaction with Juli.
“Sketch isn’t free?” Even as he’s asking, Memphis is searching the place for her. She wouldn’t be my first choice, given their history, but I guess the prospect of handing his girlfriend over to Mouth armed with her standard grit and a needle would make just about anyone else a more comforting option. If Juli brings out the evil queen in Princess, I can only imagine what will happen when she’s exposed to Mouth for any length of time.
“Right, because Sketch always has all sorts of free time when she’s here. What with being top bitch in the business and all.” Princess isn’t holding back at all tonight. Maybe it’s not Juli after all. Maybe she’s just pissed the fuck off in general.
“Uh…Heartbreaker in back?” I’d go see for myself except I don’t want to leave these two alone with Princess.
“No. She had to run Madi back to the house. Should be back any second though.” And she’s sweet as pie again. So she’s not in a foul mood, she just doesn’t like Juli. Well, I can relate.
“Cool. I’ll just go wait for her in her station.” And I take off, leaving Memphis to fend for himself and his snotty girlfriend.
There’s a half empty cup of coffee sitting on her desk when I get there, along with a sketch of a woman she was working on. Madi’s visit must have been unexpected. And she must have been in a damn hurry to get her out of here. Only one reason for that.
“Where are you going?” Sketch’s voice travels over from her station just as I’m headed for the back door.
“To check something.” I turn back, glaring, prepared to argue with her, but she’s buried behind some dude’s massive calf, not even looking at me.
“Check your ass into a chair and chill out. She’s fine. I just talked to her. She’ll be walking in any second.”
I don’t like it, but I abort my mission to track down Marcus. For the moment. I stare at the cold coffee for a second then reach for the mug. When it comes to taking care of this girl, I guess I’m going to have to settle for the small things right now, like making sure she has a fresh, hot cup of coffee just the way she likes when she walks back in here.
I’m just topping off her mega sized mug with some half and half when I hear her voice from the front of the building.
“Memphis, haven’t seen you around here in a long minute. I can’t believe you haven’t been in sooner. Lucas told me you’ve been back in town for a while already.”
Judging by the sound of shuffled steps and muffled contact noises, he’s gotten up from Mouth’s station to greet her. They’re embracing just as I turn the corner.
“Yeah. Decided to take some time off this summer.”
I’m pretty sure Juli insisted on it. Wanted to spend some quality time with their families. Only, Memphis is on the outs with his, so that hasn’t really panned out thus far.
“Everything okay?” I ask, coming up beside her.
“Not really.” She doesn’t even try to bullshit me this time. We must be making progress. “Is that for me?”
Her big eyes land smack on the coffee cup in my hand.
“Maybe.”
“Is that code for yes?”
“Gag me. You guys are disgusting,” Mouth blasts us from her station. “Now get a room so I can get back to work over here. Chicki-poo won’t sit still if her man isn’t holding her hand.”
I catch Memphis start to roll his eyes right before he notices me watching and hurries over to sit with Juli instead. When I turn back toward Liv, she’s grinning.
“Sure you don’t want a sweet and pure one like her?”
“I’m going to pretend you didn’t just ask me that.”
“Can I have that coffee now?”
“Does Mouth know about us?”
“Yeah. Why?”
I answer her by pressing my lips to hers just long enough for a proper hello. Then, I hand her the cup. “Here you go.”
“I can’t believe you just did that,” she gasps.
“Really? After what I did to you this morning on your kitchen counter, I would think a teensy tiny kiss would have been easy to believe. Anticipate even.”
She blushes, a sight I’m getting used to, but still find undeniably adorable.
“Come on,” she mumbles, pinching the material of my shirt and dragging me back to her corner. “Let’s get this tattoo of yours done so you can stop stalking me at work.”
“I’m pretty sure we both know I’m still going to keep showing up here.”
She looks back at me over her shoulder, fighting the smile I can clearly see in her eyes. “You’re a real pain in my ass, you know that?”
“Says the woman who repeatedly thwarts my efforts to romance her even though we both know she’s crazy about me. I’m pretty sure that’s the definition of pain in one’s ass.”
“I’m not crazy about you. You make me crazy. There’s a difference. And you should know, the latter isn’t nearly as
flattering.”
“We were comparing each other to hemorrhoids a second ago. I’m pretty clear that flattery is not part of the equation at this point in the conversation.”
Her stern expression shifts to disgust and then amused. “God, I hate you.”
“Is that code for I love you?”
“GAG ME!” Mouth’s voice rings out from the other side of the shop. Sound travels well in here. I’ll have to remember that. Meanwhile, Liv is busying herself with setting up as if the last five minutes never happened. They did. Her cheeks are beet red and her lips are squirming even as she’s doing her best to keep them pressed together straight. They definitely happened.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Heartbreaker
Juli’s tattoo was done in a matter of minutes. I only caught part of Mouth’s grumblings, but I believe she went for something generic in the way of a butterfly. No original art, just something random she found when she googled images. We used to get a lot of those when we first opened and no one knew who we were or what we were about. I don’t mind doing them, but some of the girls almost take offense to pre-drawn silhouettes. We’re in it for the art, and there isn’t much room or need for skill and creativity when it comes to tracing.
Now that Juli’s got her little flutter of ink on her ankle, she’s sitting propped up in a chair beside my station, watching me with an unnerving scrutiny I’m not accustomed to from people who don’t know squat about getting tattooed. Which means of course, she’s not studying me in regard to my work, but rather as the potential woman in Lucas’s life. I should tell her not to bother. She’s not going to approve. Thankfully, I don’t need her to.
“It looks like yours,” she observes, nodding at Memphis whose curiosity is definitely directed at the piece and nothing else.
“It’s supposed to,” Lucas mutters dryly.
“So you two have matching tattoos? Baby, I want matching tattoos.” She pushes her lip out in a pout. I want to reach out and pinch it. Apparently, it doesn’t bring out the same aggressive tendencies in Memphis, who briefly turns toward her, smiling. “I told you, that’s bad luck.”
“You said getting someone’s name tattooed on you was bad luck.” Her voice is whiny in a way I’ve sometimes imagined Pru talking to Rob when she wants to buy a new pair of shoes she’s never going to wear.
“Names, matchy tats, anything like that is just bad juju when it comes to relationships. Trust me.”
“What if we were married? If we were locked in with one another for the rest of our lives? Then would you have my name tattooed on you?” She’s changing her tune now, going for the sweet vibe. It’s not working though.
“No, Juli.” He sounds like his patience is wearing thin with her. “I’ve told you a million times. I’m never putting anyone’s name on my body. Not even yours. Not even if we’re married.”
I pause, my gaze automatically travelling to his wrist and Riot’s name written there for all eternity. When I turn back toward Lucas he’s watching me over his shoulder, his eyes telling me to keep my mouth shut. Juli doesn’t know.
I take a deep breath and get back to work. The sooner I get this done, the sooner I can get her out of here.
“What about you, Heartbreaker? Do you have anyone’s name on you?”
Oh, good God, now she’s roping me into this.
“Yep.”
“Ha!” she says triumphantly.
“My grandmother’s. I never knew her, but my father told me such amazing stories about her, she’s always been a sort of source of inspiration for me. I had her name put right below my heart on my ribcage, to remind me where I come from. What I’m capable of,” I ramble on as I continue to fill in the blue wings of Lucas’s dragon. I find it way too satisfying, putting her in her place like this. I’m not even sure why she rubs me the wrong way. It’s not like we never get girls like her in here. Get them all the time, but they’re not dating Memphis. Memphis is one of the best. He deserves the best. I just don’t feel like that’s what he’s getting here.
“Learn something new every day,” Lucas mutters softly under his breath so only I can hear him.
I stop what I’m doing and turn toward Juli and Memphis. I don’t know what’s gotten into me. Maybe it’s standing so close to him and his half naked body for too long. Maybe it’s the sweet, genuine sound of his words telling me he wants to know me, really know me. Or maybe it’s just the burning desire at the pit of my stomach urging me to get Juli and her prying eyes away from me as far and fast as possible.
“You know, you guys don’t have to wait. Lucas and I can just go home together when I’m done.”
It’s like the whole world just stood still. Every head in the place is turned toward me.
“Yes. That’s right. I said it. We’re going home together. We are a we. Lucas is my boyfriend now. Whatever. It’s not a big deal.”
I can hear Cherry giggle. Princess is grinning like the Cheshire fucking cat, and Mouth and Sketch actually high five. Everyone else in the building just kind of stares around, slightly confused but still clear that something positive just happened.
Lucas stands, facing me. “That kinda killed you, didn’t it?! Just announcing it to the world like that. Had to hurt a little.” Mockery. Always with the mockery.
“Don’t make me take it back, because I could.” I twitch my mouth back and forth, doing my damnedest to keep it from spreading out across my face. No way am I smiling. “Now sit your ass back down so I can finish this.”
“I like it when you get bossy like that,” he carries on with his teasing. Sweet Jesus, he’s hot when he’s pissing me off.
Memphis taps Lucas’s knee with the back of his hand. “We’re out of here then. Later, Heartbreaker.”
“It was good seeing you. Don’t be a stranger while you’re in town.” I wave at Juli who isn’t nearly as chatty anymore. Memphis says goodbye to Sketch on the way out, but it’s in passing since she has a client and he has Juli. Then, they’re gone and the steady murmur of the shop takes over, letting me zone out and focus on my work.
After I finish with Lucas, I have two more appointments before it’s time to close up for the night. It’s down to just him and Sketch keeping me company as I’m counting out the cash and preparing the night drop. I have a safe here in the office, but ever since Marcus went into business right outside my back door, I’ve made it a habit not to leave any money in the building overnight. Granted, I have a near fatal anxiety attack every time I have to walk from the door to my car with the bag full of cash, but it’s better than the nervous breakdown I’d have every night lying in bed wondering if my business was being plundered.
Lucas lets out a low whistle as I bag up the bundles of twenties. “Maybe I should come and work for you.”
“Sorry, no boys allowed here,” I remind him even though I know he’s not serious.
“What are you doing for money these days?” Sketch inquires as she pulls up a stool and sits down, rolling back and forth on it.
“Savings. I’ve had a decent income for the last seven years and hardly any bills. Money isn’t the issue right now. Figuring out what the hell I want to do with my life is.”
She nods, staring at the ground. She’s half thinking, half zoning out. It’s not for lack of caring, but I know she’s exhausted. Working morning ‘til night here, we both are. “Aren’t you supposed to be all set on the McNealy path to family success?”
He snorts. “Depends on your definition of success.”
“I take it yours has nothing to do with boatloads of money and mansions big enough to house a small village?” I ask. I know the answer. I’ve assumed the answer. I want to hear it.
“Does yours?”
“You’ve seen where I live. What do you think?” I laugh. Money is nice and all, but it’s not the be all end all in my world. Never has been.
He bends down, placing each hand on one arm rest of my chair and facing me full on. “I think you define success by living on your own terms,
doing what you love and pushing yourself to reach for higher standards, always exceeding everyone’s expectations but never touching your own.” He pauses, his stare lingering on me making my insides slowly unravel, “that’s what I want.”
“That all?”
“Almost.”
I’m holding my breath, convinced he’s about to point out yet again that I’m part of his long-term plans for the future. But he stays silent, his sexy lips hitching up just ever so slightly, letting me know that once again, he knows exactly what I’m thinking.
Sketch clears her throat loudly, reminding us of her presence. Not that I forgot she was here. I sort of forgot she was here.
“Are we done here, or what?”
Lucas straightens up, releasing me from my temporary man prison. As soon as he does, I zip up the deposit bag and drop it into my extra-large purse. “Yes. We’re done.”
“Thank God. You two are almost unbearable to watch.” She gets to her feet and pushes the stool back into the corner. “I think I liked it better when you two were busy pretending you weren’t hot for each other.”
Lucas brings his hands up to dispute her. “I’ve never pretended that.”
Both of them turn toward me, anticipating my denial, which truth be told, I was fully prepared to announce as soon as I heard her say what she said. A kneejerk reaction; one I realize would not result in an ending favorable to me. So I sigh, admitting defeat.
“Yeah, I pretended the hell out of it. It was the more respectable thing to do, and, for the record, I also liked it better that way.”
Sketch grins. There’s something unsettling brewing in her eyes. She’s about to humiliate me, I just know it.
“Really? Respectable? That’s the word you would choose to describe hiding in his mother’s garage, with your horny hot body hanging in the open refrigerator, crying into the phone for me to come and save you from the sexy soldier boy who just won’t leave you alone?”
Lucas can barely contain his delight at her statement. I hate them both.
“You suck.” I glare at her, walking past them and toward the door. I purposely flip the lights out without warning.