Barber Shop Ink - Book 2: Between a Hedge and a Hard Place

by Penny Blush

I looked over my shoulder at him giving him a knowing smile. “Baby you are perfect” he leant forward to kiss me on the lips.

  “You guys are grose,” Bishop said rolling his eyes.

  For the next half, an hour Bishop ribbed Memphis about his childlike excitement for today. I’m sure that Tabby would say that I was the same, but where Memphis was nervous excitement, I was distractedly anxious about getting such a big tattoo.

  After one final wipe with the cleaning cloth, Memphis declared. “All finished, well the line work anyway.”

  “Yay,” I said excitedly clapping. “I want to see.”

  “Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa,” Memphis said holding me down on the tattoo bed, “stop right there, Missy. You need to move slowly, you’ve been laying down for a while, and there’s been an awful lot of adrenaline pumping through your system whether you realised it or not.”

  Memphis held my hand helping me to sit up slowly then stand and walked me to the mirror to check out his handy work. “Oh, my God, Memphis,” I gasped. “I, I don’t know what to say.”

  I twisted and turned, angling my body this way and that to get a better look. The tattoo was beautiful, the swirling lines, curving shapes, flowers, the feather, the she-wolf there was so much to the design my eyes didn’t know where to look first. I was completely mesmerized, and it was just the outline.

  “Once the colour and shading have been incorporated into the design, it will look so much better,” Memphis said standing behind me talking to my reflection in the mirror.

  I couldn’t believe that he sounded so unsure of himself. I turned and flung myself at him, crashing my lips to his kissing him passionately, deeply.

  “I take it you like it,” Memphis chuckled against my lips.

  “Memphis, are you kidding me I love it, I can’t wait to see the finished product.”

  Everyone came in and inspected the outline, a little too closely for Memphis’s liking, then the tattoo was dressed and so was I.

  “How was it?” Bear asked locking the front door behind his last client for the night.

  “How was what?” I asked a little confused because Bear had been in and out as much as the rest of them checking on the progress.

  “Having your, tattoo cherry popped? Was he gentle?” Everyone was laughing and handing out beers.

  “Memphis was a perfect gentleman, everything a virgin could ask for,” I replied kissing Memphis on the cheek, giggling at the look on his face - it was priceless.

  “I feel like there’s a ‘that’s what she said,’ joke in there somewhere but I’m leaving it alone because you know, you’re my cousin,” Jax said handing me a beer.

  “Thank you for your restraint,” I said clicking my beer bottle against his.

  “I know it’s almost ten pm, but I don’t know about anyone else, but I am starving,” Davis declared. “Who’s up for Pizza?”

  Everyone agreed, and with more pizza’s than is reasonable for seven people ordered, we all retired to the deck for dinner as a family.

  “Before the pizza arrives and Y’all get distracted by cheesy, pepperoni goodness I would like to say a few things,” I announced standing in front of everyone. “For a very long time my family has consisted of Jax and me, and that’s all, which makes things awkward when we’re fighting.”

  “Yeah, it’s hard to bitch at you about you when it’s you that I’m pissed at,” Jax added.

  “True,” I smiled at him. “Anyway, I just wanted to say that I consider each one of you part of my family and I couldn’t have asked for a better group of people to become my brothers and my sister,” I said winking at Cassidy.

  My wedding was going to be just another milestone in my life that I won’t get to share with my parents and my brother. Although I had Jaxon and all, it would be good to have more, and I couldn’t have asked for a better surrogate family. Feeling my emotions building, I finished getting choked up.

  “When Memphis and I get married, I’ll be honored to share the happiest day of my life with my family.”

  Memphis wrapped me up in his arms, and Jax toasted, “To family.”

  Chapter 23 Hedge

  It took a few more sessions to complete my tattoo that ran down the right side of my body, from just below my right breast and finishing mid-thigh. The design that was a riot of blues, pinks, greens, and purples. Flowers and mechanical, and the gorgeous she-wolf my tattoo design was a perfect blend of all the styles Memphis has on his body. There was so much to see I could have studied it all day. Memphis had Cassidy take photos of it for the website, but he wanted the focus only on the ink he didn’t want anyone to know that it was me. I, on the other hand, wanted photo’s that were a little… more.

  Cassidy and I spent the afternoon taking pictures in the apartment. We locked the door telling the boys that we were doing wedding stuff so most of them would stay away. We had to tell Memphis that we were doing bride/bridesmaid dress things to keep him away. He didn’t want to see anything to do with me or my dress until the big day.

  I don’t think I have ever had this much fun being silly and mucking around with a camera before. Cassidy and I ordered Thai food for lunch opened a bottle of pink Moscato and laughed and giggled our way through our photo-shoot. With the shoot finished and the apartment door unlocked Cassidy, and I sat on the couch with my laptop looking at the photos.

  Considering we were at the end of our second bottle of wine the photos came out fantastic.

  “Cass, for reals you should do this for a living,” I said amazed at the skill she had with a camera.

  “Yeah right,” she said raising an eyebrow at me.

  “No, like serious. You could offer to take profesh pics for our clients. Oh yeah,” I gasped, “that’s an excellent idea you should totally do that.”

  Judging by my rambling overly wordy speech I was more affected by the wine than I thought I was.

  “Really?” Cass asked that sounded more like roolie.

  “Babe, look at these. Memphis is going to flip his shit!”

  There was a shot of me standing at the kitchen sink wearing nothing but a pair of lavender silk cheeky panties. I was standing on my tiptoes looking out the window my tattoo and a little side-boob on display. The next was one of me on the bed; my hair fanned out over the pillows looking up at the camera with the sheet strategically placed covering my naughty bits.

  There was one of me sitting stark naked on the kitchen bench drinking tea, another lying naked on my stomach on the couch outside on the deck and one in the shower with soap bubbles sliding over the colourful design of my tattoo.

  I kept asking Cassidy if she was sure when she suggested the naked pics, but she reassured me it was okay. I just didn’t want things to be awkward because I was getting around in the nude.

  “Hedge I pierce people for a living, and I have seen more boobs, vag and dick than I care to admit. Seeing your ta-ta’s and va-jay-jay are not even going to register.”

  So, with that, I stripped off, and we giggled our way through the afternoon. Each of us making suggestions on different poses that we should try.

  “You have great boobs by the way,” Cass said clicking through a few more photos. “If you want, I can pierce them for you.”

  “Yeah? What do you think both or just one? Ooh, ooh a ring or a bar?” I asked looking at my cleavage down the top of the tee I was wearing.

  “Yes, both, and you can change the jewelry to whatever you want,” she replied to my questions in order.

  “Do you have them?”

  “What, nipple piercing?” I nodded. “Yep, amongst other things.”

  “Like what?!”

  “Well there’s all the ones you can see,” she said pointing to her ears and nose. “Then there are the ones you can’t see,” she pointed to each of her boobs, her belly button and lower.

  “Umm, what was that last one?” I asked my eyebrows shooting up.

  “I have a VCH.”

  “A what?”

  “Vertical Clitora
l Hood piercing,” she said then elaborated when I gave her a questioning look. “The bar runs vertically through the clitoral hood and the jewelry rest against your clit, adding to the stimulation.”

  “Does it work?” I whisper-asked. Looking around like we were about to get busted at any minute for talking about something inappropriate.

  “With any other boyfriend no,” and then an extremely pleased look came across her face. “But with Jax. Oh, my God, orgasm city! Oh, crap sorry you probably don’t want to hear about your cousin.”

  “As long as you don’t in any way give me intimate details of his junk we’ll be all right,” I giggled.

  “Are you sure? I have three close girlfriends,” she started. I watched as her eyes grew big as she realised what she said.

  “Cassy hun, it’s fine I know what you mean,” I laughed as she tried to cover up her perceived faux pas.

  I wasn’t offended I knew what she meant her other girlfriends. Her friends that knew everything about her, to the point they were practically here sisters but, it was funny to watch her trying to backpedal.

  “Oh gosh, not that I’m not saying that you’re not a true girlfriend Hedge because you are, you know that, right? You’re more than just a boss and Jaxon’s cousin you’re like the best girlfriend ever, and I love you, you know that, right?” Cass stopped mid-ramble to take a gulp of wine.

  “Honey calm down I know what you mean. It’s fine. I get it, and I love you too. Now you were saying,” I encouraged her to continue.

  “Seraphina, Kristin, and Pauline they’re my friend’s that I have known, well I have known forever, and they are my besties. You know the kind of friends that if anything happened, they would be there in a heartbeat. They would like, clear your browser history or help you bury a body - no questions asked. But they practically live on the other side of the planet and have real adult lives with husbands and kids and mortgages and stuff. So, we rarely get to talk or see each other. I haven’t had anyone to talk to about Jax, so if I can, with you…”

  “As of this moment Jaxon is no longer my cousin,” I said seriously. “He is just some random boy that I know nothing about, permission to speak freely,” I said with all the authority of a military commander.

  Cassidy took a deep breath looked at me sideways and then started giggling with her hands over her face. “Oh, my God Hedge I know you have Memphis and all, and he is basically a walking sex mountain,” she hiccupped. “But holy guacamole on toast! The things that man does to me.”

  I got up stumbling my way to the kitchen to get another bottle of wine and a bag of potato chips.

  “Like what?! I want details, you know without giving details,” I said filling both our glasses.

  “No one and I mean, no one has ever given a shit if I orgasmed or not. But Jax he won't even go anywhere near an orgasm unless I have had two. Two!” Cass took a large gulp of wine holding up two fingers. “Do you have any idea what it is like to have two orgasms? In the one night! At the same time! From a man while he is in the same room?!”

  I couldn’t help but laugh at how excited she was, “I have a bit of an idea yeah,” I winked at her.

  “Jax is everything. He makes me feel special and loved and beautiful. Jax encourages me, pushes me when I need it but backs off when I need that too. He asked me to move in with him, and when I told him that I was scared, it was his idea to take it slow. He seems to know exactly what I need when I need it. He’s just Jax,” she sighed, shrugged and looking off into the distance dreamily.

  We polished off the bottle of wine and the bag of potato chips while talking boys and life, my engagement, and Cass and Jax moving in together. We had a few more drinks before deciding that it was the greatest idea in the history of ideas that we cook tacos for dinner.

  “Yeessss, tacccoooos!” Cass cried, and I cranked up the 80’s/90’s playlist on the integrated sound system, and we danced and sung our way around the kitchen.

  Somehow, we managed to get everything cooked without burning ourselves or the apartment down. All the toppings cut up without losing any fingers, all while belting out, “Wanna Dance with Somebody” both of us agreeing that Whitney Houston would have made a great backup singer for our girl band. With the apartment door open, the loud music and the smell of fantastic Mexican food brought the boys upstairs.

  “What are you two doing?” Memphis asked from the doorway.

  I was sitting on the counter stirring the meat in the frypan with my glass of wine in one hand. I locked eyes on my hunky, hunk of a man, crooking my finger on the other making a ‘come here' motion. I suddenly needed to get my hands on him. Memphis had a curious smile on his face as he walked up to me and I opened my legs for him to stand between, welcoming him into my arms for a deep lingering kiss.

  “Baby Girl, did you have fun with Cass today?” Memphis asked with humor in his voice.

  “Baby, we had the bestest best time ever,” I replied. Only just now hearing how drunk I sounded now that I was talking to someone sober.

  “Hedge, Sweetness are you drunk?” he chuckled.

  “Just a lil bit. Lil bitty bit,” I giggled wiggling my fingers under his tee so that I could feel the warmth of his skin where his jeans hung low on his hips.

  “Baby Girl did you forget to eat today?” he smirked cocking an eyebrow at me.

  “We had tato chips,” I replied because obviously potato chips are one of the major food groups.

  Any further conversation was interrupted by Cass thundering down the hall from the bathroom and straight into Jaxon’s arms.

  “Jaxon! Oh, my Love, I have missed you,” she said wrapping her arms and legs around him smothering his face in kisses.

  “I can see that,” he laughed. “Did you have a good day? Did my cousin break you?”

  “We had the mostest marvellousness day! And no, she didn’t break me cause she’s NOT your cousin,” Cass drunkenly declared.

  “Umm yes, she is,” Jax replied.

  “Oh, that’s right she is your cousin. But, but not when we are girl-talk talking, that’s when you’re not because she doesn’t want to picture your junk. And guess what?” Cass asked sounded super excited.

  “There is so much wrong with this conversation, I don’t even know where to start,” Jax said looking to Memphis for help. “I’m almost afraid to ask but, I’ll bite. What Babe?”

  “I saw Hedgesss boobies! And they are fucking Maleficent!”

  Chapter 24 Memphis

  “Say what now?” Jax asked.

  “Hedgesss boobies they are so Maleficent and Ima gonna pierce them right Hedge. Ima gonna pieeece your boobies. You wanna go now?” Cass asked dropping her legs to the floor and taking a step from Jax before he caught her around the waist holding her in place.

  “Exactly how much have you two had to drink?” Jax asked.

  “Hey Baby,” Hedge hiccupped. “Cass is going to pierce my booooobs! Well, not my boobies but you know my nippola’s. Nippola, nippola, nippola!” She sang which sent the girls into fits of laughter.

  “Lesss gooo!” Cass cheered trying to walk to the door while still attached to Jax. “We can peece yo nippola and then eat taaccos!”

  “Umm, girls three things,” Jax said kicking the apartment door closed and standing in front of it blocking their path. “One, we need to stop talking about my cousin’s boobs in any way shape or form. Two, you two crazies are drunk so neither of you will be going anywhere near anything involving piercing.”

  “But you love it when I go near your piercing. Hedge did you know Jax had is coc…” Cass interrupted before being cut off my Jaxon’s hand over her mouth.

  “Three,” Jax said forcefully trying to distract the girl’s train of thought before something got pierced that shouldn’t. “Look at all this food. Let’s eat before it gets cold,” he finished.

  “Yay! Taaccoooos!” Cass replied.

  “Jaxon, you’re no fun. Old man, ah leese if I got it done now it wooden hurt.” Hedge pouted cupping a breast i
n each hand, jiggling them and hiccupping.

  “Don’t drink and pierce,” Jax said in his best ‘Dad voice’.

  “Baby, don’t you think that the girls would look so pretty with some jewelry?” Hedge whispered.

  Well tried to whisper, but it came out more like a whisper-yell while pulling out my tee that she was wearing so that I could see right down the front. That was when I noticed that the ‘girls’ were completely unharnessed and the only thing she was wearing was underwear and a tee.

  “We’ll be right back,” I said picking Hedge up and carrying her into the bedroom.

  “Oooh Baby, I luv it when you take sarge, but you know my cousins out there right? But I’m up for it if you are,” she giggled and hiccupped and giggled some more.

  “No Sweetness,” I said making her sit on the bed while I grabbed a pair of sweats for her to put on. “We can save the sexy times for dessert, but you need pants so that you don’t flash your undies at your cousin.”

  “Oh, right, pants,” she huffed letting me get her into pants for once instead of out of them.

  “Baby, I’m hungry,” she said stroking my beard. “I love you, and I’m hungry, and I’m a little bit drunk, and I love you.”

  “I love you too. Okay Baby Girl, let’s get you some food.”

  “Then we can have some lovin’?” she asked wiggling her eyebrows at me.

  “Yeah Sweetness, then we can have some loving” I chuckled kissing her nose. Truthfully, she looked like she was about twenty minutes away from passing out. “I love you.”

  I lead her back to the lounge room sat her on the floor between the couch and the coffee table next to Cass. The girls both started talking at a million miles a minute most of which I didn’t understand.

  “Dude your girl is druuunk,” Jax said, as I joined him in the kitchen to get the girls some much-needed food.

  “Dude your girl is totally shattered,” I replied putting stuffed taco shells onto a plate.

  “How much did they drink?” Jax asked

  “Judging by the three empty bottles by the bin a bottle and a half each.”