Darren shrugs. “Not that I’m aware. She’s more of a steel girl.”
“She’s got a belly ring, right?” Randy asks.
“Sunny says she has her nipples pierced.” Miller rubs his chest. “I get the belly ring, but I can’t imagine it feels all that good when someone jabs a needle through your boob.”
“According to Charlene, it’s worth the pain, and it’s sexy as fuck,” Darren says quietly.
“So if she’s already got her nipples and her belly done, what’s left?” Miller asks.
Darren’s grin isn’t one I’ve seen before. “There are other, equally rewarding locations for steel.”
Lance slaps the table. “Fuck, man! There was this bunny two seasons ago, before I was traded to Chicago, who had everything pierced, and I mean everything. It was insane. She was a little freaky. Wanted her friend to stick her whole arm up there.”
“Sometimes I’m honestly baffled that you’re ordained and able to marry people, when this is the stuff that comes out of your mouth. Is Water’s and Violet’s wedding even legit?” Randy asks.
Lance rolls his beer between his palms and stares at his glass. “Just ’cause I’ve fucked a lot doesn’t make it any less legit.”
“Vi and I appreciate you doing that for us. The ceremony I mean, not the fucking.” I clap him on the shoulder, and he flinches like I’ve surprised him. “Violet said she wants to come, too, so maybe Darren and I can carpool with the girls and meet you guys there?”
“Lily’s coming along, since we’re looking at her art at the same time.”
“Sunny also wants to come,” Miller says.
“I thought this was gonna be a team thing,” Lance grumbles.
“Just pick up a bunny, and you can bring her along for the ride. Maybe she’ll get your name tattooed on her boob,” Miller says.
Randy gives him the eye. “Don’t even joke. There are plenty of girls who’ve done that.”
“Remember that chick who showed up at one of my parties with your number front and center on her pussy?” Lance asks.
“I’m pretty sure that was coincidental,” Randy mutters.
His number is sixty-nine, so it’s not a stretch.
“I’m just sayin’. Anyway, doesn’t anyone find it kinda weird that all the girls want to come to a tattoo shop, and Lily’s the only one looking to get a tattoo?”
“Charlene wants to look at jewelry,” Darren adds.
“I think Sunny wants to come because Lily’s coming, and Violet probably wants to come because Charlene is coming,” Miller offers.
I don’t bother to mention to the rest of the guys that Violet’s asked me about nipple piercings. I have my doubts she’s serious anyway. Violet’s not one to invite pain intentionally, and I’m not willing to sacrifice her boobs. I already love them just the way they are.
Chapter Eight
girls are whacked
LANCE
I PICK UP Randy and Miller—and Sunny and Lily—on Sunday morning so we can check out the designs at Inked Armor. I’m kind of fucking annoyed. Not because I don’t like Lily and Sunny. I do. They’re great girls. Ladies. Women. Whatever. But this whole thing is supposed to be about us guys getting tattoos together to commemorate the fact that we’re part of the same damn team. What it’s not supposed to be is this big fucking couple thing. Because that makes me super aware that I don’t fit.
And I’m not trying to be a bitchy chick about it. Everyone but me has a girl. I mean, granted, I have lots of girls I can call, and I’m sure any one of them would be more than happy to hang out with me and a bunch of my professional-hockey-playing friends for an afternoon while we check out tattoo designs at one of the top studios in the city…as long as afterwards there’s a fuck guarantee.
Unfortunately, bunnies and girlfriends do not mix. As a general rule, bunnies aren’t interested in deep conversation—with anyone. And what they want from me sure isn’t chitchatting for several hours while surrounded by my friends in well-defined relationships.
I’ve learned from past experiences that all conversation does is give someone leverage, and I don’t need anyone holding my own shit over my head, or using it to control me.
Hanging out with my teammates and their girlfriends—or wife, in Violet’s case—isn’t something I’m typically unhappy about. It’s just that current circumstances are making me testier than usual. My ex—if I can even call her that since she never really acknowledged that it was a thing beyond fucking—has started texting me again, and I’m having a hard time not responding, despite the fact that I’ve changed her name from Tash to DO NOT FUCKING REPLY in my contact list.
My phone keeps buzzing in the center console.
Randy picks it up, checking to see who it’s from, and frowns. “Is that who I think it is?”
“Yeah.”
“What the hell does she want?”
“To fuck with my head some more? Who knows,” I mutter.
Lily peeks her head over Randy’s seat to get a look and sighs. “I would kick her in the vagina with my skates on for you.”
“She’ll stop messaging eventually.” When I respond. Which could be a day, a week, or a month from now, depending on how long it takes me to cave. Then I’ll get to spend an indeterminate amount of time afterwards feeling stupid for answering in the first place.
I put my phone to airplane mode so I don’t get notifications every time she sends another message. It’s still pretty early in the day, so parking isn’t too hard to find close to Inked Armor. It’s not my first time getting inked, but I like that I have a group of friends to do this with now, and that this piece will be a lot different than my other art.
Alex, Darren, Charlene, and Violet are all waiting for us down the street from the shop. Violet gives my arm a squeeze—it’s as close as she usually gets to a hug. Ever since Alex had that on-ice accident last season, and I beat the shit out of the guy responsible, Vi and I have had a new appreciation for each other.
She appreciates my penchant for retribution, and I appreciate the strength of character it takes to go through shit like that with someone and decide they’re worth the effort to stick it out.
I’ve seen more than one other teammate take that kind of hit and have their girlfriend, or fiancée, and even a wife or two decide they can’t handle the pressure. Violet might be a little crazy, but she’s got Alex’s back when it matters. She’s also a closet math nerd, like me.
Violet falls into step beside me. “Sorry we’re crashing your sausage party.”
“You’re not crashing it.”
“Yeah, we totally are. Mostly I’m here to observe and appreciate the fine art of tattooing.”
“I didn’t know you were into tattoos.”
“Well, it’s kind of erotic, right? Alex’ll have to take his shirt off and this incredibly built guy covered in tattoos is going to get all up in his space and put something permanent on his skin.” She fans her face. “So hot.”
I shake my head, because that’s not at all what getting a tattoo is like from my perspective, and only Violet could turn something that’s supposed to be cool into something pornographic. “Except he’s not actually getting a tattoo today,” I point out. “Does Waters know you’re here to ogle other guys?”
“Of course not! He thinks I’m considering getting my nipples pierced. And it’s appreciating, not ogling.”
“Jesus, Vi. You can’t talk to me about your nipples. It breaks bro code.”
She bumps my arm. “I’m not actually going to get it done.”
“Still. I don’t need to know anything about the state of your nipples.”
“What the fuck are you two talking about?” Miller throws an arm around Violet’s shoulder and grabs me by the back of the neck.
I elbow him in the ribs, and he lets go right away, but I’m betting he overheard our conversation, or at least Violet’s side of the conversation, and that was his way of letting me know. There are conversations you should never have with
your friends’ wives and girlfriends; nipple discussions make that list.
“I was just telling Lance how I’m looking forward to seeing Alex get his nipples pierced.”
Alex’s head swings around. “Pardon fucking me?”
“Just kidding, baby. Your little man nipples are perfect the way they are, but if you want to get one of those peen piercings, I might be okay with it.”
“Baby, you can barely handle me as is. What the hell do I need a piercing for?”
“I’ve been handling all you have to offer for more than a year. I’m pretty sure I can take a little steel ball.
“Okay. This is a conversation I expect to hear from Randy and Lily, not the two of you,” Charlene says.
“Uh, yeah, there’s no fucking way I’m putting extra holes in my junk, thank you very much,” Randy says.
“It has its benefits,” Darren replies.
Everyone turns to look at him.
“Seriously, what the hell do you two do in the bedroom?” Lily asks. “Never mind. I don’t actually want to know.”
Charlene fingers the pearls around her neck and looks up at Darren, who winks.
I’m relieved when we reach the storefront. The chick with the purple hair—I can’t remember her name—comes out from behind the desk, throws the lock, and opens the door. “Hey! Hi! Oh, wow! It looks like everyone’s here!”
“Hey, Lisa. Lily’s coming to see what Hayden put together for her, and the rest of the girls wanted to tag along.” Randy motions to them, standing in a gaggle behind him like they’re his entourage, which wasn’t far from reality not that long ago. Although it wasn’t these girls falling all over themselves for him.
“That’s great! Hey, guys! Hi, Violet!” She ushers us into the shop and locks the door. When we were all here for the initial consult, they had to move us to the private room so we wouldn’t create a huge distraction.
There’s another chick I’ve never met before seated behind the jewelry counter. She has long, dark hair that’s been braided and pulled over her shoulder. She’s wearing a loose tank that shows off a little ink on her shoulders. Maybe she’s a friend of Lisa’s.
I get an elbow in the ribs from Balls. “Don’t even think about flirting with her. That’s Tenley, Hayden’s girlfriend.”
“Thanks for the warning.” I look away before she catches me staring. I don’t want to piss off one of the guys who’s going to put ink on my skin.
Lisa and Violet hug each other, and there’s a round of introductions when Hayden, Chris, and Jamie, our team of artists, greet us.
We settle into the couches and chairs surrounding the coffee table on the left side of the room, and the girls follow, apparently interested in our designs.
Hayden opens a folder and methodically lines up sketch after sketch. “So these are some of the designs we’ve come up with.”
The basis for each tattoo is the same: it’s a puck that looks like it’s just hit the ice with a cool blue watercolor background, but there are subtle differences in each one, beyond the incorporation of our names and numbers. Darren’s is darker than the rest and is black and white, apart from his number, which is red. Waters has CAPTAIN underneath his and crossed sticks over the puck since he already has a puck tattoo, which is what our designs are based on—he’ll just be adding to his. The inky looking background on Miller’s is a brighter blue, Randy’s is full, vibrant color, and mine has a more intense, deep blue.
I’m completely amazed by how well these guys have managed to capture our personalities through the art. No wonder Randy won’t let anyone else work on him. I also understand exactly why this place is by appointment only.
“These are amazing,” Randy says.
His declaration is followed by a chorus of agreements. Hayden drops his head, a small smile pulling at the corner of his mouth. His knee bounces a couple of times before he picks up another folder.
“Thanks. It really was a combined effort. We’ve got other options, though, and of course we expect to do some tweaking between now and the session, so know this isn’t the final product. We can adjust color, design elements, font, all that stuff. You just have to let us know what’s working and what isn’t.”
Flipping the folder open, Hayden pulls out a second set of designs with small, but significant differences. It doesn’t take long for the girls to get bored with the back and forth over details. They head over to the jewelry case, where Lisa and Tenley are sitting, glancing at us every once in a while and whispering.
After a few minutes the girls—and by girls I mean Violet—get louder. Giggling and some gasps and Oh my Gods follow.
“I say go for it!” Charlene has her arm around Lily’s shoulder. “You won’t regret it.”
Randy looks up from the design. His is much different, considering it’s going to be part of a sleeve. “Won’t regret what?”
“Lisa’s trying to convince Lily to get her clit pierced!” Charlene explains.
“Permanent vagina bling!” Violet chimes in.
“Jesus Christ,” I mutter. “This is not stuff I need to know about.”
Chris, the tattoo artist who’s big enough to pass for a hockey player, or a linebacker, snorts. “You wouldn’t believe the shit we hear on a regular basis.”
“I don’t think I even want to imagine.”
Randy gives Lily a full-body visual sweep. His eyebrow rises. “What’s the healing time on that?”
“That depends.” Hayden says.
“On what?” Randy’s knee is going now, and he’s having a hard time not looking at Lily like he wants to eat her.
“On your level of patience. Isn’t that right, kitten?” Hayden glances at his girlfriend.
Her eyes go wide, and her mouth drops open. “Seriously, Hayden?”
“What?” He looks genuinely confused, even though we’re all suddenly super interested in the sketches, not the conversation. Well, except for Randy.
“I think you’re badass for getting a hole in your vagina penis,” Violet says seriously.
Chris barks out a laugh. “You guys need to hang out here more.”
Lisa rolls her eyes, but she’s smiling. She’s the one who answers Randy’s question. “If you follow the aftercare instructions, it’s usually about a week before you can resume normal activity.”
“Normal being—” He gestures between him and Lily. She looks a little mortified, which is kind of funny, considering how those two will pretty much get their fuck on anywhere. They routinely disappear for half-hour increments when they think no one’s paying attention to them.
“You have to be careful with too much friction, too soon, or you’ll prolong the healing period,” Tenley replies.
“What do mean, prolong? Like, how sensitive is it going to be?”
“You gotta take it easy for a couple of weeks,” Hayden says, eyes still on Tenley.
“Like, once a day easy?” Randy asks.
“Uh…” Hayden pokes the corner of his mouth with his tongue. I’m not sure if it’s some kind of signal or what. “Yeeaah, you’ll have to go easier than that.”
Randy looks horrified. “Oh, fuck that. No way, luscious. I’m not going down to less than once a day.”
“It has some incredible benefits.” Tenley strokes her braid. She and Hayden are giving each other the screw-me eyes.
“What kind of benefits?” Randy still looks skeptical.
“More orgasms for Lily,” Tenley replies.
Randy snorts. “Yeah, cause there’s a real shortage of those right now.”
“You probably couldn’t get the needle through anyway since Lily’s beaver is made of titanium,” Violet says.
“Jealous again?” Lily smirks.
“It has nothing to do with jealousy. I’m just stating facts. Clearly you have some sort of beaver superpowers with the amount of humping you and Horny Nut Sac do.”
“She’s always like this, isn’t she?” Chris asks me.
“Most of the time, yeah. It’s pre
tty entertaining.”
He nods his agreement. “How’s she do with interviews and stuff? “
“Those are always scripted,” Alex says.
“What about nipples? What’s the healing time on those?” Violet asks Lisa.
“About two months before they stop being sensitive, but a good four to six before they’re totally healed, sometimes longer.”
Violet makes a face and holds her boobs, so I look away.
Alex points a finger at her. “Don’t even think about it, Violet.”
“Oh, don’t you worry. I would never take away your favorite toys for that long.”
Alex relaxes back into his chair.
Charlene slaps the counter. “I’m going to do it!”
“You already have your nipples pierced. They’re not ears; you can’t get them done a whole bunch of times like Tenley here.” Violet motions to Tenley’s ears, which are indeed pierced numerous times. A ladder of rings climbs the shell.
Now, I don’t have an issue with piercings. I’ve been with plenty of girls who have holes in various parts of their bodies—what I didn’t realize is how long it takes for something like that to heal fully.
“I’m not talking about my nipples; I mean a hood piercing,” Charlene clarifies.
Lisa does a little jumpy-squeal thing. “Yay! You won’t regret it!”
“You’re okay with that?” Charlene looks to Darren.
Darren taps the arm of the chair. His smile is tight. “If it’s what you want. Although, you may want to consider waiting until the season starts and I’m on an away series.”
Charlene bites her lip and turns to Lisa and Tenley. “It’s only a week, though, right?”
“For gentle use,” Tenley says.
Charlene looks back and forth between the girls and Darren. “You can handle that.”
“It’s not me who has to go without. There are plenty of ways for me to achieve the same ends; not so much for you.”
“He makes a good point,” Lily says.
“I think I need to sit down.” It’s the first time Sunny’s involved herself in the conversation since the girls started in on the piercing talk.
All of a sudden the girls are flitting around, and Miller’s out of his seat. Sunny’s pretty freaking pregnant right now, and she’s a bit of a delicate flower—not literally, she’s a yoga instructor, so physically she can kick ass. But she’s not a big fan of blood or anything related to pain, so I can imagine this conversation is a little much for her.
Pucks & Penalties: Pucked Series Deleted Scenes and Outtakes Version 2.0 (The Pucked Series) Page 16