by Jacob Chance
“We weren’t even talking when I decided to open Canvas,” I retort.
“We were good friends and you didn’t tell me about wanting to be a tattoo artist. You didn’t even tell Janny and you guys were dating then.”
“I don’t know why I didn’t tell you guys,” I say, running a hand over my short beard. “I guess part of me felt like being a tattoo artist was something people might look down on, especially with my family’s ties to the Bastards.”
“Josh, I don’t know what you mean, but I would never judge you for what your family does. Tattooing is an extension of your art. You should always be proud of your talent.”
“I don’t really talk about my family much. My father and my older brother are in the motorcycle club, the Bastards. In the past, I’ve been judged negatively for their involvement. That’s why I didn’t tell you or anyone else.”
“I wish you would’ve told me,” she tells me.
“I could say the same for you.”
“I didn’t want you to ask me to quit.”
“Really? If you honestly thought I’d do that, you don’t know me at all.”
“No one knows Tell E is my show. I haven’t even told Janny.”
I’m slightly pacified that no one knows, but I’m still disappointed she didn’t feel comfortable enough to tell me. “Elle, you can talk to me about anything. Two nights ago, you told me you knew I wouldn’t judge. What makes this any different?”
“It’s a show about sexual topics. I think a lot of guys might have a problem with their girlfriends discussing sex so openly. I started to do the show as a way to explore my sexuality and to feel empowered after a relationship I was in ended badly.”
“I keep telling you, I’m not other guys and it’s not fair for you to compare me to them,” I bark, my tone sharper than I intend.
“I know. I’m sorry. I was worried you’d be angry about it.”
“I am angry, but not about the show. I’m upset you didn’t confide in me.” I raise my hand to brush her hair off her forehead and she flinches. Cupping her cheeks with both palms, I stare down into her honey brown eyes. “Elle, no matter how angry I may get when we fight, I’ll never lay a hand on you. I hope you know that.”
She licks her lips and nods. “I do.”
“I promise you, I’ll never physically harm you.”
She nods, her eyes downcast. “I know you won’t.”
“You don’t have to tell me about it now. But there’s a story there and when you’re ready I want to hear all about it.”
Chapter Twenty-One
Elle
The door to Canvas chimes softly as I walk inside. Smiling at the raven-haired receptionist behind the counter, I step further inside. “I’m looking for Josh.”
She rolls her eyes. “You and every other woman in the city.”
“Is that my girl I hear?” Josh’s voice moves closer with each word and when he comes around the corner my stomach flutters pleasantly.
“It sounds like you might have a lot of girls,” I reply, drolly.
“Tatum, have you introduced yourself to Elle or have you been too busy filling her head with nonsense?”
She smirks. “It’s nice to meet you, Elle. Great to have a face to put with the name.”
“Likewise. I’ve heard a lot about you.”
“Hey, Elle,” Sean’s deep voice rumbles from the other room.
“Hi, Sean,” I call out to him.
“Okay beautiful, let’s get out of here.” Josh places his hand on my arm. “We’re going to Tito’s to have a few drinks. Are you guys heading over after you close up?”
“Yeah, I’m planning on going and Sean is too. We’ll see you guys soon.”
“Sounds good.” He clasps my hand and leads me out the door as I call a quick “see ya,” over my shoulder.
We stroll down the sidewalk, enjoying each other’s company. Even this time of night the city seems alive. The streetlights keep the area illuminated well enough for me to notice groups of people milling outside the various bars as we pass by. Snippets of various conversations hit my ears, the aroma of cigarettes and marijuana waft around us as we approach the entrance to Tito’s.
Josh nods to the bouncer as we walk in. He waves us through without asking for I.D.
“Friend of yours?” I ask.
“I did some ink for him a couple weeks ago,” he answers, nonchalantly. My hand’s still in his as he leads me to an empty table in the back of the bar. Pulling my chair out, he takes the seat next to me, both of us facing the front of the bar. His palm rests on my bare leg, his thumb teasing the skin on my inner thigh with gentle swipes. Such a simple touch, but it has me wet and ready for whatever he demands.
“What would you like to drink?” His lips touch the curve of my ear. I shiver noticeably and he chuckles.
“Rum and coke, please.”
He flags down the waitress and places our order while I enjoy the simple pleasure of being out with him - being out with my boyfriend. Smiling as I think about it, I don’t notice Liberty until she’s standing next to Josh.
“Hey, Josh,” she purrs - or at least that’s how it sounds to me.
“Hi. How have you been?” he replies and thankfully, I can’t find any fault with his tone. I don’t want to be the jealous shrew girlfriend, but now that we’ve finally started something, I never want it to end.
“Good. Is Tatum coming soon?”
“Yeah, she and Sean are heading this way when they close up.”
Hello. Girlfriend sitting here. Introduce me. I kick Josh’s foot under the table.
“Elle, this is Tatum’s friend, Liberty.” He says without reacting, gesturing in the direction of the attractive blonde.
“Hi,” I say.
“I thought we were friends too, Josh,” she purrs, acting as if I don’t exist.
Maybe he shouldn’t have introduced us because now I want to kick her ass for flirting with my boyfriend and shunning me. I bet my fist on her face would feel real enough.
“Elle is my girlfriend,” he continues, ignoring her words.
I can’t help the smile laced with a gloating smirk that appears on my lips at his reply. He just redeemed himself for not introducing me first thing. He wraps his arm around my shoulders and I lean into the solid strength of his chest.
The waitress returns with our drinks which is great timing on her part. I’ll have to remember to throw a little extra in for her tip.
Sipping on the ice-cold rum and coke provides a nice distraction from Liberty. Blocking her out, I focus on Josh’s talented fingers as they trace invisible patterns on my skin. He’s always creating art, even when he’s not trying to.
Swallowing down another mouthful of my drink, I suck a piece of ice into my mouth, rolling it around my tongue. Closing my eyes, I focus on Josh’s fingertips and what he’s drawing on my skin. His soft and sensual touch combined with the alcohol relaxes me. When my eyes lazily drift open, Liberty is gone and Josh’s gaze is predatory as he watches me.
“You’re the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen.” His lips skillfully play along my neck until his hand cups my chin, holding me steady for our mouths to join together. His tongue slips between my parted lips, flicking against mine. I push the diminished ice cube into his mouth and he hums with surprise before passing it back to me. We continue with our sexy game, until the ice is melted and both of us are breathing heavily.
“Damn, Elle. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to get enough of you.”
“I hope you’re right.”
“I need another beer if we’re going to stay here any longer. Do you want another drink?”
Downing the rest of the contents, I hand him my empty glass. “I’d love another one.”
He brushes a whisper of a kiss over my lips. “I’ll be right back.”
My eyes follow his broad-shouldered physique as he walks up to the bar. Losing sight of him in the crowd, I face forward once more and search for any sign of Sean or Tatum. Th
ey should be arriving any minute now.
“Elle, right?” Liberty questions, standing to the side of me.
Her stealthy approach startled me. I didn’t see her coming. I nod my head in reply to her question.
“So you and Josh are together now?”
“Yes.”
“You don’t mind that he’s been with me for two months now? You don’t mind sharing him?”
“You guys are friends.”
“Okay, if that’s what you want to believe go nuts. You should ask your friend Janny about it. She knows. She came over one morning when we were still in bed.”
Her words unsettle me. I don’t want them to affect me, but they do. “Look, I don’t know what kind of game you’re playing, but I’m an adult. I’m not going to fall for your bullshit.”
“Think what you want, but I have no reason to lie.”
“What’s going on?” Josh asks when he approaches. I’m sure he can see the distress on my face. I’ve never been very good at hiding my emotions.
“I was chatting with Elle. You know, girl stuff,” she giggles as if we’re the best of friends. “I’ll see you two later.” She waves her fingers before walking off.
Good fucking riddance.
Both my hands clasp the cold glass of rum and coke Josh placed on the table in front of me. Tipping my head back, I suck a large gulp into my mouth. Swallowing the liquid down, I pray Liberty’s words are merely lies meant to scare me away because if they’re not, Josh hasn’t been honest with me. And if he hasn’t then we’re over before we’ve had a chance to see what we could become.
“I’m so glad you stopped by. I haven’t left the house in three days and I’m going stir crazy,” Janny tells me as we sit on her back deck, sipping ice tea. Lily is down for her morning nap and Kyle is running errands.
“I bet. I don’t know if I’m cut out for being a mother. Look at my own, she’s hardly a role model for me to emulate.”
“Sometimes, the people with the worst childhoods make the best parents. They’re more empathetic because of what they’ve endured.”
“Maybe. I don’t know. It’s not like I need to think about it right now anyway.”
“If things with you and Josh keep progressing, you will.”
Shrugging my shoulders, I don’t say anything.
“Are you guys having problems?”
“I thought everything was great until last night. We were out at a bar and this girl, Liberty, who is friends with Josh came over to our table.”
Janny nods. “I’m aware of who Liberty is.”
My heart sinks to my stomach with her admission. Was Liberty telling me the truth, after all? Am I too blind to see what’s right in front of me? The heart sees what it wants to and ignores all the signs that something might be wrong.
“She waited until Josh went up to the bar before she mentioned they’d been together for two months and that she’d met you one morning.” I pause, carefully watching Janny for any reaction.
“I did meet her the morning Lily was born. She slept over Josh’s the night before. He told me nothing happened.”
“Do you think he was telling the truth?”
“I do. He had no reason to lie to me. You guys weren’t together then. He said he was still hung up on you and wasn’t ready to start anything with her or anyone else.”
Exhaling a large sigh, I smooth my hair back from my face. “I was so worried. I cut our date short last night, told him I had a headache.”
“Did he suspect something was wrong?”
“Of course, he did. I denied it and now I feel bad I was dishonest. But, I didn’t want to blow it up into some huge thing and have a fight with him over it.”
“What he doesn’t know won’t hurt, but maybe you should give him a heads up that Liberty was trying to stir up trouble. You shouldn’t worry about Josh not telling you the truth. It’s not who he is.”
“Yeah, you’re right. I think I’ll leave it alone for now. Now that I know for sure they weren’t together, I don’t see her being a problem anymore.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
Josh
“I’m nervous, Josh. Why did we have to do this today?” she questions, her hand on her stomach.
“There’s absolutely nothing to worry about. I promise they’re going to love you.” Shutting off the car, I undo my seatbelt. Rubbing a hand over her thigh, I soothe her. “Come on. We’re going to have a lot of fun. My family is a little crazy.” I flash her a quick smile.
She pulls the visor down, checking her hair. “Okay, I’m ready. Let’s get this over with.”
Thirty minutes later we’re seated at the dinner table with my grandmother, father and both my brothers. The initial introductions went smoothly. My grandmother winked at me, a signal that she likes Elle and my dad gave me a thumbs up behind her back. Jam stared at her a little too long and Owen had to hug her. I told them both to back the fuck off when she used the bathroom. I don’t need to worry about my own brothers poaching my woman. I’m turning into a possessive boyfriend. I’ve never been this way before.
“Elle, what do you do?” my father questions.
She wipes her mouth with her napkin and places it back in her lap. “I work in the financial district.”
“I used to work there too. Many moons ago.” He smirks. “Now, I run a garage for the Bastards.”
To Elle’s credit she doesn’t react when she hears the name of the club.
“That’s a big career change. Do you ever miss it?”
“Not really. I still dabble in investing by using my own money which satisfies that side of me.”
“I guess the important thing is doing what you’re passionate about,” she says before taking a bite of carrots.
“Are you passionate about investing other people’s money?” Jam asks.
Her eyes dart in his direction. “No, I’m not. I let my parent’s pressure me into going to school for what they wanted me to become.”
I never knew this and now I’m kicking myself for not asking. “What did you want?” I question, genuinely interested.
“I wanted to be a teacher.” She rolls her eyes.
“Why are you rolling your eyes? It’s not too late to become one,” I mention.
“I think that ship has already sailed. I can’t imagine going back to school and now I’ve come to like the money I make.”
“It’s never too late to make a change,” my grandmother chimes in. “I’m still trying to decide what I want to be when I grow up.”
“You’re a spry eighty-one, Gram. Go for it. The sky’s the limit.” I tell her.
“Is that supposed to be a reference about me dying soon?” She winks at me.
Once dinner’s over, I linger in the kitchen to help my grandmother with the dishes. Elle tried to stay and help, but I told her we were all set. I want some time alone with Gram. We don’t get to see each other very often these days and I miss her.
“How have you been, Josh?” She asks as I rinse each plate, before placing them in the dishwasher.
“I’ve been good - busy.”
“I can see that.” She smiles.
“It’s not only because of Elle. I’ve been working a lot of hours at Canvas, trying to build a solid client base. It takes a lot of time, but I love tattooing.”
“You’re still finding time for your painting, right?” She raises an eyebrow at me. Gram has always been my biggest support in every way, especially when it comes to my artwork.
“I am. I’ve been invited to take part in an art competition. It’s a fairly prestigious event and I’m honored to have been asked. I won’t win, but I could gain some exposure from it.”
“Why would you say you won’t win before it even happens?” She crosses her arms over her chest and narrows her eyes at me.
“I’m trying to be realistic. I’ll be competing against some well-known artists.”
“Well if I’m not mistaken, you’re also well known.”
“I don’t
know about that, Gram. The paintings I did for the state house definitely gained me a lot of exposure, but I have a long way to go.”
“Could this competition be another step in helping you with that?”
“Help me gain more exposure? Yeah, absolutely. Which is why I need to make sure I love the painting I submit. It needs to be my best effort.”
“Josh, I’ve never seen you give less than one hundred percent on anything. I’m sure, this will pay off for you.”
She holds her arms out for a hug. I can’t resist the comfort she offers. Her hugs are legendary and always make me feel better. No matter how old I get this never changes.
“So, what do you think of Elle?” I ask, when we part.
“She’s a gorgeous girl. I can certainly see the appeal.”
“She’s much more than a pretty face,” I cut in.
“Hold your horses, I wasn’t done.” She sends a scolding glare my way. “She’s got a great personality too and I can tell she’s crazy about you.”
“You can?”
“Yes. She looks at you with love in her eyes.”
“She’s hard to read and she’s not very forthcoming with how she’s feeling. She’s never really had a serious relationship before.”
“And you’re serious about her?”
“Completely.”
“I think if you’re honest and patient with her then it will all work out.”
“I hope so. I’m head over heels and it’s unnerving not knowing if she feels the same.”
“I had a great time with your family,” she says, as we relax on her couch. She’s lying between my legs, her head on my chest as we watch Battlestar Galactica episodes.
“I knew they’d love you. I think my brothers might be crushing on you.”
“Now, you’re being silly.”
“It was awesome to be the envied one for a change.”
“What do you mean?” Her fingertips stroke delicately along the top of my hands where they lie on her stomach.
