Piece By Piece (The Ink Nation Series Book 1)

by Jennah Thornhill

  He’s been nothing but nice to me since I met him and if it’s possible, I could see us being friends. We walk the rest of the way in a comfortable silence. With both of us just casually glancing at each other once in a while and smiling.

  “We’re here,” he announces as we come to a stop outside the door, that I ran out of only an hour ago.

  I didn’t even realize we had gotten here that quick. Going in front of me, he opens the door to the studio and holds it open for me. I thank him quietly as he closes it behind me and heads towards the counter, that’s in front of us. With a quick bang of his fist on top of the glass, he hollers.

  “Oi, assholes. Any of you actually busy? I’ve got someone I want to introduce you all to.”

  Just like they’ve all been told that someone famous as just entered the premises. They all stop what they’re doing and come rushing through the archway. Trey laughs at their enthusiasm and then he laughs at the deflated faces, when they see it’s just me and him standing there.

  “For fuck sake, dickhead. I thought you had a supermodel or some Pornstar for us to gawk at.”

  The one I saw yesterday talking to Zoe, says, so I’m gonna take a shot and presume he’s Zak. The other two I don’t know, but they look just as wounded as he does. Trey is still laughing at the guys standing in front of us.

  “Oh, fuck me, the looks on your faces is priceless.” he squeezes out.

  “Yeah well, we don’t think you’re fucking funny,” the tall skinny one, says.

  They’re all tall, as in really fucking tall but he’s just got less meat on his body than the others. Trey finally pulls himself together, after he slams his hand down again onto the glass counter.

  “Guys, this is Daisy. She’s gonna be working here.”

  He gestures in my direction and I sidestep him so I can see them all a bit more clearly.

  “Hi.”

  I give a small wave before wrapping both of my arms around myself. They all step forward and one by one they all offer me their hand to shake. Only I take a step back and out of the corner of my eye, I notice Trey shake his head with a warning look on his face. They drop their hands and look back to Trey, with a what the fuck look, on their faces.

  Yeah, this isn’t awkward at all.

  Sensing the shift in me, Trey quickly diverts all the awkwardness. One by one he introduces the guys to me.

  “This one.” He points to the one I know who to be Zak. “Is Zak, he’s been with me from the start. Then we have Smith.”

  He points to the tall skinny dude. “And then we have Levi.”

  Levi smiles at me but I can tell he’s cautious.

  “Guy’s, Daisy can draw, and I mean she can really, fucking draw. The woman has talent. I’ve taken her on as an artist. She’s going to do some new ones to put up on the walls and she can customize anything for our clients.”

  He tells them and I can feel my face start to heat up from his compliment. Smith is the first one to say anything.

  “That’s ace, it’s about time I got challenged. I’m fucking sick of doing shitty flowers and stars. Daisy, it’s nice to meet you and have you on board, but I have to go back. I currently have some idiot in my chair, who thinks if she has her fuck of the week tattooed on her ass, then he’ll stay.”

  He gives me a quick wave over his shoulder and goes back through the archway. The other two welcome me and go back to work.

  “Now that’s all over, shall we discuss the terms of your employment.”

  When he words it like that, I start to shake slightly. Once again, I squeeze my nails into the palms of my hands to ground me. He doesn’t mean it in the way I’m thinking and I’m being silly, but I’ve heard similar words to them before and it didn’t end well.

  “Daisy, get in here will you.” I hear him shout from my bedroom.

  I’m hiding in the bathroom, hoping he wouldn’t realize I was home yet.

  “I hear you have a dance at school coming up. Well if you want to go, then we have to discuss the terms of you being allowed to go.”

  He’s baiting me. He knows I want to go to that dance, it’s all me and Zoe have been talking about. I know I have no other choice but to go in there if I want to go. I can’t tell Zoe I’m not going; it will raise too many questions.

  Shaking like a leaf, my whole-body tremors as I unlock the bathroom door and make my way across the landing to my room.

  To my fate.

  “Daisy? You okay there? I lost you for a minute.”

  Trey pulls me back from the memory that was starting to take over my mind. I try my hardest to shake it off, but it will always be in the recesses of my mind. That day was the day I gave what was left of me, just so I could go to a dance.

  Plastering a fake smile on my face, I say quickly.

  “Yeah, I’m fine. I was just thinking. This is gonna be awesome.”

  What the fuck? I never say; awesome.

  I can tell he doesn’t believe me from the way he raises his eyebrows at me, but he doesn’t ask any questions or push for me to talk.

  Almost an hour later, we’ve agreed on for me to start tomorrow. Just a few hours from late morning, until just after lunch, until I’m feeling more comfortable. He’s going to pay me a reasonable hourly rate. If I design a customized piece for a client, then I’ll get half of what they’ll pay for their tattoo. Trey reassures me that once people start seeing my designs, then they’ll be lining up around the corner for me to design them something.

  I don’t quite have that much faith, but it’s nice to know someone believes in me.

  I just need to remember to wear long sleeves when I’m here. Having Trey and the guys start asking me questions, is something I’m not ready for and I don’t think I ever will be.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Trey

  Having got her back to the studio, I thought it was going to be pretty simple. Introduce her to the guys, talk about her employment and all's good.

  I was so fucking wrong.

  From her reaction to the guys when they came to say hi to her, I’ve come to the conclusion it’s not just me she has issues with. It’s all men in general and that’s more fucked up than I originally thought. It also has my mind doing overtime at why she’s like that and believe me, the things I’m coming up with aren’t pretty. I just hope I’m wrong.

  Once we’ve finally gone through everything and she’s come back down to planet earth, she leaves with a smile on her face and that makes me happy.

  Fuck me, I’m seriously screwed up.

  One by one, Zak, Levi and Smith’s clients all leave, and I have about forty-five minutes before mine arrives for a three-hour sitting.

  Still with my ass firmly planted on the sofa in the waiting area, where I’ve been sitting with Daisy, all three douchebags come through the archway and sit down. I can see them all looking at me with questioning expressions on their faces, yet not a single one of them opens their mouth. Not even Zak and he’s usually the first one to have something to say.

  Putting them all out of their misery, I pipe up.

  “Yes, she’s different. No, I’m not going to fuck her. If you don’t like it, then the doors over there.”

  I nod my head in the direction of the door, before standing and going to the little kitchen we have to make coffee. Leaving them three idiots to themselves.

  Standing at the kitchen counter waiting for the kettle to boil, I stare off into thin air and all I see is Daisy. I’ve just told the guys I’m not going to fuck her and I’m not… I don’t think.

  I want to, believe me I want to. I’m a red-hot blooded male. I would have to be either blind or gay to not notice how hot she is. Thing is, I don’t think she would even let me kiss her, let alone stick my dick in her.

  “You don’t want to fuck her?”

  Zak's voice has me spinning around and facing him, where he’s standing in the doorway. I go for denial.

  “No, I don’t, she ne
eds help with a job and she’s fucking good at what she does, so I’m helping her and this place out.”

  Even to me, that excuse sounds shit.

  “Yeah, okay. If you say so motherfucker and I’m the fucking president of the United States. You forget I’ve known you long enough to know that you don’t just help anyone out. Let alone a woman, who clearly has more issues than us four all put together.” He chuckles to himself as he walks away, leaving me to finally make my coffee.

  Asshole can think what he wants.

  The last promise I make to myself as I leave the kitchen to greet my client, is that I must not lay a finger on Miss Daisy.

  Three hours later, I’ve got cramp in my hand and my back is in bits from bending over my hairy as fuck, client. I’ve used three razors to get rid of the excess hair on his back, but I couldn’t get rid of it all. So, I’ve had to work through it. I’m twenty fucking eight, but today, thanks to the hairy fucker, I feel like I’m ninety-eight. I’m in good shape, I still work out when I have free time, I’m in my prime and then with one fucking client, I’m done for.

  Letting the hairy bastard out of the studio, I lock up behind him and go in search of the docking station remote. Before I start to clean up my station and put away all my equipment, I put my phone onto the docking station and press play once I’ve found the remote under the counter. Guns N’ Roses comes blaring through the speakers, singing about Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door. I start to jam out right along with them, as I clear up. It’s times like these I’m grateful for my late clients and the guys early ones. It means they all fuck off and leave me to it.

  My phone beeps, signaling a text and without taking it from the docking station, I open it up…

  I’m at Heaven Eleven, I’m wet and in desperate need of your cock.

  S xx

  Fuck. Selina. That girl knows how to get my blood pumping. I’m all set to text her back that I’ll be there in twenty, instead, I find myself typing…

  Can’t tonight, working late.

  T x

  I don’t get a reply, I didn’t expect one anyway. Me and Selina aren’t what you would call exclusive. We usually just fuck each other when we’re wasted. The surprise to me is that I turned her down. I’ve never said no to sticking it in her. Her pussy milks my dick like no other I’ve ever had. I think I’m coming down with something, yeah that’s it, I’m ill.

  That’s what I tell myself as I turn everything off and leave the studio. All the while, I think about the petite woman with pink hair, as I walk the few blocks home.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Daisy

  I’m freaking out and not in a good way.

  When I got back from my interview so to speak with Trey, I came home to an empty apartment. So, I just sat and sketched the rest of the afternoon away. It helped with the nerves and the fact that Zoe wasn’t here to talk to about it. She’s normally the one that snaps me out of my ridiculous thoughts. To top it off, she’s not here again before I have to leave for my first day.

  I’m being stupid, I know I am, but the nerves and fear are very real, and I can’t stop my hands from shaking. Taking a deep breath in and then out, I go over to my small desk I have in my bedroom. I pull out my sketch pad and pencils and stuff them in my bag. Before I can talk myself out of it, I throw on my jacket and I’m out the door and making my way to Ink Nation.

  When I walk through the door, the front of the studio is empty. There’s no-one waiting in the waiting area, but I can hear the sound of the tattoo guns, above the music that’s playing.

  “Hello? Is anyone there?” I call out as I walk towards the counter.

  The mammoth that is Zak pokes his head around the archway and smiles at me.

  “Oh hey, Daisy. Trey’s just gone to Starbucks on a coffee run, he’ll be back in five minutes. Just take a seat and he’ll get you set up when he gets back.”

  “Okay, no problem. Thanks Zak.”

  He goes back to whatever it was he was doing, and I take a seat in the same place I sat not less than twelve hours ago. No soon as I’ve made myself comfortable and I’m taking in all the designs that line the walls, the door opens and in walks Trey. It’s then when he’s laden down with a coffee cup carrier and paper bag from Starbucks, that I notice how gorgeous he is for the first time. I never think of a man like that, but it’s hard to miss when he takes up the entire doorway. He has to be at least six foot and with shoulders so wide, they look like they were made to play some sort of physical sport, not holding a tattoo gun.

  “Hey, Pink. Sorry for not being here when you arrived. These lot get grouchy if they don’t get their decent coffee and pastries.” He laughs as he closes the door with the sole of his boot and puts everything down on the counter.

  “It’s fine, honestly. I’ve only been here a few minutes myself.” I tell him, so he doesn’t feel bad about not being here.

  All the buzzing I heard when I arrived, comes to a stop and like kids in a candy store, all three grown ass men come barreling through the archway.

  “About time, my body is going into shock from the lack of caffeine.” Levi says as he picks up his takeaway cup and pulls a muffin from the bag.

  The other two follow his actions and they all go back to work, not a single one of them pay me any bit of notice. It’s completely fine by me, the less attention I get the better.

  “Now that’s the animals seen to; shall we get you sorted?” Trey asks me.

  Standing from my seat, I go over to the counter and follow him behind it. He gives me a quick tour of the place, which doesn’t take long. He explains how the booking system works, if I was to ever answer the phone and take one. Going into the storage cupboard, that’s situated in the small kitchen, he pulls out a high stool and places it behind the counter for me.

  “Until I can sort you a proper workspace out, I’m afraid this will have to do, is that okay with you?” He asks me but he also looks like he’s on edge and worried that I’m going to refuse.

  Which I’m not. I’m just happy to be doing what I love and getting paid for it, even if it isn’t the career, I wanted for myself. At least my designs will be on people's skin forever.

  “This is perfectly fine, I’m just glad to be here.”

  We exchange small smiles and as we do, he gives a small grunt and a cough before saying.

  “Well, I’ve got a client due in ten minutes, so I need to get set up. If you need anything please don’t hesitate to ask, I’m sure one of us can help you.”

  He takes the last two coffees out of the carrier and hands me one, which surprises me.

  “Can’t have you falling asleep on your first day now, can we.”

  We both laugh and before I can thank him, he takes himself and his coffee through the archway.

  Not wanting to screw this up, I quickly take my sketchbook and pencils from my bag, before stuffing them under the counter and sitting on my stool.

  Just as I’m outlining a human heart that’s cracked beyond belief, the studio door opens and in walks the most gorgeous blonde I’ve ever seen. She’s all long legs, boobs and hair that drapes down her back.

  Seeing me sat there, she comes to a halt.

  “Oh hi, I didn’t know Trey had finally hired a receptionist.”

  I can tell she wasn’t expecting me to be sat here when she walked in. The look of confusion mars her features and her voice is snooty, as if she’s better than me.

  “I’m not a receptionist, I’m a designer for the guys. I only just started the job today.” I inform her bluntly.

  “Oh right, well I’m here to see Trey. He’s expecting me.”

  I bet he is. I want to blurt out, but I don’t, getting fired on my first day would be a new record for me.

  “I’ll just tell him that you’re here.”

  Putting my pencil down, I hop off my stool and pop my head around the archway.

  “Trey, there’s a woman here to see you.” I tell him and that�
�s when Smith scoffs.

  “When isn’t there a woman here to see him?”

  All the guys laugh apart from Trey. He just gives Smith an evil glare and clips him one up the ear, as he walks past him.

  “Ouch, you really are an asshole.”

  Trey doesn’t answer him as Smith rubs his ear.

  “Thank you, Daisy.”

  I go back to my stool as he follows me through the archway.

  “Hey Stace, you must enjoy the pain I inflict on you.”

  He greets her as she comes around the counter and wraps her long arms around his neck and gives me a cocky smirk over his shoulder.

  “Yeah, I just love what you do to me.”

  Trey laughs clearly not getting the innuendo she’s making but I got it. These pair are clearly bumping uglies and she wants me to know about it.

  As if I give two shits who he fucks.

  Trey introduces us quickly, explaining to her why I’m working there, not that she’s interested. I’m just told that her name is Stacey and they’ve known each other for years.

  When they’ve left and gone back to his workstation, I crack on with my cracked heart sketch. I hum along to the music, that’s still playing from a docking station, that they have behind me. Before I know it, my first few hours at Ink Nation have flown by with no freak outs from me, only laughs and jokes from the guys. Packing away my things, I pull a drawer open and find a binder that I can keep my designs in for the studio, until Trey decides what to do with them.

  With a quick goodbye to the guys and a scowl from Stacey, I grab my jacket and bag. Before leaving the studio and for the first time in a very long time, I feel happy and optimistic.

  I think I’m gonna enjoy working here.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Trey

  Where the hell have the last few hours gone?