Men of Steel (Book 1)

by Fields, MJ

  “You okay?”

  I shook my head yes and laughed.

  “Next time it wont be so funny,” he walked across the street and into the shop.

  I walked out laughing and looked at Abe, “You are going to have to take me home.”

  “I see,” Abe laughed at me.

  “Come back in, we will get you some dry clothes,” Joe smiled and took my hand. She held it until we were back in the shop.

  My shoes squeaked as I walked down the hall towards the employee lounge.

  “Hurry it up Carly, I have a date tonight,” Abe yelled to me.

  “You go Abe, I will see she gets home,” Joe hugged him.

  “You don’t have to,” Abe kissed her on each cheek and stepped back.

  “I insist. Go you must not keep a lady waiting.”

  “You alright with that Carly?”

  “Yep, go have fun.”

  As soon as Abe and left Jase grabbed my hand and pulled me into the lounge, “You okay?” His eyes were smiling.

  “Yes, I am just glad I don’t live around here your family must think I am a nut job,” I laughed and covered my face in shame.

  He smiled and grabbed the hem of my shirt and pulled it up quickly, I probably should have protested, I really should have, but I didn’t. I lifted my arms high in the air, and he pulled my shirt over my head.

  When I looked at his eyes, and they were not looking at mine. They were looking at my Ta-Ta’s. I looked down and probably should have covered them. I did have on a very sheer white bra. White bra…water…yay, nothing left to the imagination. So I decided to act like a lady and cover myself, a little slow on the draw, but I did it.

  “Nice, very nice,” he smirked and grabbed the dry sweatshirt he had in his hands.

  I lifted my arms for him to put it on me, you know helping him out a little, and he laughed.

  “Jase you should probably put that on me,” see I was trying to be a lady.

  He let out his held breath and pulled it over my head. I slipped my arms through the arm holes and pulled it down. I was not short, but the shirt was very long. It went to my knees.

  “You look good on my shirt,” Jase smiled at me.

  “Don’t you mean…”

  “No, Carly, the image of you a moment ago is etched in my brain. You look damn good on my shirt,” Jase kissed me, and I opened my mouth he ran his tongue over mine slowly back and forth. I wrapped my lips around it, I could not help myself. He taste so good.

  He pulled away and closed his eyes, “I have an appointment.”

  “Now?” my voice was softer than I thought it would be.

  “Yay, you can stay in here. It should only take about fifteen minutes. Quick piercing, unless you want to watch,” Jase smiled at me.

  “Sure,” I smiled back, this should be cool!

  ~

  “Hey Vinnie. This is Carly a friend of mine. She is going to watch,” Jase smiled and shook his hand, “So you’re going to do this huh?”

  “Yes, lets do it quick,” Vinnie took his shirt off. He had some sort of large black bird across his stomach. It’s wings tips touched just below his pecks. It was beautiful, “You like it?”

  “I do actually, it is beautiful,” I admit I have never been a big fan, but this wasn’t the typical skull, or rose, or lovers name. This was a work of art, and I really liked it.

  Jase smiled at me and looked at Vinnie, “Lay back man.”

  Vinnie laid down, and Jase put on gloves and then pulled a tray of wrapped instruments out of a cupboard and set it in a silver tray with wheels. I have to say it reminded me of the vajayjay doctor. Everything was wrapped up and sterile. He cleaned Vinnie's chest with alcohol and then drew two dots just underneath the nipple. He used a clamp bringing the drawn on dots very close together. He took a needle and some sort of cork and started pushing the needle into him.

  I woke up as Jase picked me up off the floor, “You alright Carly?”

  “Dizzy, very very dizzy.”

  “Yay I guess so,” he smiled at me and I looked up, and the first face I saw after his was Cyrus grinning.

  “Does it hurt baby girl?”

  I had no idea what he was talking about.

  “You passed out right as he poked the needle through your nipple,” Cyrus looked serious.

  I sat up and grabbed my chest and everyone laughed.

  “Alright show is over,” Jase snapped at them, and they left, “Can you sit right here until I finish up?”

  I shook my head yes as he sat me on the ground. I looked up at Vinnie who was smiling.

  “I have never had a woman faint at my feet before,” Vinnie laughed as Jase cleaned and covered his nipple.

  “I am so sorry. I must have made this very uncomfortable for you.”

  “No, actually you took my mind off the pain. Jase I think I am ready for Prince Albert as long as she is here.”

  “I don’t do those,” Jase laughed.

  “Is it a butt thing?” I was still dizzy and clueless about this freaken Prince that Pam was so drawn to.

  “It can be if your into that kind of thing,” Vinnie laughed. I went to stand and quickly sat back down, “You haven't shown her yet Jase?”

  Jase laughed, “Nah she is a friend right Carly.”

  “Sure, yes Jase,” I was dizzy again.

  Vinnie bent down and patted my head, “See you around baby girl.”

  “Nice meeting you,” I waved to him.

  Jase handed him some sort of paperwork and Vinnie left.

  Jase cleaned up and walked out with the tray, when I stood up he walked back in with crackers and ginger ale.

  “I am so sorry about that,” I really was sorry and embarrassed.

  “Drink this,” he handed me a cup of ginger ale and even put a straw in it. After I had drank some he handed me a cracker, “Thanks.”

  I really just wanted to leave. I was a complete idiot. If he never wanted to see me again, I would so get it. I didn’t want to look up at him. I didn’t want to see him look at me like I was some sort of baby. His brother and Vinnie had called me that. I wondered if I should just have a tattoo done right across my forehead that said, “Socially Retarded Virgin” with a damn line over it.

  “Hey,” Jase lifted my chin and I felt my eyes burn, “Don’t go getting all upset. Some people don’t do well with needles.”

  “Or people, some people don’t do well with those either. Jase is there a backdoor I could slip out of. I seriously feel like a giant freak right now.”

  Jase smiled and grabbed my face between his hands and kissed my nose, “Look around Carly, no one here thinks you’re a freak.”

  I grabbed held my hands over his, “Please just help me get out of here undetected. I winked at your Mother, Smacked your brother, passed out, this has been completely…”

  “Riot. Carly do you really give a shit what Vinnie thinks of you, or anyone else here thinks of you?”

  Wow, I suppose not, “Why should I right, it’s not like I will see any of you again after this.”

  His eyes crinkled briefly as if he was trying to figure something out, “You’ll be seeing me tonight we have a date.”

  “Why don’t we just call it good,” I smiled at him trying to convince him and myself that it was cool, when to me it felt anything but cool. Maybe I was getting my period I don’t know, freaking women!

  He still had not let go of my face, and he still had not looked away, I know because I looked up for a few seconds.

  “You are making me uncomfortable,” I said quietly.

  “You are making me uncomfortable too Carly,” Jase lifted my chin face again, “I want to take you out tonight. The past hour and a half made me laugh. No one here is thinking you’re a freak. They would not dare say so if they did.”

  “That doesn’t make me feel any better,” I breathed out, and he sat me on the table or bed or whatever the thing was called it.

  He stood between my legs and hugged he, like I was a little kid. He
hugged me and rubbed my back. Awe damn it he is to sweet.

  “How many days do we have?”

  “Two.”

  “Sucks, I wish it were more.”

  “You do?”

  “Yay,” He kissed my head, “When will you be back?”

  “Christmas.”

  “Cool,” he stepped back, “That’s cool right?”

  I shook my head yes and rolled my eyes, “I don’t want to miss you. And I cant believe I just said that, out loud, to you. Stupid mouth.”

  He smiled, “I like your stupid mouth,” he rubbed my cheek with his thumb, “I really like you. And I am really going to tell Abe before our date.”

  “Why? I mean seriously why?”

  “He is my best friend. I feel like I am cheating on my bro Baby, it’s not cool,” he smiled, dimple winked at me for the first time today, swoon, and all better.

  “I think we should just spare him, it’s not like we are going to see each other after this,” it was a statement that of course came out as a question and he smiled.

  “We can stay in touch if you want. But seriously I want us to have fun tonight, can you do that for me Baby?”

  “Could you act like a complete jackass tonight so I wont get sad when I think about not seeing you again?”

  “Now why would I do that to myself, gotta keep my options open Carly,” he tried to smile.

  “There you go,” I smiled up at him.

  “That’s what you want me to do, act like this isn't going to drive me crazy too? I don’t do the whole like the girl thing Carly, I do the fuck the girl thing. And then you show up here and knock me on my ass. But if you need a dick, I can be whatever dick you need me to be.”

  “A lot of dick talk today Jase.” I tried to joke and swallowed hard.

  “Whatever dick you need baby,” Jase kissed me sweetly his lips over mine, and again and again. He pulled back, “Do you have to go home or can you just stay, I have one more appointment that’s it.”

  “Your not afraid I will pass out and freak them out.”

  “I will catch you if you do, just stay.”

  Jase left the room to grab something’s he needed for his next appointment and I sat still on the table. I saw what looked like a menu sitting on the counter by the small sink and jumped up grabbed it and sat back down. It was a menu of services they offered. The tattoo prices were based on size, amount of detail, and the total number of colors used for the design. Piercing seemed expensive I think it was only like twenty bucks to get my ears pierced but, “Oh My God!”

  Jase walked in with a salad and bread he looked at me and started laughing and kicked the door shut.

  “You could not have just told me? You let me go on and on about Prince Albert in a can!”

  He set the food down and started laughing, and I stood up and opened the door and walked out and started heading down the hall. I heard him behind me laughing his fool head off and then he grabbed me and picked me up, “Put me down asshole,” I am pretty sure I whispered.

  He laughed, “No way.”

  “Now Jase or so help me God!” Okay and now I am pretty sure I didn’t whisper. Everyone, including clients popped their heads out of the rooms and watched me struggling to get away.

  “Never,” he laughed out loud and swung me around and kissed me right on the mouth in front of everyone.

  “Prince Albert?” Zander yelled out.

  Jase pulled away “Yay.”

  He pulled me into the room, “Let go!’ I slapped him, and he made a pouty face and then laughed. “Do they think we…” Jase laughed louder, “Seriously I am getting pissed Jase.”

  “No, Carly that’s not what they think. I told them about Prince Albert in the can, and we have all been laughing about it since,” Jase smiled and kissed my cheek.

  “They know about me!”

  “Of course they,” he stopped and looked surprised.

  I crossed my arms in front of myself, “Oh please do go on.”

  “They just know Carly okay?” He looked worried, and I didn’t want him to. I loved how he laughed and smiled and made me feel. I liked that he felt comfortable enough to tell his family about our friendship.

  “Okay,” I smiled and shook my head.

  “Okay?” he smiled back.

  “Yay,” I hugged him.

  “I like you Carly.”

  “I like you back Jase.”

  Chapter 7

  I sat looking at a magazine while Jase gauged a kids ear. His name was Gavin, and he was only twelve and his Dad was with him. Jase explained how they would slowly make the hole bigger. Taper’s and Gauges and Prince Albert’s oh my, I sang in my head so that I would not think about what was going on. I really did not want to pass out again.

  When they left Jase smiled at me, “You’ll never be in the medical field Carly.”

  “Nope,” I smiled as he walked over to me.

  “Okay so if you could do anything you wanted to tonight what would you want to do?”

  “Are you trying to get off the hook here? You asked me out, shouldn’t you be the one trying to figure it out?”

  “Less than two hours in a tattoo parlor and you think you’re a bad ass huh? Mouthy mouthy girl.”

  I could not help but smile at him, all the damn time. And he was right I was feeling like a bad ass. Like when I listen to Pink, she always pumps me up. For what I am not sure because I really was not a fighter. But hey sometimes a girl just needs to feel a little empowered, like Gloria Steinem empowered, I can change the world, and you cant stop me!

  “What the hell are you thinking?” Jase caught me deep in thought and laughed.

  I stood up and walked around him, “Woman’s Liberation movement, you know the 1960’s ?”

  “No, I really don’t know the 1960’s and I am pretty sure you did not either.”

  “Book Club,’ we both said at the same time and laughed.

  “Okay so dinner, definitely and then maybe go see a live band on the boardwalk, dance, walk to the beach…”

  “Stroll hand in hand under the moonlight and then,” I stopped and looked at him.

  “And then what Carly?”

  The way he was looking at me was nothing but naughty. I tried to figure out something to shock him with, but it was taking to long and his eyes were roaming my body and my body was liking it to much.

  “I think I want a tattoo.” Why the hell did I say that?

  He smiled, “Really.” It was not a question it was a statement.

  “Sure why not?” See I am kind of bad ass.

  “What would you like?” Jase sat down and crossed his arms smirking which completely egged me on.

  “You’re the artist you tell me.” There hot stuff ball is in your court.

  He looked at me differently than he had before, “Stand up.”

  I did as he asked quickly and willingly.

  “Somewhere that you could hide it,” he walked around me slowly looking me up and down, “It would have to be somewhere intimate. Not showy, something for you. Lay on the table.”

  I did, and he lifted the shirt I was wearing exposing my stomach but not to much. He ran his pinky between my waist band and hip. I felt my mouth open a little and immediately my mouth went dry.

  He looked up at me and swallowed hard. “Right here,” he rubbed my hip bone lightly and I had to widen my eyes to stop them from rolling. He noticed and his jaw muscle flexed, and he licked his lips and then bit his sulky bottom lip. He lowered his head and kissed my hip bone and then ran his silver ball back and forth across it slowly. I whimpered. Yay I did just like they say in those damn books.

  He looked up at me, his face was flush, and I know mine was. His pupils were dilated, they didn’t talk about that in those books, and he did not look away. After a million beats of my heart, he finally broke eye contact and kissed me lightly again and then stood up.

  “There is no way in hell I could ink you,” his laugh was deep and dark.

  I pushed myse
lf up on my elbows and cleared my throat, “Why not?”

  “My name would be all over you. Carly I need a minute okay?” he did not wait for an answer he walked out the door rather quickly.

  I laid back down and groaned. I hope he was not mad at me. I sat up and sat with my legs criss crossed. On the table.

  Jase walked back in and handed me my shirt, “It’s dry.”

  “O…K,” I was a little embarrassed and a lot confused.

  He looked at the ground and smiled shyly and laughed, “You are killing me.”

  “What, I, Jase I am not trying…” God what do you say to that?

  “I like you. You are a good girl. You leave in a couple days. This kind of sucks,” I watched his face turn red and said nothing. He looked up at me through his insanely dark eyelashes and then scowled and looked down. “I am going to get you home. I have a few things to do before I take you on a real date.”

  I sat there and looked at him. He looked nervous and scared. The same way I felt.

  “So no tattoo?” I smiled hoping to ease his angst-ridden appearance.

  “If you still want one when you come back for Christmas I promise to pull my shit together long enough to ink you Carly,” he smiled. Thank God he smiled.

  “Deal.” I jumped off the table and stuck out my hand and shook his hand firm, but not to firm. Just like I had at my college interview last year. I read a book on no verbal cues, showing confidence was important.