by M. A. Stone
“You know, you can trust any of us here. We all love your brother to death, we would do just about anything for him.” he said. I shot him a smile.
“Thank you. You have all been really great. It has taken me a bit to warm up to you guys. A lot of bad stuff has happened to me lately. But you guys have definitely earned my trust. And I really like working here. It’s different to say the least!” He smiled.
“As for my employment, I worked for a software company that designs video games and websites, stuff like that. I also write profiles and do admin work for dating sites.”
“Seriously??!!” he asked with a laugh.
“Yes, seriously. Aside from working here, it pays the bills.”
“Does it pay well?”
“The dating profile stuff? It can. Especially on some of the more risqué sites,” I replied. He raised an eyebrow in curiosity.
“Such as?”
“Really?”
“Uh yeah. I mean, tell me about these naughty sites you work for,” he said, teasing me. I laughed.
“Ok, well the S&M sites, places like that, that’s what I meant. There are some sites that are really just forums, places to use as like a naughty Twitter. But other sites, need web design, admin set up, etc. And their members have no idea how to write a profile that catches attention. So the site will offer my services as a fee to their members. It’s funny how there are some people who are amazing public speakers, skilled professionals, but they have no clue how to tell someone about themselves,” I replied.
“Yeah that little white box can be intimidating,” he said as if he totally understood.
“I take it you have experience with dating sites then?”
“Yeah. Well, I tried the whole online dating thing once. It’s either skanks, who want dick, or women who are like tattoo shop groupies, we call them tattoo tramps. Or, once the women find out what I do and about all of my ink, they think I am some homicidal biker who wants to cut them up and bury them. And let’s not even go there when I tell them I was in prison for five years. It’s hard to find” the one”, when people can’t see past your outside,” he muttered. I nodded, and gave him a sympathetic smile.
“Hey Jack!!! Your appointment is here!” yelled Axel. Jack stood up and smiled. He walked out, and then stuck his head back into the office. Axel, standing behind him, glared like an angry Peter Pan, at him for being alone with me in the office no doubt.
“Thanks Bleu. You’re nice to talk to,” he said with a breathtaking smile. Then he was gone. Axel looked at me with a death glare and I stuck my tongue out at him. Axel stalked after him, his face tight with anger. I threw away my trash and walked back out to my desk.
The door jingled as someone entered. I rushed out of the office with the boxful of pens I had been looking for. The blonde from the other night walked through the door. Great! She looked at me with a sneer. She was wearing an ivory colored linen suit and four inch beige heels. Her hair fell over her shoulders and was perfectly blonde. She looked like something out of a magazine. She was totally not in my brother's league. She would chew him up and spit him out. Wait a minute. Pussy? Check. Pulse? Check. Never mind, she was JUST the right kind of girl for him.
“Why look who it is!” she said with fake enthusiasm, her smile not reaching her eyes. I smiled sweetly, opening the box and placing the pens on the front desk in a cup.
“Well hello. Slumming it are we?” I retorted. She gave me a dirty look.
“I have an appointment with Axel,” she spit out angrily. She sat down with a huff and shot me a nasty look. I hoped he inked something obscene on her forehead.
“Well let me go get him for you dear,” I shot back at her.
I walked out from behind the counter and went to the back. Axel and Jack were at the drafting tables, drawing up some stuff and talking. They looked up when they heard me approach.
“Axel, Blow Job Barbie is here for her “appointment”, “I said nastily. Jack put his head down on the drafting table and made a valiant attempt not to laugh too loud. Axel shot him a look and then looked back to me. Gone was the happy look on his face from a few moments ago. He looked tense and he did not look pleased. What the hell?
“Everyone is afraid of that train wreck, we usually just avoid her, but I love that you nicknamed her,” Jack said laughing. Axel gave him another dirty look. He flipped all of us off. We all cracked up.
Axel stood up and went out front, shaking his head. The other artist Matt looked over his station wall and chuckled. He was tall and skinny, with spiked blue hair, septum and lip piercings and the deepest brown eyes I had ever seen. They reminded me of someone, but I could not put my finger on it. He always had on a long sleeved Henley shirt, but I had seen his forearms and he had impressive ink on those as well.
“Blow Job Barbie? Really?” Matt shook his head and smiled, then laughed his deep, rough laugh. His voice was really deep and scratchy. Jack looked at me, mirth and mischief in his eyes.
“I still think it was awesome. I am glad she works here,” said Jack. Matt grinned and nodded.
“Talk to you later then,” Matt said with a slow, easy smile. He walked back to his work station and folded his tall body back into it. Good Lord, are all the guys who work here hot?
It was barely seven, and the shop was seriously hopping. All of the rooms were filled and there were a few people waiting in the waiting room. They were mostly waiting for work in the garage. I restocked copies of Inked Magazine, when the door opened. In walked my best friend Abby and the busy waiting room, mostly filled with men, got quiet. She was tall, with a slender body and blonde hair down her to ass. She was wearing skinny jeans that look like they were painted on, brown stilettos and a short sleeved white v neck shirt. Her arms jangled with the oodles of gold bangle bracelets she had on. Half the guys in the waiting room drooled, and it made me smile. She flicked her long blonde hair over her shoulder and then ran over to me and smiled wide, showcasing her perfect white teeth. Sighing, we hugged tightly.
“Good lord Abs, you can’t run around here dressed like that, I think half the guys in the waiting room just had heart attacks,” I murmured, staring down at her impressive “twins”. She choked out a laugh and smacked my arm. One of the guys sitting behind her nodded in agreement at my comment. I laughed.
“Your aunt told me that you were back in town! Two weeks???!! I cannot believe you did not freakin call me!” she exclaimed. Her voice killed me; it made her sound like a chain smoker who pours Jack Daniels in her cereal every morning, all husky and smoky. People apparently expected a squeaky Valley girl type of voice. They were always thrown for a loop when she opened her mouth and talked to them. Apparently it drove guy’s crazy, hell it kind of turned me on too and I had known her since birth. Jack popped his head out of the office and she waved, stuck out her tongue, and then turned her attention back to me, rolling her eyes. Jack grinned and went back into the office.
“Sorry Abs, I was just trying to get settled in before I called you,” I said with a shrug. She frowned. We walked over to the desk and away from prying eyes and ears. She leaned against the desk and a look of determination crossed her pretty face.
“Want me to kick that bastard’s ass and cut off his balls?” she asked, a little too loud for my liking. One of the guys that had been ogling her turned pale and choked out a cough. She snickered and shook her head.
“She told you huh?” I asked. She nodded.
“There is not too much that does not get talked about in this town, you know that. Hell I think the post mistress knows what position I tried out in the Kama Sutra last night. I am just surprised your uncle did not haul ass to Philly and castrate him,” she remarked.
“He was threatened death by Aunt Almeida if he did. You know how she can get when she is pregnant. He did say something about going to New Orleans and a voodoo curse though,” I replied with a laugh.
“I could go kick his ass, your aunt doesn’t scare me,” she said smiling and putting her arm ar
ound me.
“It’s okay. Karma is a bitch. Besides I don’t want you to end up in jail. You would not make it in prison without product,” I said with a shrug. She studied my face to see if I was really as okay as I said I was. Satisfied, she nodded.
“Bleu, we need to go shopping,” she said after a moment, clapping her hands in finality. I laughed. I should have known that this was coming. I was just surprised she had waited this long to say anything.
“Really? You are here five minutes and you are already picking at me? I will have you know that I happened to just grab this and went out the door,” I replied, pointing to my well-worn cut off jean shorts and NIN t shirt.
“First of all, everyone can tell that you just grabbed that before walking out the door. You did not have to broadcast it. Secondly, you could never lie to me, even on your best day. No arguments. Besides, retail therapy is better than drowning your sorrows in a bottle like a homeless whino. I am giving you a week and then we are going to do some major retail therapy. Just because you are the new shop mom at Insatiable does not mean you have to dress like a down on your luck hooker,” she proclaimed. I snorted. There was no point in arguing with her, there never had been. Besides, she had said no arguments. She picked up her bag and went into the back room. Probably to talk to my brother. They were as tight as she and I were. We had all grown up together. We had all been glued to one another since first grade, after she beat the crap out of my brother for looking up her dress. I am surprised she didn’t end up with him, but her response was she wasn’t into white guys and we all left it at that.
“She is hot! Do you think you could give me her number?” asked one of the guys sitting in the waiting room. He looked like a Neo Nazi skin head, but I knew Abby was taken. She had been married for three years to the most incredible man, who was a high school gym teacher. His name was Lamar.
“Sorry buddy. She’s married and her husband is scary,” I replied, answering the ringing phone behind me. He shrugged and went back to his battered magazine.
At ten that night, I left to go get some dinner. The shop usually closed at eight, but tonight Axel and Matt had appointments. Abby had left, not looking too happy after talking to Axel, and I figured she had met up with his little friend. I would have to ask her about that snotty little bitch when we got together. Blowjob Barbie had left right after Abby did, and the ebb and flow of the shop was steady. Seeing as how I have nothing better to do, I volunteered to stay back and help them out. Hence the dinner runs for the shop. I walked down the street to the deli and I looked around the neighborhood. It was mostly small business and a few apartments. I got to the deli just as they were about to close, but they let me in. I ordered a chicken wrap and some subs for the guys and walked back to my brother’s shop. Sitting out on a bench to the side of the front door, I took off my boots, and sat there, my legs tucked under me. Gazing up at the starry sky, I let out the breath I was holding. The door opened next to me and a tall, well-dressed older man with blonde hair and tanned skin walked out. He was buttoning the cuffs of his pale yellow dress shirt and he smiled at me. Tossing his suit jacket into the back seat of his car, I have him a little wave as he got into his white BMW. He nodded to me and pulled out of the parking lot. Grabbing a hair tie off of my wrist, I tied my long black hair up in a sloppy bun and started eating my sandwich. As I ate I pulled out my phone, seeing that there were already a few messages from Abby, mentioning going shopping with her this weekend. She was not letting me out of this one it seemed. So much for giving me a week. After I replied, I stuck the phone back in my pocket and leaned against the bench once more.
“What are you doing out here all alone? “Turning around, I smiled when I saw it was Jack. I made room for him on the bench and he sat down. I handed him his turkey sub and he nodded in thanks, as he unwrapped it.
“Eating dinner. Sorry I did not bring your stuff in right away, but Matt said you were still working on that guy and I did not want to interrupt,” I replied.
“Now worries, thanks for getting the food by the way,” he said. He nudged me playfully and I grinned.
“It’s a beautiful night,” I replied. He took a bite and smiled.
“I agree. Nights like this make me sometimes wish I could stay outside all the time,” he whispered.
“Yeah but if you did that, you would be able to do what you do in there,” I said, motioning toward the shop.
“And what exactly would you call what I do in there Ms. Drawn?” he asked, with a sexy ass grin.
“Make things beautiful,” I whispered. He nodded, and I did not know what to say after that. I felt like a huge cornball and I had no idea where that had even come from! We sat there in silence for a while, enjoying one another’s company and not talking, not really needing to. I was afraid if I opened my mouth again, I was going to say something ridiculous again.
“Well I better get back inside,” he said, after a while. He wadded up his empty sandwich wrapper and tossed it into the trash near our bench.
“Thanks for sitting out here with me,” I said. He nodded and turned to walk away, my eyes following him the whole way in.
Midnight found me sitting on my brother’s front porch sipping a glass of sweet tea. A tall woman had followed him home, and although I did not agree with his bed hopping, I was relieved it was not Blow Job Barbie. I seriously could not deal with her face right now. Leaning against one of the pillars on the porch, I closed my eyes as the gentle breeze drifted over me.
“Lonely?” said my brother’s voice. Sitting up suddenly, I shot him a questioning look. He had scared the crap out of me.
“I thought you were busy,” I replied, the sarcasm evident in my voice. He smirked and sat down next to me. He was wearing jeans and nothing else. At least it was better than the towel.
“She passed out on me. I may be a lot of things, but I don’t take advantage of passed out chicks,” he replied with a sad smile. He sat next to me and put his legs on my lap.
“How noble of you.Is that like the Man whore Mantra or something?” He nudged me and laughed. I poked his side with my big toe.
“Bitch,” he said.
“Asshole,” I replied.
“So I see Abs came in to scold you,” he said.
“Yeah. I did not realize how much I missed her! She and I are going to hang out this weekend. She wants to take me clothes shopping,” I said with a frown.
“Yeah she might be on to something there. You look like hell,” he said. I punched his arm. He laughed, stood up and padded into the house.
“Hey Axel?”
“Yeah?”
“Are things okay? I know you said things were crazy, but are they better?” I asked. He looked at me, acted like he was going to say something, but then his face completely shut down. He shook his head and then walked into the house without say a word. What in the hell??? Why wouldn't he just talk to me? What in the world was going on? I started to stand up and follow him, but I knew that he was just as stubborn as I was and I was not going to get anywhere tonight.
Chapter Four
The next morning, Axel left before I had even climbed out of bed. I figured I was going to make this day easy. Grabbing some coffee at Starbucks on the way to the shop, I bought some for everyone else too. Pulling in, I opened the door, climbed out with the coffee holder and shut the car door with my hip. Nudging the front door open with my butt, I set the coffee down on the counter. Jack walked in from the back and smiled at me.
“Good Morning Bleu. What’s that you have there?” he asked, eyeing the coffee and smiling.
“I thought I would be a nice shop mom and bring everyone coffee.” I replied. He sighed happily and clasped my hands, hopping up and down a bit as he did it.
“Marry me???” he asked with a fake French accent. Laughing, I handed him a cup of steaming coffee.
“Thanks for the offer. Are you that hard up for coffee??” I asked incredulously.
“Coffee maker at home broke. I forgot to grab some
this morning and this is one of those days where I freakin need some coffee! “He replied. I nodded in understanding. He hugged me and grabbed a cup. Smiling, I again admired how great he smelled. He was wearing baggy carpenter jeans, a Ramones t shirt and a button down short sleeved shirt on top of it, unbuttoned. He had some brown Docs on, scuffed and well loved. Me on the other hand, I had on a pair of jeans again with a hole artfully placed on my right knee, a blood red tank top with skulls all over it and a black hoodie. My hair was flowing over my shoulders. Abby would so not approve and part of me dressed like this just to spit her.
“Well seeing as how I have a sneaking suspicion that your intentions are less than genuine and may have something to do with early morning coffee offerings, I am not sure, but ask me tomorrow, I just might consider your proposal,” I replied well naturedly. He smiled, held up the coffee in thanks and headed to the back room. How I loved watching that man walk away from me. Hell, I liked watching him walk toward me too.
“Close your mouth loser,” said my brother, coming in behind me, snagging a cup of coffee. Shooting him an angry look and rolling my eyes, I stuck my tongue out at him. Matt was not far behind him; he gave me thumbs up as he took his coffee and went in the back.
“Shut up. I wasn’t doing anything,” I replied. He snorted.
“Yeah ok. After being with someone like Carl, I would have had sex with a parking meter.”
“I am NOT you. Far from it! And besides, didn't you get arrested for almost having sex with a parking meter???” I asked. He smirked.
“It was Spring Break and I was faded,” he replied, like it was nothing.
“Yeah your ass was faded and your dick was chafed. Seriously though, I have no intention of sleeping with anyone, Jack included,” I remarked. Axel looked up and over my shoulder. I nearly choked when Jack came back in.
