Rivers of Ink

by Julie Archer

  He reread the date. It was time stamped the day he found Xander and Isobel together. Did that mean his brother was going to walk out on him, and Isobel had planned a replacement?

  He didn’t have time to think any further as his customer arrived. They went upstairs, and Callan was grateful that Pearl had already set up his station, which meant he could get started straight away. He pulled on his gloves and fired up the tattoo gun. Luckily, it was one of his regulars who wanted a filler colour on one of his existing tattoos. It was something that didn’t require him to think much, which was just as well as the contents of the email reeled around in his brain.

  There was a small part of him that wanted to contact Isobel and ask her what the hell was going on. That would be more hassle than it was worth. He finished up the filling work in less than half an hour, then methodically tidied up his station, the routine elements of wiping down the area, throwing away the used paper towels and tiny pots of ink somewhat therapeutic. Once he was done, he went into the office. He sat on the desk, his back to the door, and stared out of the window.

  “All right, Callan?” Aidy said from behind him.

  Callan turned and exhaled loudly. “Not really, mate, no.”

  Aidy shut the door behind him. “What’s up?”

  He explained the contact from Jason and how he planned to come in that afternoon. “Do you think he knew about Xander and Isobel?”

  “No-one knew about that and we worked with them every day.” Aidy paused. “Look, I know it’s been difficult for you to think about replacing Xander, this Jason guy could be the answer. Think about it, there’s nothing on the grapevine to say you’re over what happened and you’re moving on. You haven’t advertised to say there’s a job here. Why not let him come in and see what happens?”

  As always, Aidy spoke a lot of sense. There was no point in cutting Jason off simply because he responded to something Isobel sent him. Like Alicia, he was probably looking for a break. It didn’t necessarily make it hurt any less though.

  “Okay, you’ve convinced me. I’ll talk to him.”

  Aidy slapped him on the back. “Good decision, Cal. What’s the worst that could happen?”

  Alicia knocked on the office door. Aidy opened it and beckoned her inside. Callan’s gaze swept over her. She was dressed in tight dark blue jeans, spike heeled boots, and a loose, scoop neck t-shirt that was short enough to occasionally reveal a hint of her abs as she moved. Her dark chocolate hair was pulled back in a ponytail, and Callan had a sudden urge to reach out and pull it free from its band, releasing it over her shoulders.

  “I’m going to get a coffee,” she said. “Can I get you two anything?”

  “It’s okay, you don’t have to do that,” said Callan.

  She smiled. “I know. I guessed you might need it after that email this morning?”

  Callan almost knocked Aidy out of the way to go to hug her. It was almost as if she was in his head. “That would be great, thank you.”

  “Americano with an extra shot, right?”

  “Perfect.” Pretty much like you, he added silently. “Don’t let Wren coerce you into buying me cake.”

  Alicia laughed. “I know. I’ve been in there twice and she’s definitely a feeder.”

  Aidy groaned. “Who do you think has to taste the new recipes she wants to try out?”

  Callan put his hand in his pocket and fished out a note, but Alicia waved it away and headed off. He watched her walk away, transfixed by the way her arse looked in her jeans.

  “Uh oh, I recognise that look,” said Aidy.

  “What do you mean?”

  “Do you really think it’s a good idea getting involved with the receptionist again? I mean, look how that turned out last time.”

  “Low blow, Aidy.” Callan shook his head.

  “Don’t think I haven’t noticed the way you two have been looking at each other. Sneaking glances when you think that no-one else can see. What’s going on?”

  While Callan definitely wanted there to be something, he hadn’t yet been able to broach the subject directly with Alicia. Within days of her starting, she had already made a great difference to the place, lightening the mood and doing things that weren’t strictly in the job description—like getting his coffee. There was always someone around when he wanted to talk to her, and he hadn’t yet managed to persuade her to let him take her to lunch or for a drink after work. There always seemed to be something—or someone—in the way.

  “Nothing. I don’t know what you’re on about,” he lied.

  “Really? I’ve seen you look that way before, like you can’t wait to get her into bed.”

  Once again, Aidy was right. Almost fifteen years of friendship could do that. He just needed to work out a way to convince Alicia.

  It was shortly after four o’clock that Jason Mackey arrived. Callan had been free since mid-afternoon and had been sitting downstairs with Alicia on one of the sofas going through some marketing ideas. He had to admit that compared to anything Isobel had suggested, Ali’s were way ahead. He knew he’d been right to go with the more corporate-minded applicant.

  “I’m looking for Callan Rivers?” A male voice carried across the floor.

  Both Callan and Alicia turned to look. A tall, dark-haired guy, wearing biker boots, jeans, and a checked shirt, walked towards them. His hair was slightly floppy on top, styled back to reveal the shaved sides of his head.

  “Jason?” The man nodded, and Callan stood up. “I’m Callan.” They shook hands, and Callan noted Jason’s firm grip. “Why don’t we go upstairs for a chat?” He led the way and shut the door behind them.

  “I didn’t know whether you’d want to see me,” said Jason, once they were both seated. “I heard about your brother.”

  Callan nodded solemnly. “I have to admit your email came as a bit of a shock. I had no idea Isobel had contacted you.”

  “Well, I haven’t spoken to her in a while, but when we were first in touch, she mentioned there were staffing issues and Xander was thinking of leaving and it might also mean she would go too.”

  That confirmed Callan’s initial suspicions. If he hadn’t have found Xander and Isobel that night, they would have left anyway. He couldn’t help wondering whether Xander would still be alive if they had done. And how well did Jason know Isobel anyway? Now wasn’t the time to think about that. Callan had to look forward.

  “Why don’t you tell me about some of the stuff you’ve done?” he asked instead.

  As Jason spoke, Callan half-listened. He was in turmoil about whether he’d be able to work with someone else. It made good business sense, whether he was able to make sense of it on a personal level was another matter. If he decided that Jason would be a good fit, he'd need to talk it through with Aidy.

  “I’ll go and get Aidy; you’d be working mostly with him and it would be useful for you to have a chat.” Callan escaped from the stuffiness of the room and headed downstairs. He had a quick word with Aidy who went up to the office.

  Alicia was pulling on her jacket.

  “You off?” he asked.

  She stopped, a look of concern on her face. “If that’s okay?”

  He wanted to ask her for a drink, to go back to his and stay with him. “Of course. Unless you want to grab a drink or a bite to eat? I never did take you out for lunch.”

  “Thanks, Callan, I’d love to, but I’m going to yoga with Nell tonight and she’d kill me if she thought I was ducking out again. Maybe another time?”

  Callan didn’t do a very good job of hiding his regret as he replied. “No worries. You will come back tomorrow though?”

  “I’ll think about it.” Alicia’s smile was mischievous. “I wouldn’t want to disappoint my new boss two days running.”

  He watched her walk out, his heart heavy. She was anything but a disappointment.

  As he waited for Aidy to finish talking to Jason, he took a quick look at the appointments book for the rest of the week. There was a healthy number
of clients booked in, he knew they could do better. He thought back to what Aidy had said about them not overtly advertising Xander’s role. Could Jason be the answer? His mind drifted as he waited, thinking back to the times when he, Xander, and Isobel would be bantering in between clients. Happier times, when he had no idea what was going on between the two of them. Then that image of the two of them together crept back into his head and he shuddered, trying to get rid of it again.

  “Cal?” Aidy’s voice brought him back to the present. “I’ve had a good chat with Jason. Was there anything else you wanted to say?”

  Jason was smiling at him. Callan guessed that the conversation with Aidy had gone well. “Not really. Let us know if there’s anything else you want to know, yeah?” He extended a hand and Jason shook it.

  “Thanks for taking the time, guys,” he said. “And hopefully I’ll see you again soon.”

  Aidy locked the door after Jason left, and Callan turned some of the lights off.

  “You want to go get a beer?” asked Callan.

  “Yeah, good idea. Let me tell Wren I’ll be a bit late.” Aidy pulled his phone out from his pocket and fired off a quick message as Callan sorted out the till.

  Fifteen minutes later, they were sitting at a quiet table in the Trackside Social. Callan scanned the room for any sign of Alicia, but he guessed she must have been telling the truth about going to yoga. He took a slug of his pint. “Do you think you could work with Jason?”

  Aidy mirrored his move. “I don’t see why not. He seems to have decent contacts and could pull some clients away from Cutting Ink. If he didn’t work for us, he’d end up working for them.”

  “You’re right.” Callan paused. “Want to call him and offer him a job?”

  “When did I become the HR department?” laughed Aidy. “Sure, I’ll speak to him later.”

  They clinked their glasses.

  A thought occurred to Callan. “Do you think he’s still in touch with Isobel?”

  “Mate, if he is, he should know all about what’s gone on. He still chose to come and have a chat with you though.”

  “True. I just don’t want to have to see her again.”

  “It’s not like you bump into her anywhere, is it? She knows to stay away.”

  “I hope you’re right, Aidy. I don’t want to have to deal with her.”

  9

  “I can’t believe you still want me to go through with this blind date.” Alicia applied another layer of mascara to her lashes as Nell watched. It was Friday night and the end of Alicia’s first week at The Unbound Soul.

  “Kyle’s really nice.”

  “Ooo, nice. You’re really selling him to me, Nell.”

  Nell punched Alicia’s arm, and she smeared mascara over her cheek. “He’s new to Rory’s work, moved to Oakridge from up north somewhere, and doesn’t have any friends yet. We thought you might like him. After all, it’s been ages since you had a proper relationship.”

  Alicia rolled her eyes as she cleaned off the black streak. It had been a while since her last relationship had ended, and it hadn’t ended well. The guy she had been seeing managed to clean out her bank account shortly before she was made redundant and pretty much left her penniless. She had never been more pleased to lose a job in her life. Since she’d come back, there had been a smattering of dates here and there with people she vaguely knew and, of course, there had been Callan. That wasn’t a relationship. She didn’t know what that was. They hadn’t actually spoken about it since she’d started at The Unbound Soul. Whenever they were together there was an air of sexual tension that fizzed between them, though neither of them acted on it. Maybe he wasn’t interested and saw it as a one off.

  She had to go into tonight’s date with an open mind.

  The moment she laid eyes on Kyle, she was certain it wasn’t going to go anywhere. The four of them were going to La Mesa Tapas for food and then over to one of the clubs to see a band. At least if things didn’t go so well over dinner, she wouldn’t have to talk to Kyle too much at the club. Kyle was already waiting for them there. He was dressed in navy chinos and a preppy, checked shirt, topped with a mustard coloured blazer. She found herself checking his hands to see if he had any tattoos, and when she found naked skin, she couldn’t contain her disappointment. He kissed her on both cheeks, and she felt nothing.

  They were already on desserts by the time Kyle actually plucked up the courage to speak to her directly. The conversation had consisted of Rory and Kyle talking about their latest problems with their clients, Rory and Nell arguing about where to go on holiday, and Nell and Alicia deciding which box set was their next choice to watch.

  “Alicia, what is it that you do again?” asked Kyle.

  “I work at The Unbound Soul, covering reception and doing marketing stuff. Callan and I are thinking of this amazing new campaign for next month and I think it’s going to bring in some fantastic results.” Even thinking about the ideas they’d bounced off each other made Alicia feel proud and excited all at the same time.

  “What’s that? I don’t think I’ve ever heard of it,” said Kyle.

  I doubt you would, thought Alicia. You’re probably scared of needles and get your hair cut by the same person that did it when you were twelve. “It’s a barber and tattoo studio in Fosse Arcade. If you’ve heard of Cutting Ink, then they’re the main rivals.”

  Kyle nodded his head as if he knew exactly what she was talking about. “Sounds interesting. Rory said you were a Marketing Director?”

  “Yeah, used to be, when I was in London. Things didn’t work out though, so I came back here.”

  Kyle nodded again. “Right.”

  Alicia kicked Nell under the table and the two of them excused themselves to go to the ladies.

  “I don’t think Kyle and I are quite going to hit it off,” said Alicia.

  “I’m sorry. He did sound nice when Rory first mentioned him.”

  “I’m sure he is, just not for me.” Alicia checked out her reflection and fluffed up her hair. “When can we go to the club? I need a proper drink.”

  “All in good time. And Kyle will still have to come with us. You can’t dump him here.”

  “Ugh, okay.”

  An hour later, they were jammed around a table at the club, the sounds of The Weekend Revolution reverberating through the air. Alicia’s eyes scanned the other clubbers for people that she knew, and she waved at a group of girls she remembered from one of her previous contract jobs.

  “I’m going to get another drink,” she said. Escaping from the table, she went to the bar, squeezing her way through the crowd to get to the front. She waited for a while, trying to catch the attention of the barman. “Double vodka tonic, please,” she said, when she was finally served. She sipped the drink as she waited for her change, wondering how long she would have to stay before it was time to make a polite exit. As she turned to make her way back to the table, she bumped into a solid chest and spilled most of her drink over her dress.

  “Shit! I’m so sorry, there are so many people here, it’s difficult to move,” said the guy she’d knocked into.

  Alicia focused on the owner of the voice and found herself staring straight into Callan’s eyes.

  “If anyone’s going to get me wet, I’m glad it was you,” she said.

  “Me too.” The blue pools twinkled at her.

  Without another word, he grabbed her hand and pulled her into the corridor that led to the backstage area. He took her glass and dropped it to the floor with a crack as his body trapped her between him and the wall. He ran a finger down her jawline, his eyes boring deeply into hers before his mouth crashed onto hers. His other hand reached for hers, grasping it tightly, his fingernails digging into her skin. Alicia couldn’t help but respond, her body writhing against his as she wound her hand into his hair, pulling him closer to her. His erection was pressing into her as their kisses became more fervent. Callan’s hands slipped under her dress, bunching the material up, his fingers pressing
into her hipbones as his mouth slid to the side of her neck, teeth nipping the skin there. Alicia felt herself growing wetter as his fingers slipped up towards her breasts, palms grazing her nipples as they tightened under his touch. Her own hands went between the buttons of his shirt, exploring his abs and he tensed, exhaling loudly.

  “Fuck, Alicia, I want you right now,” he groaned. “My place?”

  Alicia didn’t need to be asked twice. “I’ll meet you outside in five minutes.” She rushed back to the table, grabbed her bag and coat, and made an excuse to Nell about needing to leave.

  “Wait, do you want me to come with you?”

  “I’ll be fine.” Alicia threw the words back over her shoulder as she hurried back to the entrance. “Callan’s with me.”

  Callan was waiting for her, holding a taxi. They jumped in and the car sped off. The anticipation in Alicia’s body was building. Callan didn’t make any attempt to reach for her, and her fingers itched to touch him. She was pleased that the journey didn’t take too long, she couldn’t wait to get inside. This was getting to be a bit of a habit—one Alicia didn’t think she wanted to break.

  They crashed through the door and headed straight for the bedroom. Alicia barely had time to take her coat off before Callan’s lips were on hers again.

  “Sit on the edge of the bed,” he commanded.

  She did as he asked and kicked off her shoes. He knelt down in front of her, pushing her dress up over her thighs and moving in between her legs, his shoulders forcing her thighs apart, spreading her open. She moaned when he lifted one of her legs over his shoulder before his mouth went down on her, his tongue circling her clit through the sheer material of her panties. Instinctively, she tried to buck against him, hampered while Callan held her in place, his tongue continuing to stimulate her. He pulled off her knickers and carefully inserted a finger, then a second, manoeuvring it to hit exactly the right spot.