by LS Anders
“You, and how much you’ve changed over the past year. You’re one lucky son of a b—, gun. Son of a gun. You know, it’s really hard not to cuss.”
“Yes, I know. I can handle the dirty diapers and no sleep, but I never imagined changing my vocabulary would be the hardest part about being a father.”
“Wait until she goes out on her first date.”
Tegan’s brows slammed down over his eyes. “She’s not datin’. Ever.”
Annnnd…, he was going to leave it at that. Hell hath no fury like a daddy with a beautiful daughter. He could almost feel sorry for the bastard who set his sights on Caroline. Of course, he would have to go through Uncle Jason, too.
Looking at his friend now, his decision to move to Maine didn’t seem quite so decided. Maybe he could stay in New York and just find another tattoo studio to work in, because working with Evana was no longer possible. Her hot and cold routine had worn him down to a single raw nerve. His heart couldn’t take being around her daily.
“Why do I have this feeling you need to tell me something?” Tegan asked.
“I don’t want to pull you away from the baby, but I need a minute to talk to you in private.”
“Hey, Lexi, is Rayna still sleeping?”
“Yes, what do you need?” Lexi came in drying her hands on a dishcloth.
“Will you watch the baby for a minute?”
“Absolutely. You don’t even have to ask. Come on in here with your Auntie Wexi, sweet baby.” Lexi collected the infant from the bassinet she was lying in, cuddling her close.
“You’re gonna spoil her, Lex,” Tegan teased.
“Like you haven’t already?” Lexi sassed, walking away with a smirk on her lips, cradling Caroline as she rejoined the others in the kitchen.
“How did you get her away from Tegan?” Avie asked, cooing to the baby.
“Am I really that bad?” Tegan called out.
“Yep,” was said in unison by the collection of folks in the house.
“Pfft,” Tegan slung a dirty look towards the kitchen full of women. “Let’s go in the study.”
Shutting the door, Tegan whirling around on him. “Alright, asshole. We’re alone, so start fucking talking, motherfucker.”
He couldn’t help but laugh at the plethora of obscenities that had exploded from Tegan’s mouth. “Wow, maybe I need to have a talk with Mama C when she gets here and have her wash your mouth out with soap.”
“I gotta get it all out of my system so I don’t accidently slip in front of the baby. Out with it.”
“I’m going to turn in my notice at Exotic Ink.”
“Why?” Tegan growled.
“Personal reasons.”
“Uh huh. You mean a personal reason, as in the singular. As in Evana.”
“Yeah,” he answered, frowning.
Tegan cursed, running a heavy hand through his hair. “Are you leaving New York?”
“I was thinking about it,” Jason admitted.
“Fuck me, Jason. You just got here. Vehn’s gonna be sad as hell if you leave.”
“What about you? You know you love me?” He tried making light of the situation.
“Shut the fuck up. I’m pissed at you right now,” Tegan spat.
Tegan was taking this way harder than he’d expected.
“Why did you have to go and sleep with her?” Tegan bitched. “Aren’t there enough women in the city that you didn’t have to climb all over the boss lady? I mean, E is hot, but you should have known better. You’re a grown ass man.”
If there was anyone on the planet he was dying to confide in, it was Tegan. He wanted so badly to explain the entire situation to him, starting from the beginning, but that wasn’t his secret to tell. He’d made a promise to Evana. He would never betray her trust, even if the unspoken words burned a hole in his tongue.
“I don’t regret what I did with her,” he explained what he could. “She doesn’t feel the same way about me, so for my own self-preservation, I’m going to look for work someplace else. I like it here and I don’t want to move again.”
“I’ll look around on the internet and see if I find anything in the city.”
“Thanks, T. Keep this on the down-low until I tell Evana first.”
“Hurry it up, I don’t like to keep shit from my wife,” Tegan said.
“I’ll write up my resignation tonight and give it to her tomorrow. I wouldn’t want you lying awake awash with guilt that you’re keeping secrets from Rayna. I knew you were pussy-whipped—”
Tegan came at him like a wrecking ball. Cinching up tight, he braced for the impact, instead he was pulled into a hard embrace.
The commotion in the next room announced the arrival of Mama C and Lee Mathieu. Tegan pulled away, gripping his shoulders before clapping him on the back.
Following Tegan out, he watched from the sidelines as he greeted his adopted parents. With a sad smile, he turned to leave but Lexi stopped him before he got the door all the way open.
“Where you off to? You know you’re family too, Jason.”
Studying the girl’s pretty face before answering, “Thanks, Lexi, that’s nice of you to say.”
“It’s true.”
“I need to go take care of some personal stuff today.”
“I’ll be expecting you to come back this afternoon for dinner,” Lexi said, crossing her arms over her chest.
“Yes ma’am. What time do you want me?”
“Around sixish.”
“I’ll be here.” He hoped Evana wasn’t. His heart couldn’t take much more of the sight of her. “Hey, next time you see Dylan, tell her I’m all in for the next beer tasting. That girl really knows what she’s doing.”
“I’ll do it. Behave yourself out there.”
“Can’t make any promises.” He winked at her before walking out the door.
The laughter inside followed him down the stone steps. With no particular destination in mind, he zipped up his jacket against the cold and turned left. He was fairly close to Washington Square Park. Maybe he’d take a little walk before hitting up the internet’s job market.
Stepping onto the trail, he followed the meandering path through the park, trying not to focus on the couples walking by holding hands.
He had fallen in love with the beat of the city and was glad he’d changed his mind about leaving. He would just have to avoid Evana as much as possible. They had the same friends, but it was a big city, and he would meet new people.
Crossing Washington Square Park, he found himself on the opposite side from where he’d started. Making his way over to Greene Street, there were plenty of businesses, maybe he’d window shop any tattoo studios he came across.
Passing a few souvenir shops, a CVS, an electronics store, and a pawn shop, a flicker of light up ahead had him zeroing in on the new illumination.
“You’ve gotta be kidding me? It can’t be this easy.” He stood looking up at the neon sign announcing Mythical Ink Tattoo Studio, disbelieving the help wanted sign posted in the corner of the window.
Pulling on the door, he found it locked. Contemplating knocking, he didn’t want to appear desperate. His luck held out as a man with strikingly pale eyes and a mohawk of the same gleaming silver hue gave him a wave and double timed his steps to unlock the way.
“Sorry about that. We’re still getting used to owning our own place. Vex must have flipped on the open sign before we remembered to unlock the front,” the man smiled revealing rather prominent canines. “So, come on in. What can we do for you today?”
Stepping through the door the man held opened. “Well, I’m interested in that job you’ve got posted.”
“Oh, great. You’re an artist then?” the man smiled.
“Yes. Right now I help manage Exotic Ink, but I tattoo there as well.”
The man whistled low. “Wow. That’s some serious tatting.”
“Why would you be lookin’ for work here if you’re already working at Exotic?”
Jason
turned to the sound of the deep male voice and drew up short.
Fuck!
The guy that had just taken up residence behind the counter was massive. A buzz cut and full beard completed the menacing look, his hard stare more yellow than hazel. This motherfucker made Tegan look like a puppy. Jason had never been intimidated by any man before in his life… until now.
Clearing the trepidation from his voice. “Personal reasons, really. I like it there, it’s just time for me to move on.”
“Female troubles.” The scary as fuck guy stated. “They’re a pain in the ass.”
Nodding, he decided he’d stand a better chance of survival if he appeared to be agreeing with the guy. “So, I’m Jason Gales.”
The guy with the silver hair and eyes smiled, accepting Jason’s outstretched hand, pumping it hard.
“Duh, fuck me, I could have intro’d myself. I’m Sevin and this is Vex. We’re all co-owners. Lucian is our third and is currently running around the city trying to find some last-minute supplies that Vex forgot to order.”
“Fuck you, mongrel,” Vex growled.
“As you can see, we don’t always get along. So, how long have you been a manager?” Sevin started chewing on his thumb nail as if his answer was very important.
What the fuck kind of names were these? They had to be nicknames or something, because that was fucked up. Lucian, he could believe, but Vex and Sevin? Too weird.
The bell over the door rang out announcing a newcomer.
“Lucian, you’re just in time,” Sevin said. “This is Jason Gales, and he’s interested in the job.”
“Vex hasn’t scared him off, so that’s a good sign,” Lucian remarked, switching the bags he was carrying to free up a hand.
He found himself entranced, unable to look away from the most recent guy to join the group. His face was impossibly flawless. Square cut jaw, perfectly straight nose, just the right amount of fullness to his lips. The guy was ridiculously good looking. Not a single imperfection to his skin as if he’d been air brushed. Surely the guy had to have a flaw somewhere. A freckle on his butt or maybe his teeth were all jacked up—
Lucian smiled wide and stuck out his hand in greeting.
Nope. Grill was perfect, too.
“So, you want to work with these two meat heads? Run interference for our many disagreements?” Lucian’s clear blue eyes seemed to be looking into his soul rather than his exterior.
“Sure. Actually, I think I’d fit in just fine here.” His confidence might have gotten ahead of his brain. Vex was still sizing him up for a coffin.
“How much experience do you have with management?” Lucian inquired.
“As I was telling Vex and Sevin, I currently help manage Exotic Ink, and I owned my own shop in Boston for thirteen years.”
“If you don’t mind me asking, what are you doing here? Exotic Ink is one of the best studio’s in the country,” Lucian stated, tucking away a lock of jaw length hair behind a perfect ear. “Seems like you’re on a downward slide to be going from owner to manager, albeit of an exclusive tattoo studio, to wanting to take on three rookie owners in a brand new shop.”
“It was a female,” Vex answered for him crossing his massive arms over his chest.
Lucian and Sevin turned to look at him as if he were an idiot.
“What other reason would there be for a man to give up his business and want to leave a place like Exotic Ink if it weren’t because of a female?” Vex defended his answer.
“Bro, you can’t be hatin’ on the ladies your whole life,” Sevin said.
“I can do whatever I like, puppy.” Vex turned his death stare on Jason, shrinking him inside his own skin. That was going to be something to get used to. “I’m right, aren’t I, Gales?”
“Yep. Actually you are. I’d rather not elaborate, if you don’t mind.”
“We all got our issues.” The stormy air around Vex seemed to light up before Vex gave him a hard nod.
Had they just had some kind of male bonding moment? He didn’t know and he didn’t care, as long as the guy didn’t tear his head off with his bare hands.
“You more than others, Vex,” Sevin laughed at the low growl coming from the menace behind the counter.
“Jason, let’s you and I go on back to the office and get some paperwork filled out.” Lucian swept his hand in the direction of the office.
He gladly followed along, leaving Sevin to the beat down he was instigating.
Aside from the fact that Lucian looked like a Greek statue come to life, he seemed to be the most normal of the three. Sevin was close behind Lucian in the regular guy department, if it weren’t for his silvery eyes and the too sharp chompers. Vex was… well, a serial killer waiting to happen.
He chatted easily with Lucian. He had a trustworthy air about him that made him want to tell the guy his life story. Biting the inside of his cheek to keep from spilling his guts, he signed all the necessary papers for employment.
“Congratulations.” Lucian shook hands with him again. A roar resounded from the front. Vex must have reached his limits with Sevin’s ribbing. “Or, my condolences as it would seem. We really are a decent group to work with. Sevin likes to push Vex’s buttons to see how far he can get before he strikes back.”
“Like dancing with a pissed off cobra,” he commented, earning a laugh from Lucian. “Sounds more like he’s got a death wish. Can I give you some advice, since I’m soon to be your manager and all?”
“Absolutely,” Lucian agreed.
“Hire a cute girl to man the front. I know that sounds sexist, but customers appreciate being greeted by someone with a smile on their face. Besides, it’s good to have a lure for male customers and women tend to respond well to other women in tattoo shops, since their typically outnumbered.”
“That’s a fine idea. I’ll get right on that. Speaking of women, mind if I inquire who the lady was that has you changing jobs?”
“Evana Grey.”
Lucian hissed between clenched teeth. “Sorry about that.”
“You know her?”
“I know of her. Never met her in person.”
Jason nodded leaving it at that.
Evana couldn’t believe what she was seeing. Her hands shook as she read through the email Jason had sent last night.
He was leaving her.
But what did she expect? She’d all but pushed him away, more than once, and he kept coming back for more of her abuse. She figured he would eventually stop perusing her, but not leave the studio altogether.
Just then the object of her disbelief walked through the office door. Sitting at his desk, he barely gave her any kind of a greeting.
What the hell?
“Jason,” she rose from her desk, “I don’t want to accept your resignation.”
“I’m really sorry, Evana, but it’s what I need to do.”
“But, why? What did I do to run you off?”
Jason turned loose of the mouse he was working and leaned back in his chair, scrubbing a hand through his short hair.
“It’s not you, it’s me.”
Wow, that sounded more like a break up with your girlfriend thing to say rather than an employee to the boss statement.
“Care to elaborate?” she said the words as she held her breath.
“No, not really.” Jason looked her full in the face for the first time since he’d walked in the room. “But, I suppose I do owe you some kind of explanation since we’ve known each other for so long.”
“Alright, I’m listening.”
“You sure you want to hear what I’m going to say?’
“Jason, I can’t imagine wh—”
“I’m in love with you, and I have been for as long as I can remember knowing you.” Jason’s words froze her heart mid-beat. “What we did was more than just sex on my end. It meant something to me. Something special. I know you only want to be friends, and I just can’t do that with you. I can’t see you every day. It’s too painful for me knowing
you don’t want me back.”
“Jason, I had no idea I meant that much to you.”
“I know and that’s why I also know you’re not in love with me,” Jason replied.
“Jason, how can you—”
“I looked for you,” he interrupted. Now that he was leaving, he might as well tell her everything.
“Excuse me.”
“I looked for you for years after you left town. I didn’t know what had happened to you. If you were alive or dead. I followed one dead end lead after another. Seemed like every time I made it to another city or town, you were already gone. Then I happened to be at a convention in Boston and saw you with Kyle. The engagement ring on your finger said I needed to stop searching, so I dropped anchor and eventually opened my own place.”
“When you saw me, why didn’t you say, hello?”
“Are you kidding? You were standing there with your future husband. Obviously, you didn’t have feelings for me that extended past high school or our one date. You were marrying someone else. It wasn’t like you’d tried to contact me after you left.”
“I wasn’t allowed to talk to anyone, Jason.”
“How long was it before you forgot about me?” Jason glared at her.
Her anger flared at his heated words. Straightening her spine, she decided to share what she hadn’t been able to with anyone else, not even Kyle.
“You know being uprooted wasn’t exactly a party for me either, Jason, and I did think about you. I wasn’t allowed to contact anyone, so what was I supposed to have done? Aside from being afraid for my life, it was better for me to leave my life behind so I could come to terms with the loss.” She was growing more agitated by the second. “I wasn’t even allowed to go back to the house for anything. Not one single keepsake do I have from that time in my life. I didn’t even get to graduate from fucking high school!”
It felt good to speak her thoughts out loud. To finally be heard and hopefully understood. Years of pent up anger and the injustice of it all finally spilling out.
Jason abruptly stood and pulled her into a hug that she fought against. “Evana, you don’t have to explain. I know none of it was your fault—”
“No, let me finish.” She pushed out of his hold. With everything she was feeling, Jason was much too up close and personal for her to keep her thoughts straight. “I didn’t want to get anyone else involved in the mess my life had become. My aunt would move us all the time. It was awful. She would get spooked, and we would pack up and leave. I had the worst time remembering the fake names she made up for me. I was lonely as hell, but friends were a luxury I couldn’t afford.”
