by Mia Ford
ooo000ooo
“Someone's here to see ya,” Mitch said, calling back to me from the front.
I'd just finished up with Charlie and was prepping for my next appointment – who I assumed was the person up front asking for me. I was hungry and hoping to grab a quick bite, but there's apparently no rest for the wicked.
“Tell him I'll be right there,” I called up to Mitch.
“It's a chick,” Mitch said, lowering his voice as he stuck his head into the studio.
“What? It's not Dixon?” I said, wiping my hands off and walking to the front.
Once I pushed past the curtain, however, I found myself staring at my daughter's art teacher. Paige smiled at me and I gave her what I was sure was an awkward smile in return. Mitch side-eyed me, giving me a knowing look and a sideways smirk.
Yes, Paige was an attractive woman – although, she was a little too clean-cut for my liking. But I had to admit, with her auburn hair and pale skin, not to mention those curves, she was a looker. Though, in her somewhat modest and conservative dress slacks and button-up shirt, she definitely didn't fit in at a place like this.
“Hey,” I said, giving her a incredulous look. “Aren't you supposed to be enriching young minds or something?”
“And aren't you supposed to keep track of your belongings better than most of those young minds I'm supposed to be enriching?” she teased, handing my phone back to me. “It's my lunch hour. Thought I'd swing by and drop it off for you. It's been buzzing nonstop, figured it might be important.”
Jay's warning from earlier came back to me, and I wanted to ask her if she'd seen any of the messages that came through, but decided against it. She was acting normal, so I highly doubt she read anything troubling.
“Uhh yeah, thanks,” I said, running a hand through my hair. “I'm sorry you had to drive all the way over here. I feel like an ass for leaving it in the first place.”
She shrugged, flipping through a photo album sitting at the front desk – the album of my designs and work.
“It's fine,” she said, flipping back to the cover of the album again. She saw my name on the cover and then looked up at me, “So this is all your work in here?”
“Yep, that's my work.”
“Wow. You're very talented,” she said.
“Thank you,” I said. “Though I have to admit, that sounds kind of odd coming from someone like you – ”
“Hey now,” I said. “I used to have my nose pierced once upon a time.”
“Wow. How edgy of you,” I teased her. “Was this before you started teaching at SnootyBrook Elementary?”
She laughed. “Something like that, yeah,” she said. “But seriously, you don't know the first thing about me, I'm not nearly as uptight as you think I am. I used to have a bit of a wild streak in me.”
“Oh. So you're here to get a tattoo then?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Uhh no,” she said, an amused look on her face. “But if I were, I have to say, you'd be the man for the job. You have some seriously great work in here. I see where Harley gets her talent from.”
“Thank you,” I said. “I may only be a tattoo artist, but I actually do take my art very seriously.”
She started to say something, but then stopped and started again. “You know, I used to not consider this artwork, but the more I look at it – ”
“Believe it or not, there's more to art than what your liberal arts education taught you.”
She shot me a look of death – one that she said she was tired of having me knock her education or artistic training. Truth be told, I had no idea what her education or training background was. It was just one of those things I used to jab her.
“I know that,” she snapped, and then took a breath and seemed to collect herself again. “Which is exactly what I was about to say. I'm opening my eyes to new and different things. And I have to say, some of this is truly breathtaking.”
I leaned over her shoulder and flipped to the back of the book. I found a specific piece of work – one I was exceptionally proud of – a watercolor tattoo that blended a few of Van Gogh's works together in one, intricate sleeve. As soon as Paige's eyes landed on the page, she gasped and looked up at me with eyes that were wide
“That's amazing,” she said. “It's absolutely gorgeous.”
“I thought you might appreciate it,” I said, a knowing grin. “And thank you.”
She touched the photo, tracing her fingers along the page, seeming to be picking out the different works in her head.
She tilted her head up and stared into my eyes with a strange look on her face. It looked like she wanted to say something – was about to say something – but then bit it back and remained silent for a moment. She cleared her throat and when she looked at me again, that strange look on her face was gone.
“I have to get going,” she said, biting her lip, “but I also need to grab some lunch. Care to join me?”
I looked at the clock behind the counter and strangely enough, felt a pang of regret. “Can't,” I said. “I have an appointment in ten minutes. Rain check though? Maybe another time?”
“Oh, sure,” she said, her cheeks coloring. “Another time. Totally.”
Mitch had left us alone, and without even realizing it, I found myself standing incredibly close to Paige. Close enough that I could count the freckles that dotted her face – freckles I hadn't even really noticed she had until that moment.
“Well, I better get going,” she said, closing the album and stepping away, “Need to grab some food and get back. I'm not really supposed to leave the school anyway.”
“Okay,” I said. “Well, thanks for dropping my phone off. I appreciate it.”
She gave me an awkard smile and a nod before turning and heading for the door – muttering to herself the whole way.
“Hey, Paige?” I said before she stepped outside.
“Yes?”
“Thank you. For bringing this over – but more for caring about Harley,” I said. “And I'm sorry if I came off like a dick earlier – ”
She held up a hand to cut me off and gave me a warmer, more genuine smile. “And I'm sorry I come off as pretentious and snobby.”
Another time. As I watched the door swing shut behind her, I thought I might actually have to make time to meet up with her at some point in the near future. But before I could let myself delve too far into that fantasy, I remembered my reality.
Things were far too messy and complicated to get involved with anyone right now. I needed to focus on keeping myself out of jail, on keeping custody of my daughter, and making sure we all came out of this alive and in one piece.
It was most definitely not the time to think about dating.
Not now. And hell, given my current situation, probably not ever. Not until Harley was in college far away from there, anyway.
Chapter Six
PAIGE
I wasn't sure why I'd decided to drop by the shop in the first place. I'd been on lunch, his phone was buzzing like crazy, so on a whim, I'd decided to run it over to him. I probably shouldn't have, especially because I had so little time for lunch. But it was too late to worry about it – it was already done. I walked to my car and tried to push any and all thoughts of Elias out of my head.
As I climbed into my car, I noticed someone standing outside the shop. He was just standing there with his arms crossed over his chest, staring at me. He was watching my every move and he didn't even look away even though I'd caught him staring.
A chill ran down my spine as he continued looking at me intensely. I fumbled around and finally manged to get my car doors locked. Taking one last quick look at the man, I started the engine and drove out of the lot quickly.
What a freak, I thought to myself.
Guys like him were one reason I didn't hang out at places like that normally. I looked in my rearview and was well away from the parlor, but even still, just the thought of him continued to freak me out. As soon as I got back to the school
, I decided to give Elias a heads up – just so other women who happened to be around the shop wouldn't feel threatened or intimidated like I had.
Before my next class came in, I pulled up his contact info on my computer. I grabbed my cell phone, punched in his number and held the phone to my ear. He answered on the first ring.
“I'm with a client,” he said gruffly. “I'll call you back later.”
“Uhh I'm sorry,” I said. “Didn't mean to bother – ”
“Who is this?” he asked suddenly.
“It's Paige,” I said. “I just wanted to let you know that there's a creepy looking guy standing outside your shop, acting all intimidating to women who walk by. Or at least he did to me. I don't know about anyone else. But I'm sorry to bother you – ”
“No, I'm sorry,” he said, his voice suddenly gentler. “I thought you were someone else. A guy outside, you said? I'll check it out. What did he look like?”
“He was wearing a leather jacket,” I said. “Long hair pulled back with a bandana. Scars on his face – ”
“Did he say anything to you?”
There was a tone in his voice that made my pulse quicken. He was tense all of the sudden and I wasn't sure why. It was like maybe he'd recognized the guy from my description and it set him on edge or something.
“No, he didn't say anything. He just stood there watching my every move,” I said. “I'm probably overreacting, but thought you might want to know.”
He was quiet for a few moments, but then said. “I appreciate it, Paige,” he said. “And don't worry, I'll check it out.”
I was getting ready to end the call given that my next class arriving any second, when he said, “Do you mind if I stop by after school today? To talk to you? Maybe we can go out and get that bite to eat you mentioned earlier?”
My voice caught in my throat. Mrs. Peabody and her class were almost to the door. I watched them approach, seemingly unable to move or unable to speak. I sat there in stunned silence for a moment, still in utter disbelief that Elias had just asked me out to dinner.
“I'm sorry, I should have asked – ” he said.
“Yes,” I blurted out. “That's fine. More than fine. That's great, actually.”
In that moment, I felt like the world's biggest buffoon. I was positive that I'd sounded like a blithering idiot, at the very least. I cleared my throat and tried to regain my composure – and the tiny shred of dignity I had left.
“I've got a class coming in so I have to go,” I said quickly. “So, I'll see you later.”
I hung up the phone, my heart racing. Even though I wasn't entirely sure why – it wasn't like he asked me out on a date. He just wanted to see me. Grab a quick bite to eat. I puzzled through it in my head as the kids started to file into my room.
He wanted to see me after school, which probably meant he wanted to talk about something. And as I turned it over in my head a little more, I realized that whatever he wanted to talk about likely to do with Harley. No, it wasn't a date. Nothing like that at all. And I suddenly felt like the world's biggest idiot. I'd made a fool of myself.
But still, even though it likely wasn't going to be a social call, the idea of seeing him – of him stopping by to see me – made me more than a little anxious.
ooo000ooo
There was a knock on my classroom door, and I looked up to see Elias standing there with Harley, with a wide smile on her face, in tow.
“Hey there, you two,” I said in my friendly, elementary school teacher voice. “Come on in.”
Harley bounded into the room and sat down in her normal seat, smiling up at her dad. “I sit here when I'm in Ms. Cleary's class,” she said. “And see that picture over there?”
Harley pointed across the room at one of pictures – one that was the most child-friendly – hanging on the wall.
“Is that yours, Harley?” Elias said, walking over at looking at the drawing of a dinosaur.
“It is,” she said, standing up and rushing over to where her father was standing. “And this one is Ian's. He sits next to me in art class. And this one – ”
She went down the line, naming off everyone in her class and pointing out which piece of art was theirs. I watched as her father remarked over the pictures, smiling happily. In that moment, he looked like any other father – even in the leather jacket and with his long, shaggy hair hanging in his eyes. He may have been clad in leather and covered in tattoos, but he beamed like the proud father he was.
“Hey, Harley-bug, mind if I talk to Ms. Cleary for a bit?” he said after she went down the line. “Only need a moment.”
The little girl looked at me, then at her dad, her eyes suddenly wide with fear. “Am I in trouble?”
“Why do you always think you're in trouble, Harley?” I asked, laughing.
“Because you guys like to talk about me a lot.”
“Who says we're talking about you this time?” Elias said, winking at his daughter.
“Are you going to ask Ms. Cleary out on a date then?” Harley asked, her wide smile returning as quickly as it had vanished. “Because that would be fun! We could all go to a painting class or – ”
“Whoa there, slow down,” Elias said and ruffled her hair. “You know I'm a one woman kinda guy.”
My heart started to race at the mere mention of a date. “Oh no, Harley,” I said, jumping in. “I couldn't date your dad, it's – ”
“Why? You don't like him?” she asked.
I stared at Elias who stared back at me, both of us speechless – neither one of us quite sure how to answer her question.
“No, I like your dad just fine, it's just – I don't date my student's parents,” I said. “It might give the wrong impression and that wouldn't be good now, would it?”
“I think it would be fun,” she said, still smiling.
“Yeah, well, you don't get to decide who your daddy dates, little girl,” Elias said, scratching his face and shaking his head. “Which is a good thing because if not Ms. Cleary, I might be dating the fairy princess down at the mall.”
I couldn't help but laugh. But when Harley turned to me with a serious expression on her face, I did my best to hide my smile – which, of course, only served to betray my nervousness. A moment later, she turned back to her father with the same serious expression.
“Why?” she asked. “Don't you like Ms. Cleary?”
This was getting worse and worse. I threw my hands up in defeat, figuring it might be easier for Elias to answer her questions himself.
“No, it's not like that – ” Elias said. “She's just – not my type, that's all.”
For some reason, his answer hit me like a pile of bricks. I stared, mouth open, wanting to argue with him.
Excuse me, Elias, I wanted to say. Not your type? Well, you're not my type either, mister!
It was petty, of course, but it still hurt my feelings. But I didn't say a word. I just stared at him, feeling like he'd rejected me – even though I hadn't even asked him out.
“Why don't you sit down and color, let me talk to Ms. Cleary, sweetheart?” Elias said, looking at me to provide the paper and crayons to keep her busy.
“It's okay, Harley. You can get the crayons out and color at your desk,” I said.
Harley walked over to where I kept the art supplies and picked up a box of crayons. Elias and I sat down at my desk, and he leaned in close to me.
“That man earlier,” he whispered, almost too quietly for me to hear, “You haven't seen him anywhere else, have you?”
I was taken aback by the question and wasn't sure how to answer that at first. It seemed like such a random question and not at all what I was expecting.
“No,” I said. “Why would I have?”
Elias shrugged. “I was just curious.”
“No, why would you even think to ask such a question, Elias?” I narrowed my eyes and focused me gaze on him, sensing that something was wrong.
Something was very wrong. I just felt it.
�
��Am I in danger, here, Elias?”
“Of course not,” he said, shaking his head. “Listen, I'm just looking out for you since you seemed concerned, that's all.”
He leaned back in the chair and looked a little more relaxed, but I couldn't tell if that was an act. I got the feeling he was simply trying to allay my fears. And that something much bigger and scarier was going on. But without any evidence of that, I couldn't just accuse him of lying or trying to placate me.
The mood between us though, grew decidedly frosty. He was busy playing it cool and I was – admittedly – a little on edge and defensive.
“I appreciate that,” I said. “But I don't need anyone looking out for me. I'm fine.”
“Okay then,” Elias said. “If you do happen to see that creeper around though – ”
“I won't,” I said. “Not unless I plan on hanging out at your shop again – which I likely won't.”
“Fine. Then I guess I'm done here,” he said, standing up to leave. “Come on, Harley. We're going home.”
Harley walked over to me and handed me her drawing, smiling wide. “It's the three of us. On a date,” she said with a laugh.
Elias shook his head, but didn't say anything else. I watched him take Harley's hand and then the two of them walked out of the room, leaving me to wonder what in the hell had just happened and how things had gone sideways so quickly.
Chapter Seven
ELIAS
I knew I was being paranoid. I shouldn't have even mentioned anything to Paige. I'd probably scared her and hadn't intended to do anything of the kind. I was actually a little bit worried about her. But as usual, I did a pretty shitty job of conveying that.
Jay's threats earlier had left me a little bit rattled, if I were being honest. And then Paige mentioning the biker outside my shop watching her had me concerned. But I hadn't found anything, and assumed it was probably just some random creep checking out a hot woman – and not anyone related to the MC.
That is exactly why I left the club to begin with though, and why I didn't appreciate being dragged back into their business. Because when you did business with the MC, you always had to watch your back – as well as the backs of anyone associated with you.
