Kory almost smiled. “Then you know how I feel.”
“Maybe.” He shrugged. “No, probably not.” He let out a long, slow breath while Kory searched his eyes. “But something you need to know…what you saw in there is not out of the norm. Lots of these women, they remember me from my Spawn days, and that’s why they’re here. It’s not that they want a tattoo done by Stone Bowman. No. They want a tattoo done by Malevolent Disorder. They want to say a drummer of a once-famous metal band touched their arm or their back or, yeah, their tit.”
“And how the hell am I supposed to compete with women like that, Stone?”
He started laughing, and he led her past where she had her bike chained up farther down the sidewalk to the bench under a tree growing out of the circular spot in the concrete. She started feeling a little miffed that he was laughing at something that obviously distressed her, but he said, “Kory…don’t you think if I wanted a woman like that that I would have one already? I’ve had women like her throwing themselves at me since the first time Spawn went on tour.”
He sat down and Kory sat next to him. “Really?”
“Yeah. That chick in there is a sixteen year old boy’s wet dream. I don’t want that. I’ve had that. And they don’t stop coming just ‘cause I’m out of the band.” She looked down at his lips, then his Adam’s apple as he continued talking. “They’re constantly coming in here to gawk at Mal, and I’d be an idiot if I didn’t realize that. In fact, I know that’s why I get a lot of the business I do. It’s not that I’m a renowned tattoo artist.”
“Don’t be so down on yourself, Stone. You’re amazing.”
He chuckled. “I didn’t say I wasn’t good, but I know a lot of people are coming in like tourists. They want to see the guy who used to be in J.C. Gibson’s band. And that’s fine. I can accommodate…especially if they get a tattoo along with their gawking.”
Kory nodded and took a deep breath. “I still don’t get why you’d pick me over them.”
He grinned. “You really don’t see it, do you?” She shook her head. “You know, when you kept coming in the shop, I thought you were one of them.” Kory started laughing. “No, not that you looked like them, but I thought you were a tourist. I thought you just wanted to be around Malevolent Disorder. A couple of times I think I even asked you, but you didn’t know who I was. That’s why I agreed to go out with you the first time. You weren’t just sneaking a date with my alter ego. You liked me for me, not someone you thought I was. Those women back there? They’re in love with the idea of a rock star. They don’t know a thing about me. Nothing.
“And then…we got to know each other. You’re a real person, Kory. And I know for sure you’ve had a shittier life than I have, but we have similar back stories. I feel like I know you, not just now, but like I kind of get the way you were…and I want to make you feel safe…and loved. I don’t want you to ever feel vulnerable like that again.” She kept looking at him. His words were good…but not enough. Not enough for her to be able to deal with all that shit. There was only one thing…
“I love you, Kory. I don’t know how it happened, but it did…and I don’t want to lose you.”
Oh. So he really did feel the same way about her that she did him. She couldn’t catch her breath, because she almost couldn’t believe it.
No. A teardrop fell then, and Kory found that so strange, because she hadn’t cried over anything that didn’t have to do with her childhood—Art or her mother—since she had been a little kid. Why was she shedding a tear now?
Well, she was, and there was no getting around it. If anyone deserved emotion from her, it was Stone. She just found it odd that she was feeling things so deeply…she hadn’t felt anything like this in what seemed like forever. She forced the words through her lips. “I love you too, Stone.”
And then he kissed her…and the rest of the world melted away.
* * *
The young woman hopped up on the table and sat down. Kory wiped the small pad around her eyebrow area but the girl—eager and excited—kept her eyes wide open. “Why don’t you close your eye just for a second?”
While the area dried, Kory told her she could open her eye up again while she sprayed the piece of jewelry with sanitizer. No way was Kory going to tell the woman, but this was to be her first piercing. Kory’s first piercing on someone else.
She grabbed the tiny felt pen and touched above and below the girl’s right eyebrow near the outside corner of her eye. Then she peeked out of the doorless room. “Stone, I’m ready.”
“One sec.” Kory continued to eyeball the dots, just to make sure they looked okay to her. The girl smiled, and that was when Kory realized she probably needed to say something. “I’m still kind of new at this, so I want him to make sure I’ve got everything right.”
The girl grinned and nodded. “Cool.”
“Is this your first piercing?”
“Yeah.” She chewed on the piece of pink gum in her mouth for a few seconds and then asked, “How bad does it hurt?”
Kory knew she herself was probably considered an expert, considering she’d been pierced so many times. “It’s not too bad. It feels kind of like a sting, but then that’s it.”
“Seriously? That’s all?”
Kory nodded. “Yeah. My eyebrow piercings brought kind of a tear to my eye but then it was all over. I mean, yeah, it hurt for a while if you pushed on them or something, but that was it. You won’t go around feeling like you’re in pain a lot or anything. The main thing is to keep them clean and try not to get makeup in the pierced area.”
She felt Stone’s presence before she saw him. He nodded at the girl. “Hi. I’m Stone.” He scrutinized the dots and said, “Looks good.” He looked at Kory. “You ready?”
“Yeah, I think so.” She took the forceps and needle into her gloved hands and then looked in his eyes before turning her attention to the girl. Her mind wandered back over the past year, marveling at how things had changed. With Stone’s encouragement, she’d finished the fall semester but then quit school, not because she didn’t think education was important, but because she wanted to do something that would make her happy. She and Stone had talked about her future for hours and hours, and she admitted that she would love working in a shop like Stone. She wasn’t an artist but she wouldn’t mind running the cash register or…Stone suggested piercing. That way she would have a viable skill that she could take anywhere.
He asked her to move in with him right after that. She did so with the blessing of Tina and Lacey, because the three girls still had their Wednesday lunches together. Stone even asked to meet her foster parents. She hadn’t seen them since moving out and thought maybe they didn’t care, but they were thrilled to see her and the guy who was turning out to be the love of her life.
Stone continued to amaze her on a daily basis with the thoughtful things he said, the way he looked at her, and how he made her feel more and more like a beautiful woman every waking moment. She felt like she’d never be able to return the favor, but she hoped she could try. One way was by helping out with his business.
She let her eyes drink him in before getting down to the work of piercing the girl’s eyebrow, but she let the warmth of Stone’s visage settle in her mind, calming her as she began the work of her new career. She couldn’t think of anywhere else she’d rather be than with Stone, and she didn’t care what they were doing. Having him behind her, supporting her like he always did was the best feeling of all, and with him there, she could do damn near anything.
Bonus Story #3
Stone Considers His Upcoming First Date with Kory
Stone Bowman sat in the empty chair next to the counter. He had about fifteen minutes before his next customer came in, and he’d already prepped his tools. Russell, Stone’s business partner and fellow tattoo artist (known to their regulars as Six-pack), was coloring in a guy’s back tattoo, and the man was a regular—one of those guys who might not have gotten off on the pain, but it was nothing for h
im to handle. In fact, from this angle, it looked like the guy was falling asleep.
“We’re going for pizza Friday night.”
“That girl who comes in once a month?”
“Yeah. I kinda knew she had a crush on me, but I’d thought it was pretty innocent. I think it still is.”
“So you’re leading her on?”
Stone couldn’t see Russ’s face, so he had no idea if his friend was just busting his balls to mess with him or if he was completely serious. He looked down at his fist, staring at the tiny tattoos on his fingers, hand, and wrist, colored pictures that were now a permanent part of him, and searched inside. He hadn’t thought much about it; everything involving young Kory had pretty much been an instinctive, knee-jerk reaction. He knew she was too young for him, but there was something about her…she had such a tough I-don’t-give-a-shit persona, but that seemed to be covering up something and that something made her seem vulnerable to Stone.
It made him want to protect her.
Once or twice, he’d asked if she was sure she really wanted another piercing and, when she would insist, he’d drop it. After all, when she was ready, she could pull out the jewelry and let her body close the holes, so long as she didn’t stretch them out too far. She didn’t seem to want to stretch her ears or anything else out, so that outcome was still a possibility.
But she was hiding something—something deep, something personal, something that was who she was at the core—and Stone had been dying to learn more about her. He’d kept his distance, mainly because he’d always thought she was too young, but what could dinner hurt? One meal, sharing a little about themselves…he was game. Chances were that she’d find him boring as shit and discover they had little in common, and she’d go on her way and maybe even decide she was done having herself pierced. It was worth a shot.
Stone focused past his thoughts with a mind to answer his friend’s question. “No, I’m not leading her on. We’re just having pizza.”
Russ looked up from his client’s shoulder to make eye contact with his friend. “She know that?”
Stone paused. He’d almost thrown out a bullshit answer, saying something to indicate that it was understood. But it wasn’t—not at all and not by either party. And that was all the time it took for Russ to put two and two together.
“Oh, hell. Not really.”
Stone grinned. “Yeah, okay, so you got me.”
The guy getting his shoulder done was not asleep as they’d assumed. “What’d I miss?”
Russ called Stone by his shop (and former band) nickname. “Mal here has a crush.”
“I don’t have a fucking crush.”
“What would you call it?”
“A healthy interest.”
“Oh. Okay. He has a healthy interest in a young lady.”
The other guy said, “That’s not a crush?”
Stone was starting to feel irritated. “Crushes are for little girls.” And he definitely had a healthy interest. He was curious about what exactly it was that made Kory tick. Unlike the dozens of women who’d flooded The Iron Maiden over the years, Kory hadn’t once asked for his autograph or pummeled him with queries about his band days. And also unlike a few of the customers who came through their doors, she wasn’t asking if he was going to join a band again. Yes, if anyone had a crush, it was Kory—but it didn’t seem like she just wanted him for the musical god she imagined him to be. She acted like she wanted to get to know him as a person—and no woman, young or old, had acted that way toward him for a very long time.
So, yeah, he was looking forward to having pizza with her. Because of her age, though, he was probably going to let her down easily. But, first, the date. Russ said, “I call ‘em like I see ‘em.”
Stone shook his head and stood up from leaning on the counter. “Fuck you.” The tattoo guy started snickering and Stone added, as he walked into the front part of the shop, “Careful. You might make Six-pack fuck up your color if you wiggled too much.”
As the doors closed behind him, he heard the guy ask, “Who pissed in his cornflakes?” He didn’t care, though. He was looking forward to this date more than he’d looked forward to anything in a long while…but he was going to have to ratchet it in, because he didn’t want Kory to know. In fact, it might not be a bad idea to act like a bit of a dick…so when he ended it all, she wouldn’t be heartbroken. She’d be glad.
Yep. That was the plan. But, like lots of plans, this one hadn’t accounted for what his heart would decide, and that would trump all his preparations…
Bonus Story #4
Johnny and Katie: Wedding Vows
“The caterer’s ready?”
“Yep.”
“Should I call and doublecheck?”
“No, Katie. Trust me. It’s taken care of.”
“The event center?”
“Yeah, babe. The reception is all set. All that’s left is the rehearsal and dinner tomorrow night.” Johnny sucked in a deep breath. “Don’t think I don’t know what this is all about.”
“What what is all about?”
“You’re avoiding it.”
“Avoiding what?” Katie looked up from the table at Johnny. His blue eyes were twinkling, a secret dancing in them.
He walked over and sat down across from her. “Have you written your vows?”
“Umm…”
“Do you just want to go with the prefab ones?”
Katie sighed. “No. Geez, Johnny, I’m a writer. What the hell would that even say about me if a writer can’t write her own vows?”
Johnny touched her cheek with an index finger, a soft smile on his face. “Are you having second thoughts?”
“No, no. Oh, no.” She pulled him into an embrace and then whispered, “I just don’t think words can do my emotions justice.”
She felt him chuckle slightly before he pulled back to look in her eyes. “Take it from someone who’s been sharing his words with fans for years—words never do your emotions justice…but you have to try.” Katie paused, then blinked and nodded, and Johnny added, “I mean as a songwriter. You don’t have to do this, Katie. It’s stressing you out.”
“Yes, but you do deserve to have me try.”
“Would it help if I read mine to you?”
Katie blinked again, trying to gauge her emotions which really did feel like were spinning out of control. “I guess…” She wondered if that would make it even harder, but she owed it to her man to try.
“You don’t sound too sure.” He grinned but took her left hand in his, as though he were going to slide the wedding band over her finger right that moment. “Katherine Ann Logan, we have been friends at first sight and always will be, but I forever celebrate the day I saw you through new eyes. One day, years ago, I saw you as the woman you would be, and you are the person I want to spend my life with. You are more to me than the air I breathe or the water I drink. To say you are the love of my life seems to diminish what you really mean to me, but know that you are as much a part of me as this hand,” he said, holding up his left hand, his ring finger bare—but not for long, “my eyes, my heart. You are me, and you will be my life forever.”
Katie struggled to catch her breath. After a few moments, she said, “You memorized your vows?”
A grin spread over his face. “That’s what I do for a living, babe.” He winked. “I come up with the perfect words and then dazzle people with them night after night.”
She smirked. She knew Johnny didn’t write all the lyrics for his band, especially since Kiefer came on board…but he wrote a lot of songs, and it was nothing new for him. She wouldn’t have even cared if his vows had been written in guitar, because Johnny could play emotion better than half the musicians out there. “Okay, okay. I love you, Johnny. I’ll find a way to say what I’m feeling. I just need some time alone.”
He cocked his head. “I could make you feel like your mind’s blown if that’ll help.”
Katie grinned. “How about later, rock star?”
<
br /> He picked up her hand and kissed it. “Promise.” She watched him stride out of the room, this man that she’d loved for longer than she could remember, and then she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She wanted him in her life forever—as her best friend, as a father to her future children, as a companion, someone to share the good and bad with…and then the words started to form in her mind. Her pen started flowing across the paper. John Michael Church…you are the love of my life…
And she thought she could see forever in her mind.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jade C. Jamison was born and raised in Colorado and has decided she likes it enough to stay forever. Jade’s day job is teaching Creative Writing, but teaching doesn’t stop her from doing a little writing herself.
Unfortunately, there’s no one genre that quite fits her writing. Her work has been labeled romance, erotica, suspense, and women’s fiction, and the latter is probably the safest and closest description. But you’ll see that her writing doesn’t quite fit any of those genres.
And Jade is a-okay with that!
Stalk me! I don’t bite (well, not too hard anyway)!
Sign up for Jade’s newsletter:
http://eepurl.com/TOMCH
Visit Jade’s website:
http://www.jadecjamison.com
Follow Jade on Twitter:
http://twitter.com/@JadeCJamison
Follow Jade on Instagram:
http://instagram.com/jadecjamison
Send Jade an email:
[email protected]
Like Jade on Facebook:
http://facebook.com/JadeCJamison
If that’s not enough, you should stalk my Street Team as well:
Tangled Web Series Box Set Page 55
