“Oh, I’m here with Shane,” Preston said, adjusting once again. I wasn’t a restless person. I could sit still for hours without moving and barely even breathing. But Preston was driving me crazy. I knew he was used to moving around and doing things with him being a doctor, but the guy needed to find a chill pill and swallow it.
Logan looked at me, and I scowled at him when he arched a brow and smirked. “Fuck off, Logan,” I grunted, focusing back on my client.
“What? You don’t have friends, dude. None. Zilch. And now, you just have one that seemingly grew out of your ass? And they actually want to hang out with your silent, grouchy ass?”
I gave him my middle finger, choosing not to engage. But Preston had other ideas because he hit back with, “And it’s a wonder anyone wants to hang out with you when everything that comes out of your mouth is an insult.”
Logan laughed. Zeppelin snorted. “Logan is an asshole,” Zeppelin chimed in. “Ignore him. It’s what I do.”
Logan feigned hurt, placing his hand over his chest and dramatically draping himself over Zeppelin’s empty tattoo chair. “You wound me.”
Christ.
“Are you actually here for something? Because you’re supposed to be at work. You know, earning money like the rest of us?” Zeppelin questioned, shooting him an annoyed look.
“I’m on lunch,” Logan answered, rolling his eyes. “And Spencer finally agreed to get his first tattoo, so I thought I’d stop by and see if you can draw something up for him and possibly get him seated this evening before he has a chance to change his mind again.”
Zeppelin rolled his eyes. “Not everyone needs or wants a tattoo, Logan.”
Logan scoffed. “Everyone needs a tattoo. Right, Shane?” he asked, turning his head to look at me.
I ignored him because I was not involving myself in that conversation. In fact, I already missed the peace and quiet of the shop with just the music and the tattoo machine to keep me company. Logan came in and disrupted all of it. I liked the kid just fine. He was just sometimes… too much.
Especially when I was discovering something about myself that I would have liked some peace to sort through. One of those things being the man who still would not sit still.
“Preston,” I called, my voice barely audible over the tattoo machine in my hand. He snapped his eyes to mine, going still. “Let me finish this, and we’ll go get something to eat and take a walk, yeah? You’re driving me fucking nuts with all that moving.”
He flushed. “Sorry,” he muttered, practically turning himself into a statue. “I’m not used to sitting this long.”
That was clearly an understatement.
The bell above the door jingled, and X walked in. Zeppelin narrowed his eyes at him, and Logan sat up, his eyes widening. “Oh, shit. You’re him. X, right?” Logan stood and held out his hand. X smirked and shook it. “I’m a huge fan. I’ve seen a few of your fights. You’re incredible.”
“Thanks,” X said after a moment, like he almost forgot basic manners. No doubt the look Preston shot him had reminded him. It was a miracle X had lasted this long without Preston guiding him through life and being a normal fucking human being. He looked at me. “How much longer?”
I shook my head. “Not long.”
“They sure all talk a lot, don’t they?” the guy I was tattooing asked, an amused smile tilting his lips.
I just snorted because yeah, they did. Too much sometimes.
“Wait, you fucking know him?” Logan asked, shooting me a betrayed look. I sighed. Just a few more minutes, then I could get the fuck out of here for a while, and maybe by the time I got back, Logan would be gone and back at work.
“He’s my boyfriend,” Preston announced, a smirk tilting his lips.
“You should have led with that when I walked in,” Logan said, frowning at Preston.
Preston stared at him for a moment, then shook his head. “You are… impossible,” he finally settled on. And damn if that wasn’t an accurate description of Logan. He looked at me. “Is it cool if we go outside?”
I looked at X. X dipped his chin at me once, a silent promise he’d protect Preston until I was finished.
“Yeah,” I told Preston. “Don’t go far.”
He smiled at me. “I won’t. Promise.” And then, he was grabbing X’s hand and pulling his boyfriend behind him, leaving without a goodbye uttered to anyone.
“Everything okay?” Zep asked me.
I nodded, not saying another word. I was over talking, and it was too loud and just too damn much in here. I began cleaning up the tattoo, then set my machine aside. “All done,” I told the guy. “Just make sure you follow the aftercare instructions to the T, and it’ll heal beautifully.”