I nod and turn my back, hopping up on the counter. "How are you? Break any more hearts in the last week?" I ask and shake some peanuts into my palm.
"Oh honey, every chance I get." He says and I nudge him with my shoulder. Asa is so hot. He is like untouchable hot and knows it. He is tall and lean, cut muscle and perfect tats covering his skin. He has dark shaggy hair that looks impossible and perfect at the same time. He fills the PIT withtatterfliesand laughed when I called them that for the first time.
"You need a good woman to calm you down before your dick falls off." I hop off the counter and grab his hands in excitement of my idea. "Oh, you should do a dude’s night and take CD to get some pussy."
He laughs and rolls his eyes. "He is still too sprung on you, kid."
"Well he needs to get over it. I text him that was it. A few dates that lead to nothing." I look at CD and feel awful for leading him on and losing a good friendship. He dresses like a British punk and talks the talk too. Today he wears a red plaid shirt with the sleeves cutoff and long gray cargo shorts frayed and holy with Van's. A huge wallet chain hangs from his pockets and his tat’s are on display for everyone. He specializes in American Traditional and his work is incredible and he deserves the spot here.
"How long is he signed on for?" I ask Asa who manages the shop for Sully and Noah. He opened the spotlight for CD while he was in America for a year and did some guest stints in a few shops before signing on here as a favor to Noah who wanted less hours for now.
"We got him for six months unless he extends." Asa says and answers the ringing phone.
I decide to try and salvage some face with CD and make my way to his empty booth. I lean against the doorway frame and watch him draw a Spanish woman with red roses in her hair. "Are you ever going to talk to me again?" I ask and see his back tense before looking at me.
"You still wasting your bleeding life waiting on that sodding Rock God to make a move?"
I take a tentative step into his booth and lean against his table. "Move was made a few weeks ago and we are moving along slowly." I admit and it saddens me that I hurt him.
He turns and looks at me, his blue eyes a perfect match to the bright blue hair that sits straight up on his head and finally nods. "Well, it’s about bloody damn time." He says, his sharp accent making it hard to know if he is pissed or okay with it. He is from a dirt-poor part of the UK and he is proud of his upbringing. The Union Jack Flag he painted on his wall as a statement to the artists space. "I hope that bloke knows what he got in you poppet."
I go to him and he stands to hug me. "Me too, CD."
We seem to be back to a friendly rhythm by the time Sully walks in and my client a few feet behind him. "Mya?" I ask and hug her. Cal's sister is a gorgeous array of tattoos, thick brown hair and the same Dorian eyes as my son and his father. "What brings you by?"
"I am here to get a tragus. I have some bad headaches and my Doctor actually told me that the tragus can stop or minimalize them."
I nod. "Totally, I have a ton of clients get them for the same reason." I step back and show the jewelry display. "Pick any of these, they’re the right size for a tragus."
She looks at the jewelry and picks a cubic zirconia and follows me to my room and I shut the door. "So, you and Sam looked to be all flirty. What was that about?" I ask as I set up the trey and have her pull her long brown hair back.
"Who is Sam?" She asks as she knots her hair on top of her head.
"Sully?" I ask and forget that when here he is known as Sully, it is to us that he is Sam, our friend.
"Oh, hell that guy is drop dead gorgeous Jen." She laughs and shivers at the idea of Sam and his effect on all women. "Tats and piercings don’t freak me out. Obviously, I have six holes in my ear now, my cleft and nose as well as seven tattoos. My brother, hello look at his friends right." She shakes her head and I get it, she needs to defend as a lot of women do. Sam isn’t just tattooed. He is covered from the chin down and somehow it works for him. "He just has something that is untouchable and oh my God, I want to touch it."
I laugh and dot her ear before I push the needle through, gauge and all. "Done." I say and twist the ball to the back of the barbell and hand her the small package and the cleaning instructions.
"That was fast." She says and stands. "Like we need some girl talk on you and my brother..."
I roll my eyes and hide the tumbles in my tummy as I replay the message he sent in my mind. "Nothing to tell, just taking it slow and steady."
"Wins the race... I get it but when steady becomes love let me know." She smiles huge and I step from the room hoping she won’t poke and prod for details anymore.
She pays and chats with me a few more minutes about Axe and his sleepover plans this Friday night.
"I didn’t know you were keeping him Friday." I say and look at my books and see I am blocked out and wasn’t earlier. What the fuck?
"Cal called me earlier and asked if I could watch him, but I have plans so mom and dad are." She looks at me pointedly before rolling her eyes. "Fucking go with it Jen, don’t ask about why."
She lets her hair fall from her messy knot and I watch as Sam eyes her like ice cream on a hot day and though I want to know why there’s all this secrecy now, I let it go for the info on these two-eye fucking each other.
Sam sees me watching and winks before yelling Mya's name. "This thing coming up, you going to be there?"
Oh, now I am intrigued. Big time.
"Sure, will but I might be a few minutes late so save me a seat." She eyes between his legs. Blatantly before winking back at him. "Byee." She says and walks out the door.