Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Nineteen

Elijah

“How’s that?” I asked the customer as he stood in front of the mirror and inspected the eagle I tattooed on his chest.

“It’s awesome man, thanks.”

“Glad to hear it.” I nodded, pleased with my work. I turned around and disinfected the area.

Once I was finished, I pulled out my phone, disappointed when I saw there weren’t any text messages from Hadley. It has been a little over a week since I’d spoken to them, and I didn’t have any excuses to go see them since finishing the cars. Lucy made us watch The Croods that night. I had a good time laughing my ass off. As she said goodbye I realized I wouldn’t mind another movie night with them.

“Jesus, just text her yourself and stop waiting around,” Wendy muttered from across the room.

I scratched my brow and contemplated her words before finally saying, “What would I say?”

Lance glanced up from the back he was tattooing with wide eyes. “How the fuck did you go about talking to any other woman before the mom? Just call her up or text her.” He shook his head before resuming his work. “I’m worried about you.”

I was worried too. I couldn’t stop thinking about Hadley and the kids or hoping to run into them again.

Cocking my head to the side, I finally found her name on my phone and sent her a text.

Elijah:How is Lucy liking her car?

I had already asked this the last night I’d been over, but I was a little desperate. It took about fifteen minutes before I got a reply.

Hadley: She loves it although she’s a little disappointed it’s more for decoration than to play with.

Elijah: I can get her some to play with…

Hadley: No! She has plenty.

Elijah: Okay. But I don’t mind.

Hadley: Haven’t heard from you since last week… been good?

I sat taller in my chair. She was asking about me? She never asked about me.

Elijah: Yeah. I had to go to my other shop over the weekend, but I got home Sunday evening.

Hadley: Yeah, I noticed your truck was gone all weekend.

She noticed? Did she search for me with those big, blue eyes? That made me bolder.

Elijah: Would you guys like to come over this Saturday? I’ll order pizza, and we can let Lucy rent a movie for us to watch?

Was that a little odd? Maybe, but I really didn’t fucking care at this point. I wanted to see Lucy, maybe argue with her some, and I wanted to stare at her mom until she got all red in the face.

Hadley: Actually, I think their dad might come for them this Saturday. but who knows, he was supposed to last weekend and didn’t.

I wanted to tell her she could come over herself, and we could hang out but that would send the wrong message. The blood rushing to my cock was proof that getting the mother alone wasn’t a smart move, no matter how tempting. She’s too young, too innocent. I was older and the asshole who stole her daughter’s chips.

I didn’t know why but being with them was just…easy.

My phone dinged with another text from her.

Hadley: But, if he doesn’t show, we can…?

I grinned.

Elijah: Sounds good.

______

Like any other night, I stayed up late drawing while listening to music and drinking a cold one. Alone. I thought of Lucy’s love for ponies and cars and drew her something. It was six before I laid down that morning. Five hours later, I was up and getting ready for work. I was excited to give the portrait to Lucy this weekend. I had a feeling she would like it. I put it in an eighteen by twenty-four inch picture frame, the size I used with everything I drew or painted, and I hoped she’d want to hang it up in her room.

On Friday, I got the text that bummed the hell out of me.

Hadley: Lucy and Eli went to their dad’s so, maybe next weekend?

I didn’t really know Hadley, but I knew her enough that I’d scare the fuck out of her if I invited her over alone.

Elijah: Sounds good. Any plans?

Hadley: My friend Holly wants me to go out tonight, but…You’ll think it’s silly.

Elijah: It’s our thing. I think you’re innocent. You think I’m an asshole. Go on.

Hadley: LOL. I feel guilty for wanting to go out without the kids. Deep down, I know nothing’s wrong with it, but I can’t help but wonder if they’re having a bad time while I’m out without them. I shouldn’t have said that. You won’t understand.

She was right, I couldn’t understand. As far as I could tell, Hadley put her kids above herself and no one could say otherwise. If anyone deserved to have a moment to themselves, it was her.

Elijah: You’re right. I don’t understand. You’re Lucy’s world, and anyone that has eyes can see how much she loves you. Have fun, Hadley.  It’s okay if you’re only 99% a mother, at least save 1% for yourself.

Feeling honest, I quickly added.

Elijah: I’ll still hang out with all percentages of you. Frankly, I think you’re pretty badass. Even Eli beams at you like you’re more than his milk supply.

Hadley: Thanks. For some reason that makes me feel better about going.

I smiled.

Elijah: Have fun.

______

I’d been working for the last four hours on a half-sleeve tattoo. It still wasn’t complete when the chime sounded on the parlor door. The blonde that controlled my thoughts strolled in with another girl around her age. Honestly, I didn’t notice the friend much. One look at Hadley and all thoughts exited my mind.

Her long hair was straight, falling over her back and shoulders. It was the first time I’d seen her hair down since Lucy’s and my birthday, and its length surprised me. It was a nice change from those messy buns that made her look ridiculously more appealing every time I saw her. She wore dark skinny jeans with a white halter top that, thankfully, didn’t hide her bust size. On her dainty feet were plain flip-flops. She wiggled her red-painted toes and holy fuck I was lost.

She was sexy in a cute way. The slight bit of makeup she wore barely made her appear older. When her eyes found me in my little corner, her ocean-blue eyes twinkled and that bashful smile knocked me off my hinges, it was so powerful and radiant.

“Can I help you, ladies?” Lance got up immediately, his gaze sweeping over and devouring Hadley in the same way mine had probably been doing.

She shook her head, tucking her hair behind her ears. “I’m just here to see Elijah.” She jerked her thumb over her shoulder in my direction, not noticing I was walking toward her. She glanced over Lance’s shoulder and studied the parlor. Meanwhile, Lance’s gaze was on me. “So this is your shop?” she asked, turning back to me.

I nodded. “Yeah.” I cocked my head and let my eyes rake over her. “Did you come for a tattoo?”

“She wants one, but she’s too chicken,” her friend replied.

“Yeah, one day maybe, but not today,” Hadley blurted, placing her hands together at her stomach.

“It’s not all that bad,” Lance said. “You’ll have to come to me when you find something you like.”

I scowled and said, “What he means is, come to me. I’ll do you right.” Lance snorted, but I ignored him.

Her friend grinned while Hadley’s face turned a shade of red.

“Are you the mom?” Lance asked.

“Mom?” That only made her blush deeper. There was something vulnerable in her pout and the hopeless confusion in her eyes as she glanced at me for an answer.

“Yeah. Elijah mentions your family quite a bit.” Wendy piped in while tattooing someone.

“You got time to tattoo me?” her friend asked, looking at Lance.

“Sure, what are you looking for?” he asked. I caught her friend tapping Hadley’s shoulder and nudging her closer to me as she sauntered off with Lance. Hadley stiffened.

“Sorry about them.” I ran my hands through my hair and frowned. “I do mention you guys a bit. Your kid has somehow weaseled her way into my circle,” I admitted. “She’s not so bad for a kid.”

Hadley laughed. “I’m glad you’ve changed your opinion about kids.”

“Don’t get crazy now. I only like your kids.”

I shouldn’t have said that. Her mouth fell open, those rosy cheeks became rosier, and she looked down at her toes.

Changing the subject, I asked, “So what brought you here?”

When Hadley lifted her head, I saw hurt shining in her gaze. Even the wrinkling of her nose screamed that somehow I’d offended her. “How come you didn’t tell me how well-known you are?”

“What do you mean?” I was confused as hell.

“Your Instagram page for the shop has a million followers. When I mentioned to Holly that we were friends, she told me how popular your tattoos and drawings are.”

A little uncomfortable with Hadley’s words, I pointed out, “Like you said, it’s my designs, not me.”

“You created them,” she informed me.

“You never ask anything about me. I wasn’t sure you’d want to know about my work,” I admitted while rubbing my neck.

Her eyes widened as she processed what I had just said. “I guess I haven’t…”

“Hey, Elijah. You got a piercing,” Waldo hollered from the front, eyeing Hadley’s ass as he did.

It shouldn’t piss me off but it did. Waldo was closer to her age than I was, but I couldn’t fucking see her with the scrawny kid. I thought no one her age would know how lucky they’d be if they had her.

“It’s one down below,” he added.

Hadley’s mouth fell open, and I realized why the fucker said it. Not only because of Hadley, but I’d also have to warn him of saying shit like that. Some of our customers were private and didn’t want that shit said loudly. Luckily, this particular one simply laughed with her friend.

Hadley turned around and saw the girl signing papers at the front. She glanced back at me. “Does he mean…” She waved her hands between her legs.

“Yeah, a clit piercing.”

Her mouth fell open. “You do those?”

“Yeah… We’re both a tattoo and a piercing parlor.” It wasn’t uncommon which proved the naivety of my cute mom friend.

“Isn’t that odd?” It was adorable the way she scrunched up her nose.

“It isn’t any different from tattooing body parts. Just doesn’t take as long.” I shrugged. Her smile was more of a frown by the time her mouth closed. “Are you afraid of me becoming the guy from Idle Hands?”

Hadley flinched when I spoke in a low voice.

“Oh, shit!” I grabbed my hand ready to imitate the character from the nineties flick about a man with a possessed hand. I pretended it had a mind of its own, and I was trying to hold my limb back. “Whatever shall I do? My hand is bound to do something inappropriate.”

She scowled. “That wasn’t what I meant.”

I smiled as she stormed away and stood beside her friend, picking out a design. Did I tease her too much? When Wendy shook her head, I dropped my hand. Did I just fuck up?

Thirty minutes later, I was finished with the clit piercing, and Lance was doing a small wrist design for Holly. Hadley walked outside to take a phone call. I figured it was probably Lucy or about Eli. When she stepped back in the parlor, I strode over to her. “What did you mean then?” I asked since I didn’t want her upset with me.

She glanced down at her hands. “I don’t know what I meant. I just didn’t realize you did that type of thing.”

“How is it any different from you wiping asses?” I asked her. “You’re a nurse, right?”

“That’s different,” she protested weakly, not meeting my eyes.

“How so?” I grinned. She was behaving strangely—kind of withdrawn. “Hadley, you do realize a pussy is a pussy unless it belongs to the woman you want, right? There’s nothing sexual about my job. I’m a professional and this is what I do. I’m slightly offended that you’re acting like I can’t be trusted with nipples and asses. In case you’re wondering, I see more dicks than I do clits.”

I normally didn’t care what anyone thought. I knew what kind of person I was. But with Hadley? I felt more than a little crestfallen that she’d think… What was she thinking, anyway? That was it. I didn’t know. If she was negative toward my tattoos, jobs, and just everything, there was no hope for my piercing—a pubic bone one.

Hadley stood speechless.

My heart dropped, and a weird cold sweat swept over me. I caught myself. For a minute, I considered letting those thoughts I’d been having about Hadley become words. Honestly, I wanted to be her friend—Lucy’s too. But maybe I wanted something else too.

Shit.

Fuck.

Damn it all to hell.

I turned away, but she whispered, “Sorry. That was rude of me. I couldn’t tell you the number of butts and penises I’ve seen.” She touched my arm, and when I looked at her, Hadley gave me a bashful smile. “And you’re right. There’s nothing sexual about it.”

And just like that my guilt evaporated. In that moment, I realized that I enjoyed having Hadley around. She was a better person than me.

A sly grin spread across my mouth. “Just how many dicks are we talking here?”

Her gaze flickered to the ceiling. “God bless America!”

Yeah, God bless America for letting me steal a bag of chips from a kid.