For those wondering, this is an E/B story - no others will join in on their fun.
Chapter Two
Lauren doesn't look traumatized when I walk into work and not the least bit ashamed. Jess and Mike definitely took her home after dropping me off. She's safe. For now, anyway.
"Good morning, sweet Lo."
She groans and slumps into one of the plush leather couches usually reserved for waiting clients. "Is it a good morning? I feel like death warmed over."
Chuckling, I store my purse in one of the locked drawers behind the counter and flick on the overhead lights. "Are you that hungover?"
"Yes. No. I don't know! I don't feel myself, that's for sure."
"How many clients do you have today?"
"Two. My fingers are crossed I have no walk-ins."
"I rescheduled my afternoon for next week. I'll be taking off around one." I turn the coffee machine on and slip a cup beneath the spout, so Lauren can wake the hell up before she pokes someone in the eye today. "In about five minutes, you'll have coffee. I'm going across the street to make sure Edward's good to go today."
Lauren scoffs - taking after Jess today, I guess - and looks over the back of the couch at me. "I hope you know what you're doing. I think it will end in disaster."
"Oh, Lo, so negative this morning," Jess says, looking all chirpy. "We're all grown adults here. If all Bella gets out of this weekend is a couple orgasms and some good, hopefully pierced dick, what's the harm? At least she'll come back satisfied."
"I'm not going to hook up with Edward," I say.
Am I?
Will I?
Do I want to?
Does he want to?
"Please, babe. An entire weekend playing boyfriend with that man - you're going to do more than hook up."
"Do you think so?" I ask, looking out the big windows toward Eclipse Ink and where I know my fake boyfriend is getting ready to ink someone today - hopefully a man or at least someone who isn't looking to brand their crotches for God's sake!
"What if it ruins your friendship?" Lauren asks, ever the overthinker.
"I'm going to take him this coffee," I say, stealing the coffee I made for Lauren and ignoring her look of outrage. "I'll say good morning and see if he's ready to play the part."
"Play with your parts more like it," Jess says, and okay, yeah, a certain part quivers at the thought.
"That would be magical, honestly," I say, pushing the door open with my backside, and Jess cackles.
"You shouldn't encourage random hook-ups," Lauren scolds Jess like she's her overbearing mother.
"Pull that stick out of your ass, Lo," Jess snarks back, sticking another cup under the spout, for herself I'm sure. She turns and leans against the counter, her eyes over my head, and a sinful smirk on her lips.
"Edward! Good morning."
I pause and look over my shoulder, finding Edward a scant inch away from me, so close I can feel the heat of his body warming my insides until they're nothing but pure liquid. "I was just bringing you a coffee."
He smiles, and takes the cup from my hands, his inked fingers brushing against mine. "I cleared my schedule," he says, taking a sip, those green eyes on mine over the rim. That messy hair falling into his eyes. Geez Louise, my retinas are burning at the sight of such ungodly beauty. "I'm all yours."
"I bet you are," Jess mumbles, and Lauren - who is now standing next to Jess - grabs her arm and turns them away from us.
"You're awesome," I say, turning and holding the door open, and he steps inside. "Does one sound good? My last appointment is at 11:30."
"Yeah, Bells, that's good." His eyes drop down, taking in my new skirt and the low dip in my shirt, and I nearly have a stroke as he does it.
"It's new," I say, brushing my hand down the soft leather. "I bought it last night at Thea's. It was the last one in my size. I was in luck. My mom hates leather."
He grins and drinks Lauren's coffee, and my nipples are so hard they could cut through glass. "I like it. You trying to stick it to your ma?"
"Any chance I get," I say, and ma - how hot is he? Half my tits are out and the air is chilly, and I still feel like it's 100 degrees right now. "Leather skirts do not say crazy, old cat lady, that's for sure."
He chuckles and looks around the studio, and I feel like a proud mama. Jess and I built this place from the ground up - well not with our bare hands or anything. We obviously hired people to get it looking presentable, but this is all ours. Mostly mine. But it's ours. If that makes any sense at all.
"I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say she's not a fan of tattoos either."
"God no," I say, smiling and taking in every tattoo I can see on his body which is a lot. The one on his neck is especially spine tingling. I think fake girlfriends should be granted permission to lick every colorful inch of him. But I don't make the rules, so... "I didn't ask you to fake it because of your tattoos, though. I think they're hot."
Jess snorts, and I roll my eyes at my big mouth. I mean, he is. What's the point in lying? I'm sure he knows it. There are mirrors all over that shop. You've got to be dead not to notice.
"Yeah? You got any?"
Shaking my head, I take his cup and toss it in the trash. I push the door open, and he walks through and then I follow after him to stand on the sidewalk instead of where Jess and Lauren are hanging on to every single word. "I'm afraid of needles. I can barely get the flu shot without passing out."
I don't tell him that I actually do pass out. Every single year without fail. Some things are better left unsaid.
"You got time this morning? I want to show you something." He takes my hand, and I look over my shoulder to see Jess giving me a thumbs up before imitating a dick in her mouth or something. Lauren gives her a hard shove, making her throw her head back and laugh. She truly is psychotic.
"Can we be fast? I have a 9:30 coming in."
"We'll be fast," he says, giving me a half smile with those pouty lips.
Good lord.
While I'm not crazy about putting up with the condemnation from my mom all weekend, I am much too excited to have Edward along as my boyfriend.
Renee Swan is a snob. There, I said it. To this day I'm not sure how my dad fell for her, but they're still madly in love, so whatever. I get it. I mean, I totally love her, but she is going to flip her shit at the sight of Edward.
I actually feel bad for asking him, because yeah, I made some assumptions when we first met, but I quickly rectified those thoughts and fell into a crazy, lust filled secret obsession with the inked beauty. Mom will make those assumptions and run with them no matter what I say.
Jasper jerks his chin at me in greeting when we walk by, and Edward's still holding my hand. I guess the fake boyfriend business is starting now. I'm not going to complain.
He pulls me into his work room, and tells me to sit on his chair. My brain totally heard dick, though, but thank God he turned away from me or else I'd have truly embarrassed myself.
"Do a lot of girls get naked in here?" He looks over his shoulder and smiles which makes me smile. "Should I…" I tease, faking like I'm going to take my shirt off. The chuckle that leaves those permanently swollen lips could impregnate people.
He turns and picks up my hand, flipping it over to bare my wrist, leaning down to do something. It doesn't hurt, so I'm assuming he's not tattooing me without my permission. He doesn't have a hat on, so his hair is just there, smelling like the finest delicacy this side of the hemisphere.
He peels the backing off, and there's a precious, tiny little black heart there, and it melts my own heart. "How cute," I say. "Is that temporary?"
Obviously!
"I can make it permanent if you want." I gulp, and he chuckles, holding up his own wrist with a matching one. "I figure couples get matching tattoos. I'm just helping you out."
That sweet son of a gun.
"Do you have a Prince Albert?" I ask, ruining the sweetness, just way too curious for my own good. I need to know. We all need to know.
"No, an apadravya," he says, no hesitation, and my mouth drops open. My eyes drop to his crotch, and if there was ever a time to have x-ray vision, that time would be now.
"Not an ampallang?" I ask, wanting to laugh. Honestly, I'm seconds away from asking him to let me see it.
He shakes his head, his chest rumbling with a laugh. My brain has gone haywire. Now that I know for sure, it's all I can think about. What does it look like? Okay, well I know what it looks like on random guys on Google, but what does his look like?
Show me your schlong, fake boyfriend!
I can't believe I just said schlong. No wonder my mom thinks I'm going to die alone. Well, the cats and me.
"I'll make you a deal, Bells," Edward says, and I finally pry my eyes away from his crotch and look up at his sweet face.
"A deal? What kind of deal?"
"After you let me give you a tat, I'll show you it."
I shake my finger at him, grinning - panting - and hold up my wrist. "It seems I've already held up my end of the bargain."
"A real one."
I lick my wrist, over the tattoo, and it doesn't smudge or smear. "Looks real to me."
God, I'm desperate.
He looks at the imaginary watch on his wrist. "Your 9:30 is expecting you."
What a savage.
I sigh and stand from his chair. "I'll see you at one then."
"I'll be here. We'll take my car."
"Okay," I smile and move by him, quaking in my kitten heels at the thought of that hidden happydravya stroking my sweet spot.
Great, now I'm ruining my panties.
What's a little needle anyway? I can hack it.
"Tick tock," he jokes, and I laugh and hurry down the short hallway and out the door, speed walking across the street, shivering when I step into the studio.
"So, did you fuck it or suck it?" Jess asks, chewing on licorice at the counter, flipping through a magazine, and Lauren yells at her from down the hall, making Jess grin like a true life psychotic.
I move to the counter and grab my own licorice, ignoring her question, although now that she's mentioned it, how would that work? Can I choke on a piercing? Is it nickel-free? I have a severe nickel allergy. He must have considered such things when choosing the jewelry assuming he'd still want a blowie every now and then.
"What's this?" Jess asks, grabbing my arm. "Did he give you a tattoo?"
"Not a real one. It's temporary, but he did say he wants to make it permanent. He'll even show me his apa..."
"I fucking knew it," she yells just as my 9:30 arrives.
Mrs. Henry looks frightened.
"You can't scare our clients away," I say, gripping Mrs. Henry's arm soothingly.
"You're not scared, are you, Mrs. Henry?" Jess asks.
"Oh no, dear," she says, and Jess gives her a high five as we pass by.
I shake my head and take Mrs. Henry back to my room.
I give her good lashes and send her on her way.
Lauren pops in looking like she took a road trip to hell and back. "So, it's pierced then?" She asks, making me snort laugh, but I nod because that's too hot not to share.
Way too hot.
"I looked it up," she says, blushing a bit as she sits in my lash chair.
So did I, Lo, so did I.
"It's the best piercing to massage female sweet spots," she says, and I grin.
"Did you become a wikipedia in the last hour or something?" Jess asks, squeezing her ass in my chair with Lauren.
"More like Encyclopedia," Lauren snipes.
"Whatever. So, Bella, you should film it. You know when he sticks it in. Show us what that sweet spot feels like when he's grinding his gears…"
"Ugh, gross," Lauren says, slipping off the chair and out of the room, making Jess and me fall over ourselves laughing.
"She's so easy," Jess says, wiping at her eyes,
"Your appointment is here, Jess," Lauren calls, and Jess slinks away.
One more appointment for me and then I'm out of here.
I've never been more excited to see my family.
It's going to be sweet.