Authors: Rose D. Cassidy
“Wow, I like it,
a lot.
Will you explain all of it to me?”
“You asked for my signature, I gave it. You figure it out. Now, I have more pressing matters to attend to, so pay the lady and be gone.” She turned to head towards the back when he piped up, “Thank you, Trey.”
“How long do you think she will be mean to me for?”
“No clue.” Gwen says.
“Are you going to give me anything to go on?”
“Wait it out.” She replied with no emotion just a shrug.
“Nice! Have a good night.”
“You too!” Ayden looked back at her to see the expression in her eyes with the amused remark he caught onto. It was as if Gwen had a clue about something that she clearly was keeping to herself. “I assume someday you will tell me.”
“Huh! Yea, yea maybe.” She noticed that he did the same as Trey; read into her eyes. He was pretty dead on, he knew she would tell just not yet.
He booked it down the block to catch up with Trey, when he had her in his sights he started to mimic her movements just not with the grace she presented. When he reached the road that the bar was on he broke off and headed to work. Not wanting to leave her, he kept her close in his mind’s eye. He was nice to her today instead of not. He didn't want to show her that side of him but it just fell into place. 'Tomorrow will be different.' As soon as he got home he grabbed his laptop and started to search. He started with Celtic symbols and found most of the meanings. He was unsure of the serpent but had a feeling it had something to do with Sirona so he looked that up next. He got the gist of it but ‘In terms of you,’ her words;
that
he was not sure about. How did it pertained to him? He had to get her to tell him somehow.
Her run was enlightening. Her being a bitch to him made him nice to her, she didn’t like that one bit but she would keep up the charade until he broke and left her alone. She had to because it was the last chance she had at doing what she wanted; getting him to walk away. If it didn’t work then she would have to play his game and that she did not want to do even though she started to at first, but knowing his real reason now just infuriated her more. She laid in bed revived from the run, happy with her proclamation but still annoyed. She had a feeling that this plan of hers would only make him get to her more. Could she handle him being nice verses the mouth he first showed her he was, that at least made her not like him, maybe a little.
The next day and night was all of the same for the both of them until he walked into her shop that is. “I finished your tat. Why are you back?”
“To get another one.”
“I told you the visits would end after I finished.”
“Yes, you did
suggest
that, but I never agreed, I figured it was implied with my unspoken words that I’d keep my visits with you.”
“You are seriously unbelievable.”
“Do you need to touch me,
feel me
to believe I’m here?” He walked over to her chair, taking his shirt off and sat down pulling out another sketch. “This one was already started, you can do more on it.”
“NO!” Her obvious anger hurt him and he changed his plan.
“I do not know of any other tattoo artist in the area and honestly I need to have a daily schedule for them. It’s been a part of my days for quite some time and plus I will look stupid if I keep walking around with unfinished tats. Will you really let me keep walking around looking stupid?”
“Honny, seriously the unfinished tats are not what makes you look stupid.”
“Oh yea! Than what is?”
“Yourself in general.”
“Please, Trey. I pay you what you ask for and more, I’m here at the same time every day and it only takes up fifteen-twenty minutes of your time. Is it really that bad?”
“Stop being horrible Trey, he
is
a paying customer.” Gwen says.
“Unbelievable.” She snatched the drawing from him than looked to the spot it was and shook her head. His front should not look as good as it did. She picked up her gun and put it to him.
He watched as her eyes darkened with want at the sound of his sigh or was it just the pain from her gun touching his skin, that she wanted. He wasn’t sure but he just had to know. “Hey Trey,” he spoke a bit unsurely.
“What?” She said bitchy.
“Is it the causing me pain or my sigh of relief.” She hesitated with the gun in her hand for only a split second that he did notice.
“Is what?”
“Do you always have lust in your eyes when you tattoo someone?” She stopped the gun and looked up at him.
“Are you friggen
serious?”
“Actually yes, I am very serious. I’m not trying to be an ass at all, I was just curious to know why it is you have lust in your eyes.”
“No, you got me wrong. Are you
serious
about thinking I have lust in my eyes.” He put the side of his index finger under her chin to keep her in place, he didn’t want her eyes off him.
“You do, Trey. I see it and it intrigues me. That is why I ask; the need to know the reason for it.”
“It’s not lust if you must know it’s satisfaction of the art is all.”
“I can see the lie in your eyes, Treasach Sirona.” He whispered.
“What are you some kind of
dummy
lie detector. I hate to break it to ya but you’re fake. Now, do you want me to finish this or will you not shut up because I will get up and leave it if you don’t.”
“
Proceed.
Though I hope someday you will tell me, I honestly would like
just
to know.” He tapped her chin, she went back to her work on him and he sighed again, bringing her lust up a notch that he barely glimpsed before she got it back in control. She finished the fifteen minute session and turned to clean up her gun and he spoke softly like to a scared cat ready to claw out his eyes, “I’m sorry if I’ve offended you, Trey. I like you…doing my tats.” More unspoken word play, hopefully she caught on.
“You didn’t
offend
me, you annoy me because I just don’t
like you.
”
“Why?”
“Why does there have to be a reason, Why can’t it just be so?”
“Nothing is ever just so. Thank you and have a nice night, Trey.” He wanted to lean in and kiss her cheek but she wasn’t giving him the option, she stayed seated with her head turned until he walked away.
“Goddess. Don’t be so formal. Stop with my name already. See annoying.” She got up and walked out the back, leaving him with the thought that using her name got to her good, he's seen to many different emotion from her not to ignore it.
He had a feeling that she would get away from him so he hurried with his payment and ran out. It took him a while to catch up to her but when he did, he smiled. He didn't know his being nice would drive her that crazy. Worse then he liked 'cause she was
losing him with her stunts.
He headed to work and wound up letting some girl take him home, all his niceness got to him and made him almost break. The lust in her eyes for him only seemed like her need for inflicting pain instead. It wasn’t a fix, it was complete torture and him being nice only made it worse because it made him want to give her his love even more. It was built up and he had to give it to someone before he walked back to Trey on his way home. He really didn't like being nice to her at all it made him just as crazy as her.
She knew exactly what he meant when he asked if it was the pain or the sigh. Being she knew it was the sigh and didn’t know
why
it was, she wouldn’t give him the answer. 'And why should I anyway?' It could just be because his sigh meant what her sigh meant to her. ‘It doesn’t necessarily mean I want him because I don’t. How could I, he’s a pompous ass,’ she huffed and walked into her place with no energy left at all.
He was set and ready the next day when he walked in but she was not. Being mean was never her thing. Yea, she could kick ass and have the wit to fight back but just being down right mean never got any one anywhere so she never did. She was starting to think, ‘How could this even work when being mean never gets you anywhere?’ Yet, she was still going to try.
“Hey Trey! You ready for the
likes
of me today?” He said chipper as he walked right over to her chair and dropped into place taking off his shirt while doing so. It looked cute and natural and she cursed it.
“Hey Trey. Seriously it just sounds stupid.”
“It sounds cute in a sweet poetic drawl though, watch listen.
Hey Trey!
See good right?”
“Not at all. It’s corny.”
“Well than just call me corny and paint me yellow. I am as bright as the sun shining down with your love, making my stalks stand tall.” Jocelyn broke out laughing at that which in turn made Trey laugh. Pathetic was kind of funny.
“Now that was corny!” Jos said.
“Indeed!” Trey shot back.
“Hey! Making smiles and laughs are worth my being corny. The sounds of laughs that come with it are encouraging melodies to my ears.”
“Great.” Trey ready her gun while Jocelyn let her know she was headed out to pick up Gwen. He liked that. She put the gun to his chest and he sighed than spoke, “Please don’t jump.” He put her other hand in his and stroked her inside wrist with his thumb.
“Really?”
“Well, considering you will not do for me anymore, I had to compromise and do for myself. I like the calming effect your touch has on me.”
“Calming effect, huh?”
“Yea, did you think your touch only turned me on? ‘Cause guess what it
does
but it also calms me in a way I have never felt.”
“Wow, there goes corny again,” blatantly ignoring his first comment.
“Fine, I’ll just let it turn me on then.”
“Do whatever it is you have too to block out the pain I’m causing you because it is the
only
thing that I will do to you.”
“K. So how many tattoos do you have?” She glanced up at him with a ‘Really?’ look than back down at what she was doing.
“Two, the one I showed you and one on the back of my neck.”
“What is it of?”
“Eyes, because I have eyes in the back of my head.” She said it sarcastically and he could tell the meaning she gave was bull shit.
“Funny, so what do they really mean?”
“Nothing I’m about to tell you.”
“Okay, fine. Why only two?”
“Haven’t found any that mean as much to me as they do.”
“Hm.” He was quiet for the rest of the time having in mind that his touch had to do something to her more in the silence. He wouldn’t take her mind off it with his talk. She tried to block the calming feel of his touch by trying to figure out the meaning of the tat she was working on. It wasn’t going so well ‘
because when she spoke, she spoke low, “Done?”
“With that.” She went to pull her hand from his but he stopped her. “Not with this.” His pleading in his voice made her stop.
“Why?” She asked calmly and without the bitch tone.
“I like the tranquility in your eyes, they are serene. I like this look in your eyes more than I like when you’re agitated with me.”
“Take a better look, I’m still agitated.” She tried changing her voice without any luck. He pulled on her wrist to get her closer and look deeper into her eyes than leaned forward and kissed her on her cheek.
“Too bad, it would be nice to fix that lust of yours that is still swirling in your eyes depths.” He whispered and let go to get up. “I’ll leave the money on the counter.” It crossed her mind that he was paying her just to get to her but she soon through that out. She threw herself down on the chair in defeat, he got a win from that one and she let him. ‘It just felt so nice.’ She would need a fight and soon she had to get all this pent up frustration away from her.
He waved as he passed Jocelyn car, he wouldn’t have to wait for Trey long. When she got in his sights he smiled, today he didn’t have to put up as much of a fight to keep up with her. He was getting better and the feel of her today made him want to succeed even more at getting her all for himself. Like his plan goes; being better for her, not just himself. An idea hit him back at her shop, and he thought about it as he ran behind her. He broke off and headed home to sketch before falling asleep satisfied with himself and the drawing.
She tossed and turned and cursed his touch. She wanted to fall asleep and forget the man that got to her so much. The next morning was full of regret, she didn’t want to get out of bed. How could she allow him to get to her so badly that she lost sleep over it? She went through her day exhausted and relaxed in her tattoo chair pushing the jobs on the girls instead. When he showed up it was with her dread.
He walked over to her with a smile and sat down at the edge of the chair. “Please do stay there, I have a sketch for you.” He handed her the sketch he drew and asked, “What do you think? May I tattoo it on you?”
“
You,
tattoo it on
me?
”