Get Off on the Pain (9 page)

Not to my surprise it takes me almost forty minutes to finish up with the girls. I think I counted at least ten different times that they attempted to back out. Finally, I told them to just stop being whiney little bitches and live a little, because no one likes that type of girl. I couldn’t take it anymore and was tempted to yank my damn hair out. I’m so happy to get them out of my room.

I walk back out into the parlor to check on the guys. Ryan is sitting in one of the gaming chairs talking to Ace—our other tattoo artist.

Ace is definitely not the boy next door type. He’s tall, lean, and blonde, with gray eyes and covered from head to toe in tattoos except for his face. His face is clean aside from a piercing in his bottom lip and one in his left eyebrow.

I have to admit, I was really attracted to him when I first started working here, but after seeing his constant shameless flirting with women—it changed my mind.

Taking a seat on the couch, I get comfortable and watch the boys. “Don’t you guys ever get tired of this game?” I toss a magazine at Ryan as he shushes me. “And I thought you had a client coming in? It’s been over forty minutes.”

“I do.” Ryan looks down at his watch and stands up. “He should be here any second, actually. This dude is always on time.”

“So, he’s finally back, huh?” Ace asks while standing up from his chair and walking over to sit on the couch, placing my legs over his lap. “It’s been what . . . like almost six years?”

“Yeah, man. Pretty fucked up shit if you ask me.” Ryan looks to me and lifts an eyebrow. “You might want to stay away from my client. He’s dangerous; very dangerous.” He smirks and wiggles his brows in a flirtatious way. “But I’ll protect you.”

“Who’s dangerous?” A deep voice interrupts the banter between us.

Not just any deep voice.
Memphis . . .

My heart skips a beat.

He looks down at my legs over Ace’s lap and grinds his jaw before looking over at Ryan.

“Holy shit, dude.” Ryan grabs Memphis’ hand in some kind of man hold and pulls him in for a one-armed hug. “Damn, you’ve gotten big, man. Ready to tear some shit up in the alley?”

Memphis shakes his head as they pull away from the hug. “Nah, man. I’m done.” He looks down at Ace and I on the couch again as Ace reaches up to shake his hand.

“Everything good, man? Nice to finally see your ass again,” Ace says with a grin. “Looking good, bro.”

Memphis just nods his head, his jaw slightly steeled as his eyes meet mine. “Lyric.” He greets me. “What are you doing here?”

Ryan scrunches up his forehead and looks between the two of us. “How the hell do you two know each other?”

“He’s my neighbor,” I respond.

“She’s got my jacket,” he says with a slight grin.

“Well you didn’t ask for it back.”

“It was obvious you needed it more than I did.”

I don’t even know what to say to this weird conversation right now, and everyone is just staring at us. I did not expect him to show up here today and I have to admit that it has my heart working overtime.

It’s quiet for a second before Ryan speaks up, breaking the awkward silence.

“Alright, I’m confused as shit so I won’t even ask what kind of crap you two have going on.”

“Nothing,” Memphis says with a slight growl while looking down at Ace’s hand resting on my legs. “I’m ready.”

I wait for the boys to walk away before questioning Ace. Although I’m so anxious, I can barely breathe.

“Talk. You guys are friends with Memphis?” I move my legs from Ace’s lap and sit straight up, curious to get any information I can about my mysterious neighbor. I’m lucky to even get a few words out of him at a time. There’s no way I’m going to find out anything from him.

“Not really. That guy doesn’t get close to many people besides his brother and Trevor.”

“Why?” I scoot in closer to be sure we can’t be heard from Ryan’s room. “Where has he been this whole time? What . . . six years?”

Ace stands up and shakes his head. “It’s not my place to say and so I won’t. You need to find that out from him, but good luck on getting him to open up.”

He tries walking away, but I grab his arm to stop him. “Well tell me something at least.”

Ace lets out a frustrated breath before sucking in his lip ring. “He’s had a fucked up life and I’m guessing he’s living a pretty lonely one right now.” He looks me in the eye while walking backwards. “I need to get ready for Luke. He’s finally coming in to get his back finished. That pussy,” he says with a small laugh. “Good luck, angel.”

“Thanks for nothing,” I whisper.

I sit here, lost in thought for a moment before deciding to wander down the hall to Ryan’s door. I probably shouldn’t bother, but I can’t help it.

It’s slightly cracked, so I push it open and stand in the doorway, watching silently so I don’t distract anything and mess Ryan up.

Memphis is lying flat on his back, shirtless, staring up at the ceiling. The site of his profile gives me a small rush and a knot forms in my stomach. He looks so damn sexy when he’s concentrating.

I swallow as his eyes slowly meet mine. “Mind if I come in?”

“Would it stop you if I said no?”

“Probably not,” I admit.

“Then no, and you never answered my question.”

Ryan looks up from dipping his needle in one of the inkwells in front of him. “Please keep talking guys. This weird conversation is actually slightly entertaining.”

I step inside the room and walk over to sit in the extra stool on the other side of the table. “I work here. I pierce dicks if you’re interested,” I say to get a reaction out of him. “It doesn’t hurt too much. I’ll be gentle.”

He turns over on his side to face me as Ryan starts tattooing on his left ribcage. “What if I don’t want you to be gentle?”

My heart speeds up, unwillingly. I was not expecting that response and I hate to admit that it slightly turned me on. “So you like pain?” I am trying to keep from turning red.

“I like it more than you know,” he replies in a raspy tone. “I’ll meet you in your room when I’m done.”

Wait. What?

“For what? A Prince Albert?” My voice is showing my nervousness.

“For my jacket,” he says with a smirk. “But I’m happy to know you’re ready for me to whip my cock out. We’ll talk about piercings another day when I have more time.”

“Whoa.” Ryan looks up from his artwork. “No one is getting a dick piercing until you do my second bar. It’s my dick or none.”

Memphis’ nostrils flare as he looks to me, but he doesn’t say a word.

“Lyric!” Styles calls out my name from down the hall, causing us all to look toward the door.

I stand up, giving Memphis one last look before trying to get a glance at his tattoo. Not much luck. “Gotta go, boys, and take your penis somewhere else, Ry.”

“Seriously,” Ryan mumbles. “You see how I get treated around here? Bullshit.”

As soon as I step out of the room Styles grabs my arm and starts pulling me down the hall. “Damn, girl. You have someone waiting in your room. “Hurry up or you’re fired.”

“We both know you’re bullshitting, Styles, so stop stressing your pretty little curls big guy,” I tease while backing up toward my door. “I’m too good to get rid of.”

I earn a grin out of him right before I turn around and enter my room, closing the door behind me.

I STAY BUSY FOR THE
next hour with clients back to back. In between each appointment I step out of my room and chat with Ace and Styles, but Ryan’s door stays shut. He must be working on a pretty big project and I’m curious to see what.

When Ace gets some trashy girl come in for him I kindly step back into my room, sit down at my desk, and work on a drawing I started a while back.

I’m not the best artist, but I’ve found that it passes the time when I’m stuck here and bored out of my mind. Piercings don’t take up as much space in the day as tattoos do.

Lost in concentration, I don’t even notice anyone enter my room until I feel warm breath against the back of my neck. I don’t even have to look to know that it’s Memphis. I can smell him.

“I see you’ve got more than just one talent,” Memphis whispers, close to my ear. “Not only can you take my photo . . . naked, but you could probably draw it just as good. I like that.”

My cheeks flush and my whole body heats up from his words. A nervous smile appears on my lips, but I force it away before turning behind me to face Memphis.

He’s still shirtless, but his side is now covered in plastic wrap. I can’t make out exactly what it is, but it looks like the side of a woman’s face with her hair blowing back in the wind.

“Now who’s the one invading someone’s privacy?” He catches me looking down at his new tattoo so he throws his black tee on and reaches for my drawing.

“This is a pretty badass tree. It looks like there’s a face in the branches. How long did it take you to draw this?”

I let out a small breath and blow my hair out of my eyes. “About two months. I only work on it when I’m bored at work. It’s nothing.”

He sets my drawing back down in front of me and gives me an aggravated look. “It’s not nothing. You should be proud of the talent you have. My brother . . .” He turns away and flares his nostrils, stopping his words. “Never mind.” His eyes lock on his jacket, which is hanging in the back of the room. “Just bring me my jacket later. It’s getting chilly outside so you should wear it home.”

I stand up and get ready to walk to his jacket, but he grabs my arm to stop me. His thumb brushes over my bare skin, causing my heart to speed up before he quickly lets go. “Just wear it home and meet me at my house later tonight. I have to go.”

Before I can say anything he’s out the door, saying goodbye to the guys in passing as he rushes outside in a hurry.

What is this guy doing to me . . .

SINCE LANDEN AND THE BOYS have to work late Bailey and I have spent the last three hours drinking wine and looking through old pictures from when I first moved here. I still can’t get over half the shit we have done. I guess that is part of being nineteen and immature.

Memphis wasn’t home when I got back from work, so I figured I wouldn’t worry about bringing his jacket to him unless I happen to hear him return, but so far—no sign of him.
So this is what my night has become. Awesome!

“Oh . . . what the . . . this was hilarious.” Bailey holds a picture about two inches above my face as she curls up in hysterical laughter, spilling wine all over my foot. “I still remember when we gave Landen that ridiculous haircut. I swear I peed my pants a little.”

I snatch the picture from out of her reach and hold it away from my face so I can actually see it instead of taste it. I choke on my wine a little at the sight of him. One side of Landen’s hair is buzzed off in patches to his scalp and on the other side, it’s got chunks missing from where I took the scissors and in my drunken state, said that I knew what to do with them and started hacking away at his hair. I totally lied my ass off and he ended up having to get his hair shaved off completely.

Attempting to catch my breath, I grab onto Bailey’s shirt and pull on it. “Holy shit! I can’t breathe. Oh shit,” I mutter between quickened, short breaths. “I have to admit that was a fun night.” I toss the picture down, grab my wine glass, and stand up. “Okay, I’m done. I can’t look at these ridiculous pictures anymore. They’re etched into my brain by memory now and most of those pictures were horrible anyway. Just saying.”