Temporary (Indelibly Marked #2) (7 page)

She closed her eyes to envision the look. “Tons of black
eyeliner, lashes for days and a nude but glossy lip.”

“You earned an audition. I need you to see the new line
before my show at LA Fashion Week.”

“New line?” She turned behind her. Ivan paced. He was on the
phone, too.

“Yes, we like our models in makeup when they walk the
runway.”

They both laughed.

Since the day she put makeup on her dolls, her brothers and
her father, she’d waited for such a moment. All the bridal parties, sweet
sixteen shindigs, and tattoo shows were merely preparation for the moment when
a true designer wanted her. “When do you want to see what I can do?”

“We need to meet as soon as possible.”

“Hold on.” Of course her break would happen when she was
needed at home. Her opportunity could not be missed, but she wouldn’t take a chance
with her family’s business. She would have to figure out a way to do everything
without asking for help and without telling anyone. If she didn’t succeed she
didn’t want anyone to know, but she couldn’t sit stagnant. “I need to meet
early or late in the day.”

“That’s fine. I’ll text you the information.”

As she hit
end
on her phone, James walked in and she
dashed to the front. “Hi!”

He turned around the shop as if he were looking at balloons
in the sky. “So this is a tattoo studio.”

“Do you want to get inked?” She laughed; sure he didn’t have
the guts.

“Not today. Today I need to work on several things, one
being your lawsuit.” He patted his briefcase.

With Ivan still on the phone, she took hold of James’ sleeve
and guided him to the back. She needed to keep things moving forward.

They sat at the table in her brother’s empty station and her
chest tightened, wishing he were there.

“Okay, here is the letter for you to approve.” James opened
his briefcase, took out a file folder and handed her the page.

She gave the letter a quick scan. “It’s is very formal.”

“Well, we sort of want to scare them.”

Without Ivan she wouldn’t approve a thing. In search of him,
she leaned over. He was still on the phone. “Are you charging us by the minute
or something?”

“No, take your time.” He laughed and gave her a second
paper. “I also need you to have Shane sign power of attorney of the shop over
to one of you.”

She bit her lip. Shane couldn’t sign anything. Not sure what
to say or do, she ran her fingers along the page. “This is really nice paper.”
The paper was more like fabric, with texture and raised letters.

“Thank you. Paper selection is an important part of being an
attorney. They don’t let you pass the bar unless you can choose the correct
stationery.”

She pressed her lips together to stifle a laugh and peeked
at him. “Well, your stationery is better than the jerk’s attorney’s, so that
means we’ll win right?”

“It means it’s an official letter.” He gave her a light
elbow.

Once more she glanced into the front. Ivan was no longer on
the phone and her brother had arrived. She rushed toward them with disjointed
steps.

“Carson.” She gasped and turned to James in his blazer, his
button down shirt, and pleated pants. Yes, they had plenty of businessmen there
for tattoos, but his papers, briefcase and the fact he still had all his
clothes on, betrayed him as something other than a customer.

Behind Ivan she spied a flash of brown hair flipping back,
her brother was only a few feet away. No matter what, Shane couldn’t find out.
Carson couldn’t keep a secret if his hair depended on it. Acting on instinct,
she crumpled the papers and snatched the file folder away from James. With no
time to second-guess her actions, she jumped into his lap, wrapped her arms
around his neck and planted one on him.

In an instant James caught on, taking her into his arms,
bending her back and opening his mouth.

Treated to soft lips, a strong hold, and a man who didn’t
shy away from kissing her in public, she went with it. Her tongue met his and
for a moment becoming lost.

“Get away from my sister, now!” Carson yanked her away from
James and pushed her into Ivan’s arms.

Ivan squeezed her. “What are you doing?”

She didn’t need to look at him to know he spoke through
clenched teeth. Good.

“Do you know who I am?” Carson pulled his fist back.

“No!” Both she and Ivan ran forward. She slid between them
shielding James, while Ivan grabbed Carson.

She patted James, with wide eyes and her lipstick on his
lips the poor guy looked a bit stunned.

“What are you letting happen here?” Carson spun around to
Ivan.

Ivan had the same dazed expression as James.

She cleared her throat, straightened up and went to her
brother. At least her plan worked, her youngest big brother wouldn’t be making
any reports to bigger brother Shane, except about her indiscretions.

“Carson?” She linked her arm in his.

He stared her down.

She gave him a sweet smile and prodded him back to James,
taking hold of his hand.

Carson groaned.

“Carson, this is James, I didn’t say anything about him because
you have been so busy with Shane and Lindsay, but everything is cool, okay. I’m
happy.” She gave him a sweet smile and rested her head on his shoulder. “James,
meet Carson, my brother.”

“Emily is always telling me how important your opinion is to
her.” James laced his fingers in hers and held his free hand out to her
brother. “I was just on my lunch break and came by to see Emily, so I could ask
her out for tonight in person. Phones and texts are so impersonal.”

Emily held her breath.

“There are certain things a brother shouldn’t see.” At last
Carson shook his hand. “You better stay personal, but not too personal.”

She wrinkled her nose, did all the Elliott brothers read
from the same script?

“I understand.” He straightened his blazer. “But now I must
get back to the office.”

“Office?” Carson leaned forward. “What kind of office?”

She dug her nails into James’ hand.

He winced. “I work with computers.”

Well, he must be an amazing lawyer, because even she
believed him and she knew the truth.

“Good.” Carson nodded. “Good. We don’t have a computer
person yet.”

“Why are you here?” She needed to stop the interview.

James let go of her hand and bent down to collect his
papers.

“I just thought I would stop by. Mom and dad came over and
mom sent me to the store for Lindsay’s cravings.” Carson glanced around the
shop.

The thought of her mom and dad was way too comforting. She
wondered if she could get one of them alone. “Well, don’t keep Lindsay waiting.
I’ll come by later.” She pushed him.

Her brother narrowed his eyes, studying the three of them.

Luck was on their side, because his phone went off making
the sound of a bullhorn.

“I need to get back.” He shrugged and lifted his chin.
“Later.”

James put his arm around her and waved.

“Later.” Ivan echoed his sentiment.

The three of them stood motionless until the bell on the
door rang their freedom. They all exhaled.

“I need to talk to you.” Ivan pointed at her. “Privately.”

“I also would like to speak with you.” James pulled her in
closer. “Alone.”

No good could come of private talks and she tensed.

“Emily.” Ivan crossed his arms.

She untangled herself from James. “Stay here, we still have
to go over the papers.”

“I’m good.” He continued collecting the items she tossed
earlier.

“Shall we?” Ivan guided her into one of the private rooms in
the back.

Unsure what move to make she leaned back on the counter
trying to be casual. “What’s up? James has papers for us. He said Shane needs
to sign some Power of Attorney thing, but he can’t know about it. Maybe we
should go out there before he increases his fee.”

“Maybe he should give us a discount for that kiss,” Ivan
said and made a noise.

“Well, I kissed him, so maybe I should charge the fee.” She
offered him a toothy grin. Actually, the kiss wasn’t bad. In fact, some might
say the kiss was good, intriguing, different. Some might be her.

His expression did not change.

“Ivan, it was the first thing I thought to do.” She stood
her ground.

“Making out was the first thing you thought of?” He
approached, putting one hand on either side of the counter, caging her in. “You
couldn’t have said you were looking to buy a computer?”

“I didn’t know he was in computers until Carson asked.” A
giggle escaped and she licked her lips, abating the flutters in her stomach.
The energy around her changed anytime he entered her personal space.

He leaned down, moving her hair away from her ear with his
nose. “Let’s go out tonight. Just me and you.” He brushed his lips behind her
ear.

The man possessed the ability to arouse her with barely a
touch. Her mind lost all reason, but if she forced herself to think, she would
realize the evening would only end up the same as the night of her tattoo, and
the walk of shame might not be nearly as short. She pushed him back. “Not
tonight.” She couldn’t bring herself to say no and ducked under his arm. “I’m
putting you in charge of the Shane signature thing, since I kissed our
attorney.”

She managed to get away and headed straight for the other
man who needed to speak to her…alone. Maybe he forgot.

“Welcome back.” He held the now wrinkled pages out to her.
“Why don’t we let Ivan review the documents and we will have our chat?”

Great. He remembered. “Okay.” She took the papers and handed
them to Ivan while he both glared and grimaced at her.

James guided her back into the private room.

In a bizarre repeat of three seconds ago, she leaned back on
the counter. “What’s up? Do we need to give you a deposit or something?”

“Stop worrying about the charges.” He moved forward, but
rather than caging her in, he took his place next to her. “I certainly wouldn’t
want to lie to your brother, so I thought I would formally ask you to dinner
tonight.”

No one ever formally asked her anything, and could have
sworn he bowed slightly. She put her hand over her stomach. While her middle
didn’t twist and flutter, a welcome warm and calm sensation enveloped her.

She glanced at James with his sleek good looks.

“I thought I could make some reservations and pick you up
around eight?” He tilted his head.

Different. James was most definitely different. She had
never dated a professional man. Maybe she needed to see what the other side of
life held for her. Look at Shane. It sure worked for him. “I would like that.”

“Very good,” he said and lightly kissed her on the cheek.

“We better get back.” James followed her as she left the
room again.

“Letter is fine, and I will take care of this.” He thrust
the letter at her and kept hold of the document Shane needed to sign. “Let’s
get going.”

She took the paper and gave it to James. “The sooner, the
better.”

“I’ll go have my assistant print a pristine copy on my fancy
paper.” James returned the page to his briefcase and nodded at her. “I’ll see
you tonight.”

She stood completely still as James left the shop, wanting
to kick the butt of the sick guilt that crept up over her. They had nothing.
But Ivan did everything but skywrite his stance in the clouds for all of
California to see.

She couldn’t stop staring at him, maybe silently willing him
to do something.

“Have a good time tonight.” He stepped forward, stood less
than two inches away and took his time looking her over before walking away.

Damn those shivers to hell. For once she had better things
to think of, namely her once-in-a-lifetime opportunity with Mark Markson, if
she could pull it off and didn’t make a dumb mistake. She glared at Ivan and
walked the opposite direction.

Chapter
Six

“It’s raining?” Kathleen Elliott ruffled Ivan’s hair and
gave him a hug.

“Yeah.” The rain started as soon as he entered the canyon on
his way to Shane and Lindsay’s, and he didn’t want to think of Emily driving
out there. If she knew he was coming to the house he would have taken her, but
then of course she didn’t know. His plan hinged on the element of surprise, and
the fact he needed to get that document signed by Shane, without Shane knowing.

He turned toward the front door. “It’s really coming down.”

“Come on you must be starving.” Shane’s mom guided him away
from the door as if the rain might suddenly attack them. “Go to the living room
with everyone else.”

“Living room.” Strange. One of them owned a living room. The
name of the room denoted adults, homes, and babies.

“I made tuna fish.” She pushed him ahead. “Lindsay and my
grandchild were craving tuna fish.”

“That sounds reasonable.” Shane, Carson, Shane’s dad Ronald,
and Lindsay waved, their mouths full of the said tuna. Kathleen Elliott’s tuna.
Though he’d already eaten, he peeked over his shoulder at her, widening his
eyes to ensure she’d notice that he was malnourished.

“Do you want a tuna fish sandwich?” She grabbed his cheek
and pursed her lips as she spoke.

“Two please.” Shane’s mom did something to the tuna. No one
could figure it out, but the woman took seemingly normal ingredients and made
them into something amazing.

“Coming right up.” She gave his face another squeeze but it
was a small price to pay for the tuna.

Shane motioned him over and he took his spot with the other
men on the couch. Maybe it was now a sofa since they were in an actual living
room.

“Tuna.” Shane held up his sandwich half. “Lindsay can’t make
the tuna, but I married her anyway.”

“I wonder if Emily can make the tuna.” Ivan glanced at his
watch and at the window and the rain. A strange tightness took over his chest
and he stood.

“What’s wrong with you?” Shane hit him in the leg.

“Look at that rain.” He pointed at the window. “No one
should be out in this.”

“It’s just rain.” Lindsay laughed. “It’s not a conspiracy
against Los Angeles.”

“Oh, says the woman from Ohio.” Shane shoved the rest of his
sandwich in his mouth and joined her on the sofa bed. “It doesn’t bother you
because I don’t allow you to drive in the rain in Los Angeles.”

Ivan watched the exchange. “Your sister is out in the rain!
She should be here eating the tuna.”

“Don’t worry, she doesn’t like the tuna.” Carson sat back
and patted his stomach.

“Shane!” Ivan held out his hands.

“Chill,” Shane said through a full mouth.

Why didn’t anyone understand? He inhaled, priming to yell
when the perfect storm of comfort crashed into him.

“Tuna fish!” Shane’s mom entered from the dining room with
his plate.

Better than the magic tuna, the front door slammed. “Oh, my
God!” Emily’s yell cut through the pound of pouring rain on the roof and she
rushed into the living room with her purse and her makeup bag. “It’s raining.”
At catching sight of Ivan she skidded to a stop.

“It’s raining.” He pointed to the window.

“Thank you, weatherman.” She peeled off her jacket.

“You drove in the rain?” Rather than crossing the room to
inspect her like he wanted, he slumped down in the nearest chair. At least he
could breathe again.

“Here, you go.” Kathleen handed him his plate. She included
potato chips and chocolate chip cookies.

“Thank you.” He stared down at one of his favorite meals,
wondering why the sandwich wasn’t as exciting as it should be.

“Yes, I drive in the rain, in the sun, in the gloomy
mornings.” Emily wrinkled her nose. “What’s wrong with you?”

“We could have driven together and saved gas.”

“I didn’t know we were going green.” She made her way along
the sofa kicking Carson in the ankle, kissing her dad, and hugging her mom. “Or
that you were coming here.”

He shrugged and focused on his sandwich. The bread on the
tuna seemed extra fluffy and Kathleen had chopped everything nice and small.
She also cut the sandwich on the diagonal. Everyone with any sense knew that
sandwiches cut on the diagonal tasted much better than sandwiches cut on the
horizontal plane. At last he gave in and took a bite.

Creamy, crunchy, savory and sweet; the sandwich hit each one
of his taste buds. With everyone accounted for, he gave in and enjoyed the
treat.

She passed by him and went to Shane. “Get out of my spot.”

“Lindsay is my wife.” Shane wrapped his arm around her.

“I am practicing my makeup.” She kicked off her shoes and
put her hands on her hips. “Don’t make me kill you. Now that you donated your
sperm you are disposable. We have what we want.”

“Emily Ann Elliott!” Ronald shouted.

Shane relinquished his spot.

With her bag of makeup, she got in the bed and turned to her
father. “Yes, Daddy?”

“Be careful around the baby.” Her father kissed his fingers
and pretended to flick it in her direction.

“You better not know anything about any sperm anyways,
especially that James’ sperm.” Carson chomped down on his cookie.

A wave of too much tuna crashed in Ivan’s stomach at the
image of sperm around Emily. Well, anyone else’s sperm. Wait, they used
condoms. Still, he put his head in his hand.

“Carson Anthony Elliott.” Kathleen clapped her hands twice
as she walked by Carson, and took the seat next to Lindsay’s bed.

“Mother,” Carson said and pushed himself up off the sofa.
“Don’t you
Anthony
me. You didn’t walk in to find Emily making out with
some guy in a suit that costs more than most cars.”

Without speaking, Emily turned her attention to Lindsay and
her makeup.

“Don’t you have something else to do?” Kathleen got up and
shook her dishtowel at Carson. “I want to hear about the man in the suit.”

“Let’s go check out the garage.” Ronald stretched, and
headed out.

Carson followed, as did Shane, who stopped in the doorway.
“Come on.”

Though he also wanted to hear about the man in the suit,
Ivan forced himself up and spying his window of opportunity without Lindsay and
her brains around, he went after them.

“You cool?” Shane stopped him in the hallway.

He nodded but leaned back trying to hear anything said in
the next room.

“Is the shop okay?” Shane waved his hand in front of his
face. “Lindsay’s business?”

“It’s all copasetic.” Ivan whipped out the crumpled paper
and a pen, attempting to not call attention to the action. “I just need you to
sign this.”

Without looking, Shane put the paper on his knee and signed
it.

Ivan reached for it. Maybe he would go with Emily on her
date and present the paper in person.

“Wait. What am I signing?” Shane lifted the paper. “Am I
giving you my shop? Maybe Lindsay should look.”

Rather than screaming “no” at the top of his lungs, he
leaned against the wall. Too much defense would only rile up Shane’s offense.
It was a lesson learned the hard way in junior year when he insisted he didn’t
ask Greta Grady out, after Shane point blank asked if he had. He denied the
truth, called Shane three times to remind him he didn’t do the deed, and even
found a payphone to call Shane from the date he wasn’t supposed to be on. After
all his fanfare, Shane showed up at the movie theatre to discover his lie and
they didn’t speak for two weeks.

Instead, he inhaled slowly. “The autoclave guy won’t come
out and check the thing unless you’re there or you sign the stupid paper.
Something to do with those sanitary laws and the temperature gauges and the new
pouches to fit with the new regulations.” He had no idea what vomit just spewed
from his mouth, but his throat stung the same way it did when he called Shane
from that payphone.

“That guy’s a sanitary jerk.” Shane gave the paper the evil
eye and handed it over. “Tell him we are the cleanest shop in town. Never even
an infection.”

Making sure not to make any sudden movements, Ivan took the
paper and returned it to his pocket.

“Is there anything you’re not telling me?” Shane leaned in.

The question would have been easier to answer if Shane asked
if there was anything they were telling him. “Go change your panties and stop
acting like an insecure pussy.”

“Ass.” Shane shook his hand. “Let’s join the men. I have a
garage now.”

“Dude, you have a living room and a dining room.” He winced.

“I have a nursery.” Shane shook his head.

“You didn’t need that; the kid will end up with you guys.”

“That’s what Linds said.”

They laughed.

“I put the crib in the master bedroom.” Shane hung his head
down. “It seemed easier.”

“Yeah but you have a master bedroom.” He gave his best
friend a friendly punch in the arm.

“It rocks, though. Rooms rock, wife rocks, baby rocks.”

“Yeah, it’s cool.” He wondered if that’s what everyone
thought when they first got rooms, a wife, and a baby. Did anyone think about
what happened if it all went away? Of course in Elliottville it lasted and
expanded.

“Let’s go.” Shane tilted his head toward the exit letting
his Mohawk point the way.

From the other room, the women giggled. Giggles denoted
talking about guys. “I’ll be right there.” He pointed in the direction of the
bathroom.

“You got it.” Shane glanced in the living room and left.

Alone at last, he did what any self-respecting quasi-stalker
guy would do; backed up and peeked in through the slot between the wall and the
door.

Emily and Lindsay remained in the bed while Emily creating
her makeup magic.

“So there is more than one boy?” Kathleen slid her chair
closer.

“Mom.” Emily rifled through her makeup bag and continued
working on Lindsay’s eye.

“Is that why you’re not more excited about James?” Her
mother leaned in. “You can tell us.”

Ivan pressed his eye into the crack.

Emily took Lindsay’s chin in her hand and tilted her head
left and right. “What do you think?”

“I’ll never understand how you can do that.” Kathleen
clapped. “She looks like she can walk down a runway.”

“Maybe I could roll down the runway.” Lindsay rubbed her
stomach.

The women laughed and Emily absolutely beamed. “That’s the
look I was going for.” She reached into her bag of tricks to retrieve a pad and
pencil and wrote something down.

He never saw her take notes before and he shifted his weight
from one foot to the other.

She finished by taking a picture.

“Let’s try another look.” Emily took out a box of cleansing
wipes.

Lindsay held her hand up. “Not one more bit of paint will go
on your canvas until you tell us.”

He shoved his hand into his pocket and waited.

“You know how there’s that one person you can’t get over?”
Emily crossed her arms.

He straightened up at her words. No doubt he was the person.

“I married him,” Lindsay said with a nod.

“Me too.” Kathleen laughed and wrapped an arm around
Lindsay.

“My brother never shied away from wanting to be with you.”
Emily pointed at Lindsay and turned her mother. “Daddy wasn’t the guy you
couldn’t get over. He was the guy you knew forever and wouldn’t give up. In
fact, you said he annoyed you and you wanted the other guy!” She sighed and her
voice broke.

Ivan rubbed his hand over his face and then stuck it back in
the crack. Every Elliott and Harlow could recite from memory the story of
Ronald and Kathleen’s love affair, which sounded somewhere between a bad 1980s
teen flick, and an even more horrible romance novel. He did not need Emily’s
head filled with fairy tales.

“Honey.” Kathleen joined them on the bed, taking her
daughter into her arms. “What’s wrong?”

“My guy isn’t like Shane or Daddy, he…” She shook her head.
“It doesn’t matter. I’m not going to marry him; I just need to get over him.”

His chest constricted as if someone had socked him. They’d
gone over and over their dilemma and they were the way they were, free and
easy.

“Listen to me.” Kathleen took Emily’s chin. “You never
settle for anything less than a man who will fight for you. The man who gives
you that feeling from your scalp to your toes. The one who will always be by
your side and it may be the new man or an old man, but it doesn’t matter.” She
ended her speech by kissing Emily on the nose.

He pressed his forehead against the door hinge welcoming the
pain. If anyone needed help, it was him.

“You made everyone else tuna.” Emily did the perfect
imitation of a whiney teenager.

“Come on, I brought the bologna and cheese too.” Kathleen
rose and yanked Emily up. “Let Lindsay get the makeup off, and we’ll make your
lunch together.”

“Do you mind?” Emily gave the wipes to her sister-in-law.

“Not one bit.” Lindsay pulled a wipe out of the container
and the other women left for the kitchen.

As if he were Shane Elliott, an opportunity landed right in
front of him in the form of Shane’s wife, or as he liked to refer to Mrs.
Elliot – the sane one.

He curled around the door. “Hello.”

“I am seeing visitors, you may enter.” Lindsay motioned him
forward and continued to wipe the makeup off her face.

Unsure what to say, he sat in the chair and started with the
obvious. “How’s the baby making?”

“How’s Emily?” She swiped one eye then the other.

He swallowed and cleared his throat. “You were just talking
to her.”

“Yes, and you are the guy she can’t get over.”

His mouth opened but no words exited.

“Don’t worry, Shane has no idea.” She laughed. “No one
does.”

“Can you blame me?” He waited for her to spew her own brand
of wisdom.