“Oh, yeah? You checking out these meaty thighs?” She smacked, then grabbed onto one of her thick thighs and gave it a shake. I had to snap my mouth shut to keep from drooling.
I avoided her eyes. “How could I not?”Was it getting hot in here?My cheeks flamed. While I wasn’t a player like Dylan, I also wasn’t shy, and I definitely didn’t blush whentalking to a woman. Lexi affected me in ways I hadn’t experienced before, but I needed to focus and not fuck up her easy-ass tattoo. “Now lean back and try to stay still. This won’t take long at all.”
“Ha! That’s what he said,” she laughed. “Well, I hope not, but you get the joke.”
I grinned. “Yeah, I got it.”
She leaned back, and I started her, checking in with her periodically to make sure she was okay. It was a small tattoo, just some fine lines, but it was still her first, so I wanted to make sure it was a pleasant experience for her.
I was leaning over her, finishing up, when she reached out and touched my arm. “Are you okay?” I asked, concerned that something was wrong.
“Yeah, I’m fine. I barely feel anything. I was just wondering what this tattoo says.” She pointed to my forearm. From the angle of my arm, she couldn’t quite make it out. I leaned back and shifted my arm so she could read it. With an arched brow, she asked, “Nice? Is there a story that goes along with it?” I lifted my other arm, and realization crossed her face. “Oh shit, you dirty bird.”
I snorted. Yeah, my forearm tattoos were sort of a running joke in my family. One readNaughtyand the otherNice. My little nod to my love of Christmas, but also to the two sides of me. Sure, I was a ‘nice guy,’ but I also had a bit of a naughty side, especially in the bedroom. My brothers didn’t know the specifics, but that didn’t stop them from giving me shit about it. “What can I say? I love Christmas.” I chuckled and got back to her tattoo.
“Mmhmm.” She was too smart to believe that was the whole story, but didn’t press the issue. Her eyes closed as she leaned back against the chair.
“All done,” I said once the tattoo was complete. Lexi’s eyes popped open as I was cleaning the area one last time so she could check it out. “Whatcha think?” I motioned for her to go to the mirror.
She jumped up and practically bounced to the mirror. “Oh, my God! I love it! Daphne, let me see yours!” Daphne had finished too and came back so they could compare and snap a selfie.
Dylan interrupted them so he could get a picture for our social media. He was good like that, and I appreciated it. I sucked at social media, and while I always took pictures for my portfolio, I was terrible about posting them.
“I still gotta cover that,” I called after them. Lexi turned and gave me a huge grin. “Yes, sir,” she saluted me.Oop, that did it. My dick twitched again.
As the girls chatted and took more pictures, I started cleaning, then Lexi came back to my station. “I just need a quick photo and then I’ll cover it for you.” I coaxed her back to the chair with my hand on the small of her back. A slight gesture that should have been nothing but felt too intimate. I wanted to touch her everywhere, but hurried my hand away.
After Lexi was back in my chair, I snapped a quick picture, covered her new tattoo, and went over aftercare instructions. Once I had gone over everything, I grabbed one of my cards from my desk and wrote my cell number onit. “If you have questions or need anything at all, don’t hesitate to call. I put my cell on the back.”
“Oh, did you now?” She gave me a wink.Was she into me, too?I probably should have asked for her number, but I was too much of a chickenshit. She made me nervous, and I didn’t want to make things weird if she wasn’t interested.
I cleared my throat. “Ahh, yeah.” I pulled at the back of my neck. “Oh, and you can let me know about that octopus tattoo. If you decide you want me to sketch something up, shoot me a text.”
“Yeah, that sounds good. Thanks. I’ll let you know.” Lexi hopped down from the chair, and we walked to the front. “How much do I owe you?” She asked as we reached the desk.
“It’s on us,” Dylan interrupted as I was about to say the same.
“No way. This is your business; we can’t not pay,” Daphne said as she and Lexi both started digging into their bags.
I put my hand on Lexi’s arm. “Nope. Your money’s no good here. Besides, these were small and didn’t take up a lot of time. It’s really no problem at all.”
Lexi smiled up at me and laughed. “Thank you. That’s really nice. I guess I’ll get you next time for the octopus.”
Daphne turned and wrinkled her nose. “What octopus?”
“My next tattoo! Now that Brando popped my cherry, I’m so ready for more,” Lexi said excitedly and turned back to me. “Thanks again. I really love it. I’ll let you know when I’m ready for my next one.” Then she darted up onher toes and hugged me. I was so surprised that I barely had time to return her embrace before she was gone. The bell to the front door rang, and I vaguely recall Nathan and Daphne saying their goodbyes as I stood there replaying my whole interaction with Lexi.
“Fuck,” Dylan said, drawing my attention back to the present. “Not you too.”
3
LEXI
This Santa Claus is creeping me the fuck out, I thought as I made my way through the cafeteria to get myself a mid-shift snacky snack. In the far corner, there was a cute, makeshift North Pole so kids could visit with Santa. They had this set up every December, and I think they even had Santas making rounds on the pediatric floors so that the sick kids could tell Santa what they wanted for Christmas. I mean, aside from getting the hell out of here and getting better.
But this particular Santa was eyeballing me hard.What the hell did I ever do to you, buddy?Whatever. I moved through the cafeteria, grabbing some chips and a soda to take back up to the ICU break room. I had finished paying when I noticed Daphne chatting up Mister Creeper Claus. Okay, now I was interested.
“Hey bestie, whatcha doing?” I asked when I got close to them.
