Chapter 8- Simone
My tattoo gun clattered to the floor and shattered apart. Trembling, I reached to pick it up but I found that another set of hands had beat me to it. Looking up, I found Miguel's kind eyes watching me. A sparkle seemed to twinkle in his dark brown eyes.
"You okay boss?" he asked and helped me to my feet.
I nodded, taking the tattoo gun from him. I looked it over and saw that it was fine.
"I'm tired...I was up for hours last night," I avoided saying what I'd been really doing.
"Was that your uncle that dropped you off..."
Freezing in place, I tried to think quickly. The less people knew about Albie's mess that he'd caused, the better.
Swallowing and forcing a smile, I turned to Miguel. "It was."
"That's really nice that he would come into town, Boss. Your brother's here too."
Damn, Miguel was nosy.
And observant as fuck,I thought.
"Very nice," I replied. "So was there something you needed...or..."
He clapped his hands in excitement as if he'd suddenly remembered what he needed. The sparkle remained in his eye. "Me and the other crew were gonna go for drinks."
I pulled my phone from my pocket as it buzzed. There were no messages but I was just about finished for the day. Having only seen two clients for small projects, I was ready to get home and relax.
Except you're quasi kidnapped because of Albie's ass,I thought.
"You know what...sure," I said, putting the phone back.
Rules, Simone. That's not part of the rules...
I had to make myself stop thinking. I deserved to go out and have some fun and I didn't give a shit about some lunatic who thought he was running shit. Miguel seemed delighted, his grin was wide and toothy as he departed to tell everyone else that I was coming along.
A few minutes after nine, the shop was closed down and I headed out to Miguel's waiting car. It had started to snow, but the flurries melted on the windshield almost immediately. I sat quietly until my phone began to buzz with a few messages.
Where the fuck are you, Simone?
A smile twinged on my lips.
I didn't answer and instead I slipped it into my pocket. I needed this night after the way things had gone last night. Sneaking around trying to retrieve my phone and then winding up against a cold glass window...
My center twitched...
"It's so weird to see snow...growing up in Texas, snow is pretty rare," Miguel mumbled.
"I've been in Chicago my entire life," I said quietly. "Snow isn't really all that magical."
"Damn girl, tell me how you really feel," Miguel chuckled.
The car seemed to be slipping just a little which made me nervous. At one point the lights changed quickly from a bright green to a warning red, but it was already too late and we were speeding off to our destination. Miguel had refocused on getting us where we needed to be. The heat was blasting out and warming my face as lights from other cars streaked by. I couldn't remember the last time I'd needed a drink more. I couldn't remember the last time I'd been out to drink with anyone to be honest.
Being a thief for most of my life had been lonely. It wasn't as if I could call up a family member and invite them out. My life had been solitary. I was my mother's only child and only relative. Her smile flashed through my mind as I thought of her. The way her curls would bounce when she laughed, the white of her teeth showing against the dark of her ebony skin.
"We're here," Miguel said.
He parked the car and I got out. The lights of Frost seemed to dance in the air and seemed to turn the car into an aquamarine sea. My breath came in little clouds and I realized just how incredibly cold had gotten since leaving the shop.
