“No. They just wanted to let you know that… and I quote… you’re so hot, and she wants to have your babies, and as soon as she turns eighteen, she’s scheduling an appointment here.”
“Oh, fuck. I’m sorry. Maybe this isn’t the best idea.” I scratched my beard, heat creeping up my cheeks. This was honestly embarrassing. Poor Mallory was going to be accosted by people trying to get to me, all because Lydia was too damn good at her job. I wanted her to drum upbusiness, but I didn’t expect her target audience to be young, impressionable woman.
“Oh my God. It’s fine. I worked at the Cove’s End Motel for years. If I could handle their clientele, and I could, then I can handle this,” she said. “Please. I really want this job, and I promise, nothing they say is going to bother me. It’s you that should be worried when a mob of ladies shows up to break down your door to get to you,” she laughed.
It wouldn’t really be fair to her to not give her a chance, and I really needed a receptionist to handle the calls and scheduling. It was hard enough to get two hours blocked off to run her through the programs before my next client.
“Alright. Let me walk you through it one more time before Annalise gets here.”
She picked up on the applications quickly, asking good questions and taking notes as I explained things. Lydia showed up, and as soon as I saw her standing in the doorway, a grin broke out over my face. Her hair was tied back in a messy knot, jean cutoff shorts showed off her tan, toned legs, and a black, oversized T-shirt was rough-cut and frayed around her waist. When she smiled back at me, my heart tripped over itself. I had never been this happy in my life, and I was a pretty damn happy guy most of the time. The life of the party, the flirt, the good-time guy… but fuck, I had no idea what I was missing all this time.
“Hey, hot stuff,” I said, waggling my eyes at her.
“Don’t flirt in front of the new hire,” she sassed, a glint of amusement in her eyes. “Hi, Mallory.”
“Hi, Lydia. Sebastian, I think I’ve got everything done if you want to get ready for Annalise’s appointment. She should be here in about ten minutes. Do you need me to print out herdesign on the thermal paper?”
“Thanks, Mallory. That would be great.”
Mallory started clicking through the application, occasionally having to back out of one screen to find the right one. She was smart though, and I had no doubt that she would figure it out in no time. The phone rang again, and Mallory answered it without hesitation. As I walked Lydia to the back of the room for a quick make-out session before my appointment, I heard her working through the scheduling demands. Good. That meant it wasn’t another underage admirer to fend off.
I pulled Lydia into my arms, leaning in, my mouth just millimeters from making contact. “You need to stop posting those thirst trap pictures.”
“Why’s that?” she asked, her lips grazing mine intentionally.
“Because that damn phone won’t stop ringing, and it’s almost all women.”
Lydia smiled, her small chuckle like a breeze against my mouth.
“I’ve gotten multiple offers to have my babies.”
“Well, they didn’t come from me. Are you thinking about taking them up on that?”
I crashed my lips into hers, flooding my system with that happy hormone. Serotonin? Dopamine? Whatever. I was too focused on the feel of Lydia’s soft lips moving under mine to care what it was called. “I’m not thinking about anything but you.”
“Sebastian?” Mallory called from behind me. “Sorry to, um, interrupt. Annalise is here.”
“Great. Thank you. Tell her I’ll be there in just a minute,” I said.
As soon as she turned around, I stole another kiss fromLydia. I finished setting up my station before bringing her back to my chair.
Lydia circled us with her camera while Annalise and I chatted like old friends as I worked on her ink. It was a book quote that had always stuck with her in neat cursive along her left ribs, right under her breast. Annalise sat back comfortably in her bathing suit top, her arm raised above her head, while Lydia snapped pictures and took some short videos.
It was a short appointment, made even shorter by Annalise’s comfort in the chair. She never batted an eye throughout the process, and in the end, the ink came out great. I gave her the aftercare instructions and we settled up in under forty-five minutes. The rest of my day was booked solid with either consultations or full sessions. I gave Lydia another kiss and a quick swat to her ass before she left for a dinner date with Lisa.
But as soon as she left, I was missing her. I loved what I did, and I was beyond relieved that business had taken such a sharp turn lately. But still, I couldn’t wait to get home later and crawl into bed beside her.
* * *
I kicked my boots off at the door, surprised to see Lydia still up. After a long, busy day at the shop, being able to walk into my house, to my girl, sent a shot of bewildered pride through me.
Lydia was sitting at the kitchen table with her laptop infront of her. She looked up at the sound of the door, a look of excitement in her eyes from whatever she was working on.
“You’re already home?” She looked down at the computer, checking the time. “Oh, wow. I didn’t realize how late it was. I was so wrapped up in my next PR post.”
“So, you weren’t waiting up for me, is that what I’m hearing?” I laughed, making my way into the kitchen. I pulled a glass from the cabinet, filling it with water from my fridge. “Do you want something to drink?” I asked.
“No. I’m good.” She lifted a mug of coffee to her lips. How she managed to sleep at all was beyond me.
