Faye let him through the gate in the counter, locking it behind him. He followed her up the narrow wooden stairs to the next floor. The shop was tall and thin, with three floors, each with tall ceilings. While the ground floor was entirely a reception and waiting area, the next two floors both had space for two tattoo artists to work. Just. Faye worked on the first floor, while the other two artists were set up on the next level. Kyrone knew there was a floor above that, but he’d never been up there. He guessed it was a space for the artists to hang out and take breaks.
“Take a seat.” Faye gestured to the second of the two tattoo chairs. The back was already angled for someone to be almost lying flat, so Kyrone perched on the seat while Faye jogged up the stairs.
Even though he’d been in the shop a few times before, he still glanced around while he waited. Every inch of wall was covered with pictures. Some were designs for tattoos, but most were photos of customers showing off their ink. The name of the tattoo artist was in the bottom left-hand corner of every photo. The ink on display was seriously impressive and incredibly inspiring, which was one of the reasons why Kyrone liked going to Ink Envy. That and it was clean, and he knew he could trust Faye to do a great job. He had to admit he was a little nervous about letting an apprentice ink his skin, even if it was just to do the filling in, but if Faye trusted the guy, Kyrone guessed it would be okay.
Faye returned a couple of minutes later, with a cute but skinny guy in tow. Kyrone sat up a little straighter, unashamedly taking in the beauty of the younger man.
“Kyrone, this is Jared,” Faye said. “Apparently, Kyrone is one of my favourite clients.”
Jared’s mouth curled into a smile.
Faye sighed as the shop bell rang from downstairs. “Jared, do me a favour and start prepping Kyrone’s chest? I’ll be back soon.” She handed Jared the design and headed to the top of the stairs. She paused and glanced between the two of them. “Behave, boys.”
Kyrone chuckled while Jared lowered his chin and raised his dark eyebrows at Faye’s flippant words of warning.
The young man pulled a stool up alongside the tattoo chair and sat on it, looking between the design and Kyrone. “Where do you want it?” His accent was surprisingly gentle, with a posh lilt to it.
“Here,” Kyrone replied, his own Yorkshire accent suddenly sounding very broad in comparison. He ran his fingers over his chest.
“Do you need to be shaved first?”
Kyrone grinned and pulled his T-shirt off, revealing perfectly waxed skin. “I work as a pole dancer and stripper. Being waxed is part of the uniform.”
One of Jared’s eyebrows quirked up, and Kyrone definitely got the impression he was being checked out by him; at least a little bit. Not that he minded if this gorgeous guy was into him. If anything, it gave him a license to flirt.
“Adonis?” Jared asked slowly.
“Are you going to rib me about it too? Faye has already given me a hard time.”
“Damn right I did,” Faye said, bouncing up the stairs to them. “But I always knew you were a cocky shit, Kyrone.”
“I love you too, Faye.”
She laughed and then pulled up a second stool so she was close enough to observe what Jared was doing. Her apprentice was still staring at the piece of paper.
“Adonis was a guy from Greek mythology who was beautiful enough to gain the favour of the goddess Aphrodite,” Faye said. “So basically, an Adonis is a guy who is sexy and attractive.”
“Why thank you.” Kyrone beamed.
Faye rolled her eyes. “I did mention he was big-headed, didn’t I?”
Jared’s lips curled up into a small smirk. “Yes.”
“Moi?” Kyrone asked.
“Yes, you.You’rethe one branding yourself an Adonis. No one else is calling you one, honey.”
“I’m hurt.” Kyrone pouted and then looked at Jared. “Doyouthink I’m an Adonis?”
Jared smiled broadly, his eyes sparkling in amusement. Instead of answering Kyrone’s question, he handed him a clipboard with a consent form on it. “Could you fill that in while I trace your design, please?”
Kyrone deepened his pout as he took the clipboard. “You didn’t say Iwasn’tan Adonis,” he noted as he started filling in his details and reading the disclaimer.
Jared chuckled.
Faye tutted. “I told you to behave,” she chastised before watching as Jared traced the lettering.
Kyrone was already familiar with the form, but it never hurt to remind himself of it. As he filled it in, he stole glances at Jared as he bent over the small work desk, tracing the lettering. He really was a lovely-looking guy. Although his eyebrows were dark, he had straw-blond hair that was long enough to graze his high cheekbones as it flopped forward. It was parted on the right-hand side and swept over to the left. Although Jared’s eyelashes shaded his eyes in that moment, Kyrone had previously noticed that they were a deep shade of brown and that they seemed to have a gravity that pulled him in, like a pair of black holes. Although Jared was almost painfully skinny, his face had a youthful, feminine roundness to it. He had beautifully full lips and a long, kissable neck. He was wearing a short-sleeved T-shirt, revealing long willowy arms.
