One
New Beginnings
Serena
“How many timesam I going to have to tell you?” My voice reached another octave as I watched Kevin roll his yellowing eyes at me again. That shit always got under my skin in two seconds flat and he freaking knew it.
His eyes narrowed as he leaned farther back in his faded leather desk chair. “Explain it one more time,Princess.”
Yuck.
I hated when my scumbag manager called me princess. Kevin’s three-day-old beard and discolored teeth were gross; add in his wrinkled Tommy Bahama shirt with a hole in the right armpit and his stained jeans, along with the fact that it smelled like he hadn’t bathed in a week, and I could have vomited right on the spot. He usually cleaned up better but after his wife had left him two months back, he’d completely stopped giving a rat’s ass about anything or anyone. I loathed him more and more each time I met with him, but Kevin made me crap tons of money so I tolerated him—barely.
I sucked in a quick breath through gritted teeth, forcing a smile just for the hell of it. “I will not suck dick on camera for money. I will eat pussy all day long or let some chick rub her face all up in my shit but I will not do a guy. You know this. I only dolesbianporn. Why can’t you get that into your fucking brain? Read my goddamned contract again. It isn’t going to change. Not now. Not ever. Not for any amount of fucking money. Period. End of the damn story.” I was sure smoke was bellowing from my ears as my face got hotter and hotter.
“But Princess, the payout for this one is double what you normally get. You better consider it!”
Not a snowball’s chance in ever-loving hell would I consider that shit.
My hands were shaking. He was getting annoyed—again—but I had my boundaries. I wasn’t actually a lesbian. I wasn’t even bisexual. There was no way I was going to sleep with men on camera for money. It irked me. I was scared it would ruinrealsex for me. Besides, I wasn’t going to be doing this for very much longer. I had a plan. Kevin had no idea, but I was breaking out of the business as soon as I could.
I glanced at my watch.
Shit, I’m going to be late.
“Look, schedule a normal smut-tastic, cunt-filled filming like usual and then we will talk. Until then, don’t call me about this shit.” I threw the script onto his desk, grabbed my coat, and walked out of his office.
Kevin’s large hand gripped my shoulder as I shoved the main door open, one foot already out the door. “If you take one more step, my little money-making slut-muffin, you’re fired.”
I spun on my heels, glaring up into his stone cold eyes. “Fucking fire me then, you goddamned piece of donkey shit. I am overselling myself for an industry that treats people like objects. Find another cash cow. I’m fucking done.”
A fire lit in my slime-ball boss’s eyes as his hand rose. Just as fast as it started, it was finished. He was on the ground in front of me, doubled over from my knee connecting with his balls.
“You think you’re going to slap me?” My voice was even higher pitched than usual, my knees where shaking, and my body was blazing hot.
He groaned. “You no good, fucking cunt.”
With that I slammed the glass door behind me and trotted to the uber ride that I had set up. Come hell or high water, I was not going to be late for my shift at Vatican Tattoo Studio. I had been apprenticing for a few months and had a feeling Cruz was finally ready for me to ink some skin.
* * *
My kitten heelsclicked as I rushed through the back hallway of the tattoo studio. I threw my purse into the cabinet under the reception desk and started to organize the client list for the day.
A gentle cough came from behind me. I turned to see the owner of the shop smiling and walking toward me. “Hey Cruz, how’s it going?”
He leaned on the glass counter. “Good, good. How are you feeling about everything you’ve been learning here so far?”
I couldn’t help the beaming smile or the giddiness that soaked my words. “This has been an amazing experience. I am so grateful that you took a chance on me.”
My boss smiled, filling up the business card holders on the front counter. “Well, I am thinking about possibly making a spot for you. If you keep up this great work, there is a chair with your name on it in your near future. I have a buddy coming in after hours with a friend and I can’t tattoo them both at the same time; are you up for staying late?”
My stomach was doing cartwheels as I practically screamed, “Yes!”
Cruz gave me a throaty chuckle. “Sounds good. Do your normal shit today and after we see how tonight goes, we might need to find another receptionist soon.”
The night rolled by like usual: cleaning up after the guys, bringing them coffee, checking in the clients, making sure the paperwork was all squared away, and trying to impress Cruz at every turn. Once the last client was bandaged and the aftercare instructions were read to her, my nerves started to fly off the rails.
I heard the door open and saw Cruz talking to a guy and girl outside his office. After cleaning off the front counter and closing out the register, I took a few deep breaths…and then a few more when Cruz texted me:
