Eyeing the small glass, I lift it and take a sip from the straw, barely fighting back a grimace when the drink hits my tastebuds. Whatever is in this is strong and kind of bitter; it’s definitely not sweet.
I look toward the front entrance again, and of course, no Mara. She’s usually punctual, so it throws me off that she’s not here yet. I spend the next ten minutes bobbing my head to whatever is playing from the speakers overhead and taking very small sips from my glass. I’ve already sent her two texts without response, and I’m getting even more tired.
When it becomes clear she’s ditched me for whatever reason, I decide I’m done waiting. Leaving some cash on the bar, I wave to the bartender and head toward the bathrooms. I just want to splash some water on my face before driving home. I don’t want to call Kash and bother him when he’s working with a client, and Noah has school tomorrow, so Cora is out.
The bathroom door flies open, and the girl coming out almost knocks me over. “Oh my gosh! I’m so sorry.” She giggles. “Are you okay?”
Leaning a hand on the wall, I nod my head. “Yeah. I’m good.”
“Okay. Sorry again!” she calls as she walks past, leaving me in stunned silence.
My head feels fuzzy, and I guess I’m more tired than I originally thought. I might have to get a glass of water or some coffee. Turning on the faucet, I cup my hands under the stream and bring the water to my face. Splashing some on my cheeks, I take a deep breath and eye my reflection. Or at least, I try to. My vision spins, and I grip the sink to keep from swaying.
The water isn’t helping, but maybe some coffee will perk me up. My steps are slow as I make my way back through the doorway. As soon as I open the door and step into the hallway, I run into a hard body.
“Whoa. Easy there. You okay?” The bartender looks me up and down.
“Yeah.” I take a deep breath, then blow the air out with a shudder. “Actually. Maybe not.”
As he steps closer to me, I realize he looks familiar, but I can’t place where I’ve seen him before. Mara is usually out more than me, so maybe he’s one of her friends. He’s tall, almost as tall as Kash, but I can’t focus on that anymore. My limbs feel heavy, and my vision is cutting out.
“Don’t worry. You’ll be fine, Mila.”
Unable to hold myself up any longer, I drop to my knees.
One final thought passes through my mind before everything goes black.
I never told him my name.
Chapter Fifty-Three
Kash
I’m so ready to get out of here. Martin had to reschedule his last appointment, and I don’t like to be here so late, but he’s been one of my regulars since we started. I’m actually shocked he has any free skin left for me to work on. I’ve spent most of the evening working on his calf, trying to make sure that I don’t mess up any of the lines.
Martin’s been sober for five years now, and he wanted something to mark his success. He’s been through hell and back, almost losing his wife and kids in the process, so I’m proud to help him mark his achievement. As I wipe down and clean the area one more time, I go through the aftercare process with him. He’s a pro at it, but I still have to do my due diligence.
His boys are obsessed with space, so I designed a guy in a space suit, holding planet Earth in his hands. There’s a meteor barreling toward them, but the astronaut keeps his back to the meteor, his body protectively curled around it. The design is cool as hell, and it’s definitely going up on the wall.
“Thanks, Kash. I appreciate all you did for me, man.” He holds out his hand for me to shake, a grateful expression on his face.
“Anytime, bud, but maybe just not a six-hour session that starts at five o'clock.” I laugh.
Shaking his head, he grins. “I get that, but no promises. You know how crazy my schedule gets.”
Nodding along, I head up front with him after wiping down my station. “I hear you, man. I’ve always got something going on too.”
“Something, or someone?” Seth quips from behind our desk. Typically, it’s Cora’s station, but it’s way past that girl’s bedtime. She left a few hours ago with Atlas, so it’s just me and Seth. Ever sinceBri’s bullshit, there’s always at least two of us at the shop. Martin hands over his card while laughing at us.
“You better watch it, brother. I’d hate to beat you up in front of a customer,” I warn him, only partially kidding. I really would hate to beat him up in front of a customer, but if he talks like that about Mila again, I may have to. No one gets to say anything disrespectful about her.
Rolling his eyes, Seth hands Martin back his card. “I’m not remotely worried about you beating me up, big guy. We all know who reigns supreme around here.”
I may be bigger than Seth, and possibly stronger, but he’s an angry fucker and quick on the mats. There's a reason Atlas is usually the only one who spars with him. I only step in there with him when I have a lot of aggression to get out.
“Whatever you want to tell yourself, but don’t talk about my girl that way.”
“You got yourself a girl for real this time, Kash?” Martin asks. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you with one girl. It is just one girl, right? Not hating, just curious. Different strokes for different folks and all that.”
