“Well?” Grim asks her.
Lauren looks up at us, her eyes wide and wearing a huge smile. “I got the job.”
Her voice is low and I think I just heard her say she got the job.
“You got the job?” I ask.
She nods her head and then both Grim and I run to her, grabbing each other in a group hug. We laugh and then Lauren breaks away, tears shining in her eyes.
“Why am I crying?” She giggles.
Suddenly Grim picks her up and flips her over his shoulder. Oh boy, I know what this means.
“I’ll go and tell the girls the good news.” I announce, already grabbing my phone and keys.
Lauren laughs as Grim slaps her ass. “Good idea.”
“Come back in a couple hours!” Grim shouts as he climbs the stairs. “We’re going out to celebrate tonight.”
***
“I’m so happy for Lauren.” Drew smiles as she sits through another tattoo.
When I got in the car I sent a text to Elise to ask where she was and she let me know she was with Drew while she was having another tattoo. Seriously, Drew is going mad with the tattoos.
“Me too.” Elise adds. “She seems really happy.”
“She is.” I sit beside her and grab the black folder full of tattoo designs.
The buzzing of the tattoo gun is the only noise in the quiet room for a few minutes. It’s not an awkward sort of silence, we’re good friends and comfortable with each other that we don’t have to fill each second with chatter.
Sketch, the Kings member who is tattooing Drew concentrates as he adds a deep red colour to Drew’s large rose. I see Drew looking at him and if I’m not mistaken, there’s a look of lust behind those grey eyes of hers.
“So, another tattoo?” I ask Drew.
“Yep.” She laughs. “I don’t think I’ll be able to hide them much longer.”
“You need to tell your parents.” Sketch shakes his head. “Prez will have my fucking balls.”
“I’ll protect you.” Drew winks at him.
Sketch shakes his head again and continues his work.
“He does have a point Drew.” Elise scolds. “There’s no point in lying any longer.”
“So there’s a party tonight then?” Drew asks me, totally ignoring Elise and the conversation. That’s fine, that’s her decision but I already know it will end in tears. It always does.
Just then the bell sounds, alerting Sketch of a customer entering the tattoo shop. I hear Rosanne, the shop receptionist and a Kings old lady, talking to whoever just entered. I continue to look through the pretty designs until I hear a deep and familiar laugh come from the reception area. My whole body tenses up and nerves take over me.
“Shit.” I whisper.
Drew frowns over at me. “What?”
“Devlin.” I quickly answer her and then Devlin laughs again. At hearing her older brothers laugh Drew’s eyes widen.
“Yo Sketch!” Devlin shouts and Sketch freezes what he’s doing.
Everyone looks at each other, panicking about Drew being caught. If Devlin doesn’t like what he sees, then Sketch will be in the shit.
I jump up from my seat, just in time to block Devlin from entering the room. At seeing me his eyebrows shoot up in shock.
“Tash.” He greets. “What are you doing here?”
“Thinking of having a tattoo.” I answer quickly.
“Ok.” Devlin answers, still looking curious as to why I’m here.
Frowning, he looks around me and I try to pass him and lead him out the room but he grabs my arms and stops me from moving.
“Why don’t I believe you?” He asks me.
My face burns and I’m lost for words. What the fuck do I do?
My eyes dart to Rosanne and back to Devlin again. He’s watching me very closely.
“You fucking him?” He asks.
“What?” I’m lost, who does he think I’m fucking?
“Are you sleeping with Sketch?” He asks me.
“No!” I shout.
Devlin frowns and lets me go, and pushes me further into Sketch’s tattoo room and freezes at the door.
“What the fuck?” He asks.
I look back and see Elise now stood, Sketch is sat with his hands firmly on his knees but Drew is still lying on the chair, her shorts pulled down revealing her thigh and the large half-finished red rose.
“Drew what the fuck you doing?” He asks her and if I wasn’t so worried, I would honestly laugh.
“Dev man,” Sketch begins.
“Shut the fuck up Sketch, this is between me and my baby sister.” Devlin snaps, not even bothering to look at Sketch. His eyes stay firmly on Drew. Ok, the look on his face is now so serious that laughing is the last thing I would want to do.
Sketch cleverly stays quiet. Devlin quickly flashes his eyes to me and then back to Drew.
“You wanna tell me why you’re having yet another tattoo?” He asks her.
Drew pales. “You know I already have tattoos?”
Devlin finally smiles and steps closer to his younger sister. “Drew, you’re my sister and you think I wouldn’t notice?”
“I hid them.” She insists.
“Yeah you did, but you’re forgetting that I started getting ink when I was 14 Drew. I’m a pro at hiding so I saw the signs.” He laughs again and Drew frowns at him. “This looks like a nice piece.”
He points down to her rose and Drew smiles. “Thanks. So you think I should tell mum and dad?”
Again, Devlin laughs. “Yeah, I got news for you. Dad already knows.”
Drew’s shocked expression is hilarious. “What!”
“He suspected before me.” Devlin giggles and I can’t help but smile.
“Shit.” She sighs.
“Yeah, that don’t mean he’s happy with you. You know dad doesn’t like a liar.” Devlin looks up to me and my heart suddenly speeds up. “You knew all about this?”
He indicates to the tattoos on Drew. “Yes.”
Devlin stands and slowly walks over to me. “Sketch, carry on with Drew’s tattoo.”
He indicates for me to follow and like a good little girl, I do. Rosanne is no longer at her desk, probably catching up with her old man in one of the rooms.
“So you kept a secret from me.” Devlin says as he spins to face me.
“It wasn’t my secret to tell.” I reply.
Devlin thinks about that and then nods. “True.”
We stand in silence, facing each other and it’s not weird at all. Instead my body lights with fire and I don’t know if Devlin can notice or not. I really hope not.
“Are you going tonight?” I ask him to break the quiet.
“Where?” He tilts his head to the side in the adorable way he does.
“Lauren got the job and Grim wants to celebrate.” I answer him.
“I’ll be there to pick you up.” He tells me, right before spinning around and walking away.
“Wait!” I shout and he turns to face me again, with his hand on the door handle. “Why?”
“Why not?” He answers back and leaves the shop. I stand there in shock, not knowing what to do with myself now.
Do I go back in the room with the girls and Sketch? I know he’s restarted Drew’s tattoo because I can hear the tattoo gun.
“Plus I have to have the best looking girl on my arm.” I turn around and see Devlin back at the front door to the shop. He’s deadly serious and his words cause shit to stir in me. Without giving me chance to reply, he gives me his signature smile and leaves me standing alone.
Why the fuck am I freaking out over what to wear tonight?
It’s only a night out with everyone. Sure, Devlin has actually asked me to go with him and he did say that he wants me on his arm. Who knew he had a sweet side?
“Holy shit you look hot!” Lauren claps from my bedroom door.