Against the Tide (28 page)

“No, I’m not good enough at drawing for that. Torran is the best I know, Tam is good too, but, Torr, well, he’s kinda special.” Jealousy taps me on the shoulder even though I know I have no right to be jealous over her. She’s not a virgin, she’s had partners before and it’s not like there’s any certainty that either one of us would want anything more after our date, so I stamp the feeling back down and concentrate on her. “Okay, ready?” She checks that I’m happy to go through with it one last time.

“Yeah,” I reply, squeezing my eyes together tightly and gritting my teeth. I turn my head the opposite way with the thought that if I can’t see what she’s doing, it won’t hurt as much. I feel a small pinch, a slight tug and a burning sensation that spreads across my chest.

“Done,” she chirps before she moves away, dropping her equipment on the trolley and taking off her gloves.

“Really? That’s it?” I lift my shoulders off the chair and look down at my newly pierced nipple.

She grins at me and raises a brow. “You like it?”

“I love it. This could get addictive.”

“Yes, it can.” She laughs. “So you just need to be aware of it for the next couple of weeks, keep the dressing on for twenty four to forty eight hours, and don’t let it get wet. After that clean it a couple times a day with this,” she hands me a solution, “and any problems, give me a call or pop in and I’ll take a look. Should heal fast enough though, just be careful not to catch it on anything.”

“Yes, boss.” I hop off the chair and she smiles at me before leading the way out to the front desk. “Thanks, Meg,” I say, before kissing her cheek gently. She doesn’t protest, in fact I feel her lean into me a little. I pull away, leaving her wanting more and throw some notes on the desk in payment. “You finish at five, am I right?”

“Yes.”

“See you then.” I wink at her and she blushes, sending me off with a spring in my step.

If the last month hasn’t been enough of a mindfuck, I’ve just pierced
his
nipple and we’re going out on a date in less than an hour. Talk about a complete turnaround. I feel like I need time to get ready, shave my legs and redo my makeup and hair, but he’s picking me up from work and we’re going straight out, so I’m afraid he’ll have to take me as I am. I’ve never been on a proper date before, so I have no idea what to expect. Sure, Damien and I went out, we did stuff together, but it was so full on from the beginning that we just took each other for granted. I never noticed the little things like I do with Finn. The way he looks at me for just a fraction longer than he should. The way he says my name, and when he shortens it to ‘Meg’, it sounds so familiar and sexy and…right. I saw a different side to him today. Fun and happy, which is a world away from the Finn I saw on the beach early this morning and previously this week. He seemed so sad and closed off and I wonder why the change of heart.

“Meg, would you see Jason out for me, please, and book in another appointment for a month’s time?” Torran asks before going back to his room.

“Sure, no problem.”

I see him out and go to Torran’s room to help him get ready for his last client of the day.

“Need a hand, Torr?”

“Nah, I’m good. What’s put that spring back in your step?”

“Nothing,” I answer defensively, but I can’t wipe the smile off my face. I’m genuinely excited about spending some time with Finn.

“You can’t get past me, you should know that by now, come on, spill …”

“Nothing, Torr, honestly!”

“Oh, god. You agreed to go out with him, didn’t you?” His shoulders slump and he sighs loudly. “Out with it. Tell me exactly what’s going through that crazy head of yours,” I say impatiently.

“Okay, you want me to tell you what I think?” He stops and stands in front of me with his hands on his hips. “I think you’re making a mistake by going out with the guy that’s got you knocked up. I think it will cloud your judgement, and if the way he’s made you feel this past week is anything to go by, it will end in tears. You know how I feel about you, and no, this is not jealously rearing its ugly head, it’s concern. You don’t even know if you’re going to keep this baby, yet you’re going on a date with this guy, and you haven’t even told him.”

“Wow,” I whisper. “That’s some opinion.”

“You asked,” he huffs, going back to fiddling with the equipment.

“Torr.” He ignores me. “Torr, will you listen to me?” He turns to listen but keeps his head down and his eyes on the floor. “Yes, I know how you feel. And, yes, you know it can never be anything more, not for me anyway. But you and Jamie are all I have. You’re the best friends a girl could ever wish for. I need you. I need your support, I need your friendship and I need your shoulder. If you can’t do that, then I understand, but you need to tell me. I have no idea what’s going to happen today, tomorrow or even next week, but I’ve had too much misery over the last few years to deny myself something that I want. Don’t you understand that?”

He sighs deeply, “Yes, I understand.”

“I really want to go on this date. If it leaves me in a pool of tears at the end of the night, then so be it. I’m tough, I’ll get over it.”

He laughs and raises his brows. “Yeah, you’re tough, Meg. Just be careful, yeah? Don’t give your heart away to just anybody.”

“I won’t, I promise.”
He’s not just anybody
.

“And you call me if you need me.”

“Yes, boss.” I salute him as I leave his room. Life would be so much easier if I fell in love with Torran. But my life has taken the path that it has, and I can’t change it. I’m done fighting against the tide, it’s time to move with it.

I am full of a nervous excitement that rattles around in my body like a pin ball. Butterflies swarm in my belly and I’m unsure if it’s because I am looking forward to this date or if it’s morning sickness.

“Have a good one, Meg,” Torran calls out as I go to leave. “Don’t forget, you need me? You call, yeah?”

“Thanks, Torr. See you in the morning.”

I sling my bag over my shoulder and check my hair and makeup in the mirror one last time. I have huge bags under my eyes from lack of sleep but adrenaline is carrying me through. I swing open the door, and true to his word, Finn is standing right there waiting for me. One foot propped against the wall, dark jeans, a fresh white t-shirt and black biker boots all make him stand out immediately to me.

“Hey,” I say softly coming up beside him with a smile.

“Well, hello there.” He smirks, pushing off the wall and bending to kiss me on the cheek. “Here, this is for you.” He hands me a beautiful, single red rose and I take it with the thought that he’s starting this date off perfectly. 

“Thank you. That’s very gentlemanly of you.”

“Shall we?” he asks, holding out his arm for me to link with. It’s hard not to comply when he’s being so comically charming with me. It’s a different side to Finn, one I like, a lot.

“How’s your nipple?” I ask, without even giving the question a second thought.

“How very rude, I would have thought you’d at least wait until after the first date to ask such a personal question,” he says in a haughty voice, pretending to be shocked but only succeeding in making me laugh. But then he leans in close and whispers in my ear, “It’s fine, by the way. I’m badass.”

“You are?” I giggle.

“Yeah, totally.”

“You didn’t get the Prince Albert.”

“I’m working up to that.” He winks at me before diverting us down a side lane and out on to the seafront. “It’s a gorgeous afternoon,” he muses, tilting his face up to the sun.

“Yes. It is.”

“I’m glad you agreed to come on a date with me.”

“It was very hard to say no.” He drops his arm, letting mine fall away from his, then picks up my hand and links our fingers together.

“You hungry?”

I shrug. “Not really.” Although, the more I think about it, the more I realise I haven’t eaten much at all for the last couple of days. Damien always used to comment on anything I would eat, saying it would make me fat, so I guess I have learned to watch what I eat. I berate myself mentally. Damien isn’t here. Finn is. Damien was a shit to me. Finn … well, he has been a shit to me sometimes, but he’s certainly making up for it now and I have to stop comparing the two of them. It’s hard because Damien is the benchmark for everything, which may even swing in Finn’s favour. But for now, I have to focus on what, or who, is in front of me.

“You okay?” he asks, noticing that I’ve been quietly absorbed in my thoughts for a few minutes.

“Yes. Yes, I’m fine. Where are we going?”

“Here.” He motions toward the pier with his head, tugging me in that direction.

“The pier?”

“You don’t like it on there?”

“Yeah, I guess,” I reply, feeling a little deflated, it’s just the pier, nothing special, it’s here day in day out and nothing ever changes on there. I do like it on the pier, but I guess I wasn’t expecting Finn to take me here. I’ve always looked at it as a place for kids to ransack their parent’s purses and teenagers to smoke behind the fair rides, not really a place for grown adults to have a first date.

“Let me guess,” Finn says, stopping in front of me “You don’t like heights?”

“No, it’s not that.”

“Well, what then?”

“You don’t think it’s boring on the pier? I mean, it’s just a few fair rides and some expensive games which you never win at. It’s just for the kids,” I grumble, feeling ungrateful almost as soon as the words leave my mouth. “I’m sorry, I−”

“I’m taking that as a challenge, Meg. I don’t know who stole your fun, but I’m going to give it back to you.”

My heart sunk to my stomach when she wasn’t keen about going to the pier. I mean, who doesn’t love to be a kid again? But there was something in her eyes that told me she was just unsure about it, I don’t know why, I’m not even sure I want to know why but I’ll do my best to convince her I’m right, and get her to release her inner child.

“First stop … Doughnuts. Are you going to tell me you don’t like doughnuts too?” She giggles, a sweet sound that makes my insides melt. Oh, god. I’m turning into a pussy. But I actually don’t care.

“Yes, I like doughnuts.”

“Well, that’s one thing less that I have to convince you on.”