Sketch (3 page)

“I’m scheduled to come in tomorrow,” she started.

“Yeah, at noon.” I let her know that I remember the schedule, considering I made the fucking thing.

She shoots me an impatient look. “Is it okay if I’m a few minutes late?”

Trix pulls this shit on the regular. I’m almost used to it. Almost. “What’s happening tomorrow? You going out tonight?”

Her cheeks turn a deep red. “There’s a male revue tonight. I’m heading out with some of my friends. It’ll be a late night.” She hooks her finger in the belt loop on her jeans. “You can come hang out with us since you’re a party of one now—ya know, be our bodyguard or our boy toy, whatever works.”

There’s a part of me that wants to take her up on her offer. I have been nothing but faithful to Nina, no matter what’s gone on in our lives, no matter how many women have thrown themselves at me. I haven’t ever touched anyone but her since we started dating. That’s not to say I haven’t wanted to. Women walk into the shop all the time, flashing their tits, you name it. If they think they can either get a deal on a tat or get with an artist, they do whatever they can. Bitches are crazy sometimes.

Then there’s the part of me that wants to get to the bottom of whatever is going on with Nina and me. I got the divorce papers two weeks ago, and they’re sitting in the bottom of a drawer in my desk. I don’t want to sign them, not yet. I still have questions I damn well want answers to.

“Thanks for the offer, Trix, but somebody is gonna have to be on time tomorrow if you’re gonna be late,” I point out.

“You’re the owner,” she pouts.

Almost hesitantly, she takes a step into my office, and I can see her better. She’s done herself up today. Her skin is porn star porcelain, her lips are suck-my-dick red, and her eyelashes are impossibly long. I’ll never understand how women do this to themselves. One more thing I’ll never get.

My eyes find a picture on my desk, one I haven’t been able to put away. It’s a picture of Nina from last year when we finally had one of those long weekends I promised her. We made a trip to the mountains, and she’s standing in front of a waterfall we found on a hike we took. She’s grinning at me, a flirty look in her eye, and she’s wearing my hoodie. It’s engulfing her, I can’t make out one distinct part of her body, that’s how loose it is, but she’s never looked sexier to me. She’s not made up, she’s not naked, and she’s staring at me with seduction on her mind. She’s looking at me like she loves me. I rack my brain trying to remember if this was the last time she gave me that look. The week after we came back, my art was featured in a national magazine, and the shop exploded. Right now, memories are fucking painful.

“I am the boss,” I agree. “Which means I have to make sure the shop opens on time and that there are artists here for walk-ins. You go have a good time with your single squad tonight, but be no later than one,” I warn her, eyebrow raised. That’s my serious look. When I raise my eyebrow, they all know I’m fucking done.

“Fine,” she huffs, turning on her heel.

I watch as she leaves, noticing the way the jeans hug the curve of her ass. I’m either an idiot, or I truly am a glutton for punishment.

*

Did you get the divorce papers?

I look at my phone and run my fingers along the keyboard on the screen. Telling Nina that I do, in fact, have them will lead to a discussion I’m not ready for right now. It’s not weakness to want answers, I tell myself. It’s wanting the person you perceive as the quitter to admit that nothing was wrong in the first place.

It doesn’t make sense, and I know that, but I’m the one stuck here in this house I bought, with memories all around me, wondering what the fuck I did wrong. How did making sure my wife had the best things and making sure she was taken care of turn me into the bad guy?

Taking a drink of my beer, I decide I’ve let her wait long enough. It’s time to answer.

Nope. Are you sure you sent them?

Toying with her is becoming my favorite past time, but at least when I toy with her; she has a reason to be angry. She has a reason to be pissed at me, and it gives me a sense of satisfaction. I can’t explain it, but I admit it anyway.

My lawyer did. Devin, if you’re lying to me…

I grin, imagining the anger on her face, the glint in her eye, and the flush covering her face and neck. Nothing is more gorgeous than a pissed off Nina.

I’ll check at the shop tomorrow. Make sure that nobody got them and just forgot to give them to me.

I wait longer than I expect to for her to respond.

If you’re lying to me Devin, I’ll cut your dick off.

Being an asshole comes easier to me these days than it ever has, and I enjoy our banter.

Doubt it, sweetheart. It made you scream and beg for it. Chances are more likely that you’re missing it.

I purposely shut my phone off and lean back against the couch, taking another sip of my beer. She may think she’s got me by the balls, but she has another thing coming. I’m in it to win it.

SKETCH

I
wait until
halfway through the day before I send a message to Nina.

Nobody has the papers; don’t know what to tell you.

Grinning like a fool, I get up and walk towards the front. Today I want a fight, because I want answers. I’ve always been the kind of guy who gets what he wants—except with her. With her, I gave her everything I thought she wanted, everything she deserved. There was nothing I wouldn’t give her. That’s why I spent night and day here, building this place from the ground up.

“We have a walk-in,” Jackie tells me as I come out of the back room. “Woman who’s hot if I’m being honest.”

I think about it for a nanosecond. If Nina’s pissed, she’ll come here instead of getting into an argument over text. Arguments over text aren’t her deal. She’s the type who would much rather look someone in the eye as she cuts them down.

“You want her?” Jackie asks, tapping her foot. “If not, she’s either going to have to come back or wait over an hour for Trix to finish.”

It’s a Tuesday night, our slowest night, so it’s only the two of us here. I clap my hands, decision made. “I got her.”

“I already got all her info. We’re ready as soon as she picks out a tat,” Jackie tells me as she turns and heads back.

Jackie is the best counter girl I’ve ever had. When she graduates and decides to leave me, I’m fucked. I pop a piece of gum in my mouth and grab my fitted black hat. My hair has gotten longer in the front, basically because I haven’t had time to go get it cut, and now when I bend over, it gets in my eyes. Pushing the locks back with my hand, I put the hat on, bill facing backwards. It’s time to get to work.

*

As soon I
enter the main floor, I can see the girl Jackie was talking about. A little on the tall side, wearing tight jeans, a tighter shirt, and long red hair. My dick takes notice, but I still can’t go there. Things are unresolved with Nina, and as fucked up as it is, I won’t cheat on her.

“Hey, I’m Sketch.” I walk towards her, offering her my hand.

She does this eye thing that I’ve learned females do when they want to appear innocent but they really aren’t. I’m hip to this game.

“Janelle.” She smiles at me.

This is a business transaction, plain and simple. “So what are you thinking?” I ask, tearing my gaze from hers. She’s one of those man-eaters, and I’m staying the fuck away. Wouldn’t touch that shit with a ten-foot pole—or an eight-inch dick.

“I just got a divorce,” she tells me, twisting a long lock of hair around her finger, turning those eyes up towards me again. “I’m thinking a butterfly, because I’m breaking out of my cocoon.”

Fuck me. This shit always happens to me. I always get the women who are
finding themselves
. Ten bucks says she wants it on her back, right in the middle.

“Alright,” I tell her, nodding, trying to keep the judgment out of my voice and off my face. “Where are you thinking about getting it, and what size?”

She turns, presenting her back to me and tilting her ass up. Shit. I watch as she lifts the edge of her T-shirt up and points to her lower back. I owe myself ten bucks.

“Right here, so when I look in the mirror, I can see it,” she smiles.

Or if some guy is fucking you from behind he’s got a focus point, I want to say, but I don’t. Instead I give her a smile of my own. “Is this the one you want?” I ask, as I point to the book that’s sitting in front of her on the counter.

“Yes!”

“Let me go get gloved up and ready.” I give her another smile.

When I turn and see Trix gazing my way, I mouth
fuck me
. She laughs, because she understands and gets it. These little jobs do help pay the bills, but they aren’t what I love to do. Custom work is my bread and butter, and it’s what feeds my soul. This is tedious, but I try to give it my time and the same attention as a custom piece.

I walk into the back to grab some more color and pull my phone out of my pocket when it vibrates against my leg.

Devin, this doesn’t have to be this hard, but I’m not arguing with you over text. If you want to be an ass, you can be an ass to me in person. I get off work in an hour, expect me.

I do. In fact, I can’t wait. I know it will only infuriate her more that I don’t answer. She can see that I’ve read it, and I know she’ll sit there and stew. By the time she gets to the shop, she will be breathing fire, and her nostrils will be flaring.

Grabbing everything I need, I make my way back to the main floor. “C’mon, Janelle, go ahead and follow me.”

I bring her back to my station and start setting up. Her eyes are burning a hole into my back, and I can almost hear them moving around my area.

“Is that your wife?” she asks, gazing at one of the pictures I’ve kept up of Nina.

I took a lot down, especially in the very beginning when my anger was at a slow boil, and every time I looked at it, I was reminded of the hurt I felt watching her drive away. Now, it doesn’t hurt so much to look at her from the happier times. What does hurt is knowing that at some point I’m going to have to sign those papers. But I refuse to do that until I have the answers to my questions.

“It is.” I hope my tone tells her I don’t want to talk about this, but she presses on.

“You wear a ring; you have a picture of her in your station. You must love her a lot.” Her voice is wistful.

This
is what I’ve always wanted Nina to see. That no matter how busy I’ve been, no matter how many hours I’ve spent here, she’s never too far from my mind. Everything I’ve done is for her. For us. I give Janelle a self-deprecating grin. “I do, but like you, I’m going through a divorce.”

Janelle turns to face me, her mouth so close to mine all I have to do is lean forward and I can capture her lips with my own. “Then that bitch doesn’t know what she’s losing. My husband never wore a ring, he never had a picture of me, and he sure as hell didn’t keep it on after I filed.”

A throat clears, but I don’t bother to look up, people come through here all the time and try to distract me, just because they can. “That bitch is right here.”

Schooling my face, I glance up. “That was a very quick hour. As you can see, wife, I’m busy.”

She gives me a glare. “Then I’ll wait in your office.”

I grab my gun, prep Janelle’s skin, and scoot my chair over. “Office is for employees only. I’ll see you in the waiting area in about thirty.”

She growls with anger, and I pop a bubble with my gum, grinning to myself. Games are much easier to play when they’re your own.

Nina

I
’m pissed, infuriated,
and every other word I can think of that describes being angry. I hate that Devin is having such a good time at my expense. I glance over at the table where he’s tattooing that woman, and I feel my blood boil. She called me a bitch, and he didn’t even correct her. I’m still his wife, for fuck’s sake.

Yeah, but you did leave him.

Shushing that voice in my head, I turn in the chair so that I can cross my legs, kicking one out in front of me. I watch as he bends over the table and his shirt showcases his back muscles. He’s changed since I left him. He’s taking care of himself, carrying himself in a way he’s never done before. He has confidence.