to walk around naked in front of me. Or not me, I guess, but any woman? A heaviness settles into my gut.
Bending over, he grabs my shirt and tosses it to me before picking up his boxer-briefs. “I’m going to the bathroom to clean up.”
“What happened to ladies first?”
“Really? I would have thought you’d give me shit if I tried to pull that one.”
Eh, I guess he’s right. I can’t have it both ways and want him to act like a gentleman only when it fits me. “You’re right.” Then, on instinct, I reach out and flick his nipple. “So you going to let me do it?” I ask.
“Nope. Not changing my mind either.” Maddox picks up the rest of my clothes and hands them to me. “You got your clothes first. Guess that means you get the bathroom first too.”
He hardly looks at me as he speaks. It isn’t like the tone of his voice changed or he got all flirty when he said the words either, but my heart does this sort of stutter. It’s a little piece of niceness that I didn’t expect from him. Something small and simple. Those are the best kinds of nice things, aren’t they?
Rex and Melody used to say the small things matter more than the big. I didn’t get it when I was younger. I definitely do now.
And it makes me take a step backward. Then another one.
“Hey,” he says right before I step into the restroom. “Is Bee your real name?”
That question somehow reminds me of who I am. Of more of my earlier call.
“Your sister’s boyfriend proposed. I wasn’t surprised when she told me. He’s such a sweet boy. They’ll finish school first, of course. They both know it’s the most important thing.”
What she didn’t say is that’s what Malones do. They’re responsible and proper. They don’t change their names and then fuck some guy because they’re upset about not being who they were born to be. Not that Mom would have ever said that. She’s too kind and loving for that. “No.”
“What is it?”
“If I wanted people to know, I wouldn’t go by Bee.”
He gets this strange look on his face that I can only explain as disconnected. That he’s unplugging or hitting the power button, a look I only recognize because I do it as well. Now I also feel like a bitch. I’m taking my internal shit out on him, which almost feels like opening up. Like being honest. “I’ll tell you when you let me pierce your nipple,” slips out of my mouth, without my planning on it, but it’s perfect.
Maddox doesn’t smile or step closer to me, though now that I think about it, he doesn’t smile often at all. But he suddenly doesn’t seem so far away either.
“You play dirty, Bee.”
“You better believe it, Scratch.”
It’s Maddox’s turn in the bathroom when I hear knocking coming from the front of Masquerade. The second I hear it, I remember I had an appointment set up for today. Holy shit. I totally would have forgotten. Not a real cool way to start my business, but when I let myself get upset, that’s what happens. I sort of shut down, like I did after my phone call with Mom.
Jogging down the hall, I turn into the main area of Masquerade before twisting the lock and opening the door. “Sorry. Something came up,” I tell the guy standing outside the door. I met him the other day when he came in to look at my portfolio. He’s about my age, reddish hair, and already has a little ink on him.
“No problem,” he tells me. About then Maddox comes down the hall, his hair all messed up and looking like he just did exactly what we were doing.
“What’s up?” Maddox nods at him.
“What was your name again?” I ask.
“Dustin.”
“Maddox, Dustin. Dustin this is Maddox. He’s working with me, so he’ll be sitting in.”
Dustin nods as I head to my desk. “I’ll show you what I drew up for you.”
He wants a tree. All black, but he wants it to look old and sort of creepy. It’s going on his bicep.
Both Maddox and Dustin follow me over. I open one of the drawers and pull out the
Bending over, he grabs my shirt and tosses it to me before picking up his boxer-briefs. “I’m going to the bathroom to clean up.”
“What happened to ladies first?”
“Really? I would have thought you’d give me shit if I tried to pull that one.”
Eh, I guess he’s right. I can’t have it both ways and want him to act like a gentleman only when it fits me. “You’re right.” Then, on instinct, I reach out and flick his nipple. “So you going to let me do it?” I ask.
“Nope. Not changing my mind either.” Maddox picks up the rest of my clothes and hands them to me. “You got your clothes first. Guess that means you get the bathroom first too.”
He hardly looks at me as he speaks. It isn’t like the tone of his voice changed or he got all flirty when he said the words either, but my heart does this sort of stutter. It’s a little piece of niceness that I didn’t expect from him. Something small and simple. Those are the best kinds of nice things, aren’t they?
Rex and Melody used to say the small things matter more than the big. I didn’t get it when I was younger. I definitely do now.
And it makes me take a step backward. Then another one.
“Hey,” he says right before I step into the restroom. “Is Bee your real name?”
That question somehow reminds me of who I am. Of more of my earlier call.
“Your sister’s boyfriend proposed. I wasn’t surprised when she told me. He’s such a sweet boy. They’ll finish school first, of course. They both know it’s the most important thing.”
What she didn’t say is that’s what Malones do. They’re responsible and proper. They don’t change their names and then fuck some guy because they’re upset about not being who they were born to be. Not that Mom would have ever said that. She’s too kind and loving for that. “No.”
“What is it?”
“If I wanted people to know, I wouldn’t go by Bee.”
He gets this strange look on his face that I can only explain as disconnected. That he’s unplugging or hitting the power button, a look I only recognize because I do it as well. Now I also feel like a bitch. I’m taking my internal shit out on him, which almost feels like opening up. Like being honest. “I’ll tell you when you let me pierce your nipple,” slips out of my mouth, without my planning on it, but it’s perfect.
Maddox doesn’t smile or step closer to me, though now that I think about it, he doesn’t smile often at all. But he suddenly doesn’t seem so far away either.
“You play dirty, Bee.”
“You better believe it, Scratch.”
It’s Maddox’s turn in the bathroom when I hear knocking coming from the front of Masquerade. The second I hear it, I remember I had an appointment set up for today. Holy shit. I totally would have forgotten. Not a real cool way to start my business, but when I let myself get upset, that’s what happens. I sort of shut down, like I did after my phone call with Mom.
Jogging down the hall, I turn into the main area of Masquerade before twisting the lock and opening the door. “Sorry. Something came up,” I tell the guy standing outside the door. I met him the other day when he came in to look at my portfolio. He’s about my age, reddish hair, and already has a little ink on him.
“No problem,” he tells me. About then Maddox comes down the hall, his hair all messed up and looking like he just did exactly what we were doing.
“What’s up?” Maddox nods at him.
“What was your name again?” I ask.
“Dustin.”
“Maddox, Dustin. Dustin this is Maddox. He’s working with me, so he’ll be sitting in.”
Dustin nods as I head to my desk. “I’ll show you what I drew up for you.”
He wants a tree. All black, but he wants it to look old and sort of creepy. It’s going on his bicep.
Both Maddox and Dustin follow me over. I open one of the drawers and pull out the
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