Beautiful Oblivion (Maddox Brothers #1)(23)
Author: Jamie McGuire

I sat on the chair, and Trenton got his equipment ready.

“This is going to be badass,” Hazel said, sitting in a chair not far from me.

Trenton slipped on some latex gloves. “I’m just going to use a single needle. It’s still going to hurt like a bitch, though. Going to be right on the bone. You don’t have any fat on your fingers.”

“Or anywhere else,” Hazel said.

I winked at her.

Trenton laughed once as he cleaned each of my fingers with a green soap, wiped that off, and then put alcohol on a cotton square and rubbed each of the fingers he planned to tattoo. “It might not take the first time. You might have to get it done again.” He used one finger to wipe a tiny bit of Vaseline where he cleaned with alcohol.

“Really?” I said with a frown.

Hazel nodded. “Yeah. Feet do that, too.”

Trenton situated the transfers. “What do you think? Do they look straight? Is that how you want them?”

“Just make sure it’s spelled right. I don’t want to be one of those jackasses with a misspelled tattoo.”

Trenton chuckled. “It’s spelled right. I’d be a complete jerk-off if I couldn’t spell two four-letter words correctly.”

“You said it, not me,” I teased.

Hazel shook her head. “Don’t insult him before he permanently draws on your skin, girl!”

“He’ll make it beautiful, won’t you?” I asked.

Trenton turned on the machine, and then looked at me with a soft expression. “You’re already beautiful.”

I could feel my cheeks flush. When Trenton was sure the transfers were dry and he touched the needle to my skin, it was more of a nice distraction than excruciating pain. Trenton drew, then wiped, and repeated the process, concentrating hard. I knew he would make sure it was perfect. Even though the pain wasn’t as bad at first, as the minutes ticked by, the annoying burning I felt on my fingers each time he began to mark my skin made it very tempting to pull away.

“Done!” he said, barely fifteen minutes later. He cleaned off the smeared ink, revealing the letters on my fingers. The blue was so vivid. It was gorgeous. I faced the mirror, made fists, and held them together.

“Lookin’ good, baby doll,” Trenton said with a wide grin.

It was perfect.

“Damn, that’s badass,” Hazel said. “I want finger tats, now!”

Trenton handed me a few packages of Aquaphor. “Keep this on it. Good shit. Especially for color.”

“Thank you,” I said.

For just a moment, he stared at me as if he really had just taken my virginity. Butterflies swarmed in my stomach, and my chest felt warm. I took a few steps backward, and turned toward the vestibule. The phone rang, but Hazel answered for me.

Trenton leaned his elbows on the counter, smiling at me with the most ridiculous simper.

“Stop it,” I said, trying not to smile back.

“I didn’t say anything,” he said, still grinning like an idiot.

My cell phone buzzed, and then buzzed again. “Hey, Chase,” I said, already knowing why he was calling.

“Mom’s cooking tonight. See you at five.”

“I have to work. She knows I work weekends.”

“Which is why it’s family dinner instead of family lunch.”

I sighed. “I don’t get off until seven.”

“From where? You’re not working at the Red?”

“Yes . . .” I said, silently cussing myself for slipping. “I’m still bartending. I got a second job.”

“A second job? Why?” he asked, his voice full of disdain. Chase was a pacemaker rep and thought he was hot shit. He made good money, but he liked to pretend he was a doctor when, in fact, he just fetched coffee to suck up to the staff.

“I’m . . . helping out a friend.”

Chase was quiet for a long time, and then finally spoke. “Coby’s using again, isn’t he?”

I closed my eyes tight, not knowing what to say.

“Get your ass to Mom’s at five, or I’m coming to get you.”

“Fine,” I said, hanging up and tossing my phone on the counter. I put my hands on my hips and stared at the computer monitor.

“Everything okay?” Trenton asked.

“I just started a huge family fight. My mom’s heart is going to be broken, and it’s all somehow going to be my fault. Cal?” I yelled. “I’m going to have to leave at four thirty.”

“You don’t get off until seven!” he yelled from his office.

“It’s for family! She’s leaving at four thirty!” Hazel yelled back.

“Whatever, then!” Calvin said, not sounding all that upset.

“Cal!” Trenton yelled. “I’m going with her!”

Calvin didn’t answer, instead his door slammed, and he walked into the lobby. “What the f**k is going on?”

“Family dinner,” I said.

Calvin watched me with suspicious eyes for a moment, and then looked to Trenton. “Have you seen Bishop today?”

Trenton turned his head. “Nope. Have not.”

Calvin turned to me. “You really need backup to go home for dinner?” Calvin said, dubious.

“No.”

“Yeah, she does,” Trenton said. “Even though she won’t admit it.”

I couldn’t keep the pleading tone from my voice. “You don’t know what they’re like. And tonight is going to be . . . you don’t want to go, trust me.”

“You need at least one person at that table on your side, and that’s going to be me.”

How could I argue with that? Even though I didn’t want Trenton to see the insanity that was my family, it would be comforting when they inevitably decided that Coby’s relapse and their ignorance of it was somehow my fault. And then there would be the moment when Coby found out I’d ratted him out.

“Just don’t . . . punch anyone.”

“Deal,” he said, hugging me to his side.

CHAPTER EIGHT

TRENTON PULLED INTO THE DRIVE, AND TURNED OFF THE ignition. The last time we were in his Intrepid, Olive was in the back, and I was irritated about being coerced into a trip to Chicken Joe’s. Now an evening with Trenton and Olive in a noisy restaurant sounded like heaven.

“You ready for this?” Trenton asked with a reassuring wink.

“Are you?”

“I’m ready for anything.”

“I believe it,” I said, pulling on the door handle. The door squealed as it opened, and then it took me a couple of tries and a push with my hip to get it to close all the way.