Authors: Michelle Lynn
Luckily, Dex intimidates a group of younger kids into giving up their tables. Due to the lack of seating, Sadie’s on Brady’s lap and Sam is on Dex’s. The drinks continue to flow as we order shot after shot. Everyone seems to be enjoying themselves, laughing and carrying on, and I am celebrating my newfound liberation.
“Dance with me,” I request to Grant, and he stands up happily. When we get to the dance floor, I start to notice the room swaying a little, but I’m having so much fun that the last thing I want to do is end the night. After we dance for two songs, I run over to the bar and get a tray of shots. Before I can turn around, Grant’s behind me.
“Jessa, you need to slow down,” he tells me. I frown at his comment and he continues, “It’s just, I don’t want you to be sick.”
“When have I not been able to handle my alcohol, baby?” I quirk my eyebrow in question. “Speaking of which, have I ever told you how much I love it when you call me names like baby, babe, beautiful…” I sway slightly before the bars edge catches me.
Grant holds the tray with the palm of his hand, while his other one grabs my elbow to hold me steady. “Well, I’ll call you all of them all night if you calm down on the drinking,” he propositions, but I take a shot glass and down it, slamming it on the bar.
“I’m having fun, Grant. Come on and join me,” I urge him. He remains still, staring at me and shaking his head in slight amusement or annoyance, I can’t really tell at this point.
Making our way over to the table, I bump into a few people and I hear Grant apologize to them. Once we get to where our friends are sitting, he places the tray down. Since no one grabs a glass, I reach for another one. Sighing, Grant demands, “Take a shot everyone,” and hands immediately start diving to the center of the table.
I hold up my glass and wait until everyone is ready. Then I toast, “I love each and every one of you. You guys are my best friends, well actually, Sadie’s my best friend and Sam’s my sister, but you boys are right up there. And Grant, my gorgeous boyfriend, I love you,” I slur. “Oh yeah, and Kailey, once you start fucking Trey, we’ll be the greatest of friends, too.”
I tip my head back and pour it down my throat. At that very moment, the drunkenness hits me. I sit with my head in my hand, leaning on the table. Water…I need water. I turn to my buddy, Brady. He always has water. Taking the bottle, I unscrew the top and it spins across the table before falling to the floor.
I down the contents of the bottle and slam it on the table when I’m done. Suddenly, the room starts spinning and I can’t keep my eyes open. I eventually lose the battle to stay awake and I feel something hard against my forehead right before darkness fills my eyes.
Grant
Fuck. I knew it was going to happen, but when her head slams down on the table, I shake my head in disbelief. Trey breaks out in unabashed laughter. “Shit man, she was going strong for a while there,” he says. She was happy though, so I’m more than ecstatic to pick her up.
I stand up and look at the group that are all starting to get out of their chairs. “You guys don’t have to leave, but I’m gonna take her home,” I inform them. Only Dex and Sam sit back down, and everyone else decides they’re ready to leave. Pulling Jessa over my shoulder, I hold the bottom of her dress down tight with my arm, doing my damnedest to not reveal any part of her. Cocking an eyebrow at Dex, I ask, “Are you sure you want to stay?” He nods his head in response.
Although the other seats are now empty, Sam still remains in his lap and Dex’s hands rest on her thighs. “Yeah, I’m coming home tomorrow. I can just bring him back,” Sam mentions and Trey smirks.
Not caring what happens between them, I nod and say good-bye. It’s none of my business. Not to mention, they’re both good people, so whether they’re having fun or want something more, they deserve it. Trey clasps my shoulder once we get a few feet away from the table. “You do know Hulk packed an overnight bag?” he chuckles, grabbing Kailey’s hand.
We get outside where there’s still a line waiting to get in. Walking past everyone shivering and hugging themselves, I laugh at how many more guys are out here waiting than girls. I assume the girls already got in with no cover, while these schmucks stand out here in the cold to pay money to get in.
Kailey’s huddled under Trey’s arm for warmth and Sadie’s riding Brady’s back as we walk by the end of the line. A guy does a double take when he sees me and I wonder if I know him. Then I remember where I am and wonder how the hell would I know him if I don’t know anyone in Colorado? Continuing to walk away, I suddenly hear heavy footsteps behind me. I abruptly turn around and come face to face with the dark-haired guy. He stares intently at Jessa’s ass, so I swing to the side, obstructing his view.
“Can I help you with something?” I ask him and his eyes flicker to me.
“Is that Jessa Harrison?” he asks. The guy is shorter than me by a few inches and much thinner, and his jeans and button-down scream that he’s a rich boy. If his appearance doesn’t give him away, the five clones standing a couple steps behind him do.
“Who are you?” I ask, not about to reveal anything to him before finding out who he is. Feeling bodies closing in around me, I glance quickly left and right to see Trey and Brady on either side.
“Um…I used to know her.” He shifts uncomfortably and glances back to the group of guys behind him. I’m pretty sure I know who he is, but I’m waiting for him to have the balls to reveal his name to me.
“Really? You knew her when she went here?” I ask him. He’s really starting to annoy me the longer I see him staring at her.
“Um…yeah…we used to date. She’s pretty out of it. Did you just meet her?” he questions, and I suddenly realize that he thinks I’m taking her to have my way with her.
“No,” I deadpan and dread fills his eyes. Before I can stop myself, it slips out of my mouth. “Are you Jason?” Sadie gasps next to Brady and Trey’s body tenses next to me, his fists clenching at his sides.
The dark-haired guy stumbles back a few steps before he answers, “Yeah. Since you know my name, I’m assuming you didn’t just meet her.” He shakes his head, slowly moving back to his friends.
My eyes instantly search for a place to put Jessa. I can’t hand her to Brady or Trey. I might need their help if his friends decide to join in. I smile when I see a park bench by the curb. Placing her on the bench, Sadie and Kailey take a seat on either side of her, already knowing what’s going to happen. I don’t want to freak Sadie out because of her past, so I’m relieved when she softly tells me, “Kick his ass, Grant,” before I walk back toward Jason.
He’s already trying to leave, but I call him out. “Too pussy to actually stick up for yourself?” I shout and he stops in his tracks, not turning around. Three of his friends turn toward me and the other two continue walking away, shaking their heads.
“I’m not a pussy, I just don’t want to fight you,” he says, holding his hands up in the air.
“Should have just ignored us when we were walking by then,” I say with a smirk. “I wasn’t going to go looking for you, even though it took everything in me not to. But now that we’re here, I don’t think I can just walk away from this opportunity to kick your ass,” I calmly say to him before he finally takes a step toward me.
“I’m sorry, I know what I did was wrong.” He glances over to where Jessa is lying on the park bench with her head in Sadie’s lap.
“Don’t fucking look at her,” I growl. His eyes jolt back to mine. Brady and Trey keep their distance behind me for now, I’m sure closely observing his friends for any movement.
“Listen, I said I was sorry. Believe me, I wish I wouldn’t have done it. It was an asshole thing to do.” He keeps rambling, but all I want to do is shatter his jaw. I anxiously wait for the wrong words to cross his lips, so I can let my fist fly into his face. “I’ve tried to get a hold of her to apologize, but I didn’t have her number and her family isn’t exactly welcoming to me anymore.”
Jessa moans and I know this kid isn’t going to give me any reason to hit him, so I decide I just need to get her home. “Listen,” I say, throwing my hand through my hair. “You screwed her over and it almost broke her. Notice I said
almost
because she’s so much stronger than you will ever be. You’re in luck, buddy, and you want to know why? I’m so in love with that girl, I’m going to be nice tonight. Hell, I might even say, ‘thank you’. If you wouldn’t have done what you did, I might’ve never met the love of my life. I can tell by your face that you regret what you did, but knowing Jessa the way I do, I can bet that your biggest regret is you lost her. And after you lost her, I found her. She’s mine and there’s no changing that. So, you can go inside that club and find some girl to fuck tonight, trying to work her out of your system. In the meantime, I’ll take the girl we both love home and wrap her up in my arms. You agree?” I cock my eyebrow and he nods his head.
“Agreed. Could you tell her I’m sorry for what I did?” he asks.
“I can’t make that promise,” I honestly tell him and walk back over to the bench to pick Jessa up. I’m surprised to find her sitting up and staring over at me.
“Grant,” she whispers, and I pull her into me before looking at Jason, who notices that she’s now awake. “Where are we?” she asks before her gaze finds him.
“Just outside the bar baby, let’s go,” I say, but she struggles out of my arms, walking toward him. My heart thumps hard and I swallow deep with the anticipation of what she’s going to do.
All I hear is the sound of a hand making solid contact against flesh. I quietly chuckle, seeing Jessa shaking her hand and Jason rubbing his cheek. “You’re a fucking asshole, Jason, but Grant’s right, thank you,” she says and walks back toward me. Jason stands speechless for a few seconds before ultimately turning around to join his friends.
Jessa stumbles slightly and I grab her when she gets close. “Hot, baby. That was hot,” I whisper.
She rests her forehead on my chest and says, “Take me home.” I pick her up like a groom carrying his bride over the threshold and walk us to the car. Not paying attention to our four friends, I place Jessa down in the passenger seat of her dad’s car and then make my way over to the driver’s side. Her head rests on the headrest as she intently gazes my way. Bending my head down, I kiss her soft lips and she closes her eyes, drifting back to sleep.
Jessa
My eyes open and embarrassment is the first thing I feel. A hellacious hangover is next. Remembering bits and pieces, the puzzle slowly starts to fit together. Did we really run into Jason? And neither of us beat the shit out of him? Confused and tired, I roll over to find Grant sleeping soundly next to me. Not wanting to wake him up, I sneak out of the bedroom, desperate for a bottle of water. Rounding the corner to the kitchen, I overhear my parents talking about me and Grant. Deliberating, I decide a bottle of water is worth the conversation I’m about to have.
When I walk in, I squint at the bright lights and my dad’s boisterous laugh makes me cover my ears. “Uh oh, someone drank too much last night,” he teases, and my mom humorously smacks his shoulder.
I remain silent and walk slowly over to the refrigerator to get my water, trying to conceal my embarrassed grin. The last thing I want to tell them is that we ran into Jason last night. “Did you have fun last night?” My mom comes over and wraps her arm around my waist.
“Yeah, I think I might’ve overdone it,” I tell them. They give me the disapproving parents glare, even though they’ve each had their share of coming home drunk after holiday parties or weddings.
My dad sits down and sips his coffee, holding the paper out in front of him, his black-rimmed reading glasses in place. “Happens to the best of us. I take it Grant was able to find his way back by himself. He’s so scared being a passenger through these mountains, I wonder how he did driving in the dark with a passed-out girlfriend next to him,” he muses, laughing.
Guilt hits me hard. How could I have been so thoughtless? “Well, we made it, so I guess he did okay,” I say, gulping down my water on my way to the coffee pot. Taking my favorite mug out of the cabinet, I pour myself a cup before taking the seat next to my dad.
“So, you ready for this?” he asks. I know what he’s referring to, but I want to make him ask the question.
“Ready for what?” I question, and he stares up at me over the rim of his glasses with a look that clearly says ‘give me a break’.
I lean against the granite-topped island. Bringing the coffee up to my lips, I blow on it, attempting to cool it down. “Okay, let’s talk,” I reluctantly say, letting out a deep breath, “and yes, I love him.” I tell him, thinking that full disclosure might shorten the length of the uncomfortable conversation we’re about to have.
My dad folds up the paper, and my mom takes the stool next to him. Leaning on his elbows, he stares at me for a few seconds. “I’m going to ask you what I asked him. Why Grant?” He leans back in the chair, bringing his mug to his lips. My mom sits upright with her hands around her cup, obviously eager for my answer. All that I can think of is,
How did Grant answer?
“I can’t explain it, there’s just something about him, Dad. It’s nothing I’ve ever felt before,” I say honestly and can instantly tell he’s dissatisfied with my answer.
“His was better, but I guess your reason is…alright,” he jokes, and my mom starts laughing before her face turns serious again.
“Jessa, have you been honest with him?” my mom asks, and I nod my head in affirmation. “Has he been honest with you? He was up front with your father, and I want to make sure he was with you, too.” She slowly tips her mug up to her lips.
“Yes, he’s been completely honest with me,” I inform them. I’m happy to see smiles form across their faces. “So, do I dare ask? Has he passed the test?” I lean forward, waiting for their answer, although I think I already know what it is.
“He passed mine the first night,” my dad says and my mom agrees with him. “He’s a good one, and obviously you’re the best one, so we hope it works out with you two. But if it doesn’t, just remember we’re always here,” my dad reminds me, giving me a small smile. Then he stands up, kisses my head, and whispers, “I love you,” before leaving the room.
Relief fills my body. I knew my parents would like him, but it’s nice to know it won’t be a problem in our relationship. After seeing what went down with Sadie’s, that was the last thing I could’ve dealt with.
Walking out of the kitchen, I find Grant all showered and dressed and talking with my dad. They’re laughing about something Grant is showing him on his phone. I pray it’s not a picture of me passed out last night. Hesitantly, I make my way over to them. Grant presses a button and shoves his phone in his pocket, while my dad pretends he’s reading. I don’t bother reminding him that he isn’t wearing his reading glasses. I’ll happily let him think he’s deceiving me.
“What’re you looking at?” I ask them, standing close to Grant.
“Go get dressed, baby,” he says, giving me a nudge toward the door.
I can’t help but feel offended by his bossiness. “Um, what were you looking at?”
“The tattoo you’re scheduled to get in about an hour.” He chuckles and my dad joins in. “So, go get ready. We don’t want to be late.” He presses his lips against my cheek close to my ear, whispering, “I can’t wait for you to find out what I picked. You do like Winnie the Pooh, right?” I step back, narrowing my eyes at him, but I can’t hide the smirk on my face
. “Now go.” He pats me lightly on my ass so my dad doesn’t see or hear it.
“Alright, I’m going.” I let my shoulders slump down as if defeated and leave the room.
Grant
This place is easily the most high-class tattoo salon I’ve ever been in. Although that’s not really saying much since it’s only the second. The first and only one until now was when I was eighteen and went with a friend. I thought for sure I was ready to get one too, but I ended up chickening out. I wasn’t exactly happy with the idea of something being branded on me for the rest of my life. Now it doesn’t seem as stupid as it did then. The idea of having something that Jessa picked out or that represents her seems pretty awesome actually. I wouldn’t mind having permanent ink fixed onto my skin to always remind me of her.
Speaking of which, my beautiful girlfriend is currently acting a little distraught over not being in control right now. After I tell Trey’s look-alike that we’re here, I sit back down next to her on the couch. “You do agree that I won, right?” I ask her. She shifts her jaw to the side and bites the inside of her cheek.
“Yes, I agree, but I still don’t like it. I wanted you under the needle,” she says with a smirk, and I’m relieved that she’s just upset that she can’t pick one out for me.
“Alright, you want to make a deal?” I ask her. She turns her body toward me, eagerly waiting. Most likely she already knows what I’m about to say. “Your dad had to pull strings just to get you in, so there’s no way I can get one today,” I say, and her lips turn down in a playful pout. “But, when we get back to Western, I’ll go to Zen’s and you can pick out anything you want.”
She jumps up in excitement and grabs a book from the table, starting to thumb through the pages. “I already know what I want you to get, I just haven’t figured out where it’ll go yet.” As I watch her scan the pages, it belatedly hits me that I just agreed to ink my body. Briefly, I wonder what my mom would think. I know she wouldn’t care as long as I’m happy.
When Jessa finally spots what she’s been searching for, she points enthusiastically, and part of me thinks I should just take her appointment in order to make her happy. Staring down at the black and grey nautical star, I’m baffled as to why she picked that. “What do you think?” Her excited expression captures me and I want to kiss her, so I do.
I tear apart from her to ask, “Why do you want me to get a nautical star?”
“Because it is supposed to always help you find your way back home. It took you awhile to find where you belong, Grant, but you belong with me and I belong with you. We are each other’s home,” she says, and I’m happy to know she put as much thought into mine as I did hers.
“I like it,” I inform her, and she smiles back at me widely.
Jessa cuddles up to my side and I wrap my arm around her small body, resting my hand on her hip. Moving her shirt up a little, I rub my thumb back and forth across her skin. “So, what am I getting?” she asks, considerably more at ease now that I’ll be getting one when we return home.
“It’s a surprise,” I tell her, just as the girl calls her name. Thank God it isn’t some guy doing her tattoo. Since I had already e-mailed over what I was looking for, the petite blonde with green streaks in her hair has it ready to go at her station. Jessa peers over at me curiously and I chuckle at her.
“So where do you want it?” I ask her and confusion consumes her face. “I picked it but I’ll let you choose where it goes.” I sit in a chair that the blonde brought over for me, and we wait patiently for Jessa to decide.
“Can I see what it is first?” she asks and I nod my head to Carly, the tattoo artist. She smiles, revealing the outline of the lotus flower. “A flower,” she sighs and disappointment floats across her face.
“Are you upset that it’s a flower?” I ask her and her eyes meet mine. Those hazel eyes are so easy to read; I can clearly see that she doesn’t understand my choice.
She wavers back and forth before finally speaking, “It’s just, flowers can be so cliché,” she admits.
I scoot over to her, and Carly stands up to give us some space. Taking both her hands between mine, I reveal, “It’s a lotus flower, baby.” Her blank expression shows me she still doesn’t know what that means.
“It means you survived. That you struggled through a terrible time in your life, but you broke through and overcame it, becoming even more beautiful. That’s what this represents. You had a rough couple years, but look at you now…a spectacular, beautiful lotus flower.” I sit back, hoping like hell she understands now. She wraps her arms around me, straddling my chair.
“God, how’d I ever get you? Thanks for all the thought you put into it, babe. Sorry for reacting the way I did. I thought you just picked something pretty to put on me.” She kisses my lips, and I can’t fight the urge to insert my tongue. Carly comes back over too soon and clears her throat. We pull away from each other and Jessa takes her spot. “You pick, Grant. You won the bet, where do you want it?” she questions, turning the tables around on me. I’m sure Carly is ready to throw us out at this point.
As my eyes glide up and down her body, I try to think of my favorite spot. Or at least a place she would be able to show people anyway. I pick the left side of her ribcage, slightly under her breast. Carly asks her to lie on the table and Jessa starts lifting up her shirt, while my eyes shift around the room, making sure no one’s looking. Don’t they have a screen partition or some shit to put up while they tattoo her?
Jessa watches me as I search the room for prying eyes and giggles, grabbing my hand and trying to relax me. Automatically, my focus switches to her. She’s the one getting the tattoo, and although she already has a couple, this is her first one where I’m with her.
Carly finishes placing the outline on Jessa, just where I want it. She takes the gun and needles out of the protective wrap. Hearing the buzzing makes me nervous for Jessa, but she sits there calmly with her eyes shut as Carly inserts the needle into her skin. It continues to hum as Carly’s steady hand follows the traced lines, making sure it’s perfect. After the outline is finished, Carly tells me it’s time for coloring. We hadn’t discussed that. I ask her to do it in a blue hue since it’s my favorite color and she nods, standing up and walking away. “You okay, baby?” I ask and Jessa smirks with humor.
“I’m fine, Grant. I just like to daydream while I’m getting them done. It helps me remain calm.” She puts her head back down on the table. When Carly returns, Jessa starts asking her how long she’s worked here and telling her that her dad’s been coming here a long time. He knows the owner, Craig, and Carly exclaims how much she adores his daughter.
As the two girls talk while Carly gets everything ready, I observe everyone else in the parlor. It’s jam-packed and I’m surprised we were able to get an appointment today. I guess Jessa’s dad really does have strings to pull around here.
An hour later, Jessa’s done, and although the tattoo isn’t as beautiful as her, it’s pretty damn close to it. She admires it in the mirror and her eyes fall on me, standing behind her. Smiling, she turns around and places her hands on either side of my face. “I love you, Grant Bishop,” she tells me and places her lips on mine. Trying to be mindful of her tattoo, I pull her in a little closer, so I can feel her thin frame against me. We continue to explore each other’s mouths until hoots start echoing throughout the shop. Once I pull away, Jessa’s face has a nice shade of pink to it, as does mine, I’m sure.
She sits back down so Carly can cover the tattoo with ointment and a bandage. After I pay and Jessa compliments Carly to death, we finally leave the tattoo shop.
“Do you like it?” I ask, praying to God she does. Her reaction when she saw it finished appeared genuine, so I’m crossing my fingers.
“Are you kidding? I
love
it! It means even more to me since you picked it out.” She starts walking backward in front of me, while continuing to talk. “Are you really going to get one when we get home?” she questions, cocking her eyebrow as though she doesn’t believe me.
“I told you I would and I’m a man of my word,” I remind her and she giggles.
“That you are,” she says. “Now that this one’s done, we’ll have to think of a new bet.” She looks mischievous as she taps her finger against her lips.