Page 3 of Tess, Property of Blaze

Feeling my cheeks heat, I smiled back. “Thank you.”

“Not gonna happen, brother,” Jeff teased, looking between Gunner and me.

“Is that so? And why’s that? You claimed her?”

Jeff let out a laugh, and I narrowed my eyes at him. I knew what claiming someone meant in biker terms—that he was my man, because he’d claimed me. I thought then, What’s wrong with me?

Not realizing I’d said that out loud, Jeff looked over at me. “Nothing, sweetheart, you are indeed gorgeous, just telling Gunner to leave you alone. Gunner here’s had many women, don’t need to add you into the mix.”

“Hey, Jeff, you’re meant to have my back.”

“She’s my boss, brother. Plus, I don’t need you hangin’ out here all dreamy-eyed over her, she deserves better. Not someone who has a different woman every night.”

“Hey….”

I’d put my hands on my hips. “Will you two cut it out, I’m right here, you know?”

Gunner flashed his smile at me again. “We never thought you weren’t.”

“Well, can you boys stop talking like I’m not here?”

“Just looking out for you, Tess,” Jeff said, a big grin on his face.

“Well I don’t need it. I’m a big girl.”

“That you are…,” Gunner said, his gaze zeroing in on my breasts, my low-cut top showing off a little of my cleavage.

“Okay, Romeo, we’ll see you Friday,” I said, shaking my head as I smiled at him.

“See you Friday,” he replied, and smiled one last time before walking out the store and taking off on his bike.

“He was flirting with you,” Jeff said then. “And I meant what I said, he’s a womanizer.”

“Jeff.” I looked over at him. “Believe me when I say that a biker is the last thing I need in my life. Now go continue Fiona’s tattoo, she’s waiting.”

“Yes, boss,” he said sarcastically as he walked over to Fiona, who’s busy on her phone.

I chuckled to myself then sighed. “Yep, definitely don’t need a biker in my life….”

* * *

Friday Night.

The chime rings from above the door, announcing another customer. I glance at the clock on the wall opposite my working seat and see it’s 8:05 p.m. Must be Gunner and his friend.

Wiping the excess ink off one last time, I ask Tanya to have a look and tell me if she’s happy with the finished design. She gets up off the reclined seat and stands in front of the full-length mirror, her arms still holding up her top. She walks to the small space in the corner where the mirror is and turns to her side, looking at a tattoo of a little girl flying a kite I just completed on the side of her hip. Tanya’s daughter passed away from cancer six months ago, and she wanted to remember a time when her little girl was happy and carefree, and it was when they were at the beach and her Lucy were flying a kite.

Tears roll down her cheeks, and I immediately place my tool down and remove my rubber gloves. “Are you okay? Oh God, you don’t like it?”

She looks over her shoulder at me, and her lips quiver as she tries hard to hold her tears in. “Are you kidding, it’s beautiful, exactly as I remember her.” Tanya had brought in a photo of Lucy, which helped getting her facial features on the design as close to her image as possible.

I give her a warm smile. “I’m so glad, she was a beautiful girl.”

Tanya nods. “She was.” She wipes her eyes and shakes out her hands. “I’m sorry, you must think I’m a crazy person. Crying over a tattoo.”

“Of course I don’t. She was your daughter and you lost her. I’m just glad I was able to give you a happy memory of her that you can always have with you.”

She sniffles, and I pass her a Kleenex from the box on my tray of equipment. “Thank you, Tess, I’m so glad I came here. I’d been thinking of getting it done since she passed away, but to be honest, I was a little scared of the pain.”

---