Page 66 of In the Shadows

Chapter

Fourteen

We met Maiden at the studio in the afternoon, seems they pulled an all-nighter with Diamond and needed time to regroup. More like needed time to sleep off their hangovers. Man, were Joey and I turning into the old men of the group?

“Hey Stoli,” Joey said, rolling over.

I’d already been up for a while and was scanning our social media on my iPhone. “Good morning.” I leaned over kissing the top of his head. His hair was coming back in nicely, although it was a light dusting across the scar itself.

“I had an idea, not sure if you’d be game though.”

“Pitch it and we’ll see.” I sat my phone on the nightstand, giving him my undivided attention. It wasn’t often Joey tossed out ideas without being prodded and I wasn’t going to pass it up when he did.

“Since we don’t have to meet the guys until this afternoon, I thought we’d see if Mash had some time to fit us in for a couple quick tats first.”

Not sure why he was so anxious asking me about this, but he was fidgeting beside me.

“Did you have something particular in mind? Will he have time to design it and do it before we hit the studio?”

“I’ve kinda got an idea in mind. I don’t think it will take him long to design or do.”

That had my interest. “You do? Matching ones? Okay, spill what’s swimming in this beautiful mind of yours.”

“I thought until we figured out this whole wedding and ring sitch that we could get matching band tattoos in the interim. I was envisioning music notes around the band part and on mine the wordsForever Stoli’sand on yoursForever Joey’s around the notes. Fuck,” he scrubbed his blushing face with the palms of his hands, “Never mind, it’s too corny.”

I pulled his hands away from his face, staring him directly in the eyes so he could weigh the seriousness in the statement I was about to make. “Joey, it’s not corny. Not to me at least. I’ve been yours since we were five. Maybe we could have the real wedding bands made to match the tattoos? What do you think?”

“You’d really want to do that?” he asked, dimples shining brightly.

Why this man never saw in himself what I’d always seen blew me away. He was so unsure sometimes yet he was totally smart. I’d spend the rest of my life telling him so.

“Hell yeah I do. I think it’s a brilliant idea. I’ll text Mash now.” He hopped on top of me, planting kisses along my jawline before allowing our lips to meet. In an instant, he was up and off me racing across the hall to the bano. Mash was down with the idea and said he’d start the design so he’d have something for us to check out when we got to his shop. He wasn’t in until the afternoon, but said he’d meet us there earlier to do this for us. Said he’d have both tats done in under an hour.

“Hey, babe,” I knocked on the bathroom door wearing nothing but my boxers. Thankfully we lived in a house full of men. And just as I finished that thought, I was met with the unexpected.

“Nice.” Maggie smiled and winked as she passed by me.

My face flushed, my tongue tied and all I got out was a stammer consisting of, “Um,” and “thanks.”

She laughed and headed downstairs.

Joey opened the bathroom door and pulled me inside. “Dude, I didn’t know my dad was having sleepovers. I’m fucking naked here.” He gestured down his lithe frame frantically.

“Yeah, that was unexpected, but kudos to Dad.” I had to give him props for getting some.

“True, but can you grab me some clothes?”

“No prob. By the way, Mash is down with it and is designing them so they’re ready when we get to his shop.”

“Fucking right on,” he kissed me, “now clothes please.”

We tossed on pajama bottoms and t-shirts following the smell of bacon and coffee into the kitchen where we found Maggie making breakfast for everyone. Joe was sitting at the table, reading the paper.

“She’s a keeper, Joe,” I told him, having gotten over my embarrassment and inability to speak.

Joey poured us each a cup of coffee, mixing it up how we liked it before handing me mine and taking the seat beside me.

“Sounds like you boys had an interesting night,” Joe said, folding the paper in front of him.

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