Page 16 of Fox
“Nothing,” she groans. “It’s just cramps.”
“Can I get you some medicine? I think I saw a hot pad in the break room. What?” She’s staring at me, eyes wide, jaw lax.
“I said I was cramping. I’m on my period, not on my deathbed. Why are you being so nice to me?” Shrugging, I sit on the floor so that my knees will stop screaming. Fuck, getting old sucks.
“My mom and sister would rise from the dead to kick my ass if I didn’t offer to help you.” The change in her demeanor isn’t lost on me.
“Oh,” her tone is gentle, and the look of sympathy on her face makes me itchy. “I didn’t know about them. I’m so sorry—”
“Torch,” I interrupt, my voice stern. “How do you feel whenever someone says they’re sorry when they find out about Tony?”
Her full lips form a thin line as she goes silent.Wait. Full lips? They are lips, Fox! You are not adding adjectives! We aren’t thinking about her lips, that wild mane of curls, or that fucking delicious scent of hers.
My specialty is hyper-realism. With that comes a strong focus on colors, so my job is to describe life through colors. If Janie’s scent and overall self had to be described as colors, it would be the green of tropical leaves, the blues of the ocean, and her presence in the warmth of sunshine. She smells of orange blossoms and tea, and it reminds me of cruising in the car with the windows down on that first warm day.
It’s intoxicating in every fucking way it shouldn’t be, and it pisses me off that I can’t stop obsessing over it.
“You’re right.” Her voice startles me, causing me to flinch. Had I been that deep in thought?
“Are you okay?” She chuckles lightly.
“Yeah, just thinking,” I mutter while ignoring the heat rising in my cheeks. What is this? Blushing? Men in their forties don’t blush. I look around the old office, trying to distract myself fromthe uncomfortable feelings I’m fighting. Tony hated his office unless he was having an off day. Then, he would come back here, puff on his pipe, and listen to music. Though never confirmed, I firmly believe that he came back here because this was where Janie stayed when she used to come to the shop, and Tony enjoyed hanging out back here and talking to her.
“I’m sorry if I hurt your feelings this morning.” I watch out of the corner of my eye as her jaw tenses, and she avoids looking at me.
“You didn’t,” she says quickly. “It would take a lot more than the opinion of some old man to hurt my feelings.”
“Hey!” I half fake being insulted. “No need to be nasty about it.”
“Oh, you mean saying I sell diet pills to make a living isn’t nasty?”
“So, youareupset!” I point my finger at her as she crosses her arms, the red blush creeping up her neck.
“I’m not upset!” She yells as she stands up, walking toward the door. I stand and follow her out to the main area.
“You are too! You’re upset that you didn’t get your way! What did you think? You could win us over with a box of donuts like you didn’t completely fuck us with this fucking arrangement?” My mood is turning fast. As usual, Janie enters bratty temper tantrum mode, like she always does whenever things don’t go her way. I can’t even begin to count all the phone calls I overheard Tony take with her yelling on the other end. But I shouldn’t have to deal with her tantrums. This isn’t part of my job, but lately, I feel like I’m doing much more talking her down than tattooing, and I’m sick of it.
She looks at me; her deep blue eyes resemble sapphires reflecting in light with the tears welling up in them. She blinks, and one single tear falls, taking all my anger with it. I cannot handle women crying. When my mom or sister wouldstart crying, I instantly went into protector, fixer mode, and apparently, it’s not any different with Torch.
“I brought you—” she clears her throat as what sounds like a sob tries to escape. “I brought you that donut to be nice. Not to win you over. I’m on my period. I wanted a donut. I saw that one and thought of you. Trust me, it won’t happen again.” Another tear escapes, and her trembling hand goes to brush it away.
“And I didn’t fuck you over!” Her voice is loud and shaking as she glares at me, hot tears flowing freely. “I heard you guys!”
“Heard us?” I manage to get out, my throat feels parched. Tony’s voice is screaming in my head, damning me for daring to upset his daughter.
Janie laughs sarcastically as she rolls her eyes. “She would end up blowing the profits on a new purse for some extra likes. Hel’s Ink deserves better than that.”
My stomach drops as my jaw falls open at her familiar words.My words.The words I said to Frank and At before seeing the lawyers. Before Janie told me, she wasn’t selling her half yet.
“Janie, I—”
“No!” she yells through her tears. “Nobody understands what I have gone through. I was going to give you this place, not because I wanted the money, but because I thought you would keep it thriving! I grew up here! This was my home. That man was my father! That logo is mine! The shop’s name is mine!”
I blink and stare at her. “What?”
“Janie. Hel. Pierce.” She enunciates each word through her clenched jaw. “Hel’s Ink is named after me, you idiot. This is my shop, Fox.Mine.And just so we are clear, I was trying to be nice and include you and the guys in on my idea, put this enemy thing to rest because you were nice to me when I confided in you about my disorder, and I thought maybe we could actually get along. But I will be here for a good long while, and Iwilldo whateverI damn well please to this shop. You can join in, or I’ll buy you out at the end of the year, but those are your only two options, old man. He might’ve been your mentor, but he wasmyfather. I outrank you, and I always will.”
The low, almost growl in her threatening voice snaps something in me. I close the distance between us, towering over her short stature, not that it seems to phase her. Janie has little dog syndrome. You know, where the chihuahuas think they’re the toughest fuckers in town and like to assert their dominance. That’s her.
