Chapter 5
West and I fell into a comfortable pattern. Some nights we stayed at the condo, while other nights were spent at his house, and since my work was so close, we carpooled on most days. On days West had filming I made dinner because he so exhausted and the remaining nights he’d make dinner. I smiled at the thought of how well we meshed together. I didn’t even have to ask for space on Saturdays to hang out with Dad. West woke me up with coffee, already in workout clothes and let me know he had planned something with his family or his tattoo team. He always let me know where he was going and when he planned on being back. I never realized how much easier open communication could make things. It was simple, and I never needed to worry about him.
Wednesdays meant the film crew was at the shop. West hadn’t been able to text me all day other than a brief snapshot of the corner of his face and the other guys from the shop on the floor playing with the puppies. I smiled as I grabbed my empty coffee mug to go fill up, but stopped at my door when I heard the sound of women squealing and then the distinct tink-tink of puppy toenails on tiles. West careened down the hallway grabbing for the leashes of our beagle crew. Even with his long legs, he couldn’t keep up with them once they caught my scent.
“Did Daddy let you lose?” I asked as a bent down, and they clamored over me, fighting for pets as I laughed. West came to a stop in front of me with his face red and flustered. My breath caught in my throat as I realized it was something more than the puppies getting away from him that was bugging him. “Are you okay?”
West rubbed the back of his neck, eyes lids fluttering. “I just…I needed someone to talk to, and I was so in my head that when they started pulling, I lost my grip. I’m sorry. I couldn’t leave them with the producers being the way they were.”
I stood, putting my hand on his cheek and his shoulders slouched as he leaned into my touch. “It’s okay. There’s no reason to be sorry. My employees love an adorable distraction.”
West’s eyes opened, and his eyebrows rose. He knew I was insinuating more than just the dogs. He looked over his shoulder and let out a frustrated sigh. “This place is a fishbowl. Is there anywhere people won’t be able to see us?”
“Yeah…the firing room– AKA our conference room. It has blinds,” I replied, and West’s brows came down over his eyes as I shrugged. “When people get fired they tend not to react so well. I haven’t had to do it, but HR wanted to make sure there was someplace private for that because while open glass stimulates teamwork, open firing doesn’t.”
West chuckled at that, and he stepped aside so I could lead the way. Charlie was at her cubicle, looking at her computer, but her eyes kept flickering our way.
“Charlie,” I said, and she perked up. “Do you like dogs?”
Her eyes widened with her smile. “Of course! Would you like me to watch them for a few minutes?”
I nodded, and she stood, coming over and going into my office. She closed the door behind her to keep them in one place and winked at me.
I rolled my eyes before slipping West’s hand into mine. “This way.”
We went into the room where the blinds were already drawn. The employees often used the room to make private phone calls, which right now I didn’t mind at all. It would be pretty suspicious if I came into the room with my boyfriend and drew the blinds. I turned and sat on the top of the conference room desk. West paced in front of me, his hands running through his sexily disheveled hair.
“What’s going on with the producers?” I asked.
He stopped pacing and looked at the ceiling. “It’s not easy owning a tattoo parlor. These places open and close all the time. Artists tend to be drama all the time. That’s what makes it good for reality TV.” His jaw clenched. “I put a lot of work into getting the team I have. We’re a family. We get along, and there’s none of that drama shit. I signed onto this show because it was easy marketing and would keep the business flowing in.”
I smiled, reaching for his hand. “It is excellent marketing.”
“Yeah.” His voice became hoarse, and his chin dipped to his chest as he wove his fingers through mine. I could feel him shaking, and I pulled him towards me. “But the producers are trying to start drama. The guys love it when I bring the pups, but the producers want to make it look like they’re little devil dogs.”
“It worries me.” He shook his head. “The network wants me to sign another two-season contract, but if the producers are starting this now, I don’t want to. Once this show is done, I need to keep my team together. If we split, they’ll start asking them for their own shows. I know it’s selfish, but I need to hold us together. It’s a vicious cycle, once it starts the producers will keep going until we’re at war with each other — owning different shops– until we all fail– and we will if we split. I love being a tattoo artist. I don’t want to end up having to design clothes or makeup.”
His eyes lifted to mine. They were that dark green that showed he was upset, but they were also enhanced by makeup. I reached forward, running my hands over his highlighted cheeks. “Speaking of makeup.”
West’s jaw clenched underneath my hands, and I slid my hand to his neck, pulling him to me. He put his hands on either side of me, and I moved my legs to wrap around him.
“Another ridiculous part of this show, but in the end, it’s helped all of us. I just don’t want it to turn around and destroy us.”
“You may not know this,” I said, letting my hands drop to his shoulders and rub the tense muscles there. “But I’m quite the contract reviewer. Why don’t you bring home the paperwork you have? I’ll make sure there’s a clause for ‘filming may not interfere with normal operations.’ Meaning no drama shit, and then I’ll add one in that they can’t take one of your employees. We have that clause in all of the contracts we have here.”
West’s eyes opened to lock on mine, and his muscles finally relaxed underneath my hands. “I’m the luckiest man alive, aren’t I?”
I leaned up and kissed him lightly before pulling away. “I tend to think I’m the lucky one.”
“We’re both lucky,” West said, and his eyes returned to the tired, stressed look. “I kind of want to go home after this filming set.” He looked down at his watch. “I should be done by like two, two thirty.”
“Okay, I’ll be sure I’m ready to leave by then. I’ll just work from home, and it’s my night for dinner,” I replied as West stood up.
“It’s my house tonight,” West said, his lips twitching.
“I know.”
He leaned down again, teeth running over his lips.
His voice was deep when he replied, “My house is home?”
I put my hands behind his neck as he tilted my chin up with his hand. “Yes.”
His lips met mine, and heat spread through my body. Where he was felt exactly like home no matter where that was. As his mouth moved over mine, a small shudder ran through him, and I pulled him tighter to me, wrapping my legs around his. When we kissed it was more than just a physical sensation, it ran through my body to my heart and soul, deepened with an emotion neither of us admitted out loud.