Total pages in book: 101
Estimated words: 95326 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 477(@200wpm)___ 381(@250wpm)___ 318(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 95326 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 477(@200wpm)___ 381(@250wpm)___ 318(@300wpm)
Because of that, no-strings type of sex became my go-to. On the nights my sister or brother would watch my daughter, I would meet up with different women. Some, I hung out with a few times to see where things might go, others, it was nothing more than a one-time thing. But there was never a single woman I met that I could imagine bringing home to meet my family, to meet my daughter. Skyla had been through enough in her first three years to last a lifetime. When I wasn’t working, I was taking her to the doctors, including several children psychologists. And then once she was finally on the right path and blossoming like the beautiful flower she is, I wasn’t about to risk any set-backs. So I made it a point to keep my family life and my private life separate.
But now, for the first time, I can see those two parts that I worked so hard to keep from touching, merging together and becoming one. The house, the family, the marriage. Spending my days doing what I love, my evenings with my family around the dinner table or on the couch watching a movie, taking family trips to amusement parks, and my nights…I can see them vividly. In bed, getting lost in one woman—Celeste. The problem is, I’m almost positive, if I told her any of that, she would most likely run for the hills…or the runway. Sure, she said she’s looking for a man to love her, and at the time, those were the best damn words I could’ve been told. Until I started to think about how different our lives are.
Celeste’s life is glamorous and consists of traveling to different countries and designing clothes for the rich and famous, while mine is spent tattooing and parenting. We’re complete opposites in every way, but she’s who I want, and without spooking her, I need to show her we can work. It’s why it took me a couple days to work up the courage to call her. I wanted to give her time in case she decided one night was all she wanted. In case she was caught up in the moment and didn’t mean what she said about wanting to be loved. Or maybe she meant it, but didn’t mean by me specifically. Or maybe she meant me at the time, but didn’t think about what it would entail to be with a guy like me. Yeah, I’m fully aware that I’m overthinking the hell out of her simple five words, but I can’t help it. It feels like I’ve been given a second chance, only everything has changed. We’re no longer the carefree individuals we once were, lying in bed, wrapped around one another, with only the thought of our dreams and futures ahead of us. Now, we’re actually living them.
So, with all that said, I planned to give Celeste more time, but then my sister asked to take Skyla, and I couldn’t wait any longer to call her. When I asked her if she wanted to come over, I listened for any hesitation, but didn’t hear any. She did sound nervous, though, which tells me I need to take things slow.
“All right, Gilbert. Take a look and let me know what you think?” I hand him the mirror so he can look at the tattoo I just finished.
“Damn, man, it looks fucking dope.” He grins. “It’s done, huh?”
“It is.” I nod, satisfied with my work. It’s a huge, intricate tattoo that covers his entire back, made up of different pieces that all interconnect into one large canvas. It’s taken several sessions to complete.
“Thank you.” He pulls a wad of cash out of his pocket and shakes my hand, slipping me several bills. “I’ll give you a call when I’m ready to start my sleeve.”
“Sounds good.” I apply the ointment to the newly inked area and cover it with cellophane. “You know the drill. Take care of it so it heals well.”
“You got it.” We walk down the hall toward the front. I’m the last one here this evening—Willow and Gage both finished up earlier, so I offered to close up shop. After we shake hands, I open the door for him to exit, then pull out my phone to text Celeste. I don’t want to lock the door until she gets here. There’s movement from the left that has me whipping my head around, and that’s when I see her leaning against the pool table. She’s donning a simple beige dress that’s clearly business attire, yet it’s still cut low enough to hint at how perfect and perky her breasts are, and still short enough to show off her tanned, sexy legs which are currently crossed at her ankles. She’s wearing matching heels that are tall enough to be considered weapons. But the only thing they make me think of in this moment is how they would feel digging into my back as I fuck her on that pool table.