4. Four Lakey
Four: Lakey
“ M mmm, babe, do that again.” I rolled over and faced Cam as he pinched my nipple.
The sun smacked me square in the face through our paper-thin curtains and illuminated the most beautiful man I’ve ever seen. Cam was… well, the complete opposite of me. Where I was tiny and blonde, he was tall, dark and handsome, with bronzed skin, wavy hair that fell into his dark eyes, and perfectly straight teeth. He had my name tattooed in big jail script across his chest and I smiled as I ran my finger over it before allowing my gaze to run over his other ones.
Some were professional, others he’d let me do with the tattoo gun we’d bought online on a drunken whim. His sleeve was a giant, salivating wolf that looked like it wanted to devour me and behind the wolf, sat a naked woman tied to a pole. I loved it. The symbolism warmed my soul. Tracing the tattoo further down to the scarred heart, I tickled his skin.
“Remember when I did this one?”
He chuckled, running his hands over my skin before nuzzling into my neck. “Yeah, you went too deep and almost made me bleed out. But I like it.”
I think I’d done a heart for every year we’d been in each others lives. Twenty in total, all scattered over his skin in various places.
“Why the frown?” He stopped playing with my tits to cup my chin, forcing my eyes to meet his gaze.
“Just thinking about that one social worker who kept us together all these years. I wonder how she knew we were better off together.”
His lips pursed. “Probably because she knew what was going on in those homes and didn’t want you to be alone.”
“You didn’t deserve to be alone either. Not after–”
“Don’t.” Cam snarled, getting out of bed. “Don’t say his name.” He paced for a moment before grabbing the towel dangling off the chair in the corner of the room. “I’m going to shower.”
Rolling my eyes, I flopped on my back. We’d had our share of what they call ‘childhood trauma.’ Still, I wondered how that social worker was doing. And how she got away with moving both of us together for so long. She was even at Cam’s hearing before he got sentenced. Maybe I should pay her a visit.
“Ughhhhhhh, I wanted to fuck,” I said just loud enough so Cam could hear before jumping out of bed and pulling on a sundress. Fuck it. I’ll grab us some breakfast from the cafe. Don’t feel like sitting in today. “Cam, you got any cash. I wanna go get us breakfast.”
“Should be some in my wallet.” He yelled.
“Right, that explains exactly where it is,” I muttered under my breath and started rummaging around, trying to find it. Just as I was about to tell him I couldn’t find it, I noticed it peeking out of his sweats. Rolling my eyes, I snatched it out of the pocket and flipped it open. Twenty? That’s it?
Fuck.
I’d have to go dance tonight ‘cause rent is due next week. “Babe, I’m gonna go dance tonight. Just thought I’d let you know. Be back in a bit, I’ll grab brekky.”
He stuck his head out of the bathroom. “Lakes, if you just wait, I can come with.”
“It’s fine. Honestly, I just want some air.” While that was true, I also wanted to see if that little girl was home. “Be back in twenty.”
It was the perfect day, and my chest expanded gratefully as I inhaled the crisp morning air. Setting off on a brisk pace, I made it to the cafe in record time, placing our usual order and sat down to wait. People watching was my favorite past-time. Making up stories about who they were, what they did for work and how they performed in the sack. Some couple was sitting in the back. She was pretty with long dark hair. He was absolutely obsessed with her from the look in his eyes. Dark hair, baseball cap. Seems like he’d fuck her missionary and then they’d make some tea and biscuits after, asking each other “was that good for you?” Just as I started giggling to myself, a man got up from his corner seat, his chair scraping obnoxiously on the linoleum.
“I’ve been here for fifteen minutes and I’m late for work. Where the fuck is my breakfast.” He jabbed his finger in the direction of the waitress who had taken my order.
She looked nervously towards the kitchen before softly replying, “Sir, I’m sorry, we are unusually busy this morning. Please take a seat and I’ll go see about where your order is in the line.”
“Unusually?! The place is dead in here.” He scoffed, looking around. “Fine, but if I don’t get my fucking eggs and bacon in the next two minutes, I want to speak to the manager.”
He turned around and stomped back towards his table, but not before I got a good look at him. He was stocky, bordering on fat. A greying beard, untrimmed. Wearing an ill-fitting navy-blue suit, so he must be someone important. Or at least, someone he thought was important. I recognized him but couldn’t place from where. His eyes landed on me, a spark of recognition flashing through them before he shook his head, his ruddy face flushing as he averted his eyes from my prying ones. My mind was spinning as I tried sifting through memories to figure out where I knew this arrogant bastard from.
Honestly, if Cam wasn’t waiting for me, I’d lure this fuck behind the dumpster and drive my knives through his soft midsection. Something about him just felt… off.
Shaking my head, I resumed people watching until finally, she called my name.
“Thanks, um...” Looking down at her name tag, I cracked a smile. “Emma. Have a nice day.”
She nodded and I left the cafe, still wondering who the fuck that asshole was. Rounding the corner to head home, I hesitated. If I went left, I’d go through the suburban neighborhood that took me to her house.
Just a peek, to see if she’s home. If she wasn’t, I’d run back, and Cam wouldn’t even notice the extra minutes I’d spent taking a detour. Standing opposite her house, I leaned against a tree and pretended to be very interested in grabbing a paper from the stand.
The cars were gone from the driveway and the house was empty. I guess that made sense. It was a weekday. Didn’t normal kids go to school or something? They’d tried to make me and Cam go to school, but… we never went. The schools just pushed us through because they didn’t want to deal with us.
Not sure I would have actually learned anything anyway. Everything I knew was self-taught. The way the world should be if you’d ask me. With a defeated sigh, I turned and booked it back towards the apartment. The food would be cold, but whatever. Cam would deal.
Opening the door, he was lounging on the couch, wearing nothing but those ridiculous boxers I’d bought him as a Christmas gag gift. They were sparkly, dark blue and custom written with the words, “this is the dick of a killer, Lakey.” Yes, it was a spin of my favorite movie. I thought it was hilarious and clearly, so did he.
“Nice boxers, babe.” I grinned and opened the bag, grabbing the containers and plastic forks, walking around to hand him his eggs benny before opening mine.
“Oh, a certain loco bought it for me.”
“It’s loc-A, Cameron. LOCA.” I shovelled eggs in my mouth, muttering under my breath as I chewed, “Uncultured swine.”
He threw a piece of bacon at me and laughed. “Whatever. Sorry I prefer movies about murdering unsuspecting women while wearing a sexy mask over sparkly vamp dicks.”
I rolled my eyes but couldn’t help the small smirk that played on my lips. He’d never admit it, but he loved those movies. We watched them every year. “So, what are we doing today?”
He shrugged, stuffing more food into his mouth and chewing thoughtfully. “I dunno, a voice in my head keeps telling me to go kill someone,” he said, gesturing around with his spoon, “but I dunno, I think we should relax. Go down the pier, maybe?”
I grinned like a maniac. “Deal. Though, I have to be back later because I gotta dance tonight. We’re short rent and I don’t think Joe will let us default again.”
Cam snorted. “That fat fuck wouldn’t do a damn thing, and he knows it.”
“Yeah, but killing the landlord would just put this place into foreclosure or whatever they do when shit like that happens.”
“I dunno, probably. Don’t know much about real estate. Eat faster. I wanna go swim.”
I grinned, inhaling the rest of my food and shoving the container back into the bag. “Let’s go, babe. Just don’t try to drown me this time. I need my lungs intact if I want to work.”
“Be right back,” Cam hopped to the room and came out a moment later wearing black swim trunks and a hot pink shirt, his hair effortlessly styled as he ran his fingers through it with a glob of gel.
“Sexy.” I winked and blew him a kiss. I probably should have gotten my own swim shit on but knowing Cam he’d find us some secluded spot and I’d be naked anyway, being railed against some rock. “K let’s go. Remember, gotta be backstage by five.”
He grabbed a bag I hadn’t noticed laying on the floor, taking my hand as we headed out the door. “Aw, and here I was hoping you’d just quit and let me support you with my millions.”
“Millions, huh? Where you been hiding those bills at? Yeah, fuck no. I need my dancing and my stilettos. Besides, what would be the fun in that?” This idiot. I rolled my eyes and locked the door.
He smirked, running a hand down my ass before giving it a playful smack and steering me towards the elevators. “I could think of a few things.”
“We taking the bikes?” Excitement coursed through me.
“You wanna walk 37 miles? Of course we’re taking the bikes, dip shit.” He pressed the P as the doors closed behind us.