Chapter 12
CHAPTER
TWELVE
King
I hung up the phone, walking back inside the bar that I was dragged to after tonight’s portion of the expo. It went well, and I’m excited for tomorrow too. I miss my girls, but I’m glad I came.
As worried as I’ve been, I trust Sawyer. Why? I’m not sure, but I do.
I can’t help but think about Sawyer sleeping in my bed. I may have said it’s no big deal, but it feels like it is. I like the idea of her lying between my sheets way more than I should.
After a long day at the expo, talking to more people than I can count, and doing over a dozen tattoos, I’m exhausted. At this point, all I want is a hot shower and a clean bed, yet here I am in a loud hotel bar full of what feels like a hundred people.
After everything ended and we cleaned everything up, Asher insisted that since we were all together, we should spend the rest of the night out. Not to mention, it was already ten thirty by the time we got out of there.
It’s already been half an hour, so I figure I’ll either give them another half an hour or until I finish this beer before I bail and head to my room, whichever comes first. Asher, Kaden, Demi, Logan, and I are all crowded around a high-top table in the back of the packed hotel bar.
Asher is talking to Kade about a cool piece he got to do earlier when Kade went out to lunch with Logan, but Kade is half listening since he’s carefully watching a very drunk Logan. Since Demi is pregnant, she somehow managed to convince Logan to drink for her, and Demi has a much higher tolerance than Logan does.
It’s actually an amusing sight. I’ve known Logan for years since she started seeing Kade, and I don’t think I’ve ever actually seen her drunk. She’s…unbalanced. Hence the reason why Kade is watching her like a hawk. I wouldn’t be surprised if all it takes is a poke of a finger for her to fall over.
Thankfully, around the same time I finish my beer, an anxious Kade calls it a night. I waste no time getting back to my room, showering, and practically collapsing into bed. It feels like my eyes shut the second I hit the pillow, and before I know it, my alarm is blaring.
I shut it off with urgency, dragging myself out of bed and getting ready for another long day of tattooing. I grab a coffee and a breakfast sandwich on the way down to the hotel ballroom where the expo is being held, drinking and eating on the way.
I’m the first one at our table when I get down there, which is no surprise, so I sanitize everything again, fixing up our setup for the day. Kade and Asher show up within the next half hour, the latter looking like he just rolled out of bed, but what else is new?
The morning goes by quickly. I do a couple pieces but mainly spend the time talking to a few other owners, which is nice.
I’ve been texting the girls all morning, checking in and making sure that they’re both okay, but I haven’t talked to Sawyer again. It felt strange talking to her on the phone last night. Hearing her voice. All I could picture was her lying in my bed as she spoke to me, which was quite a fucking picture.
One I kind of want to see in person.
Then, when she was saying good night, she called me Damien. It’s so rare for anyone to call me anything but my last name—besides my parents, that is. Hearing her call me my real name almost felt intimate in a way.
Like she’s the only one meant to call me that.
Anyway, since the girls have been updating me, I haven’t found an excuse to text or call her yet today. While Ellie just gives me one-word responses that she’s fine, Willow’s been texting me constant updates.
The last I heard before I put my phone down to ink someone, she had said the three of them were headed out for breakfast. Specifically, that they were going to get chocolate chip pancakes. Not sure Sawyer knows what she’s doing by letting my daughter have chocolate this early in the morning, but it’ll be her problem to deal with for the day.
All my attention needs to be here on my work.
Most of the pieces that Kade, Asher, and I have been doing during the expo were pre-sketched and put together in a catalog for people to choose from. There have been a few that have asked for custom pieces, which have taken a little longer, but overall, they have been a lot of fun to create.
The expo also has a contest going on today for best tattoo, which I wasn’t interested in participating in, but Asher signed himself up. He’s been working on a woman’s back piece for the past two hours now for it.
Since he’s focused on the single piece, Kade and I pick up the slack, doing a lot of smaller and quicker pieces. As we get further into the afternoon, we even form a somewhat long line, which is exciting and overwhelming at the same time.
Thankfully, Logan and Demi come down and sit at our table, talking to people and selling our merch. After last night, I’m not sure how Logan’s functioning as well as she is, but regardless, I’m thankful to have her help. And for Demi, who even goes and gets all of us lunch.
Around two p.m., our line calms down, and I finally get a second to take a break and eat said lunch. It’s just a sub and chips from the hotel store, but considering all I’ve eaten today is a miniature breakfast sandwich around seven a.m., anything sounds good right now.
I sit down behind the table off to the side, picking up my phone as I eat, and see multiple missed texts. I click on Willow’s contact first, opening the messages.
Willow: Dad I ate 3 chocolate chip pancakes all by myself!!!
Willow: 3!!!!!
Willow: Sawyer only finished 2. *tongue out emoji*
Willow: Sawyer is taking us to Off the Wall!!! YAYYY
I chuckle under my breath while reading the texts. Off the Wall is the new trampoline park that opened about ten minutes from our house. I guess after filling Willow with so much sugar, going to jump on trampolines is a pretty solid way to get her to expel all the chaotic energy.
King: Good for you, kiddo. Have fun. Miss you.
I close the message’s app, pausing when I see I still have an unread message. I open the app again to find that it’s from Sawyer. I open the message seeing a video and a message underneath.
I open the video, pressing Play . Willow, laughing loudly while jumping on a trampoline, starts playing on the screen.
“Okay, superstar. Show me what you got.” Sawyer’s voice filters through the speaker.
I ignore the way my chest warms at the sound of her cheering on my daughter. It shouldn’t mean anything. Logan, Demi, and Gabby have all watched the girls dozens of times and they’ve sent me videos, but it never felt like this.
Sure, it was nice of them, and it was good to see how much they genuinely care about Ellie and Willow, but this is different. This feels like more. It seems that everything involving Sawyer feels that way.
After a few more jumps, Willow does a backflip on the trampolines, followed by a front flip.
“Hell yeah!” Sawyer shouts through the phone. “Amazing.” She laughs, and the video pans down to the ground just before it cuts.
I scroll down to see the message underneath it.
Sawyer: not sure if you knew… you’ve got a future olympian in your midst
King: I guess I’ll have to talk to her about signing up for gymnastics.
I respond to her, and the three dots immediately pop up, showing that she’s responding. Her reply comes through barely a second later.
Sawyer: good thing because I already promised her that you would… hope that’s not a problem *shrugging emoji*
King: It’s not. You feeding her a shit ton of chocolate for breakfast on the other hand…
Sawyer: chocolate chip PANCAKES
Sawyer: get it right
Sawyer: plus, I’m the one who had to deal with the sugar high, you should feel bad for me
King: You’re right. I’m sorry. Good luck.
Sawyer: thank you, I appreciate it
Sawyer: anyway, Willow’s yelling at me to come play laser tag with her and Ellie so got to goooo
King: I’m shocked you got Ellie to leave her music cave known as her room, let alone come with you.
Sawyer: guess she likes hanging out with me more than you *winking emoji*
King: You might be right. Have fun playing laser tag. I’ll see you later, Sawyer.
I stare at my phone, and the three dots pop up and then go away a few times before her message finally comes through.
Sawyer: see you later, Damien
I smile at my phone before closing it and putting it in my pocket. I finish off my food, throwing the trash away, and standing from the table.
I catch Logan watching me as I do. “Who are you texting?” she asks me.
“Just Sawyer updating me on the kids,” I say.
“Was it her or the girls making you smile at your phone like that?” She raises a brow at me.
“The girls.” I shrug.
“Whatever you say.” She smiles to herself like she has a secret.
“She’s just helping me out,” I defend. “And she’s my employee.”
“Are you talking about him crushing on Sawyer?” Asher asks as he walks over, finally finished with the piece he’s been doing for hours.
“Oh my gosh, King likes Sawyer?” Demi pipes in excitedly. “I mean, I totally get it. She’s hot.”
“Nobody likes anyone,” I groan.
“Maybe you don’t like her like her. But at the very least, she flusters you,” Asher says. “And you’re not easily flustered. I actually don’t think I’ve ever seen you flustered.”
“That’s so fucking adorable,” Demi squeals.
“Leave him alone. You’ll scare him,” Kade jokes, grabbing his own lunch out from under the table.
“I’m going back to work.” I shake my head. “The rest of you should do the same.” I turn to walk back over to our makeshift tattooing station.
I get back to work, ignoring everyone’s thoughts about my feelings for Sawyer and whatever feelings I actually do have for her. During the rest of the event, I ink four more people, one smaller tattoo, two mid-size, and one larger one, and before I know it, eight p.m. hits and we start cleaning up.
It takes us a little under an hour to get everything cleaned and packed up. I brought my duffel bag down with me this morning since I checked out earlier, and after a few trips to the car between all of us, we got everything into the back of my SUV for me to bring back to the shop tomorrow.
Everyone else opted to stay the night and drive home in the morning, so it’s just me leaving tonight.
Ellie texted earlier when they got back from the trampoline park and said they were just going to spend the night hanging out at the house and eat leftovers for dinner. I know that they’d be fine for another night with Sawyer, but Portland is under a three-hour drive, so it just makes more sense for me to get back home tonight if I can.
I drive through a fast-food place after leaving the hotel, eating my burger and fries as I drive. The drive goes by fast, but there’s some traffic, so by the time I pull into my driveway next to Sawyer’s car, it’s past midnight.
I texted Sawyer when I was leaving Portland, letting her know I might be a little late and got a “sounds good” back as a response, but I haven’t spoken to her since.
I park my car and grab my duffel bag from the passenger seat next to me, leaving everything else in the car to bring back to the shop tomorrow. I unlock the front door, making my way inside, and make sure to be quiet so I don’t wake up anyone who’s sleeping.
I drop my stuff down next to the door and make my way into the living room. All the lights are off, besides a single lamp next to the couch, and the TV plays softly. I walk around the couch to find Sawyer sprawled out on top of it, fast asleep.
She’s lying on her stomach, one of her legs straight, the other bent and hanging off the couch. Her arms are cradled under her face, and her long copper hair is splayed out half over the pillow, half over her face.
I stare at her sleeping frame, just admiring her.
Demi was right, Sawyer is hot. But it’s not just that. She’s beautiful—more beautiful than anyone I’ve ever seen.
She’s hard to look away from.
It’s nearly twelve thirty in the morning at this point, and she looks so peaceful in her sleep, I don’t think I have the heart to wake her. Plus, if she’s tired, I don’t want her to have to drive home at this hour.
Instead, I take the blanket that’s hanging off the side of the couch and gently lay it on top of her, covering her. She sighs in her sleep but doesn’t move otherwise.
I notice her phone light up on the coffee table and look down to see a text from her friend, Aria, asking where she is. I quickly pick up her phone, writing back that it’s me and she fell asleep, but she’ll be back in the morning so she doesn’t worry.
I shut off the lamp and turn off the TV before leaving her. I check in both the girls’ rooms first, finding them fast asleep before heading to my own room. My bed is still unmade, the sheets pulled back, the pillow dented from where she slept the night before. I wouldn’t be surprised if she meant to make it before I got home and ended up passing out on the couch.
I take a quick shower before making my way over to the bed. I take a deep breath, then climb into bed, exactly where she laid last night.
Her sweet scent surrounds me instantly. She only slept here one night, and yet she left her mark. It feels like she’s everywhere. And I don’t hate it.
I let my eyes fall closed, trying to ignore the fact that the woman who’s been plaguing my mind more than anyone ever has since she spilled her drink on me is sleeping only a room away from me.
But I can’t ignore it, just like I know that I can’t keep ignoring her. And I don’t want to.
With that in mind, despite my exhaustion, I barely sleep a wink.