Chapter 43
Chapter Forty-Three
Foster
“So you’re coming in too?” Callie’s head tilts as we approach the hotel.
It’s my day off, and I figure why not go with Callie to this podcast appointment? This is the third one I’ve arranged for her, and I wouldn’t mind seeing how it all comes together.
I had her text Lex the address to meet us here, but I’ve been keeping who the guest is, or guests as it were, a surprise.
“Yeah,” I say.
“You’re not just walking with me here?”
One thing I’ve learned about Callie is that she asks a lot of questions when she doesn’t know what’s going on.
“Yes. Now don’t make me ruin the surprise.”
The doorman for the hotel holds the door open for us, and I wave her in first.
We head to the venue area. I follow the signs to go where I was instructed. There’s security outside the room, but I give them my name, and they check their list.
Lex comes up next to Callie. “Hey, this is weird. What are we doing here?”
“Hey, Lex.” I nod to her. “She’s with us too.”
The guy nods and tells us to follow a woman who he waves over. She leads us into the event space that has been set up for the show.
“Holy shit, you got us into Iron Ink?” Lex’s voice is loud but impressed. “I love this show.”
We’re kept offstage, and I watch Frankie Owens walk around the set, checking out the tattoos the contestants did, pointing out what’s good and what needs improvement.
She’s a little cutthroat compared to her husband, Jax.
He usually offers friendly tips and is always more complimentary than judgmental.
Jax notices me standing behind the cameras and gives me a little nod.
“Do you know him?” Callie asks in a low voice, so we don’t get in trouble.
“He’s your guest. And so is his wife.”
Her mouth falls open. This is why I wanted to be here with her. Because I knew she’d be impressed, and part of me wanted to see her reaction.
I grin at her. “I don’t let just anyone ink me.”
“Yeah, but… they’re, like, famous. I heard their daughter, Jolie, is better than both of them.”
As if summoned by Callie’s declaration, Jolie steps onto the set. She doesn’t have a single tattoo, but she’s definitely the artist most celebrities gravitate toward these days.
The show ends, and Jax puts his arm around his wife’s shoulders and turns her toward me.
Frankie’s eyes light up. “Foster Davis!”
“Oh my god, I was not prepared for this,” Lex whispers, grabbing Callie’s arm. “She’s so hot.”
“Frankie Owens. Still making artists second-guess their calling, I see,” I say.
She laughs and hugs me with a pat on the back. “Do you want shitty tattoos on your skin? You should be thanking me.” She eyes Callie, then Lex. “Which one is Callie?”
Callie raises her hand. “Me. I’m sorry to interrupt—”
“We’re done for the day, but we’ll be back at it tomorrow. Jolie has a private client right now, so you only have Jax and me.”
“You’re icons.” Lex’s eyes are wide, and she appears a little star struck.
Frankie laughs. “Well, thank you, but it wasn’t always like this for us.” She turns around and waves Jax over.
He joins our little group, giving me a handshake and a once-over. “What are we doing today?”
“Ah, not until the season is over.”
“Callie?” Jax looks right at her as if he’s done his research and knows exactly who she is.
They shake hands, and Lex can barely control herself when I introduce her.
“I have an idea. I’m starving, and I’ve yet to have Chicago deep-dish pizza since we’ve been in town. Would you mind walking, having lunch, and then we can walk it off and finish the interview? I don’t want to change whatever plan you had.” Frankie directs her question at Callie.
“I’ll take whatever you’ll give me. Honestly, I’m just so grateful you agreed to this.” Callie’s brown eyes sparkle. It’s likely not a great sign how much I love being the one who put it there.
Frankie laughs, and Jax joins in, putting his arm around his wife. “Please, we’re just normal people. Our friends from Clifton Heights would tell you we’re not anything big. One of our friends married a prince, so… we’re small potatoes.”
This is why I thought they’d be perfect. They tattoo some of the biggest celebrities in the world, but they’re also self-made. Plus, they didn’t have it easy in their younger days.
Lex gets them set up with microphones, and Callie decides she’ll interview Frankie on the way to the restaurant and Jax on the way back.
Jax and I hang back on the walk to the restaurant, letting the girls do their thing.
“So… a baby?” Jax says.
I nod. “A baby.”
“Crazy. You knew her before?”
“I’m friends with her brother. Hayes Carlisle.”
“Oh yeah, you brought him by once.”
Probably.
“Feels like a real grown-up move. And here I thought you were calling for another tattoo.”
“Maybe after the season. I’m trying to help her get some celebrities on her show. Her podcast is gonna be huge soon, so you should be thanking me for getting you in so early.”
He chuckles and shakes his head. “I never thought I’d see the day.”
I frown. “What day is that?”
“The day Foster Davis was smitten.”
My defenses immediately go up. “It’s not like that. We’re just going to co-parent.”
He nods and doesn’t say anything.
“What? It’s true.” I scowl at him.
Jax shrugs. “Okay, if you say so. But you went to a lot of trouble to get Frankie to agree. How many times did you call her?”
“Well, if you could be the man of the house and make the damn decision yourself, I wouldn’t have to go through your wife.” I chuckle.
Jax nods toward Callie’s back. “Just wait. You’ll see.”
I don’t bother asking what he means by that.
We reach the restaurant, and Lex spends most of our meal asking Frankie and Jax questions about their journey becoming famous.
The way Jax and Frankie still look at one another after all these years is amazing to me.
They tell her about how they met, how Jolie isn’t Jax’s biologically, but he adopted her when she was young.
That they have another son who wants to chart his own path.
How both of them had many struggles when they were younger, and how they hope their stories help people through Callie’s podcast.
At some point, Callie goes to the bathroom, and I excuse myself to get a few minutes alone with her.
When she comes out, I’m standing against the opposite wall.
“Oh.” She startles for a beat, then relaxes when she realizes it’s me and smiles. “Thanks again, Foster. They’re great. Like, couple goals, right?”
“They’ve been together a long time. Went through a lot of shit to be together.”
She nods, and our eyes lock.
I want to open my arms and welcome her into them.
Seeing Jax and Frankie always touching each other has made my hands ache to touch Callie.
Just a hand on her thigh. Or my arm around her shoulders.
My fingers running along the length of her neck.
Hell, I’d take the outsides of our thighs pressed together.
Callie’s head tilts. “What’s with you?”
“I just wanted to make sure you were happy with your number three.”
“So happy. I feel like me living with you isn’t payback enough.”
“I’ll take a kiss.” It’s out of my mouth before I can think it through.
“A kiss? Do you need a lesson on how to kiss a woman in a dark bathroom hallway?”
“Yes. I’m terrible at it.” She steps closer, and once she’s close enough, I swing my arm around her waist and tug her into me. “You know you’re really starting to show. Sixteen weeks now.”
“Thanks for the reminder. I hadn’t noticed my swelling belly.”
“It’s sexy as hell. Makes me want to tell everyone it’s my baby in there.”
“News flash—everyone pretty much knows already. The trolls on the internet for sure.”
My eyebrows draw down. “Don’t listen to them.”
“Easier said… anyway, I thought I was teaching you how to kiss.”
“Oh yes. Please show me.” I grin at her.
“First, your hands are in a good position, but I need to slide mine around you, so our bodies are flush together.” She shifts so there isn’t an inch of space between us. “Then you need to say something sweet or hot…”
“Like… I’ve wanted to kiss you all day?”
She shrugs. “A little generic, but it might work because you’re Foster Davis.”
“I told you I’m not mediocre.”
“Then try again.”
I think for a moment. “I’ve been holding back all day, and I’m done with it. I can’t take it any longer. I need to taste you.”
Her head rocks side to side. “Pretty good.”
“You’re satisfied then?”
“I should say something sassy back, but honestly, we’re on borrowed time, and you’re lucky you’re so hot.”
I nudge her closer somehow and capture her mouth with mine. Our kiss starts off innocent, but as I knew it would, it grows desperate because I can’t get enough of her. Alarms blare in my head, but I don’t give a shit. I don’t want to come up for air.
“Oh.”
We strip our mouths off one another.
Frankie is standing at the entrance of the hallway. “Jax owes me.” She grins and goes into the bathroom.
Callie’s forehead lands on my shoulder. “I look really unprofessional right now.”
Jax rounds the corner and comes to a stop when he sees us. “Oh, you’re here too. Frankie lost a contact—we’ll be right there.” He disappears into the same bathroom Frankie went in and locks the door.
“I think you’re safe.”
We both laugh and head back to the table, but I link my fingers through Callie’s, and she doesn’t stop me. It makes me too fucking happy, even if it is just temporary.