Chapter 2
Chapter two
Nyx
The slew of regulars on my schedule promised a pretty chill day.
Longtime clients were always better than walk-ins. You knew what to expect, plus, the shit clients didn’t last long at Alchemy Ink. Not only would I kick their asses to here and back, but Owen or the other guys would jump in too. We didn’t tolerate asshole clients.
Annoying clients, sure, but my book was usually full of repeats, so they were few and far between.
Like the No Regrets guy two weeks ago.
His girlfriend had been sexy as hell, though. Damn shame she was shackled to him. The memory of her hot-as-fuck curves in that gingham pink-and-white dress imprinted in my brain. Same with those pouty pink lips, big blue eyes, and blonde waves. The girl was all sorts of gorgeous and not my type.
At least at first glance. However, the sardonic gleam in her eyes displayed a world-weariness I fucking got. And when a blush rose to her cheeks, when she started flirting back? Goddamn, she turned into the hottest thing I’d ever seen.
“Daddy Owen is all pissy today.” Rory plunked onto the table where I sketched. My art as of late had been gothic horror, and my current piece was more vampire sexiness. Sue me; I had a fixation.
I glanced up at Rory. Our pretty little twink piercer was a vital part of the crew, even if he was a shit-stirrer and hyper to the extreme. His dark hair was swept to the side today, his tattoos peeking out past his collar, and his mischievous blue eyes crinkled in amusement.
“What did you do?” I asked, not stopping my sketch.
Rory slapped a palm to his chest. “Me? Why do you assume I did anything?”
I looked up with an arched brow.
“Okay, so maybe I asked if a wild animal bit him,” he said, a glimmer in his gaze. “But honestly, his hookup had to be part beast.”
I snorted. “Yeah, that’d do it.” Unlike Rory, who shared the lurid details of his hookups, Owen was a bit more private.
God, I needed a hookup something fierce, but finding one wasn’t as easy for me as the guys.
Not only could they hop on Grindr, but whenever I went on a date, I always had to kick off with the “Hey, I’m trans” shit.
As if my dating profile didn’t make that clear enough with the trans flag plastered everywhere, but after a few bad dates, lesson learned.
“What, feeling jealous?” Rory teased. Man, this kid was begging for a spanking.
I leveled another look his way. “Absolutely,” I deadpanned. “Give me that sweet, sweet dick.”
Rory cackled. “Sounds hella convincing, Nyxie.”
My phone buzzed with a text, and I glanced at the screen. Unknown number. Wasn’t the first time I got hit up out of the blue. Everyone and their mother liked to use my private DMs to ask questions about tattoos, which annoyed the fuck out of me.
Curiosity got the better of me. I checked it, even with Rory watching.
It’s Becky from the other week. I happen to be single, if your offer is still on the table?
Oh, shit.
I fumbled so fast to respond that my phone almost flew from my hand.
Hell yes. When are you free for a date?
That, I hadn’t expected. My heart thundered, and I felt Rory’s curious stare, but I ignored him as those three dots danced across the screen.
I just finished my long days for the week, so Thursday or the weekend?
Fucking perfection. Weekends weren’t always the best for me—tattoo artist hours weren’t the typical 9-5—but I doubted vet hours were either.
Thursday. I’ll send you the details in a few.
Goddamn. A tremble rushed through my fingers, adrenaline I hadn’t felt in far too long. I hadn’t broached the trans thing with her, and I probably should. Ugh. Before I lost the nerve, I shot the text.
Before we go any further, I’m trans. Is that a problem?
The wait stretched out agonizingly as I stared at those three little dots moving.
“Who’re you texting?” Rory all but hovered over my shoulder.
I lifted my middle finger, not bothering to look at him.
I’ve never been with a woman before. Is that a problem?
My heart thudded a little harder. Damnit, I fucking liked her snarky response. Even though she was a baby bi, she’d had the stones to break up with her boyfriend and message me. The least I could do was try.
See you Thursday, then ;)
I tucked my phone back into my pocket, mostly to keep Rory’s prying eyes away.
“Okay, you can’t ignore me for five whole minutes and then not explain what that was about. I’m dying,” Rory said. “Plus, you’re smiling. Is the world ending? Did they announce tickets for another showing of Dracula at the ballet?”
I rolled my eyes, even though my grin didn’t abate. Rory was a nosy little shit, but goddamn, he knew me. “Nah, hottie from the other week dumped her shitty boyfriend. I’d slipped her my number, so we’re going on a date.”
Rory’s eyes widened. “No shit. Is that the chick who was saddled with No Regrets guy?”
“Mmhmmm.” My cheeks hurt from smiling. Maybe I should exercise those muscles more often.
“Damn, girl. You did bag a hottie.”
“She’s a baby bi, though.” I groaned. “Am I in trouble?”
Rory shrugged. “Only if you consider getting laid being in trouble.”
He had a valid point. I needed to adjust my expectations.
Just because Becky was the hottest thing I’d seen walk into our shop and our chemistry had been fire didn’t mean we’d last beyond a night.
We were meeting up, and we’d have fun. If we ended up going for more, bully for me, but I could manage my expectations.
Kind of.
“Where are you guys going on your date?” Rory asked.
I chewed on my lower lip. An idea sprung to mind. “Somewhere weird, clearly.”
Either she’d love it, or she’d hate it, but if she loved it, I just might have to marry her.
***
Thursday night had arrived. Time for my date with Hot Becky from the Tattoo Shop, which was what I’d programmed her into my phone as.
I strolled down Main Street in Phoenixville. I loved the town where I’d bought my house years back. The Colonial’s familiar marquis lit up the way. I’d seen so many features at the old theater, and tonight they were playing Thirteen Ghosts. Which was exactly my plan for our date.
I had no idea where Becky lived, even though we’d texted a little since making our initial plans.
Even her texts contained the sharp sense of humor I’d appreciated when we first met.
Damn, my insides fluttered. Was I building this up before our date even happened?
Maybe a little, but attraction like that didn’t hit me every day.
Hopefully, she’d show up.
As much as I wished I could be cavalier like Rory, I was a secret romantic. I wanted the girl, the swoony feeling, the safety of knowing this was more than a flash in the pan. Not what anyone expected when I gave off tattooed goth girl vibes.
Except I’d spent my high school in the wrong body, and since my early twenties, I’d tried to catch up on everything I’d missed. Twenty-eight, and I finally felt settled in my body, in my self.
I approached the Colonial and spotted a flash of blonde hair.
The second Becky came into view, I all but swallowed my tongue.
Holy fuck, this woman.
She wore a light pink ruffled dress, one that hugged her waistline and flared out to midthigh.
And with her strappy shoes, she showed off plenty of her tanned legs—and damn, what legs.
Her hair hung around her shoulders in tumbling glossy waves, ones I wanted to run my hands through, and I licked my lips.
She lifted her hand in a cute little wave.
I moved toward her like a magnet to a metal surface.
“Hey, gorgeous,” I said, slowing the last few paces. Her face lit up with a beautiful smile, and my heart careened. Clearly, I was doing a shit job of holding my expectations back. “Hope you don’t mind Thirteen Ghosts as the movie of choice.”
“Are you kidding me? I love Thirteen Ghosts,” Becky said. “My ex hated horror movies, so we never did this sort of thing together.”
I hooked a hand in my pocket, even though I wanted to wind my arm around her waist. “About that, how are you doing?”
“The breakup?” She laughed. “That had been way overdue. I’m in the process of overcoming some people-pleasing tendencies, so it was good practice.”
My heart squeezed tight. “I get it. I used to be a major people pleaser before I came out.”
She cocked her head to the side but didn’t say anything.
“When you’re trans, you learn to set boundaries pretty fast,” I said. “You have to balance what you can tolerate with your mental health and headspace.”
“I think those are good guidelines for anyone. I didn’t need to tolerate Kevin for as long as I did.”
“Well, I, for one, am glad you’re free. Purely selfish reasons, though.”
A slight shiver rocked her body, and my mouth watered. God, I wanted to taste her something fierce. I bet she was sweet as sin between her thighs.
“Ready for the movie?” I extended a hand.
“Can’t wait.” She flashed me one hell of a gorgeous grin, her lips petal pink, and my heart fluttered. But when her soft palm slipped into mine, those flutters turned into a full-blown riot.
If this date went any better, I was gone for this woman.