Page 171 of Please Save Me

He said weed wasn’t enough, and while I disagreed, I wantedusto work. That’s how I ended up with acocktailof pills and adowngradein careers. If my mom knew about anything I was doing in Hartwood, she’d be ashamed of me. Hell, I should have beenmortified. Not only was I belittling my intelligenceby poking holes in people for a living, but all the little parts of me I’d tried to hide for years had come to the surface. But, I wasn’t ashamed, or even a little embarrassed… I washappy.

It was nice to come home after work and not have nightmares. More than that, I got to come home to partners who loved me and a child who adored me.

Sure, the shop wasn’t glamorous. Fuck, most my days were spent sterilizing tools until my eyes burned or shoving needles into a silicone ear while my mentor, a middle aged man named Austyn, rolled his eyes. But… There was something therapeutic about it.

I’d done almost all my piercings at home, in my bathroom, with nothing but the mirror, a hollow needle, a reference photo, and adream. Back then, it was a way for me to have complete and utter control of my body, a slight form of rebellion against my family, or, in some cases, a way to make sure that Alex didn’t touch my dick after I saidno.

Now… It felt like I was one step closer to helping people. Like I could be the first step in someone reclaiming their body for themselves.

I’d started doing piercings under Austyn’s supervision this month. Nothing crazy, just ears and nostrils, but Iloved it. And, much like everything else I did, I was quite good. That’s why I’d finally gathered the courage to ask someone I cared about to be my first official piercing–well, excluding silicone body parts and strangers.

At first, I tried to get Cameron to let me pierce his ears, but he said I wasn’t allowed to goanywherenear him with a needle, which was rude… But,Masonwas down.

And,thatwas how I ended up withtwovisitors in my part of the shop.

I glanced over my shoulder to see Mason perched in my chair. Her legs swung like a bored child, but the tightness in her expression hinted at nervousness she was hiding. Cameron stood behind her, hands rested on her shoulders.

I cleared my throat as I turned back to my station and grabbed a few things for the occasion–pre-sterilized needles, alcohol wipes, antiseptic, and of course the studs Mason had picked for her ears. I turned back to them, placing my stuff on the lined tray beside the chair, nearly dropping everything in the process.

Twenty five. That’s how many piercings I’d done on myself, and I’d done at least another fifteen under Austyn’s guidance. But, without his guidance, it felt like I was about to fuck up my girlfriend.

I exhaled a steadying breath, double checking to make sure I hadeverything. That’s when Mason distracted me.

“Does it hurt?” she asked, tipping her head.

I jerked back at her question, my gaze falling to the technicolor cosmos etched into her arms. Was sheserious? My eyes flicked to Camerons, and he seemed just as confused as I was, just for a different reason.

“Sweetpea, you had a baby seven months ago… I’m pretty sure that hurts worse,” he said, softly squeezing her shoulders.

“Also–youlikepain.” I gestured toward her as I spoke.

The dark, flowy material of her sundress did a good job hiding the evidence of our escapades, but everyone in this room knew Mason was afreak. Her porcelain skin was marred with teeth marks, bruises, and rope burn, each of which had been inflicted from a different lover. The only one who didn’t get off on being rough with Mason was Sophia–and that’s because she preferred to watchusdo it.

“...Yeah. But that’s sexual,” she argued.

My fingers met my temple as I closed my eyes. Was she genuinely scared? Or was this just her being abrat. When I looked at her once more, her thighs were pressed together, and her eyes pinned on mine. The expectant smile on her lips let me know she’d brought her idea of foreplay tomywork.

I grumbled out a breath as I mulled over my next choices. A responsible piercer would have told Mason to get out of the chair and go home… But, I wasn't in the habit of telling my Princess no. The more I spoiled her, the more defiant she became with Lucian, and that meant it’d be dumb for me to stop.

“Sweetpea, you don’t gotta let him practice on you,” Cameron soothed.

She melted into him with a smile, but I wasn’t having it.

“Nope, play stupid games, win stupid prizes.” I stomped toward the black curtain separating my cubical from the rest of the office.

“You know better than to call her stupid,”Cameron warned.

A rush of blood flooded my cock, causing it to twitch against my zipper. Somehow the knowledge that I’d be in trouble when I got home made this better. That’s why I ignored him, if I was going to get punished, I wanted to make sure it wasworthit.

I poked my head out of the doorway, scanning the area. Austyn was smoking, and from the corner of my eyes I could see Lucian and Sera talking up front. She placed her arm on his bicep, an action he seemed to ignore. I could have let him know he was in fact being watched, but if he wanted to flirt with a twenty year old while his wife was fifteen feet away,fuck him.

My back straightened as I pulled the curtain shut before going to change my gloves. I pulled the fresh black latex on, snapping the cuff before walking back over to them.

“This is your first piercing, right?” I asked, doing my best to remember the spiel Austyn has taught me.

A flush crept into Mason’s cheeks as she nodded. I smirked, reaching up to cup her chin. This was probably a sanitation violation, but Mason wasn’t an actual client. She was a littleslutwho needed to remember her place.

“All you need to do is stay still, let me do the rest,” I rasped, leaning in to kiss her forehead before standing to my full height.

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