Page 2 of Knot My Boss

“We got dinner at The Melt, which was fine,” I say, taking another drink and watching Darby nod in agreement from the corner of my eye. She’s barely coherent, and I hardly have a buzz—it’s disappointing.

“After that, we went back to Joey’s room.”

Joey is a resident advisor, so he gets a room to himself.

“We started making out, and the clothes started coming off,” I add.

“Okay, so far I don’t see the issue. Joey is a fine piece of man-meat,” Darby comments.

“Yeah, well, looks are about all he has going for him. His foreplay skills suck and the guy’s a two-pump chump,” I snark, downing more tequila in hopes of forgetting this night ever happened.

Darby doesn’t react for the longest time. Casting a glance her way, I see her in stunned silence, her eyes blinking owlishly.

“To add insult to injury,” I add. “As soon as he got his, he threw me out of his room.”

At this point, Darby loses her composure. In her inebriated state, she falls sideways onto the bed, laughing. Using quick reflexes, I grab the bottle from her just as she rolls off the side, still laughing.

Unable to help myself, I join Darby, laughing at the absurd situation. When she calms down enough to speak, I’m surprised to agree, although I don’t voice it out loud.

“You need a good dicking! A man who knows what the fuck he is doing,” she declares.

Yes, I do.

Now I just need to find a guy who can do it. The thought seems daunting, to say the least. There has to be at least one man who knows what they are doing between the sheets.

Right?

Chapter 2 - Darby

My skin itches as restlessness settles into my bones.

Attending college seemed like the right step.

The next step.

If that’s the case, why do I feel like I don’t belong here?

Classes are done for the day, finally, and after a quick stop at the dorm to drop off my books, I head to my favorite place.

Stepping inside Ink-U, serenity washes over me as the buzz of tattoo guns fills the air.

“There she is,” Benson calls out, causing his client to chuckle.

I have been keeping a secret from everyone. Although I am attending classes, I have also been honing my skills through an apprenticeship here.

My business degree, combined with the marketing minor I am pursuing, will help me achieve success when I open my shop.

Benson, the owner of Ink-U, has been a great help. A bonus to all of this is that Benson is a shifter. He has been emphasizing the technique for tattooing paranormals. Since they heal so fast, there is a specific way to do it, so it sticks. I’ve already completed all of the piercing requirements and have the necessary permitsand licenses. Now it’s just a matter of toning my technique. Drawing has always been a hobby of mine, one that I excel at.

“Get your station set up,” Benson calls out over the sound of his gun.

Once a week, Benson draws an intricate design and presents it to me with practice skin and the parameters. Sometimes, it’s a portrait, wildlife, cartoon, fantasy, or possibly a combination of multiple styles. My tests—as he refers to them—range from time constraints to a customer chickening out partway through the sitting. All of the scenarios are real-life examples of what can happen during an appointment.

“Are you ready, kid?” Benson asks, stepping into my assigned area.

Before I can answer him, my phone rings. Holding a finger up in the air, I rush past Benson, pushing him out of the way. I’m not ready to answer questions about this, so the call needs to be taken outside these four walls.

“Hey, sis!” I say a little breathy, connecting the video call. It takes a moment to realize both my dad and Kali, Dayton’s best friend, are also on the call.

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