Page 24 of Tattoo My Heart
With one foot on the step of the Jeep and one hand hanging onto the wheel, I turn to look at him.
“Why would I do that?”
“To bring the dress,” he explains.
I shake my head in confusion. “What dress?”
He sighs in aggravation, looking completely disappointed in me. “The dress, man, for Carrie. She’ll be upset if she doesn’t have it soon. She wants to see how it fits.”
“Oh, the dress,” I point at him. “Yeah, yeah, I’ll bring it.”
I hope like hell I’ll remember to do that, because once I see Evie’s face, all bets are off. I want to kiss her again so badly, I don’t know if my brain is going to work properly.
The drive to Evie’s little town is not bad at all. In fact, I live a lot closer to her than she suspects. All my business ventures are out in the city. That includes the homebase of the tattoo shop chain, which has made quite the name for itself. However, that is not the main source for my income.
When I turned twenty-four, I became the sole owner of a trust that had been set up by my mother’s parents, and to which my own father had contributed to over the years. At first, the chunk of cash I suddenly came into felt overwhelming. My father, the ever-wise man, pulled me to the side and advised me on how not to be an idiot.
My first large investment ended up being in my buddy Alex’s accounting software program. He is a genius on the computer, and he had this idea of how to make accounting easier. He turned it into something that anyone could use, no matter how proficient on a computer. Before long, he was one of the biggest competitors out there, his program a household name, especially during tax season.
Since I was an equal partner, when he was made an offer to sell, I made bank. I took some of that money and invested it in Alex’s next venture. It’s making me money, and it promises to be just as successful as the one from before.
All in all, the tattoo shop is just something fun that I started because, well, I love tattoos, I love drawing, I became a master at creating art on other people’s skin. My own body is a testament to that, having used it plenty of times as a canvas.
These memories of how I got started make me think of Evie. Her skin is smooth and perfect from what I’ve been able to gather so far. Putting my mark on her in the ultimate way would be a dream come true.
I frown at the windshield. Am I this serious about Evelyn Moore? She hates me. That kiss though… It was hands down the hottest kiss I’ve ever experienced. That has to mean something. I fully intend to see where this thing with her goes.
I relax in my seat and continue driving, looking forward to seeing Evie’s face when I get there. I am almost at the four way stoplight in her small town when my phone dings with a notification.
A glance to the screen shows that I got a message through theHolidatesapp. At this point, I am five minutes away from where I know Evie’s shop is. She lives ten minutes past that.
Deciding that I don’t have the patience to wait one second longer, I pass the four way stop, then pull over in front of the one building I am about to sign off on to purchase, so that I can read this message.
From: Evelyn Moore
Subject: Not at this time
Khail, I appreciate you reaching out. While your offer sounds fair and very appealing, I will have to decline it at this time. I believe that I secured a date for the July Fourth party, therefore, I will not need the services provided via this app. I hope you can find the type of person you are looking for. I wish you luck.
Sincerely,
Evelyn
I stare at the screen, confused about what is happening. When did Evie have time to find a date for this party? There is no way, I just saw her two days ago. Unless…
A smile spreads over my face when I realize that the hot kiss we shared at the time must’ve really gotten to her. She can’t go out with a stranger when she is starting something with me. Evie is loyal like that, I decide. Sweet and loyal.
I put my Jeep inDriveand prepare to pull back onto the main street. The traffic is usually very light when going through town, so I don’t have to wait long.
Something catches my eye, and I hit the breaks hard. Had I not been bracing for impact, I’d have flown through the windshield. Because, right there, in front of the only coffee shop in town, smiling from ear to ear, is none other than Evelyn Moore.
The problem with this is that her grin is directed at a man. A man that is not me.
I’ll be damned if it doesn’t look as if Evie Moore is on date with someone else.
NINE
My day yesterdaystarted kind of meh. I had Cal on the brain, and in a very bad way. Coming into work this morning was a struggle, but only because I had our kiss playing on a loop in my head. God, if that’s the way he kisses, I can’t even imagine how he performs the rest.
