The Bar Stool

Painted Mahogany Lips

Tanner's POV

Her new lipstick was dark and her eyes were irridescent green from the highlight of purple around them. She looked mouth watering.

I wanted to stop in and say hi but she was busy, cutting some guys hair who wouldn't stop watching her every move as she was servicing him.

If it was my choice, I'd march in there and rip the skeezy douche up by his collar and tell him to get his hair cut elsewhere. But that would make me more crazy than I already am.

As I walk past the salon, Jules I think her name is glares in my direction. For someone so short and petite as her she's intimidating. It's quite scary and to be honest I don't think I'd ever want to get into a tussle with her. She'd for sure rip me a new ass.

Driving down the road I find Bobby sitting outside the shop, his illuminating smile, makes me cringe. Something is up and I'm not sure if I want to know.

"Mate, long time no see," he laughed as I step down from my truck.

"Been busy." I mumble, pulling the keys out to the garage from my pocket.

"Busy with Tayzleyyy, huh?"

I turn the key in the door and kick it open stepping inside turning on the lights. Bobby's body following behind.

"If you must know, yes. Did you just come here to banter at me about my relationship." I toss the keys on my desk and look up at him.

I never really understood his ungodly amount of tattoos and why he chooses to get more.

"As a matter of fact I need a tune up. Thought I'd stop by and see if you could fix it. Also I need a guys night we have some catching up to do. That club in the Fort is having a throwback party or some shit, why a on a Monday, I'll never know."

"I knew there was a catch, I'll open the gate, pull your car in and we'll talk about tonight." I push the button and watch as climbs into his red Jeep Cherokee and drives it into the garage.

***

Four hours later I'm in the shower, washing off the grease mess from working on Bobby's Jeep.

As the hot water runs down my body my hands covered in soap move over the bullet wounds across my collar.

It was a matter of life in death at this point. I remember being dragged behind a flipped car in the middle of the damn dessert.

If I would have bled to death then I wouldn't of had to face the consequences I had to with Faith and now Tayzley.

But today I'm glad to be alive, with her, with my daughter.

I slip from the shower once the water turns cold and grab a towel of the rack wrapping it around my torso.

I didn't tell Bobby that Tayzley would be at Early Bird's tonight as well. Maybe he knew. He does have a thing for her red haired friend. So it wouldn't be a surprise to me if he did know.

As I step out of the bathroom a small noise comes from my room. When I walk in I find Tayzley sitting on my bed with the key I gave her last night twirling I'm her fingers.

"I see you're using that key to good use." I smile leaning down kissing her swiftly.

"It still feel weird to just walk in without knocking, but I'll get use to it. You smell good." Her eyes move up my body and in that second her eyes turn from green to a dark ripple of greens.

My jaw flexes when her fingertips come up to trace the wounds on my collar. She's done that a lot since she's seen them. I hold on to my towel as she stands and kisses the scar with her painted mahogany lips, marking me. "This give you character, you know?"
Her eyes flicker to mine, then my lips.