Damsel's Tattooed Temptation (18+)(Complete)

CHAPTER 23: Cucumbers, Beaches, and Babes

"I'm really happy you suggested this!"

Damsel smiled the cucumbers over her eyes preventing her from seeing her friend lying next to her. "I needed it."

"Mhm. I'm sure you do. All that time you spending with James."

Damsel tried to ignore the heat that was pushing to her face. "Cammie don't even."

Cammie laughed. "Walking around here all bowlegged."

"CAMMIE!" Damsel screeched.

Her friend let out a sinister laugh. "It's great to see you not stressed about your exam, though."

"You mean not studying for my exam?"

"It's okay to take a break you know."

Damsel sighed. She was doubting whether she even wanted to do the stupid exam. It was insane how she spent so much of her life pushing for something that she now was questioning. Finally not questioning because of her mother, but because she was able to finally think about what she wanted and not have the burden of proving herself to anyone. Damsel startled back to the present moment when one of her cucumbers were removed and honey brown eyes were looking down at her.

"We've know each other how long?" Cammie wanted to know. "I've watched you work so hard trying to prove yourself to everyone except yourself."

Damsel took the cucumber from Cammie and stuffed it in her mouth. "I-I don't know Cam. I mean part of me feels like I can't give up on this because I've worked at it for so long. I mean wouldn't it mean I wasted so much of my life?"

Cammie shrugged. "Maybe. I see it as you wasting so much of your life living for everyone else. It's about got damn time you started living for Damsel." A pleasant smile pulled up the corner of the other woman's mouth. "See, I knew James was going to be a good influence on you."

Damsel let out an exhausted sigh and laid back in the lounge chair. "I'm not so sure good influence and James live in the same zip code."

Cammie snickered. "I know and it's great isn't it? You need to loosen the hell up girl. Seems to me that he was just what the doctor ordered."

Damsel grabbed another cucumber off the table that set between their beds. "Maybe." She couldn't help the smile that tweaked the corner of her lips. It was difficult to believe the things she did with James. He just made her feel invincible sometimes. Especially when she was racing with him. There was something terrifying and completely liberating about the entire thing. Goodness! She hadn't felt that type of rush ever in her life. She understood him so much better after that day. Racing revealed a part of him that was exciting and frightening. Maybe his slimy friend Roger was right. Maybe the real James, the part he was hesitant to show her was too much for her.

Damsel shook her thoughts. She didn't like the path her mind was heading down so she changed the topic. She placed two new cucumbers over her eyes and addressed her friend. "I want to hear all about your outing with Ms. Jackson." An excellent subject change since Damsel was set to meet James's mama the next day.

Cammie laughed. "Oh girl, it was fine. I was being all nervous for nothing. She's really laid back, a nurse just like us; so, easy to find things in common. And just like you already knew, she loved ya girl."

"What's not to love?" Both women's laughter echoed in the space.

"A very valid point." There was a long silence before Cammie spoke again. "Have you, uh, have you called your mother back? She keeps hittin' me up."

Damsel sighed. She was hoping if she ignored the woman long enough her mother would give up. Fat chance! "I-I don't need her shit right now."

Another silence. "Maybe not, but you know she won't let it go."