What He Wanted (Book#1 of The Runaway Club)

Chapter 8 : A Blast From The Past

"Its gonna be painful." I practically yelled through song.

"Don't you have any Hindi songs?" 

She yelled back. I shook my head amusedly and drove my car ahead. After a brief battle with the usual traffic in Manhattan, my Ferrari entered the parking slot of a famous tattooing center.

"How do you know this place?" She asked with obvious nervousness.

"I took my tattoo here." I replied absentmindedly as I searched for a perfect parking spot.

"Does it hurt a lot?" 

"Not that much." My Ferrari smoothly slid into a parking slot. I unlocked my seatbelt and briefly turned to face her. "You don't have to stress yourself this way, Ria. Decide now. You want a tattoo or not?"

Her beautiful face was into a frown as she tried hard to think. I watched her face flicker with a so many emotions; confusion, worry, excitement and tension.

"I want a tattoo." She said while she took a deep breath to steady herself.

"Sure?"

"Sure."

"Fine then, come on."

 I smiled reassuringly and opened the door for her, entering the building with her in front of me nearly in a panic attack. I opened the door to a spacious waiting room. Ria gave me a nervous glance as I returned her an encouraging one. I dropped into a seat nearby to wait for Mike to come out and she reluctantly sat next to me.

"Hey Adam!" A shrill voice startled me. "I didn't know you were in New York! Why? Need another tattoo?"

I supressed a groan. From the very door we came through, Eliza stood with a smirk; wearing a crop top that announced her accets brazenly  along with a denim short that was short enough to be an underwear. She looked stunning as I remember her, her auburn hair straight like a pin and face that looked like she whitewashed herself with makeup.

She was... a blast from the past, let's leave it at that. I choose to ignore her presence and turned to Ria.

"Where do you wanna get the tattoo?" She was in her own world and seemed to come down to earth on my call. 

"Huh?"

I sighed as I repeated, "Where do you wanna get tattooed?"

"Er...I haven't decided yet." She confessed.

A sly voice disturbed us, "Why Adam? Aren't you introducing me to your new woman?"

I gritted my teeth. I was ready to wring her head off now. Ria gave me a confused look and looked at the woman behind my head who wants a conversation. I smiled her, hoping that she wouldn't start a conversation with that woman. Right then, Mike sauntered into the room that was thick with tension.

"Hey, man!" Mike came over and loosely hugged me. "It's been so long. What, eight years?"

"Yeah..." 

I rubbed the nape of my head with an uncomfortable smile as a beefy guy passed us from the studio, not before paying Mike. I turned to Ria who was watching the guy with wide, scared eyes. For the record, Mike was quite an intimidating sight. He stood 6'8 and was stacked with well maintained muscles that were coloured with tattooes with not a patch of bare skin left.

"Hey, Lizaaa!!" Mike called out, "I have your desk made up, Margo is waiting for you inside. You came with Adam?"

"No." I replied before she could get to it and pulled a surprized Ria into my arms, making Mike's eyes fall on her small figure. "She need a good tattoo, show he some selections and your suggestions. What do you say, mate?"

"Well, why not? Come in sweetheart, your man won't mind waiting; will you Adam?" 

Mike winked at her and she blushed. But not long before Mike finished his sentence, Eliza stormed past us into the studio. Mike rose an eyebrow at me at the temper tantrum she exibited and I shrugged. Mike opened the door and motioned Ria to walk in. She looked at me nervously.

"Go on. I'll wait here." 

I said. She nodded getting up and followed Mike. I sat down on the couch, waiting for her to be done.

***Ria's POV**

I wasn't sure how long but it took quite a resonable amount of time before I showed up back again to Adam with Mike at my heels. Mike, although with his large frame and bulky built scared the shit out of me at first, he was a sweet guy and guided me throughout the painful procedure. With a smile I entered the waiting room and found Adam scrolling through his phone. 

"Over?" He asked me with a smile once he realized his presence.

"Yup." I replied and smiled as he got up. He slipped his phone back into his pocket. 

"Then shall we go?" He picked his wallet and took a handful of 100 dollar bills before handing it over to Mike who silently took the money.

"Thanks, man."

"Anytime." Mike nodded.

"I was supposed to pay." 

I argued and the men simply laughed. But as I oppened my mouth to retaliate, I saw the red-haired bombshell return back from the studio; her gauze pad that was supposed to go over the new tattoo was over her left inner thigh. Obviously, I could see that because she was wearing this ridiculously short denim cut-offs that had been torn at the most intresting places.

"Here you go, Mike." She handed him some money all the while her eyes trained on Adam who stiffened beside me. I felt his hand on the back of my waist and although I couldn't feel anything as that was were I had one of my tattoos, I stuggled not to blush.

"Let's go?" He asked me and I nodded mutely.

Why is Adam acting so strange?

"Okay then, see you around Adam." Mike greeted us as he made moves to escape into his studio to avoid the escalating tension, "You too, Liza."

Once Mike was out of sight, Adam pushed me gently towards the exit that I gladly obliged. I couldn't wait to get out of the awkwardness that seemed to settle down in the room and sighed happily once I got out. But I realized that Adam was not following me, moment's after I left the store. All the numbing cream made it hard to feel that his hands no longer rested on my waist. Before I could rush back into the tattooing center, I heard voices coming from inside.

"Let go of my hand, Eliza." I could hear Adam's sound, low and dangerous. "Whatever we had is over."

"Why would you say that, Adam? Am I not good enough for you? Don't tell me that b*tch is better than me." I heard the red-haired slut say and my blood boiled on realizing that she meant me.

"Shut up before I make you." I had never heard Adam sound so sinister before and damn if it wasn't scary. I struggled to close my gapping mouth.  There was a shuffle inside.

 "And this better end now. I do not want you in my life and I hope you have it clear. You were an easy f*ck, nothing more. So stay out of my way and that will be the best for both you and I." Adam's little speech stunned me and it took a while before I was able to move my limbs, when I heard Adam's footsteps coming closer to the door on which I was leaning. 

I moved away in record speed and hurried off towards his Ferrari that was gleaming in the sunlight, not turning back even once. But one thing was sure.

Adam had a past and it isn't pretty.

*