The Checklist (Explicit Version)

Chapter 9

   There was a single pathway to the end of the parlour—which I knew led to the back office. However, there were five tattoo chairs—which I could see, because the grey curtains were open. There were three on my right, but as I trailed my gaze to the left, I noticed a closed curtain at the back-left corner of the studio. Even though the curtain must have been thick, I could see bright light seeping from its confides.

   The woman was leading me straight there.

   "Yo, Scar."

   Scar? Was she taking me to see Myles?  

   The moment she started to open the curtain, I heard a hard voice bite gruffly, "Get the fuck out, Chloe."

   Even though her back was to me, I could tell by her voice that she was glaring. "Low, asshat." Pushing her shoulders back, she started to open the curtain wider. "You gotta visitor."

   Now able to see Myles, I frowned when I saw him hunched over a guys beefy arm, holding a black marker. He never lifted his head up, and I debated on leaving. He was obviously busy.

   "Tell Spike to leave me the fuck alone. I don't have time for his shit."

   "It ain't Spike. It's a girl." She said the last word with so much amusement, as if she couldn't believe that someone of the opposite sex was visiting him.

   Myles' hand stopped its even strokes on the man's skin. There was a collective moment of silence before Myles tipped his head back and met my gaze.

   There was a flicker of surprise before it disappeared. I couldn't help but clench my legs together when memories of last night returned. Especially when some strands of his hair escaped the confides of his bun and hovered at the sides of his face.

   Feeling unnerved by his intense stare, I lifted the hand that was holding his coffee. "I got you something."

   That was enough to pull him out from his thoughts.

   Sitting upright, he twisted his head toward Low and stated blankly, "You can go now."

   I narrowed my eyes at his rude tone, but Low clearly must have been used to his behaviour because she just shrugged before stepping away from the curtain. The man on the chair said nothing until Myles shot up from his seat.

   "I'll be back, Jeff."

   He didn't wait for his clients reply before rounding the chair and heading straight for my direction. I yelped in surprise when he dropped a hand to my lower back and guided me to the back office.

   The moment the door closed behind us, I moved away from his hand and faced him with a grin. He didn't turn the light on—not that he needed to. The open window brought enough light for me to read his guarded expression.

   "For you."

   When he didn't take the coffee out from my grip right away, I brought it closer to his chest.

    He concentrated on my face before asking deeply, "What's this for?"

   "A thank you!" I grinned, jerking it closer to him. "Take it."

   For the first time today, his lip rose in a slight smirk. "You bought me coffee because I fucked you, princess?"

   "Buying coffee for other people is my love language, if you haven't noticed." He stiffened at the word love, making me widen my eyes in fear. "No! I don't love you! I mean, you're a cool guy and whatever, but when I say love language, I mean it applies to my friends. I buy coffee for my friends. I don't know what my love language would be if I was in a relationship. Looking back with Remi, there wasn't much I could say I loved. That kinda sounds mean, doesn't it?"