Jayne pulled Lucy into the restroom and whispered, “I hope there’s not a line. I’m about to pee my leather drawers.” They slipped into stalls right next to each other and while they did their business, Jayne said, “I’m a happily married woman and all but rowr. Ransome and Val are lickalicious!”
Lucy snickered as she struggled with her skirt. “That ain’t no lie.”
After finishing and washing up, and making sure all the goods were once again encased in leather, the girls rejoined their escorts. Val was noticeably silent as they walked back until they were within sight of Seth’s table, which was lined with onlookers.
“Does it wear you out?”
“What?” Her cheeks heated up, thinking he meant the sex. Um, no, but you’d have to ask them if I wear them out. That thought made her giggle softly.
“Crap. I didn’t mean what you think I mean. No disrespect, Lucy. I meant…the relationship. Everyone has baggage, and in your case it’s two men’s baggage instead of one.”
“Yeah, there’s definitely baggage but it’s in the past. We try not to let it affect us. Patrick has a son who’s turning five this summer. It’s not always easy but I love them, and to me it’s worth it.” She sucked in a breath at her admission.
Jayne leaned around her with big eyes as if to say, “What the fuck?” and Lucy grinned sheepishly.
Val chuckled. “Just realized that fact?”
Lucy shook her head and looked up at him. She was tall but he was a skyscraper. “No. Just the first time I’ve said it out loud.”
Val raised his chin and nodded perceptively. “Two other men should hear that then, I think.”
“You’re right.”
Val stopped her right before she scooted behind the table again. He quietly said, “Lucy, you are a damn fine woman. I hope those men appreciate what they have on their hands. If we didn’t already have a woman in our sights, you can believe we’d be giving them some fierce competition.” The oxygen was sucked out of Lucy’s lungs at his honest admission. “We’ll check back with you girls every hour to see if you need anything. Seth has our numbers if you need us quicker than that.”
He smiled at her and winked and she had to laugh, looking into his chocolaty brown eyes. “You’re a sweetheart, Val. Good luck with your woman.”
He chuckled and slipped his sunglasses back on. “Thanks. We need all the help we can get.”
They spent the rest of the day talking to a steady stream of people interested in Seth’s work, and booked his schedule at Divine Ink all the way into the following year. Many more rally-goers admired Jayne’s ink. One lady in particular asked Jayne questions about how many sessions the tattoo had taken to complete.
After Jayne answered the questions, the woman, a biker’s old lady, judging by the guy with his hand possessively slung around her hip, turned to Lucy.
“Has Seth done work for you?”
Lucy cringed inwardly. The question made her feel disloyal because she’d never had him tattoo her before. “No. He hasn’t.” She wasn’t opposed. It’d never felt like the right time. That thought gave her pause and she suddenly grinned.
The woman grinned. “But you’re thinking about it, aren’t you?”
Lucy couldn’t keep herself from smiling broadly. “I am now.”
The woman nodded and smiled back at her man and then looked back at Lucy. The biker smiled down at his woman and squeezed her gently. “It’s a guy, isn’t it? That’s what changed your mind?”
Lucy nodded and Jayne put her arm around Lucy’s shoulder and said, “Two actually.”
“Oh!” the woman replied. “Then you need to have your brother design you matching tattoos. You should have him design the three of you a tribal tattoo.”
“Tribal?” That wouldn’t have been the first design style Lucy would’ve gone for and she was curious why the woman thought that.
“You could handle it. You’re tall and you seem to have this inner strength,” the woman said, looking directly into her eyes. “But you’re also a caregiver, aren’t you?”
“In a way yes. I’m a massage therapist.”
“You radiate those qualities. I’m a hospice nurse and I guess that’s what I was picking up on. I’m also a cancer survivor.”
“Me, too,” Jayne whispered as the woman showed them the pink ribbon tattooed on her inner arm. Her old man released her and she and Jayne hugged each other across the table and shared a few quiet words.
Lucy turned to the biker who stood there watching his woman like she was his reason for breathing. He’d looked so tough earlier but she could tell by the tenderness in his eyes that he was a big old teddy bear. She noted the gold band on his left hand.