Enemies With Benefits Page 2

  She walked off down the street, and I watched her go. Her long hair flowed down her back and blew to the side in the wind, the strands looking like they sparkled in the sun like the spun gold in Rumpelstiltskin. When Ash turned the corner at the end of the street, I followed the way she’d gone. I had no idea where I was going, so following her was better than walking with her.

  When I got there, though, I couldn’t see her anywhere. I looked around, but it was as though she’d vanished into thin air. The bus was nowhere to be seen either.

  I waited for a few minutes in case she was hiding, trying to play a prank on me, but there was no sign of her or the bus.

  “Damn it,” I cursed. I reached into my black backpack and pulled out my phone to search for the school’s address. It was way too far to walk, so there was only one other option without telling my mom. I had to sneak into the garage, then bike six miles to school.

  It’s all her fault!

  “Where have you been?” my mom asked, her voice high and getting higher with each word, making me wince. “You were supposed to be back twenty minutes ago!”

  I’d been late for my first day, which meant I was late to the office where I was supposed to get set up.

  I blew out a long breath, ready to explain to my irate mom what’d happened. “I took my bike—”

  “I got a call from the school, Alex,” she cut in before I could finish. “They said you hadn’t shown up!” Her face was red and she threw her hands up. “How do you think I felt when I got that call?”

  I chewed the inside of my cheek, my shoulders slumped forward, and I pushed my hands into the front pockets of my jeans as an acidic burn filled my stomach. “I don’t know, "I mumbled.

  My mom pinched the bridge of her nose before taking my upper arms in her hands and looking into my eyes. Tears laced hers and my insides burned even more. I thought seeing her cry was over.

  “I thought—” She paused, swallowing, then blinked long and hard. “I thought that you’d gotten lost, or even worse…”

  I shook my head. “I’m sorry, Mom, I should’ve told you that”—I scowled—“that girl made me miss the bus.”

  She blinked quickly. “Ash?” she asked, letting go of me, then straightening up. “Didn’t she turn up?”

  Heat flared up from my neck. “Well, yeah, but—”

  “Then why did you miss the bus?” My mom crossed her arms and raised her brows, all sadness gone.

  “She didn’t show me. I followed her, but she disappeared.”

  My mom’s brows knitted together in the middle, and her eyes moved from side to side, but not looking at me. “I’ll ask Mrs. Carter about it.”

  I grabbed her forearm. “No, you don’t have to,” I rushed out. I didn’t want her to know.

  My mom pursed her lips and turned to the door, then walked out of the house. I watched as she crossed the street, and knocked on the door, each rap of her knuckles echoing in my chest.

  Then the door opened, and there she was.

  “Hi, Ash!” my mom said, sounding all chipper to the spawn that was smiling like the sun shone down only on her.

  I got that weird feeling in my stomach again, and it made me want to vomit.

  Ugh.

  “Hi, Kirsten,” my mom said with a sigh when a woman with darker hair than Ash’s came to the door. They looked a little bit like each other, but her mom didn’t make me want to tear my own eyes out or barf up my lunch when I looked at her. “Alex missed the bus this morning.”

  Oh, hell, this is gonna be bad.

  “Oh?” Ash’s mom asked, her head cocking to the side, then looked down at the creature next to her, then back to my mom.

  “Sweetie, Alex said you didn’t show him where to get on the bus.”

  “Ash, is that true?” her mom, Kirsten, asked, tilting her head again.

  Ash shook her head, her syrup-like hair swinging loose. “He wouldn’t let me, Mrs. Bennet. I tried to be nice. I even offered for him to help build my new Legos.” She smiled again as though she were all innocent.

  Satan.

  I listened in again.

  “Oh, honey,” my mom drew out. “He’s not into the princess kind.”

  Hmph, like I’d ever build that.

  “Huh?” Ash asked. “Ma’am, it’s Star Wars.”

  “What?” I whispered, narrowing my eyes at her. She’d never said. I wracked my head trying to remember, but there was nothing. I’d definitely have remembered her mentioning Star Wars.

  “Oh, he does like Star Wars.”

  Ash nodded. “He wouldn’t let me finish my sentence, Ma’am.” She flicked her hair back and batted her big green eyes. I could see her all the way across the street. “He was rude and wouldn’t go to the bus stop with me. I tried to talk to him at recess, but he said he didn’t care when I told him he was mean.” I had, too. She’d approached me once we were let outside, and when she told me I was mean, I laughed at her and told her that I didn’t care. Well, I said I didn’t give a rat’s ass. “I waited after school, but he never showed up,” she continued. “I had to get on the bus. The driver said they couldn’t wait, just like this morning.”

  I balked when my mom turned around, lifted her hand, and beckoned me over.

  My stomach rolled knowing that my mom was trying not to show that she was mad at me, and even though her choice of punishment wasn’t like my dad’s, it still made me nervous as hell.

  “Do you have anything to say?” she asked when I reached her.

  I kept my hands in my pockets and glared at the smiling gremlin, then spoke to my mom. “You told me she was a boy.” I ground out. I glanced at Mrs. Carter and saw her pull her lips between her teeth.

  “I never said anything but her name,” my mom replied. I opened my mouth but she spoke again. “You assumed, Alex. You assumed and didn’t question it. Now you’ve let your temper get the better of you, and not only were you late for school, but you also upset a young girl.” Her nostrils flared and her eyes burned down at me. “You need to apologize, now.”

  My mouth fell open. I didn’t want to apologize to her; she laughed at me!

  I glanced at Ash, seeing the bright green in her eyes staring at me, and the corners of her lips tilting up, curving like the sculptured dolls my grandma collected.

  Ash crossed her arms and raised her golden brows as she waited.

  I let my hair fall over my eyes, hiding her and her stupid face. “Sorry,” I mumbled.

  “I didn’t catch that,” my mom said, cupping her ear. “And if I didn’t, then Ash certainly didn’t.”

  I clenched my jaw and shot a burning gaze through the slight gap between the black strands of my hair. “Sorry,” I bit out between clenched teeth, louder than before.

  Ash’s eyes rounded and she leaned against her mom who put her arm around her shoulder as though comforting her.

  I didn’t know why, but that made the feeling of wanting to puke so much worse. Nausea, my mom called it. God, even the word for it sounded like blowing chunks.

  “You’re grounded this weekend. Extra chores,” my mom said, making me snap my attention back to her, my mouth hanging open in disbelief yet again.

  “Wha—? I said sorry!” I held my hands out, my shoulders up. I’d done as she said and I was getting grounded? This was horse shit!

  My mom took my arm and guided me away. “I don’t care.” She looked down at me after kinda repeating what I’d said to Ash in school. “Would you look at that? It works. I guess I should use your phrase more often.”

  As we walked back to our house, my mom was talking. I wasn’t listening to the words, something about not taking my frustration out on others, fitting in, and something about friends. All I could think about was Ash’s sad eyes making me want to say sorry for real.

  I looked over my shoulder and regretted that thought. The funny swirling hit me again. I didn’t like it at all.

  I had to finish unpacking my room quicker than I’d have liked as a part of my punishment
for upsetting Ash. I hadn’t seen her since, we only had school that one day before the weekend.

  I stretched when I’d emptied the last box, and looked out of my window. I stopped when I saw stupid face at the table on her lawn, a watering can in one hand, and a stick in the other. She was watering the soil, maybe some seeds—I didn’t know—then poked the stick in, stirring it a little.

  I swallowed down, trying to get rid of the lump I felt when I saw her. I hated it and wanted it to go away.

  But, when she went inside, then came out just as fast, my heart raced, and not just because of the yellow summer dress she wore with white flowers all over it.

  I pushed my feelings to the side and decided we could be friends after all. Well, maybe for a few hours at least.

  “Do you want help?” I asked, still breathing heavily from rushing out the door. I stared at the black box that Ash was pulling small bags from.

  “No, thank you.” She didn’t look at me at all.

  I looked from the box, to her, then back. “But, but, it’s the Death Star. It has over four thousand pieces.” And it wasn’t for sale anymore, and definitely not pink princesses.

  Ash arranged the numbered bags in order. I really, really, wanted to help. “I’m sure I can manage,” she replied, still not looking at me. I kinda wanted her to and didn’t know why.

  “But it’ll take days,” I argued. My hands twitched. I was dying to get my hands on that Lego.

  Was it the same one she mentioned the other day?

  “No, a few hours.” Ash opened the thick instruction book.

  “Come on, Ash,” I begged.

  Then her eyes turned slowly to me, the green making my heart skip. The weirdness going on inside me hit me harder, especially when she stared right at my face.

  “My name is Ashley,” she snapped.

  I smiled wide, the way that got me out of trouble, and the girls smiled back, and their cheeks turned pink. “But you said friends call you—”

  “You’re not my friend, remember?” her eyes narrowed and her pink lips pursed. “Just because I have cool Lego instead of the”—she lifted her hands in air quotes—“‘princess crap,’ you want to be friends.”

  That’s right.

  “I said I was sorry,” I rushed out. “We can totally be friends.”

  I can get over the weirdness until it’s finished.

  “No, thank you.”

  I balked. “What?”

  Ash sighed. “I said, no thank you. I no longer wish to be your friend, Alex. I made cupcakes for the bus, and also a map of the school for you. But, because I’m a girl, you were mean to me.” My mouth dropped at what she said, and I watched in awe as she picked up the box and put the bags back in. “I think I’ll take this back inside.”

  I clenched my hands and jaw, anger rising inside of me, and heat creeping up my neck after practically begging the devil to play with me.

  I must be desperate. It’s Lego after all.

  Pressure released when I opened my mouth, allowing it to come out in my words. “Yeah, well, I was only interested in your Lego anyway. I would’ve ditched you right after,” I snapped.

  Ash looked up at me from where she was still sitting on the bench, her eyes half closed and her brows up. “If you think I didn’t already know that, then you’re stupider than I thought.”

  My eyes bugged. “Hey, I’m not stupid.” I’d heard that way too many times, hitting a nerve all over again.

  Ash looked down at my feet and smiled. “Sure you are.”

  I looked down, too, noticing where I’d been stood. In the middle of a watery puddle, which was splattered over my new white sneakers from where I’d been excited to see Lego.

  I lifted my head slowly, not believing how I’d been tricked.

  Ash giggled, like musical notes, but to the tune of hidden evil. “Gee, I’m sorry,” she drew out, then laughed some more before leaving and going inside.

  Lucifer had started a goddamn war.

  Present Day.

  “So, are you finished with the set for the weekend?” Craig asked while checking the seams on his pants.

  They needed to be flat, the edges undetectable unless up close.

  “Yeah.” I threw the diary on the coffee table, the metal rings crashing against the solid wood surface. “I’ve got three clients in the shop, but I’ll be ready on time to go over the details once more.”

  Craig nodded, his light-brown hair falling over his forehead. “Cool. I’m heading to the studio in a bit to practice. I’ve almost got them down.”

  Craig hadn’t been a natural to begin with, but he worked damn hard to perfect anything I threw at him. Not that he needed to do much to get a positive reaction, but he was always serious when it came to his performances. He pointed to the diary. “And I’ll double-check the addresses for the private hires.”

  We’d been booked most nights between shows, but I’d kept out of most of them while visiting my mom. I didn’t want to give her any reason to question why I was out until late, then most of the day.

  “Good.”

  “Are you okay, man?”

  I glanced up to see his worried expression, brows together, lips pursed… I looked back down at my phone. “Yeah, my mom’s having a birthday party for Frankie at home,” I explained. “I’ve been ordered to show up and be nice.” I snorted a dry laugh.

  Craig laughed. “Does she know yet?”

  I cringed. “No, and I plan on keeping it that way.” My mother was reserved, so to speak. She’d never been to a club before, gotten wasted, or enjoyed anything considered fun. That was all thanks to my asshole father who’d controlled so much of her life, she was still shit-scared to live hers, even after finding somebody else. She was even worried that Frankie would turn out the same.

  There was no need. I wasn’t a kid anymore, and any guy that tried to raise a hand to my mom would quickly regret his life choices.

  Craig laughed again. “I’m surprised she hasn’t suspected.” He shrugged. “I mean, somebody she knows must’ve gotten tickets at some point when we’ve been back in this city.”

  I gagged inwardly at the thought of my mom’s friends seeing me like that. They already had wide smiles when they saw me; I didn’t need them to have an extra visual.

  “Don’t even joke about that shit,” I replied, my tone sharp, making him laugh. “As far as she knows”—I raised my hand when Craig opened his mouth—“ she needs to know, is that I own a tattoo shop and work long hours, especially when I travel for requested guest spots.”

  Craig shook his head, still grinning. “You’re walking a dangerous path, my friend.”

  I shrugged. “Gotta live on the wild side right?” I quirked a brow. “We only live once.”

  He clapped me on the back, then picked up his bag of costumes. “Damn straight, my man.”

  He left, and I stared at my phone once more, re-reading the message before pocketing it, and locking up the place.

  Mom: Bring a friend.

  I knew what kind of friend she meant, and there was going to be major disappointment there. I didn’t care what she said; I wasn’t lonely, and I certainly didn’t need a relationship. My job dictated that for me, and I was glad. It was the perfect excuse for any woman that wanted more than I was willing to give. Besides, I doubted any could handle my job.

  My life was good, and I wouldn’t change it for anybody.

  Me: See you Sunday.

  I rubbed down the skin I was working on, concentrating on the rest of the shading needed for the petals on the design. Watercolor art wasn’t something I favored, but I’d done a shit ton of them over the past few months—a new trend, which would probably be regretted in about a decade—but when done in grayscale, they were hot. Sort of like the woman whose shapely thigh I had my hands on.

  Tall, brunette, with hips and tits that’d make most guys’ mouths water, and lips that could suck a watermelon through a straw. Yeah, she was typically gorgeous in every way, but she did zero fo
r me. It helped that once I got my hands on the tattoo gun, I didn’t see the person I was inking; I saw a canvas.

  I occasionally spoke to a client when they spoke to me, but other than that, I didn’t say a fucking word, and that’s how I liked it. So, when this woman wouldn’t shut the fuck up, I wanted to get her off my table and out the fucking door as fast as humanely possible.

  “I swear I do recognize you,” she said again in that lazy drawl with an overdone vocal fry thing, which was annoying as fuck. “Have you ever been to…” She rattled off a few of the cities I’d visited, some of the bars and clubs there, and even tattoo shops.

  Without looking up at her, I shook my head. “No, none of them,” I lied. The last thing I needed was her getting excited over where she’d seen me, and the guys too, then telling her friends that were probably with her at the time. I didn’t need that shit in my shop, especially when I was here. “You must have me mixed up with somebody else.” There was always the possibility of clients of my other job coming in, and my long sleeve T-shirt provided cover for my recognizable ink, and my cap hid some of my features. Lying about who I was, was easy, but having those things on show made it impossible to deny.

  She shook her head, her dark hair falling from her shoulder, long strands covered by shorter ones that didn’t look the same texture. “I could’ve sworn you were part of the Junkyard.”

  I paused for a split second, then resumed finishing up the last of the shading on the wildflowers I’d inked on her thigh. “I’ve never worked at a scrap place,” I replied.

  She giggled, then sighed as I ran the damp cloth over her leg, up and down, smoothing over the artwork permanently etched into her skin, removing the excess ink and blood. “No, it’s not…” She let out a long breath, at the same time she slowly pulled her leg up the table, bending her knee. I looked up from under my black baseball cap to see her lower lip between her teeth, and her heavy-lidded eyes on me. “You have great hands,” she said, her valley-girl voice grating the fuck out of my ears. “That’s not hurting at all.”

  “It shouldn’t,” I said dryly, then threw the paper towel into the trash can next to me.