Mirepoix (A Recipe Of Love Book 1) (14 page)

While we’re dancing I feel my phone vibrating in my pocket and pull it out seeing Joe is calling to let me know he’s almost here. I point to the phone then the door letting Lindsay know where I’m going before holding out a hand raising my eyebrow to see if she’s going to join me. In turn she points out a few friends we know that are around, letting me know she’ll be safe if I leave her alone. So I dance my way to the exit stopping to give hugs to the random friends who stop me. Once outside I wrap my arms tight around myself trying to stay warm while keeping an eye out for Joe.

“So you decided to show off your wings tonight Pixie?” I hear Joe comment in his rich voice from beside me. I squeal and jump into his arms excited that he is finally here. He puts me down and spins me around after kissing me, so my back is to him showing off my costume. When he said he would come I went and bought a pair of gorgeous fairy wings that are different shades of shimmery aqua and blue that look like an ocean. I finally let Lindsay play so my hair was down in loose waves showcasing the amazing black to blue to teal ombre that Lindsay dyed it this afternoon. I was wearing a plain black tank top that laced up over my cleavage on top of a pair of leather pants that mold to my every curve with my knee high hooker boots that lace up the front.

“Christ you look hot like that. I love what you did with your hair baby, it will look great against your sheets with the pale porcelain of your skin.” he whispers in my ear as he steps forward and wraps his arms around me bending over to kiss the side of my neck. “Can we go in now?”

“Sure we just need to talk to Big Papa first, he wants to meet you!” I grab his hand and practically skip over to where Big Papa has perched on a stool next to the door now that the line is gone. He looks like he should be a gargoyle on top of a gothic building with wings carved out of stone protecting everyone inside. He comes to life when he sees me approaching and his intimidating face breaks into a grin.

“Is this your man Baby Girl? You must need a stepstool nearby if you want to give him a kiss!” He chuckles at this observation as he stands up to his full height. He is only a couple inches taller than Joe but is easily 3 of him wide, while Joe needs to duck for some doorways, Big Papa would fill them.

“It is! Joe this is Big Papa, he’s a bouncer security specialist extraordinaire. Big Papa this is Joe, he is an amazing chef!” I lay my head on Joe’s chest since he has his arm wrapping me tight to his side while shaking hands. I snuggle my head in and smell Joe like normal. Tonight he is wearing a soft black shirt with his jeans and a pair of awesome black motorcycle boots with skulls on the ankle straps. I listen absently while they talk over me completely engrossed in enjoying the smell and feel of Joe as well as the rumble in his chest his voice causes.

“You going to go to sleep standing up Baby Girl?” breaks through my trance as I hear the booming laugh of Big Papa.

“You hush! I’m just…” I momentarily search for what excuse I can use to get out of this without admitting the truth which is I probably could. Something about being held tight surrounded by Joe and his scent relaxes me and makes me so comfy I probably could fall asleep standing up.

“I’m just picking on you sweetheart. Go ahead and go in, show your man how you let loose. I have my boys everywhere inside and they know you and Linds are here and to watch out for you. If you need me you signal one of them and I’ll be there.” he squeezes my shoulder and kisses my forehead before looking Joe in the eye. “You seem like a great guy and that you know how amazing Frankie is. I’m glad she found someone who can see how strong she is while still protecting her like she’s the finest crystal you’ll ever see. Hope I see you guys around more.” he pats Joe on the back as we walk into the club so Joe can be patted down.

I start altering my steps to match the beat of the music without even noticing as soon as we get close enough to hear it. I’m sauntering by the time we get to the dance floor. I see Lindsay mostly because her hair is glowing in the black light, she’s so tiny there’s no way I would be able to find her without her distinctive hair acting like a beacon. I pull Joe behind me to where she is grooving before I start dancing as well. Shockingly Joe knows how to dance, it really shouldn’t be a surprise because he has proven he has moves in the bedroom, but I am taken aback by how good he is. He manages to be in constant contact with me as we dance to song after song.

We spend a good three hours dancing and drinking enjoying the night before the lights start coming up and people filter out into the night. I can’t remember the last time I had so much fun at an event like this. I didn’t have to worry at all about anyone making an unwanted move, or trying to hurt me or Lindsay. I knew Joe was watching and keeping me safe. Not only that he was fun!

You never know for sure how someone will react to a situation until you have them in it, most of our time is just hanging around the house and very laid back. He fit in with our friends like he was always one of us and didn’t give anyone any second looks despite how outlandish they were dressed. He never hesitated in any way with any of our friends who are gay and had their partners with them. He even hugged Amy, who is our six foot Amazonian drag queen friend, treating her just like he would any lady. I’m pretty sure my heart wanted to jump out of my chest and volunteer as tribute then and there. The only thing that seemed to throw him was seeing one of the regulars at the party dressed up as Jesus.

As we drunkenly stumble into our building Joe proves he must have been a cat herder in a previous life. He accomplishes what he doesn’t know is a miracle by getting us both straight home, no after party or pizza and cheesesteak run. We stumble up the stairs into my apartment and Lindsay lays down on my couch fully clothed after kicking off her shoes. I guess she’s staying the night.

“Sorry baby the stairs are probably plotting on being mean to her again so she’s gonna hide in here from them. We will have to try to be quiet while you fuck me until I don’t know my name!” I grin unrepentantly as I unzip the side of the boot.

“Bring the boots with us Pixie. I want to see you in them and just the wings.”

18

“Bitch I knew you were crazy but when did you lose the last of your marbles?” I practically yell as I try to tug my hand away from Lindsay. She is freakishly strong and keeps pulling me down the sidewalk. I knew I was in trouble when I woke up this morning to her inches from my face. I’m pretty sure Joe is still having trouble hearing after the shriek I produced, but really who wouldn’t scream if they wake up to someone smiling
in a creepy way inches from their face?  Joe quickly escaped saying he had stuff to do but really I think he was just scared of Lindsay too.

After a breakfast of pancakes and eggs I thought maybe I was lucky, and she just showed up for breakfast. She came upstairs and helped me with all of my orders that needed to be packaged and shipped. So I innocently thought maybe she decided to help me since she knew I was close to deadline and was under a time crunch. I held on to this lovely delusion even after she dragged me out saying we needed lunch out to celebrate. The delusion was quickly and firmly killed when immediately after we finished eating she dragged me around the corner to our favorite body piercer.

“Seriously chill out you big baby! You have had a ton of piercings I don’t know why you’re being like this.” Exasperation drips from her words and she keeps tugging me like I’m a wayward child.

“Yes I have had piercings but never my nipples woman! They’re nipples! They are already really sensitive and I don’t want to make them mad at me!”

“It’s your birthday, I know you’ll like them when they’re healed so you’re going to go in the shop with me and sign on the goddamn line and get them pierced as your birthday present from me. It’s not like you don’t like a little pain so suck it up buttercup.” She’s pulling me through groups of people acting like they’re not even there and yelling stuff that probably shouldn’t be discussed in public, luckily the area of the city we’re in no one bats an eye.

I sigh in resignation. She is going to win and I’m going to just roll with this crazy nut job I’m bonded to. The worst that happens is I don’t like them and take them out, I know the shop and as she pointed out I have had plenty of piercings so I know how to take care of them so I won’t get some funky infection and lose a nipple. It’s definitely a her type birthday present though, I know some people will buy a gift certificate for someone as a present. I highly doubt most people have their bestie forcing them into getting their nipples pierced.

I stop dragging my feet and walk under my own power to open the door into the shop. Immediately I’m drawn to the case of body jewelry running along one wall of the shop. There are the classic hoops and horseshoes with all different color balls, fancier belly button rings with different shapes and gems as well the more elaborate and detailed spirals and plugs. A lot of people roll their eyes when they see big gauged out plugs and don’t stop and look closer, to see the beauty of the materials they’re made out of. I’m drawn to a set of plugs that immediately make me want to gauge my ears back out. They are roses carved bas relief style on wooden plugs so that it looks like the white rose is blooming out of the plug, the raised detail so gorgeous I want to pet the rose petals to see how soft they are.
No Frankie! Don’t stretch them out again, find something that you can wear now instead!

I probably spend a good twenty minutes ogling all the pretties stuck behind their protective case. I really should bring them home with me, they’re too pretty to stay locked up like this. There’s a set of black spirals that are for sure coming home with me, they have blue marbling that matched my hair perfectly. They are screaming for me to buy them, so I will indulge them, but I definitely don’t need the pretty captive bead rings next to them. It doesn’t matter that the beads are shaped like pretty little cupcakes. Then again I am getting my nipples pierced, I should have different options of rings so that I can have a variety when they heal. I need to ask the piercer if I should get rings or barbells to start with, before I buy anything for them, I’ve heard both recommended over the other online and prefer to speak to an actual expert I know instead of some random person online.

I drift over to where Lindsay is busy filling out all the paperwork needed to have a needle shoved through my flesh. You would think if you’ve had a piercing before they could just have you sign a damn waiver and be about your business. I time it perfectly to where I just need to sign on the bottom line as soon as she’s done. I hear the distinctive click of stilettos and look up to see another one of our friends Angie strut down the hall from the office.

Angie is one of those women that you would love to hate but can’t. She is almost 6’ barefoot and yet has the audacity to wear nothing shorter than 4” heels. She is as the guys in the neighborhood would put it, a PAWG. The woman has curves for days, knows it, owns it and rocks it. She is wearing a tight pencil skirt with a white sleeveless shirt tucked in, a bright red shiny belt covers where the two meet and emphasizes her hourglass figure, matching her spike heels.

“Hey short stack, small and evil says I finally get to play with your titties? Please tell me she’s telling the truth and not teasing me like she always does.” She states quietly while hugging me tight. Angie is a lesbian and once she figured out we wouldn’t judge her, or think she was trying to somehow lure
us into lesbianism, she loosened up enough to be herself.  This being a statuesque blonde who would likely find herself wrote up for sexual harassment if anyone ever overheard us.

“She’s not teasin’ you. Please be gentle.” I half jest as we walk back to one of the piercing rooms in the back of the shop. One of the reasons for the success of the shop is that it is dedicated to nothing but piercings and specializes in unusual piercings that most piercers aren’t experienced enough to pull off. It is also set up so that all piercings are done in the back since as Angie always bitches “Body piercing is not a spectator sport”. She has piercers from all over the country come in and spend a few months piercing while they learn tips and tricks from other piercers before going back home. It’s ingenious as she can promote that so and so will only be here for a limited time, increasing her business, in return the piercers learn more about their trade and can slap it on their resume that they worked with her automatically increasing their standing.

“I’ll be as gentle as I can be shoving a two inch needle through a nerve laden area.” She jokes as she waits for me to settle into the padded chair before donning purple nitrile gloves. I take off my shirt and bra and she uses a marker to put two dots on either side of my nipples after examining them carefully she pulls back offering me a mirror to verify the dots are even. Once I agree she grabs a set of gnarly looking clamps that have open triangles on the end. She holds a receiving tube to one dot and the needle to the other side.

“Take a deep breath, when I reach three breath out.” she instructs like always.
Don’t scream, don’t scream
I instruct myself. I feel a sharp pain and gasp, she quickly replaces the needle with the ring before switching to the other nipple and repeating the procedure. Within minutes we’re done, and she gives me the aftercare instructions once I get my bra and shirt back on and situated. I can’t say that it didn’t hurt, but it was nowhere near as bad as I thought it would be. My nipples are still sore and I know they will be for a few days yet, but now I have pretty hoops that I can’t wait for Joe to play with once they heal.