Outside the Box (20 page)

She returned a couple of minutes later, “Put these in and relax, it’s not as bad as what
you’re thinking.” She told me, patted my shoulder and smiled before walking away.

Joe handed me my phone, I turned Pandora on and listened to music while he did the tattoos, I was expecting it to be pretty painful but it stung a little bit and that was it.  My eyes drifted shut as
Paramore
sang ‘
The Only Exception
’. 

“Lexi…you’re done.” Flacon had taken the ear
buds out of my ears.

“Oh my god, did I really fall asleep?” I asked completely embarrassed. 

“Hey, I’d rather have you fall asleep and drool on yourself instead of squirming all over the place and crying.”  He rubbed some ointment on them then wrapped them.  “Since you’re in hair school, try to keep them wrapped so you don’t get any slivers of hair in them or hair dye in them.”  I followed him to the front so I could pay him.  “I’ll get the other one drawn up a few different ways, I have another opening next Tuesday same time as today if that works for you?”

“Sounds great!  Thank you so much, you do excellent work.  I’ll see you next week.”  I paid him and gave a small wave before Joe and I walked out.  We went straight to the warehouse, Joe waved when I walked to the door.  I took a deep breath and walked in, got my time card and blindfold then entered the main building. 

Once I was in my room I pulled my closet doors open to find something to wear, there was a knock on my door.  I put my blindfold back on and answered the door, Peaches smiled big at me.  “How are you this evening?”

“Good, how are you?”

“Well, I need to talk to you, the other night I shouldn’t have been able to just walk in your room.  You need to be sure you lock the door at all times, if we need in here we can use the key card.  I would feel horrible if somebody got past the security and harmed you.”

“Oh, ok…I’ll be sure to lock up.”

She nodded her head and turned to walk out of the room, “I hope things go better for you in the Box tonight.  I know the chemistry isn’t there with Sky like it is with Jasper, when you come back from vacation we are going to try you and Vinny together.”

“Okay…I like Sky, he just…we don’t seem to click.  I’m excited to meet Vinny.” I smiled at her. 

She smiled then turned and walked out of the room. 

Needless to say the night was pretty boring, I
tried really hard not fake having interest in Sky, he didn’t seem to notice.  If he did he didn’t say anything.  I was walking out of my room after the second session when Peaches caught up with me.

“Ember, I’m so sorry that it’s not going good in there.  I feel horrible for you.”

I shook my head, “I’m trying I promise.  He hits the spot for a few seconds then gets completely off and I get frustrated.  I need to circle it I think.”

We both laughed, “Do you want me to see if I can get Jasper to come in and finish the week with you?”

“
No
…I mean it’s okay, I think I’m just getting wore out and with my period starting next week.  I’m just tired.” I told her.

“Okay, try to get some rest, if you want I can see about getting you a bullet or a vibrator for Sky to use on you as well?”

“Bullet?”  I asked.

“It’s about this long, (she held her index finger and thumb apart a couple of inches), it can either be used with a cock ring or one of you can hold it against your clit.  There’s no avoiding an orgasm with that little thing.”

“I’ll try that, but PLEASE don’t tell him the reason why.”

She laughed, “I won’t, I promise!”

I left before she did, went back to the apartment and fell asleep the very second I laid my head on my pillow. 

I woke up rejuvenated and ready for another day at school.  While in the shower I decided I was going to see if I could get one of the other students to add some copper highlights and a copper under color
to my bottom layer of hair. 

I applied more crème to my tattoos and wrapped them again, as I was walking out of the elevator my phone rang. 

“Hello?”

“Is this Alexia Davenport?” a lady asked.

“It is…”

“Oh good, this is Shelley from the college, we have an opening that you can
have in two weeks if you’d like it?”

“Absolutely!  Thank you!”
  FINALLY, I thought to myself, it seemed like I had been waiting forever.

“Great, you’re very welcome dear.  See you then!”

Shawn was waiting for me, “Well you look overly happy today?” He said with a big smile as he opened the back door of the car.

“I just got the phone call that I get to start college in two weeks for the accounting program!” I said with excitement.

He wrinkled up his nose, “I hate math, but I’m excited for you!”

I text Destiney to let her know, she had been spending more time at Williams place since it was closer to her dads law firm. 

She called, “That’s great, I’ll actually get to see you more during the day now!  We can have lunch together and you can keep me updated on everything in life.  I feel like a shitty friend for not being home much lately.”

“It’s fine, I totally understand.  Anyways, I’m going to go get me and Shawn a coffee, I’ll text you a cool picture later.”

“Huh?” she asked confused.

“I’m doing something to my hair.”

“Don’t you
dare
chop your beautiful hair off woman!”

I laughed, “I’m not going too, gotta go, I’ll talk to you later.  Love you.”

“Love you, have a good day.”

Julie was more than excited to do what I had asked her to do to my hair,
“You’re going to be irresistible to any man.” She said as she started on my hair.  “You can’t see until I’m all finished though, that’s including makeup.”

Two hours later she spun me
around to face the mirror after Marshall had applied my makeup, “Open your eyes.” Julie said.

“Holy
SHIT
!” I quickly covered my mouth then apologized.  I stood from the chair and walked closer to the mirror.  “My eyes…whoa!”  I turned and gave Julie and Marshall each a big hug and thanked them repeatedly. 

“Girl, you were smokin’ hot before now…(Marshall clicked his tongue then whistled) HOTT with two t’s hot.”

“Before I forget, I start college in two weeks.  So I’ll have to come to class after school and on the weekends.  I hope that’s okay?”

“Nope, it’s not.” Julie said then stuck her bottom lip out.

“Really?”  I asked, I was worried it wasn’t allowed.

“We’ll hardly get to see you!  You better finish this course I have a spot saved for you at the shop!”

“REALLY?” I asked again.

She nodded her head and laughed when I hugged her and jumped up and down. 

For the rest of the day I couldn’t do anything besides smile, everything in life was going to finally be going like I had wanted it to. 

As soon as class was over I bounded down the steps from the building to the waiting car.

“Good day?” Shawn asked.

“You have no idea!” I beamed with a big smile.

“You changed your hair, I like it!” He said.

“Thank you!  Guess what else.” I bounced in the back seat as he pulled onto the busy road.

“Uhmmm…Let’s see, you’ve gotten two new tattoos, your hair looks great, and you start accounting school in two weeks.  I’m not sure what else.”

“Julie has a spot reserved for me in her salon!”  I stomped my feet and squealed inside the car.

“That’s great!  Are you going to have to quit this job?  I think I’ll actually miss you.” He said.

“Yeah, it was only temporary.  I’m going to call Peaches right now and tell her.  I sure hope she’s not mad.”

Shawn didn’t say anything else as he drove me to the apartment building.  I pulled my work phone out, I remembered the text from Jasper.  I never replied to it, if he was going to be mad that was fine.  I had decided that what we had between each other was lust not love.  I scrolled to Peaches name she answered on the second ring;

“Yes my beautiful Ember?”

“Hi Peaches, I have some news!”

“Ohhkay?  Hit me.”

“I start college in two weeks!”

There was a silence, “Wait, so you won’t be able to return after your vacation?”

“No, I’m sorry.”

Another silence, “Okay, well…This sucks, I really like you, the clients even comment on how your personality shows in the sessions.  Are you sure the
re’s nothing we can do to persuade you?”

“No, this is why I moved here, I’m so sorry.” I told her.

“I understand, but you’re still going to finish your last three nights this week right?”

“Absolutely.  I’ll see you tomorrow night.”

“Okay, thank you for letting me know so soon.  I’ll start looking for a replacement.”

“K…I’ll talk to you tomorrow night.”

We hung up, I pulled the message up from Jasper and sent him a text;

E
: 
It’s okay


Everything would be okay now that life was going to be more normal. I thought to myself and smiled as Shawn drove back to the apartment.

Spencer

****

“Are you expecting a phone call, is that why you keep checking your phone?” My mom asked from across the table. 

After I had arrived in L.A. and got everything at the beach house situated I called her to set up a
visitation time that worked for her. 

“Kind of…So tell me how
are things are going for you?”

She smiled big and started telling me how much better she was feeling since she had finished detox.  I could tell that she was honestly trying to quit the drugs that she had been addicted to, mainly meth and the occasional pain pill.  I zoned out while she was talking to me, I hadn’t heard back from Ember after I sent her another text and I hadn’t been able to call Peaches to talk to her.  I knew she would call if there was a problem,
no news was good news
is what I kept telling myself. 

“What do you think I should do?”

Moms question brought me out of my thoughts, “Huh, sorry I just remembered that I didn’t give my assistant the hotel name.”

“I asked what I should do, should I stay here and mentor at the facility or expand my horizon and move to another state?”

“That’s totally up to you, just take it one day at a time, don’t get ahead of yourself.  You’ve relapsed too many times…”

“Please don’t keep reminding me of my failures.”  She said in a whisper and looked down at her plate. 

“I’m sorry.” I told her. 

She nodded her head, “It’s okay, you have every right to throw things in my face.  I just want you to know that I’m going to be a better person when I’m done.  I can’t make things up to you and Derrick
…” my personal cell phone rang as she was talking. 

“Hello?”

“Spencer Scott?”

“Yes?”

“This is Shelley from Columbia, we have called every single substitute and nobody is available.  We are needing you in two weeks, for just a week.  The other professor has to go have a medical procedure done, he’ll return the following week.”

“Okay, I won’t be able to do it though if his leave extends to the following week, my schedule is packed the way it is.”

“Great, Thank You so much!”

“Not a problem, email me the schedule.”

“Will do.”

I hung up and put my phone back in the pocket of my cargo shorts.  Mom and I finished our lunch, she said she had to get back to the facility for her therapy session. 

When the driver pulled up, I got out of the car and held out my hand to mom to help her, “Mom, I’m really proud of you.  I think you’re actually going to beat it this time.”

Her eyes filled with tears and she smiled, “You have no idea how much that means to me.” She hugged me tight then walked into the building. 

I spent the rest of the day lounging around the beach house, checking my phone non-stop.  Finally I called Peaches;

“Yes?” she answered. 

“I take it everything is going smooth?”

“Kind of?”

“Why is there a question to your response then?”

“I’m looking at Bullets online for Ember.”  She said.

“Are you fucking serious?”

“Mmhmm, ohh that one.”  I could hear her clicking away on the keyboard.  “Okay, sorry about that.  Yes everything is going as smooth as possible.  There is simply
no
chemistry between Sky and Ember, hopefully things work better between her and Vinny next week.  How is your vacation going?”

I was silent as the anger boiled in my stomach at the thought of both Sky and Vinny getting to be with Ember. 

“Spencer?”

“It’s going okay I guess.  Do me a favor when she works again, put Adele on the
IPod.  Then tell me how the session goes, don’t give her the bullet unless the session goes like they have been.”

“Ohh..kay?  Why?”

“Just do it and let me know how it goes.  Also I have to sub at the college for a week in two weeks.”

“You sound over joyed about that.” She said with a laugh. 

“It’s not my favorite thing to do but it is what I majored in and teaching is what I was pretty sure I needed to be to have a good life.” I shook my head and rested my head against the glass.  “I should have kept teaching then I wouldn’t be in this fucking mess I’m in.”

“I…uhm…I’m sorry that things are shitty, use this time to figure out what you really want.”

I snorted, “Did you remind Ember to lock her door and let her know that her work phone is not to be ignored?”

She laughed, “I will
mention it to her again, have a good week.”

We disconnected the call, I decided a long run on the beach would be good to relieve some stress.  As I ran I kept looking at every woman, I listened to their laugh hoping I would hear Embers but I never heard it. 

I spent the next two days at Stan’s mansion overseeing the renovations and talking with the contractors when they couldn’t read the fucking blue prints.  At the end of the second day I was ready for a night at the bar to get rid of the headache caused by all of the questions about two fucking lines that they didn’t understand were part of the Box and not an actual wall. 

My cell phone chimed with a new text message, I pulled my phone out and read the text from Ember, all it said was, *It’s o
k
*

“What the fuck?” I said to myself.  Before I could get a reply typed out Peaches called the phone.

“Yeah?” I said and squeezed the bridge of my nose.

“You already sound like your pissed so I’ll just break the news to you, Ember won’t be returning to work here.  She’ll be starting school instead.”

I laughed, “Are you serious?”

“I just got off the phone with her.”

“Okay, call in a recruit if you have one.”

“I have
two appointments set up, I’ll keep you posted.”

“Thanks.”

“I’ll have her return her stuff Sunday.”

I disconnected the call not caring what else she had to say.  I walked into the bar and ordered a tequila shot along with my usual Jack and coke.  Four shot
s of tequila and four mixed drinks later the brunette that had sat down beside me earlier had successfully talked me into fucking her against the bathroom stall. 

“What did you just call me?” she spat as she pulled her dress back down.

I closed one eye as I tried to focus on her face, “I don’t think you told me your name?”

She rolled her eyes, “Yes asshole I did, it Eve. You just called me Ember!”  she unlocked t
he stall door and stormed out of the bathroom before I could apologize.  I pulled the condom off that I didn’t even cum in, and flushed it down the toilet.

I
walked out of the stall to the sink, washed my hands and splashed some cold water on my face, looking in the mirror I shook my head.  “Fucking Ember, this is all your fault.” I grabbed some paper towels wiped my face and hands off then left the bar. 

I went back to the beach house and slept all day the following day and spent the entire next day trying to figure out what I was going to do about Ember.  She was all I thought about, no matter what I was doing she was always on my mind. 

Sunday I still hadn’t heard back from Peaches after I told her to play that song when Ember was in the room with Sky.  So I called her.

“Yes Boss?”

“Did you play it when she was in there?”

“I did…”

“And?”

I heard her office door click shut, “Well, she actually tried to shut it off but the
iPod was conveniently not responding to the remote in the room.  Now you need to tell me why
that
song?”

“It’s pretty simple, that night I went in her bathroom I lost my fucking mind and claimed her.  I told her every time she would hear that song it remind her of me and how I made her feel.”

“Jesus…well, she returned the cell phone and got her final pay check today.  Are you staying gone for another week?”

“No, I’m coming back today so I can go talk to the professor and get caught up on what he’s doing in class.”

“I’ll just catch up with you when you come into work.”

“Okay.”