Unclaimed (12 page)

Sometime later the water for the noodles was
boiling over, the noodles are stuck together in a glob in the bottom of the pot, and the meat was half burnt, and smoking.  We ruined dinner.  It was a little sad.

Lincoln and I stood
staring down at our home cooked meal.  He was behind me only in his boxers with his arms wrapped around me.  I was in just his shirt.  The rest of our clothing is scattered around the kitchen.

He started
to laugh as I reached out and turned off the stove so we didn’t burn the house down.  I couldn’t help but laugh too.  So much for dinner.  I guess we had our priorities and they were not eating fabulous home cooked meals that we lovingly prepared together.

“I think maybe we should s
tick to breakfast,” Lincoln said as he took in our disastrous attempt at cooking.

“Probably.”

He leaned down and started kissing my ear lobe and down my neck.  “I should feed you before I drag you off to bed,” he mumbled against the side of my neck.

“Probably,” I agree
d as I closed my eyes and leaned back into him.  “Later.”

Later ended up being almost two in the
morning.  We dressed, Lincoln in the new shirt I bought him, and went to the nearest twenty-four hour diner, since it was the only thing that was opened.

Chapter 10

Lincoln

I had a major dilemma and I didn’t even care.  I wanted to be with Prudence Kennedy Thompson all the time.  I called and text her multiple times a day.  Find any excuse I could to see her or hear her voice.  I spend every possible moment I can with her and the ones away from her counting the seconds until I can see her again.  I was a complete goner.

I pulled out my cell phone and dialed her number for the first time today eve
n though it was early afternoon.  I was trying not to smoother her.  I was probably already deep into stalker territory but she didn’t seem to mind.

“Hello,” she answered after the third ring.

“Hello, my lovely fairy,” I said into the phone, my voice already husky with desire.  I couldn’t imagine a day that I wouldn’t want her.  A day when I wouldn’t want to hear her voice, see her face, look into her eyes.

“
Hellooo,” she said again stretching it out playfully and I could hear the smile in her voice.  I heard some kids screaming and chatting in the background.

I peeked
at the clock.  “Where are you?”  I’ve grown accustom to Pru’s schedule.  She should be free right about now.

“About to leave the school. 
Just got in my car actually,” she told me. The random noises were suddenly gone and I heard the car turn over.

“Where you headed?” 
I wanted her to come here, to see me.  She came by a couple of times.  I finished shading and coloring the bottom portion of her tattoo days after we went to the lake.  A few times she brought me food or just hung out while I worked.  I liked having her with me no matter where I was: work, home, car.  Like I said, total goner.

“Home,” she said.

“Hmmm… Come to the shop.  I just had a cancellation and I can finish you up today I think.  If you don’t want to get your work done today I can think of other ways to pass the time.”  I could think of several other ways.

She laughed
into the phone.  “Well that sir is a much better than heading home to finish homework and read kindergarteners journals.  I’m on my way.”

“Please tell me you have a bag in your car so that I can keep you all night,” I groaned
.  It was hard to let her go once I got her.  I rarely let her go home once I got a hold of her.  I was seriously considering asking her to move in with me, which should be scary but it wasn’t.  There was nothing about Pru that I didn’t love.  I could think of nothing better than waking up to her every morning and holding her every night as she went to sleep.

“I do,” she said seductively into the phone.

“Oh thank God,” I let out a deep sigh.  “Get your hot ass over here,” I growled into my phone.  I get to keep her for the night.  It didn’t scare me that I wanted to keep her every night, forever.  I wanted her to be my forever.

She laughed
at me.  “Bye Lovely.”

“Bye,” she said and then the line went dead.

I headed over to my station to finish up the appointment I was with before she got here.  I wanted every moment I could steal with her.

I was focused on my work when a hand ran
over my shoulder.  How had I been so focused that I didn’t hear Pru come in?  Usually the moment she walked in the lovely comments started so even if my back is to the door, like it was right now, I knew she was here.  I hadn’t heard them.

I tensed when t
he hands owner became obvious.  It wasn’t Pru.  “Hey Lincoln,” she cooed as she leaned in so her lips were only inches away from my ear.  It sent a chill through my body and not in a good way.

“Hey,” I said ne
ver looking away from my work.  I just rolled my stool out of her reach shrugging my shoulder until her hand dropped away.  When I first felt a hand on my back I instantly jumped to the conclusion of Pru but when she spoke it became clear that it wasn't Pru.  It was Betty, my ex that just wouldn’t give up.

I did
n’t know how I could have ever confused Betty’s hand with Pru’s.  Betty hands are large and hard while Pru’s are small and delicate.

I hadn’t heard from her in about a month so I figured she fin
ally moved on, apparently not.  She hadn’t been around the shop either so I assumed she found some new place to haunt.

“When you’re done here I could take you in back and we could have a little fun,” she offered
.  Her voice was like nails on my nerves.  How did I ever found this woman attractive?

I turned to look over at her for the first time
since I realized she was here.  I didn’t know what I ever saw in her.  Her shorts barely cover her ass in a trashy kind of way. It was not sexy.  They just looked to small as they cut into the top of her thighs and waist. Her fake boobs were three sizes too big for her shirt.  She was covered in ink, some of it my work, and piercing.  Her make-up reminded me of a drunken clown and her hair looked like something was nesting in it and a three year old cut her bangs.

Had I really been so desperate that I let her hang around just to get laid for so long?

I rolled my eyes and looked back at Jed, my client who is drooling up at her.  Some guys liked the overdone type.  I did once.

“No Betty, I do not want to take you anywhere, go anywhere with you, or do anything with you,” I snapped
.  I was sick of this.  She called off and on and stopped by occasionally to get me in the sack and when I refused her she turned to one of the other guys, usually went home with them and was back throwing herself at me a few days later.

Jed’s eyes were
huge.  I’d worked on Jed before and we have some mutual friends.  I consider him a friend of sorts.

“But Lincoln,” she pouted and bent
forward so I got a perfect view down her shirt.  She knew what she was doing.  “I miss you.  I know you miss me too.”

“I really don’t,” I told her trying to bl
ock her out so she’d leave.

“Lincoln,” she pouted
worse.  It was so fake.  How did I ever fall for her act?

“Fuck off,” I snapped louder then I intended too and the shop suddenly got
quiet, all eyes are on us.  I did not need this.  I did not want this.  The last thing I wanted is for Pru to come in and see Betty throwing herself at me.  I didn’t need the extra drama.  I didn’t want Betty around.  I didn’t want her around Pru.  I didn’t want my drama at work.

Betty looked around the shop nervously and just laughed
.  “Oh Lincoln,” she said with fake giggle louder than necessary.  “You’re so funny.”  She swatted playfully at me before strutting off to go throw herself at someone else finally.

“Can I ask what the deal is? 
I’m curious,” Jed asked.  “That seems like an easy piece of ass to just turn away.”

“She’s an ex,” I explained as I wiped away excess blood and ink.

“I gathered but she still seems more then interested,” he observed.

“Yeah
but I’m not.  I moved on to better things.”

“She’d have to be for you to pass up a quickie from that,” he teased.

“Lovely,” the shop cheered as one.

She was
here, my lovely little fairy.  I wanted to jump up and run to her.  I turned to look at her.   She was curtsying at the shop, playing along with their good spirited teasing.  I didn’t know what I would have done if she couldn’t have handled it.  I couldn’t help but smile.  She played along well.

She was
still in her teaching clothes.  I loved her teaching clothes.  She looked so damn sexy.  She looked like no teacher I ever had or I might have paid better attention in school.  She’s wearing an ivory colored dress that didn’t even reach the end of her fingertips with some sort of lacy bottom.  It was loose fitting but pulled tight at her waist with a little gold belt.  The dress has flowy sleeves that reach her elbows and it has a high neckline but it’s sexy as hell, especially with the gold heels she was wearing.  In typical Pru fashion her hair was wild and she’s wearing a combination of cheap and expensive jewelry.

“That her?” Jed asked
.  I knew it was hard to miss the smitten look spreading across my face.  The guys frequently gave me crap about it.

“That’s her,” I said
with pride as I winked at her.  She puckered her lips and kissed the air in my direction.  Damn, I couldn’t help but smile.  I wished that she would come over here and flirt and touch me like Betty did, but that was not her style.  She was not overly bold or aggressive publicly.  This was my place of business so she remained professional with me here, most of the time, especially when the shop was this packed.  All eight stations are full and there were several people lingering in the lobby.

“I’d pass up the ex too,” he grumbled.

Pru winked at me.  I air kissed her back before I turned back to Jed and started in again.  She’d make her way over to me when she was ready.  “Uh oh,” he said.

“Hmm.” 
I was trying to focus so I could get her hot little body into my chair, strip off some of her clothes and work on her so I could take her home and take extra care of her and her sore side and strip off the rest of her clothes.

“The ex is talking to your girl,” he informed
me and my stomach tightened.  I turned around to find Betty acting like she owned the place.  She kept touching Pru’s arm.  Pru kept backing away and Betty kept advancing.  I was worried about what Betty was going to say.  Of course Betty was going to investigate when Pru drew all of the guys’ interest when she entered.

I should just ban Betty from the shop.

I almost screwed things up with Pru once already because I wasn’t completely open with her.  I hadn’t told her about Betty but we hadn’t shared a list of exs yet either.  It just wasn’t something that we talked about.  I didn’t what to know what would happen if Betty started in.  Betty wasn’t the most honest and lived in her own little world.  I didn’t want Pru to have any reason to doubt me.  I had never been unfaithful to her but I didn’t want her to even doubt us.

I couldn’t lose her.

“Shit,” I huffed under my breath.  “I’ll be back,” I told Jed and he laughed.  I was sure I looked majorly stressed. I was.

“Go save your girl and maybe yourself,” he laughed under his breath and I headed
to the back door.  My plan was to come out the front, side door and break them up.  I just hoped I was not too late.  Betty was probably doing her best to scare Pru away from me.

Prudence

This girl was obnoxious.  The moment all of the guys greeted me she was on me like bees to honey.  She smelled dirty and kept touching me.  Just because there are only three women in the shop, her, me, and the one working, did not mean I wanted to be her friend.

“So are you getting work done?” she asked touching my arm.

“Yeah, finishing some up,” I told her stepping away.

“Really,” she eyed
me like I was lying.  I knew I didn’t look like someone who typically had a tattoo but I have learned that there really isn’t a typical person that gets a tattoo.  Just because I was not covered in tattoos head to toe like she is didn’t mean that it was such a crazy idea.  I knew I look the conservative part but she looked like a cheap whore in child size clothing.

“Who’s doing it?” she asked like she w
as going to catch me in a lie.  Her skepticism was all over her face.  It matched her snotty tone.  Why would I even be here if I weren’t getting work done?  “Because it looks like you are trying to sell bibles.”

“Lincoln.” 
I had no response to that second comment.  I had never heard that before.  I’d never been called a bible salesmen before.  I was not sure if she was insulting me or making an observation.

“Lincoln is amazing. 
He did this one,” she pointed to the rainbow on her breast, “and this one.”  She pulled her tiny shorts down so I could see a rose on her panty line.  Classy.  “Don’t get too attached though honey.  That one’s mine,” she said stating her claim.

“Is that so?” I asked
.  I was done with this girl and this conversation.  I didn’t think for one second that he was actually dating both of us because when did he have the time.  We spend every possible moment together.

“So,” she said in agreement like I s
hould be thoroughly impressed.  I was. I was impressed that anyone could be this delusional.  I never thought of myself as the possessive, jealous type but I was ready to go over to him and truly stake my claim.  I wanted to crawl on top of him right in front of this girl, and every other soul in this shop, and kiss him senseless, stake my claim.  In a moment of irrational thought I was about to do just that but when I looked over at his station he was gone.

Where did he run off too?

“Hey my lovely,” I heard him say as he walked out the side door and came directly my way.  I wanted to leap into his arm but this time for an entirely different reason.  The man is hot: dark jeans, snug t-shirt, messy hair with oversized, geeky glasses.  Yes please.

“Hey,” I cooed as he came over to me and wrapped his arms around me pulling me tight against him before his lips brushed against mine.