Permanent Ink (Something to Celebrate #1) (22 page)

When she found him, he had pretended great enthusiasm for the temporary tattoo station, which she’d plastered with event posters for Ink Fest. He’d picked up one of the slick brochures she’d had printed up with his face on it and told her it was amazing. But she knew he was thinking something else entirely.

Still, he’d sat behind the booth for an hour, laughing with kids and helping them pick out little tattoos of cartoon characters and balloons. He’d been sweet. He’d been sexy. He’d wormed his way even further into her heart and hadn’t even been trying.

“Come on, Blair. What have you been
doing
that you can’t make the time to go talk to him?” Kaley’s voice broke through Blair’s thoughts and she turned around, slumping against the counter.

“Not much,” Blair muttered. “I laid out a plan for a volunteer schedule for the parade contest. I remade the list of the float order. It’s all on paper.”

“Schedules and lists.” Kaley laughed. “When does the fun stuff start?”

“I don’t have time for fun. Now help me think. What’s the first idea for a fund-raiser that comes to mind?”

“Go talk to Ben.”

“I will. I just want to accomplish something first. It centers me, okay?” That was actually true, and Kaley knew it. “You think of fund-raisers, and I…I’m going to go read something.” She grabbed a thick folder from the edge of the desk and walked down the hall to the craft room. Sitting at the table, she flipped the folder open to stare at the document inside: Ivy’s copy of the official rules and regulations for the parade. Yay. Twenty-plus pages of fine print. Maybe she’d see something that would bring the parade to a screeching halt.

Scanning the front page, she sighed. Celebration was in perfect compliance with all of it. She flipped through ten more pages. No red flags. And then as her gaze slipped down page eleven, she stopped breathing.

In bold, in the middle of the page were words that seared into her brain.

“The winning parade organizer shall agree to a one-year internship with Expectations, Inc. Should the parade organizer decline the internship, the town shall forfeit the grand prize of fifty thousand dollars.”

Blair read it again. And again. Then as if she wouldn’t believe unless she said it out loud, she whispered the words. “The town shall forfeit the grand prize of fifty thousand dollars.”

If Celebration won, she would be forced to take that internship. Forced to leave Ben.

Her head buzzing, she pressed the document to her chest. How in the hell had she missed
that
? She hadn’t. She wouldn’t. Stumbling down the hallway, she ran into the kitchen and yanked open the file cabinet.

“Blair?” Kaley looked up from the computer.

“Just a sec.”

She riffled through and grabbed the folder with her copy of the rules, then turned to page eleven. Nothing about a forfeit there. She looked at Ivy’s copy. And then she flipped to the front page. At the top of Ivy’s copy, in the title, there was one little word that made her want to scream.

Amended.

Oh, shit. Shit!

“Blair?”

“Yeah?” she answered weakly.

“I’ve got it.” Kaley pushed the chair against the wall and twirled the dust cloth in the air. “A pageant would be a good fund-raiser.”

“No.”

“Oh, come on. I want another crown.” She batted her mascara-caked eyelashes at Blair, who took both documents and stacked them neatly on the counter next to the revoked permit, trying to ignore her shaking fingers.

“Kaley. Another crown isn’t going to make you a better person. Or more popular, or more confident.” She’d told Kaley that countless times before and it hadn’t made a dent, but right now, she couldn’t make sense of her own thoughts, much less talk sense into her cousin.

“I
know
that.” Kaley drew her knees up on the chair. “I like wearing pageant gowns.”

“How is a crotch-length dress a gown?”

Kaley smirked. “If it has a lot of rhinestones, it’s perfectly—

Blair cut her off with a loud sigh and reached for her notebook. Her safety net. “Never mind. I’m not in the frame of mind to discuss any—”

There was a sharp knock at the door and it flew open. Starling picked her way up the steps and walked into the living room with a disbelieving look on her face.

“This is where you
work
?”

Blair tightened her hands on her notebook, willing her voice to be pleasant. “Hi, Starling. And yes. An unconventional workspace. Why should that shock a tattoo artist?”

Starling threw her skinny neck back and laughed. “You got me, there. And I’m not easily shocked, since I’m the one usually starting fires.”

Yeah, fires like the secret relationship Starling had going on with the seemingly boring, pleasant high school principal. But that was nothing compared to the fire that Blair had ignited. It was blazing out of control, and she had to put it out before anyone realized it had become an inferno. She shook her head. “What can I do for—”

“Hey, woman,” Kaley interrupted. She stood up and walked around the desk, her eyes—filled with admiration—on Starling.

Hey, woman?

Blair gaped at her cousin. Since when did Kaley spend time with Starling?

“Hey, kid,” Starling answered. “Cute top.” She gestured toward Kaley’s black T-shirt, which was embossed with a glittery skull.

Kaley adopted a casual pose, her gaze sweeping over Starling’s painted-on leather pants. “So Blair and I were discussing ideas for a fund-raiser. All we could come up with is lame stuff. You have any ideas?”

A patronizing smile played around Starling’s lip rings. “A fund-raiser for Celebration?”

Kaley nodded. “Yeah, and it needs to happen soon because the Fourth of July parade is going to be
huge
. Blair says that the town commons is going to get taken over by the police to stage security and—”

“Kaley!” Blair pushed away from the counter, a surge of panic rising in her middle.

“What?” Kaley frowned and a second later, her eyes went wide. “Oh.”

Starling gave her a weird look and then glanced around the living room. She perched next to a stack of catalogs on the edge of an old piano bench and picked one up to flip through it. “Clown feet? Rubber chickens? This is hilarious.”

Kaley let out a fake laugh. “I know, right? So ridiculous.”

Blair gave her cousin a murderous look. “So what can I help you with, Starling?”

The older woman looked up. “Not a thing, sweetie. I was taking a break and wandered over here. Is that okay?”

“Sure. Would you…like a bottle of water or something?”

Starling didn’t answer, but stood up suddenly, tossing the party-supply catalogue on the floor. “I’ve got it. Here’s what you should do.” She raised her arms for effect. “A bachelor auction.”

“Ooh! That’s a great idea,” Kaley said.

“Thanks, but I’ve already thought of that. There aren’t enough…appealing bachelors in Celebration,” Blair commented.

“Too bad you can’t clone Ben, huh? He’s hot as hell.” Starling let out a raspy laugh.

“Uh, yeah.”

“Then if most of the men in town are dumpy, make it fun. Change it to a bachelor
for a day
auction.” Starling walked toward the door. “What’s this fund-raiser for, anyway?”

Kaley laughed. “Blair’s giant parade budget.”

At that second, Blair’s phone rang with the noise of pealing bells, the sound faint but unmistakable. “It’s Lola.”

She didn’t want to talk to Lola right now. She didn’t want to entertain Starling, appease Kaley, or discuss bachelor auctions, either. All she wanted was to run like hell so she could think. Think of a way to fix everything.

Trying to keep apprehension out of her eyes, she smiled at Starling. “She’s in Hawaii with her fiancé. So…excuse me.” She jogged down the hall, silently willing Kaley to keep her mouth shut about the damned permit.

Scooping up her phone from the worktable, she walked halfway back into the hallway, glancing across the kitchen at where Kaley stood with her back to the open front door. Starling stood inside the doorway facing her, frowning.
Crap.

Blair cleared her throat. “Lola! How are you? How is Bill?”

“We’re wonderful, darling. Calling to see how you and Kaley are doing.”

The news about Kaley’s suspension from school could definitely wait. Blair let out a nervous chuckle. “We’re doing great. Busy as usual with school and work.”

“Mm,” Lola responded.

From the living room, Kaley burst out in laughter, and Blair pressed the phone to her ear, retreating back into the workroom. “So, tell me about the beaches.”

“They’re astonishing. We’ve been finding all sorts of beautiful shells, and I even got Bill to try boogie boarding.” She laughed. “Anyway, you’ll see the pictures. I’m pretty sure that this call is something like five dollars a minute, so better go. We’ll be back day after tomorrow, anyway.”

“Okay,” Blair said eagerly. “I mean—so nice to hear your voice.”

Lola laughed. “Bye.”

Hanging up, Blair stuffed the phone in her pocket and rushed back into the kitchen. Starling was already gone and Kaley sat in front of the computer, her eyes fixed on the blank screen. She wore an innocent expression, and Blair groaned.

“You told her, didn’t you?”

Kaley didn’t look up. “I tried not to.”

“What does
that
mean?” Blair stomped to the living room and picked up the discarded catalogue, placing it back on the stack.

“Well, damn, Blair! You left that revoked permit
and
the Ink Fest lease agreement for the senior center in plain sight on the counter. She was standing right there. I tried to get in front of it and hide them, but she caught a glimpse, anyway. You may think she’s an idiot, but she knows how to
read
.”

“I don’t think she’s an idiot at all. That’s the problem.”

“She’s not an idiot,” Kaley repeated. “I don’t think pop-eyed principal Peter would be with her if she was.”

Blair choked on a laugh. “Is that what you call him?”

“Not to his face. And I didn’t mention him to her at
all
. It’s obvious they’re keeping it a secret, and she’s a little scary when she’s pissed off.”

“Tell me about it,” Blair mumbled. “So how do you even know her?”

“She came out of Ben’s shop and helped me take out the trash after the craft fair on Saturday.” Kaley grinned. “When you were standing next to Ben at the temporary tattoo booth.”

“Oh.”

Kaley stood up and took a hesitant step forward. “She did give us a fabulous idea for a fund-raiser, you have to admit that.”

“I don’t have to admit anything.” Blair rubbed a palm over her face, but sighed. “It’s a great idea.”

“Do you think she will go apeshit on Ben about Ink Fest moving to Sunnyside?”

Blair peeked out from between two fingers. “Oh, yeah.”

She had to go see him. Now.

“I’ll be back,” she mumbled and walked out of the trailer, down the kissing alley, and onto the sidewalk in front of Skinnovations.

Several people, most of them heavily tattooed, milled around outside. One of them gave her a friendly smile.

“Hey, you look white as a sheet. This your first time?”

Blair shook her head. “I need to see Ben.”

The guy laughed. “I’ve been waiting for an hour to see Ben. Good luck.” He opened the door for her, and Blair stepped into the cool interior.

Neither Ben nor Starling were at their stations, although there were plenty of people inside. And there were voices coming from the office, growing louder every second.

“Big deal?” Starling’s voice was restrained. “That permit for your little town commons was revoked a week ago. That means your girlfriend has known about this for quite a while. How long have
you
known, asshole?”

“So we have to move Ink Fest off the commons. Who gives a fuck?” Ben asked.

“Fuck is right! You’re the one who’s fucked, Ben. And you’re dragging me along with you, right into a joke of a tattoo festival!”

Starling stomped out into the studio, her arms in the air. She dropped them when she caught side of Blair and a scary smile spread across her face. “I underestimated you,” she said in a low voice. “I shouldn’t have.”

Blair stared at her. What was she supposed to say? That she was sorry? It probably wouldn’t do any good. “I need to talk to Ben.”

Starling rolled her eyes. “I’m not even going to comment on that. I have work to do.” With a sniff, she walked across the room and sat on a stool next to her tattoo station. “Who’s next?”

Standing there, Blair suddenly couldn’t make her feet move forward. She wanted to. She wanted to run in the office, shut the door, and throw herself into Ben’s arms, apologizing over and over.

She
had
to. She had to face him.

Taking a shaky breath, she took a step. And then another. The studio was dead quiet and before she reached the office, Ben stepped into the doorway.

He looked at her, his eyes full of the frustration she had been dreading, and she clenched her teeth to hold back the pain. It tore through her, anyway.

“Ben…”

He raised his eyebrows and looked over her head. “My break’s over. Who’s next in line?”

He brushed past her, his chest briefly touching her shoulder, and he went to his station, grinning at the client who came forward.

Blair twisted her fingers together and walked back out of the shop.

Chapter Twenty-Two

“What do you think?” Ben stood in the parking lot of Sunnyside Retirement Village and glanced over to gauge Grizz’s reaction.

Shading his eyes from the bright afternoon sun, the older man grunted. “Big. You say they have enough space for vendors?”

“Yeah. Plenty of parking, too. And the rent is well within budget.”

Grizz shook his head and laughed. “Never thought I’d be part of a tattoo festival in an old folks’ home, but I guess I should never say never.”

“Nope.”

Looking up at the sky, Grizz removed the bandana on his head and stuffed it into a pocket of his worn leather jacket. “It’s gonna be hotter than hellfire by July, though. Whew.”

Ben laughed. “Says the man wearing a leather coat in June. At least there’s AC inside.”

“You leave my coat outta this. It’s barely June, anyway.” Nodding toward the doors ahead, he scratched his jaw. “Let’s go in.”

As he held the door for his mentor and walked into the lobby, Ben’s stomach jumped and his gaze swept the area, looking for Blair. She was supposed to be here, signing up people for a fund-raiser, and after over a week of avoiding her, he was finally ready to talk to her.

He was finally ready to be his usual, easygoing self—not the angry, confused man who’d spent endless nights lying in bed nursing beers, thinking about life. And rethinking, which only served to piss him off more.

There had only been one true thing that had come out of all that sulking. He’d realized with absolute certainty that there was only one reason Blair could make him feel so miserable.

He was falling for her. Hard.

He’d been blindsided by that realization—stumbling around his apartment, staring out the windows onto the darkened town commons, pacing his narrow living room, flopping on the sofa. He’d wanted to jump into his truck, barrel down the road to her house, and pound on the door to tell her. But he hadn’t.

Instead, he’d tortured himself with the reality that she didn’t trust him. Because why else wouldn’t she have told him about Ink Fest being forced to move? And she’d refused to talk to him about any of it. Hadn’t it occurred to Blair that he would take it in stride? What had she thought he was going to do? Go ballistic? Didn’t she
know
him…accept him for who he was?

Maybe not.

And then she’d told Starling, who’d screamed at him like a banshee when she realized he already knew. And that’s why he’d been so pissed.

It was petty to feel that way. It was
stupid
. Enough was enough. He’d woken up this morning, determined to talk this out with her.

With a sigh, he glanced to his right at Grizz, who grinned back.

“Smells good in here,” Grizz commented.

“Sunday dinner,” Ben explained and leaned his elbows on the high counter in the lobby. Behind the partition, Colleen Callahan sat on an office chair, staring intently at a computer screen.

“Hi, Colleen. How come you’re volunteering at the front desk?”

She didn’t look up. “Because nobody else is capable.” Her shiny fingernails flew over the keyboard. “Annnd, print!” She glanced at him and her eyebrows raised. “Good Lord. You look like shit. I’m not so sure I want to stop by your studio for a tattoo from someone who looks like he’s sleepwalking.”

Grizz chuckled and slapped Ben on the back. “Star tattoo artists don’t get time to rest. You want an appointment with this one, you gotta make it weeks in advance now.”

Colleen gave Grizz an appraising look. “That so? Well, what about you? Could you squeeze me in? You look like you could give a hell of a tattoo.”

“Honey, I’m retiring. The last tattoo I’m giving will be at the festival. You’re out of luck.”

“I’m never out of luck,” she retorted, sticking a pencil behind her ear. “Especially since I can get that tattoo right here in this building on the Fourth of July. So I assume you two are here to look over the place for what is it—Central New York Ink Fest?”

Ben nodded. “Word travels fast, huh?” He rushed on, not waiting for an answer. “But first, if you wouldn’t mind telling me where the sign-up is for the bachelor-for-a-day auction thing…”

Grizz gave him a weird look. “The what? Bachelor for a day? You’re already a bachelor.”

“No he isn’t. Not for long,” Colleen said. She struggled to stand and then pointed toward a long hallway. “Down there, outside the cafeteria.”

“Thanks.” Ben began walking, not looking at Grizz. The man would probably start peppering him with questions, anyway.

Surprisingly, Grizz laughed. “When’s the auction?”

“Uh, next Saturday, I think. Why?” Ben glanced at him.

“I’ve got half a mind to sign up, but I think I’ll leave it to you.” Grizz laughed again.

Ben raised an eyebrow as they got close to the end of the hall. He stopped walking and nudged Grizz’s shoulder. “Thanks, man.”

“For what?”

“For looking out for me.”

Grizz coughed. “Wouldn’t have it any way else, son. All I ask is that you make Ink Fest the best yet. Don’t let Starling run over you.”

Ben shook his head. “After she practically imploded when she found out that Ink Fest was being held here, I cornered her after work and told her to accept it or fuck off. She and I have an understanding now.”

“Good. I still don’t get why she came sniffing around in the first place. I mean—we go way back, but when she showed up out of nowhere, offering to buy my studio, I was blown away. And then when she seemed to get so caught up in the festival, I really started to wonder.” Grizz scratched his jaw. “What do you know about all of it?”

“Not much. There’s something weird going on with her, but she’s not telling.”

With a shrug, Grizz started walking again. “As long as she doesn’t flake out Ink Fest, right?”

“Yeah, no shit,” Ben muttered.

As they approached the propped-open double doors leading to the cafeteria, he heard the
clink
of silverware and chattering voices. One of them was Blair’s, and his heart jumped into overdrive.

Pasting what he hoped was a friendly smile on his face, he strolled through the doorway and casually looked around. There she was, sitting at a folding table with Lola and Kaley on either side of her. The minute she spotted him, the animated expression on her face froze, and she began to rearrange the papers in front of her.

Ben forced his feet to move forward and he stopped in front of her. “Hi, ladies.”

“Good afternoon, Ben,” Lola responded. She gave him a tiny, encouraging wink. He noticed that she was tan and wore a seashell necklace. She looked happy and peaceful. He was jealous.

Ben pushed Grizz forward like a shield. “Grizz, meet the Whitakers. This is Kaley, our local pageant winner. And Lola, who’s just back from a trip to Hawaii. And Blair, my—”

He snapped his mouth shut and everyone looked at him. Except Blair.

He winced. “My…our…town community-events planner.”

Lola and Kaley murmured greetings to Grizz and finally Blair looked up. Her eyes were emotionless. He’d expected her to be angry or hurt or both. But nothing? It made his heart sink.

“What can I do for you guys?” she asked.

“I’m here to sign up for the auction.” Ben shifted his feet and grabbed a pencil from the table. “Where’s the sheet?”

“Why?” Blair asked.

Ben didn’t answer. He took the sheet Kaley handed to him and concentrated on signing his name. Of course she’d ask
why
, because she saw things in black and white. If it wasn’t on her list, it was automatically suspect. With a grim smile, he tossed the pencil back on the table.

Grizz laughed. “Ben’s a bachelor, that’s why. Plus he brought me out here to show me around. Ink Fest is gonna be here in a month, you know.”

Nobody said anything.

Ben looked down at Blair’s bent head. Her hair had tumbled forward, hiding her face, but he suspected it was red. And, finally, upset. He hoped it was. Anything was better than dead eyes. “Blair,” he said quietly.

“Excuse me,” she muttered, getting up quickly. After scooting past Lola, she disappeared into the hallway. Ben followed.

“Blair,” he repeated, louder this time.

“No.” She slipped into the ladies’ room. He followed her there, too.

“You can’t be in here.” She whirled around from where she had been gripping the edge of a sink, her eyes shiny with tears.

“I can do whatever I damn well want.”

Without thinking, he crossed the room and hauled her against him, his mouth descending on hers, taking what he needed, and drinking in her softness. A shiver went down his back and he pulled her closer, capturing the gasp that burst from her lips.

For a few seconds, she kissed him back furiously, and then she pushed against his chest. “No.”

“Yes,” he said, staring at her. But he took a step back, his chest heaving.

“You’re an asshole,” she accused, her eyes flashing.

“You don’t trust me,” he accused right back. “That’s worse.”

They stood there in the ladies’ room in silence, staring at each other.

He found his voice again and blurted out what he’d been dying to ask her. “Don’t you know me? Did you really think I’d get upset about a stupid venue?”

The words hung between them for a moment.

He reached for her again. She shrugged off his hands but didn’t move back. He could smell her fresh scent and feel the need rolling off her. The need she wasn’t going to give in to. Not today.

He reached forward and swiped a tear from her cheek with his thumb. “I’m sorry about the way I acted. It was petty. But Blair—arguing over a venue for an event shouldn’t separate us.”

Her gaze was wary, and he gave a rueful laugh. “But I’m not sure it will matter, because I didn’t count on what really
might
separate us. Your fear of the unknown.”

“I’m not afraid of anything,” she said slowly. Convincingly, even. But he knew better.

“I’m sorry,” he repeated. “Let yourself trust me, Blair. There’s no reason not to. Deep down, I hope you know that.”

She was silent a moment. “I’m sorry, too. For not telling you about the senior center…and then Starling finding out. But…” She squeezed her eyes shut. “Could we talk about this another time?”

He nodded. “It’s always another time, isn’t it?” Turning around, he pushed open the door and walked back down the hallway.