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“Yeah. His ink looks great. You’re doing wonderfully on it,” she tells me. I smile my thanks at her, but my mind drifts back to Cage. What the hell was wrong with him today? Why was he acting like that?
Once the room is clean and disinfected, I head out into the main area of the shop. This is the first break I’ve gotten today. I grab a drink, drop onto the couch out front with Marsha, and talk about random shit.
We talk about her boyfriend and how obsessive he can get, making me think of Cage. He can be overly possessive at times, which can be a little unnerving.
“What do you mean?”
“Like, he doesn’t care when I dance with the guys as long as I go to him for sex, but if any of them touch me the wrong way, he’s ready to fight,” I explain.
“That’s weird. You don’t find that odd?”
“Cage is a little odd. I figured it was just who he is,” I tell her. I’ve always thought he was different, but lately, he’s been acting off, and I’m unsure how to react.
“I don’t know, Yenni. I would be careful with that kind of behavior. If Matt saw me dancing with some other guy, he would lose his shit. It’s kind of weird that Cage doesn’t mind it.” Maybe she’s right. In every other relationship I’ve been in, the man hasn’t wanted me to even look at another man. But Cage isn’t like that. At least, I thought he wasn’t until today.
“I thought it was odd at first, but then I figured he wasn’t trying to kill my vibe, ya know? He was letting me be free to do what I wanted within reason.”
“I get that, but letting other guys touch on you? I don’t see that lasting long.”
“Why not? We aren’t having sex. We’re mainly just dancing and having a good time.”
“Men are strange creatures, and Cage is ten times that. It makes me wonder what the hell he’s thinking when he watches you with someone else. Does that shit turn him on?” I shake my head.
“I don’t think so. If it did, wouldn’t Cage encourage it?” I take a drink from my can as Marsha shrugs her shoulders.
“He is, in a way, isn’t he? I mean, he doesn’t care you’re doing it.” I’ve never thought of it that way. Maybe he does get a hard-on watching me with the other guys. I don’t know why he would, though. That doesn’t make any sense.
“I don’t know. Maybe you’re right. But isn’t that weird for me to keep doing it?”
“Don’t shut yourself down over a man, Yenni. You’re having fun, and you’re not married. If you’re happy with how things are, go with it. Who the hell is anyone to douse your flames, girl.” We both laugh a little when the door opens. The last person I ever thought I’d see again stands there glaring at me with a smile.
“What the hell are you doing here?” I snap as I rise to my feet. I pull my long blonde hair into a ponytail before he can get too close. I know how this works, and I’m ready to fight back.
“Wanted to see you. See how you’re doing,” Scott says. My insides churn.
“What for?”
“Come on, Yenni. I miss you.” No, no, he doesn’t. He misses the way he used to control me and hit me. He doesn’t miss me.
“No, you don’t. Leave, Scott.”
“Don’t do this. I just wanted to see how you were. How’s the shop going?” Scott was my first-ever love. I loved that man with everything I had in me, and for what? For him to abuse me when he would get drunk. Don’t get me wrong, when he’s sober; he’s the nicest, sweetest person you could ever meet. He was everything a girl could have wanted and more, but the alcohol turned him into a monster. Someone you would loathe. No matter what I still may feel for him, I can't go back to that. You can’t block out the love you once had. It doesn’t just fade overnight.
There’s a twinge in my chest, and I reach up and rub the spot while Scott watches me.
“You okay?”
“I’m fine. The shop is good. You can go now,” I tell him.
“Yenni, come on. Just … talk to me.”
“I am talking.”
“No, you’re being short with me. Don’t you miss me? Even a little?” God, how I did miss him when we first broke up. I missed the way he’d touch me, hold me. I missed how he would kiss me every second he got the chance. There are so many things I missed about him. But I’m moving on.
“Does it matter?” I ask.
“Yeah, it does. I miss you, Yenni. More than I can say,” he says. Marsha climbs out of her seat and rolls her eyes at him before walking past us both.
