Abiding Ink (Inked in the Steel City #4) (7 page)

Thank God. Tyler was too old for that shit. At 29, he was seven years Dustin’s senior, but the age gap felt even wider. Jed’s get-togethers were laid-back, just the Hot Ink staff and a few plus ones. There were drinks and they all had fun, but nobody got crazy. “Anyway, you’re not coming.”

“Ah, come on. It’s a party and you can’t bring someone?”

“I am taking someone – someone else.”

“Dude, you’re breaking the code. The person you’re taking had better be a chick, at least.”

“What code?”

“You know… The
code
.” He raised his eyebrows like he couldn’t believe he had to spell it out. “The bro code.”

“Go home and spend some time with mom, Dustin. And don’t ever speak the words ‘bro code’ where I can hear you again.”

Dustin was undeterred. “Is it a chick?”

“My date is a woman – you’ll discover those when you’re older. If you’re lucky. Now piss off. You’re breathing on me and I don’t want to smell like a frat boy’s rank pizza burp.”

Dustin took half a step backward, simultaneously pumping a fist in the air. “If you get lucky—”

“Don’t.” Tyler gave Dustin a light shove, stopping him midsentence. “Don’t talk about it. I don’t wanna think about whatever you have to say when the time comes. But if you really want to help my chances, why don’t you go stay the night at mom and dad’s?”

He didn’t actually expect Mallory to come home with him after the party. Not after the disaster last night had turned into. He’d be happy if they just made it through the party and she had a good time. But Dustin didn’t know that and any excuse to get rid of him for a night was a good excuse.

“Dude, I’m staying here because there’s no room for me at mom and dad’s. Remember?” Dustin sounded triumphant.

“If that lame-ass excuse isn’t breaking your stupid code, I don’t know what is.”

Tyler’s phone went off, saving him from having to discuss “the code” further with Dustin. Glancing at the screen, he stepped into his room and shut the door firmly before answering.

“Mallory. Hey.”

“Hey, Tyler.”

Two words, and he could already tell something was wrong. Shit, he’d messed things up the night before, hadn’t he? He’d suspected as much. Her boss had been in the wrong, but he was still Mallory’s boss, and she’d have to deal with the repercussions when she went back to work.

“I’m afraid I have some bad news,” she said.

“Yeah?” He braced himself.

“Yeah. I won’t be able to make it to the party. I’m so sorry to have to bail on you, especially at the last minute, but my mom…” Mallory sighed. “She’s having some trouble, and I need to be here for her.”

“Is she all right?” Dumb question, given what she’d just said, but… “I remember you saying she’s diabetic.”

“She skipped some meals today, which isn’t a good idea, with the insulin medication she’s on. Something happened that upset her, and by that time, she was starting to get hypoglycemic – that’s when someone’s blood sugar gets too low. I got her a snack and went into the kitchen to make dinner. When I finished, I found out that she still hadn’t eaten anything. She was starting to get disoriented. She ate after that and the hypoglycemia passed, but…” Another sigh. “I’m still on pins and needles.”

“That’s too bad. Hope everything works out for her.”

“Yeah. This isn’t the first time I’ve had trouble getting her to take care of herself like she should, but I guess she was even more upset by what happened today than I realized. I feel bad about the party, but I don’t feel comfortable leaving her on her own.”

“Don’t worry about the party. You’ve gotta do what you’ve gotta do.”

“Thanks. And Tyler… I’m sorry about last night. It really sucked. I’ve been thinking about it all day, and I feel so guilty.”

Not exactly the way he wanted to hear her describe their date, but yeah, he knew what she meant. “Yeah, it’s been on my mind too. I hate thinking of your boss giving you shit over what happened.” He hated thinking of her boss, period.

“I don’t guess it’ll change anything if I say I’m sorry again, but I am.”

“There’s no need to apologize. I…” He couldn’t bring himself to say he was sorry. He wasn’t. If he had let the doctor get away with treating her like a prospective member of his happy little harem, he’d be kicking his own ass until it was black and blue. Standing up for her had been the right thing to do.

“You’re still going to the party, right?” she asked.

“Yeah.” It was either that or stay home and hang out with Dustin – the choice was obvious.

“I hope you have a good time. I’m sorry I can’t make it.”

“Party or no party, I’d like to take you out again sometime.”

“Okay. Maybe we can find an evening we both have off and go to dinner.”

“I’ll call you. Or you can call me, if you have a chance.”

When the conversation was over, Tyler emerged from his room, a lead weight in his chest. Not having to pick up Mallory left him with a little extra time before the party. Glancing at Dustin, who was sprawled on the couch watching a re-run of
Sharknado
, he decided to use the time to pick up some food to contribute to the party. As he stepped outside, light snowfall swirled around him, and he couldn’t stop thinking of Mallory in her glittering dress, smiling as she raised a glass and ruby liquid lapped against her lips.

He felt bad for her mom. Maybe it was selfish of him to be disappointed as hell, but that didn’t change the fact that he was exactly that. He could only hope that Mallory was disappointed too, and not relieved to have an excuse not to spend another evening with the guy who’d pissed off her boss so badly that he was banned from the lowly task of carting around chunky gelatin to sick old ladies.

The apartment glittered with tinsel and faux-glass bulbs, the product of two hours’ worth of decorating work. It looked pretty good – in a classic, pleasantly cheesy sort of way – if Mallory did say so herself. With Christmas just under a week away, she’d gone to a craft store on a whim after work the day before, scraped up most of the decorations that had been left, and driven home with the bulging bags in the backseat. Today, armed with so many holiday trimmings, she’d gone to town on the two-bedroom unit she and her mother called home. And now…

The place looked cheery. Incredibly so. Hopefully, it would boost her mother’s mood and get her looking forward to Christmas Day again.

Maybe it was a desperate measure … but seeing her mom unhappy got old, fast. She’d really been looking forward to having all three of her children around to celebrate the big day, and Mallory wasn’t going to let her enthusiasm be dampened if she could help it. She’d always gone all-out with Christmas decorations when her kids had been young, before the divorce. Maybe this would help rekindle her excitement. Blasting a last spray of fake snow against the sill of one window, Mallory pulled out her cell phone.

Her sister Danielle picked up on the second ring. Mallory reminded her of the approaching holiday – as if anyone could forget – and confirmed that Danielle would arrive by eleven. “And hey, when you’re here,” she added, “make sure not to mention dad or Vickie, okay?” Briefly, she told Danielle about their father’s insensitive suggestion and how it had affected their mother.

Danielle promised not to bring it up. So did Kevin when she spoke to him.

She’d barely ended the second call when a knock came at the door.

“Mom?” she asked, rocking up onto her toes as she peered through the peep hole in the front door. Her mother had gone out to pick up a couple last minute Christmas gifts. Usually, she used her key to let herself in.

Sure enough, her mother stood in the hall. Strangely, she wasn’t alone.

“Hey mom,” Mallory said as she opened the door. “And Theo. Merry Christmas.”

Theo lived a few doors down from them. He was a little older than her mother and impossible not to like. He always had a friendly greeting when Mallory passed him in the hall, and not creepy-friendly. Just genuine-friendly. Apparently, he’d helped her mother carry her shopping bags.

“Merry Christmas,” Theo replied, flashing a broad grin. “I think your mother brought the entire mall home.”

“Wow mom, I thought you were only getting a few things?” Mallory said, noticing the way the bags’ contents strained their paper confines. “Come in here and set those bags down before they burst.”

“There were some really good sales,” her mother replied, striding into the kitchen. “I guess the stores figure that what hasn’t sold at this point needs to be marked down. It took some searching, but I made out like a bandit.”

“I saw her juggling these bags in the parking lot,” Theo said. “She nearly went down on a patch of black ice. Figured she could use some help.”

“Thanks,” Mallory said, meaning it as she pictured her mother sliding across the lot and winding up in a cast for Christmas. That’d be the last thing her mother’s spirits needed.

“Mallory, what’ve you done with the place?” Her mother sounded surprised as she stared around the kitchen and into the living room beyond.

For a few seconds, Mallory wondered if her little decorating spree had been a bad idea.

“I thought I’d liven things up a little in preparation for the big day. What do you think?” She put on a brave face.

“It looks wonderful,” her mother eventually said, and Mallory barely contained a sigh of relief. Since the hypoglycemia episode, her mother had gone through a cycle of less-than-pleasant emotions. Mallory had sensed embarrassment over the health scare, lingering hurt over her father’s request and frustration, among other things. Now, her mother actually smiled as she took in Mallory’s handiwork.

It was the happiest she’d looked in days.

“If I didn’t know better, I’d say it was already Christmas,” Theo said, reaching out and touching a strand of the silver tinsel Mallory had strung over the archway between the kitchen and the living room.

Mallory’s mother gave a little laugh, echoing Theo’s sentiments.

The sound swept over Mallory, along with a ripple of shock. Getting out of the house really seemed to have lifted her mother’s spirits. Casting a sideways glance at Theo, Mallory fell prey to a sneaking suspicion. “Close enough. What are your plans for the holiday, Theo?”

“My son promised to visit me. I guess we’ll exchange gifts, and then he can suffer through my cooking.”

A bachelors’ Christmas. Cute. “What about your plans right now? I was just about to make some hot chocolate. Would you like some?”

It wasn’t exactly true – she’d only come up with the idea about two seconds ago. She was pretty sure there was a box of cocoa in the cupboard, though.

“Sure, if you don’t mind going through the trouble.” He responded with good humor, and Mallory hurried to turn around and face the cupboard before he or her mother could notice the self-satisfied little smile that leapt to her lips.

“We only have sugar-free,” she said. “Is that all right with you, Theo?”

He said he didn’t mind, and Mallory made three mugs. Together she, her mother and Theo settled down at the kitchen table. Conversation was light – Theo was the kind of guy who excelled at making small talk without making it seem cheap or insincere.

“I’ve got to get going,” Mallory said eventually, glancing first at the kitchen clock and then at the little bit of hot chocolate left in her mug. “I’ve got an appointment at five.” If she left now, she’d arrive a few minutes early, as a precaution.

“Be careful out there,” her mother said. “There’s ice in the parking lot.”

“You let me know if you need any help carrying things when you get back,” Theo said.

“Thanks, but I’m not going shopping.” A couple butterflies sprang to life in her middle as she envisioned her destination and what would happen there. “I’ll be back in a few hours. There’s more cocoa in the cupboard if anyone wants any.”

* * * * *

Snowflakes drifted down, shining bright and bold in the glow of neon light as Tyler approached Hot Ink. Walking through the snow reminded him of walking away from Dr. Anthony’s holiday party with Mallory. He cast a glance at the empty space at his side. Her glittering dress would’ve shone like city lights in the neon haze cast by the sign above the door. Stepping under that very fixture, he entered the shop.

“Hey,” Jed said, looking up from where he stood by the counter, talking to Mina.

“Hey. Figured I’d bring some sketches by. Here.” He handed over an envelope containing a small stack of paper sheets, on which he’d crafted a few pre-designed tattoos. The only flash art displayed on the walls of Hot Ink was original art designed by the Hot Ink artists – Jed wouldn’t hang the generic stuff so many shops used. He said he wanted clients to have art to choose from that was unique, if not custom.

The only exception he made was for Mina’s little sister, Jess – she was only a highschooler, but some of her art hung on the walls, and quite a few of her designs had been chosen by clients already. Her floral pieces were especially popular. Tyler had tattooed one of them, once.

“Thanks.” Jed took the envelope, opened it and flipped through the artwork. “Nice. Mina, will you hang these up?”

“Sure.” She took the sheets, handling them gingerly, and strode toward the far wall, which was devoted to the purpose.

“Still cleaning up at home after the party?” Tyler asked, thinking of the decorations that had been strung all over Jed’s house this year. Karen had put them up, and the overall effect had given the impression that a silvery Christmas cheer bomb had exploded all over their place in Allegheny West.

Tyler had liked it better than the magazine-perfect party-scape Dr. Anthony had created.

“Yeah, not so much,” Jed said. “Karen thinks we should leave it all up ‘till after Christmas.” He didn’t sound particularly enthusiastic, but Tyler caught the briefest of half smiles and knew that Jed would let Karen paint his house pink if she had her heart set on it.

It was still funny to picture Jed tiptoeing around the empty boxes she’d wrapped and ducking under strings of paper gingerbread men – apparently, Abby’s niece had gotten in on helping with the party decorations, too.

“I think she has a whole new scheme planned for the New Year’s party,” Jed said.

“Yeah.” Jed’s New Year’s party – he always had a get-together on December 31
^st
. “About that. Is it cool if I bring someone?”

“You know I don’t care. Bring whoever you want.”

Tyler nodded, thinking of Mallory. He hadn’t mentioned the New Year’s party to her, but he wasn’t going to miss a chance to ask, when the time came. He’d call her soon, though he didn’t want to wait until the new year to see her.

“I’ll see you tomorrow,” Tyler said, glancing at the clock. It was only seven-thirty – it only seemed late, thanks to December’s early darkness. Maybe when he got home he’d give Mallory a call and see if she was ready to set up their next date.

Was it too soon to call again?

Hell, he didn’t know. There was probably an unwritten rule book of dating etiquette and appropriate call-back times, but he had no freaking clue how long a guy was supposed to wait to call again after screwing up things with his date’s boss, being banned from volunteer Jell-O delivery work and then being cancelled on. It didn’t seem like the sort of situation there was a pat answer for, so he decided he’d just go ahead and call.

To hell with unwritten rules. The seeming-cool ship had sailed a long time ago, back when he’d crashed the hospital meal cart into the doorway and then almost run Mallory over with it. Now that she’d been back to work, he could at least ask how that had gone. Hopefully he hadn’t fucked things up for her too badly.

“Tomorrow,” Jed agreed, raising a hand in a good-bye gesture as Tyler headed for the door.

Back outside in the snow, he drew deep breaths, letting the night air cool him from the inside out as he headed for his car. By the time he reached it, he was steeped in stripes of shadow and streetlight. Not far away, Hot Ink glowed like a beacon, its neon sign drawing the eye while the postered windows beneath spilled clear, muted light out onto the sidewalk.

He’d just slipped into his car when a familiar-looking silhouette pushed Hot Ink’s front door open.

A bolt of recognition hit his gut. Mallory? No, had to be someone else.

But the woman who’d just exited the shop had Mallory’s shape and ease of movement, and given the amount of time he’d spent admiring her, it’d be hard to mistake those things. Drawing in a deep breath, he watched as she stepped into the full glow of neon.

She
was
Mallory. Bright blue light shone down on her face, illuminating her features. He recognized the curves of her cheekbones, the irresistible Cupid’s bow formed by her lips. She’d pulled her hair up into some sort of knot, but a few curly strands had escaped to bounce around her temples. For a split second, recognizing her sent his heart rate ticking upward, pumping heat and desire through his body.

Then it crashed, and each beat seemed to be driving a nail into the coffin of whatever chemistry they’d shared – whatever chances he’d had with her. He’d just been inside Hot Ink – she had to have been there too. Where?

Inside a booth, maybe? He hadn’t paid much attention to who’d been in the shop. Abby had been tattooing, and so had James, though he hadn’t really glimpsed their clients. If Mallory had been lying down in a chair, she would’ve been invisible from where he’d stood by the front counter.