Just Breathe

Chapter Six Gavin

I have to give it to Hunter, he definitely pushed my buttons during breakfast when it came to Bailey, but if it hadn't been for him saying that he was going to ask Bailey out and me seeing red after hearing that, I wouldn't have jumped out of my seat and asked her out myself.

"So?" Hunter drawls out once I open the door to the tattoo shop. Although I'm ecstatic like a damn fifteen-year-old whos crush agreed to go out with him, I am not ready to have Hunter gloating about being right yet. He is worse than a damn group of women gossiping.

"What?" I say just to fuck with him.

"Just admit I was right. Unless she turned you down, then you need to let me know so I can take my turn." I know he is just testing me and its working, I can feel myself grinding my teeth so that I don't punch him in the face. Fuck, Ive never felt possessive over a woman before, but then again, Ive never met anyone like Bailey.

"Don't push your luck, Hunter." I grumble as I make my way towards the back rooms where all our tattoos are done.

We have four tattoo artists, myself, Hunter (I know he's a goofball, but he's a damn good tattooist), there's Stella, who also does piercings, and then there's Carson. Carson is the oldest of all, he's old enough to be my father but he also used to work for the previous owner, Mic. When Mic decided to retire to spend more time with his wife and grandchildren, he asked if I wanted to take it over. Of course, I said yes, but not before I asked him if he had offered it first to Carson. He laughed and said that's why he was offering it to me. Mic explained that Carson never wanted to own it and had suggested he offer it to me, but that he would continue to work for me. I was thrilled, and damn lucky Carson stuck around, he helped me understand the business part better once I was in charge. It's been two years since I've become the owner of The Phoenix, and I couldn't be happier.

"Come on man, you know I'm just fucking with you. She said yes, right?" Hunter followed me to my room where I started setting up for my first client.

"I invited her son." I said with my back to him.

"Well, duh, theyre a combo, why wouldnt you invite him? Plus, the little dude is pretty kick-ass." Hunter met Logan a few times at the grill and fell in love with the kid instantly, but then again, you can't help it, really. Logan is a cute kid, but he's also not a brat. Bailey has done a great job raising him, so far. I wonder if anyone has ever told her that, something about the look in her eyes when she looks at Logan tells me she's running from something that could hurt him.

"I know that, but I have a feeling she thinks I wouldn't give her the time of day because she has a kid, and I don't want that shit in her head." I take a seat in my chair and look up at Hunter, who's leaning against the door frame of my station.

"You really got it bad for her, don't you?" He asks, but not in a way to fuck with me. He knows I've never been serious with anyone, nor have I had the urge to until Bailey showed up.

"It's more than that. She's definitely different from any woman I've encountered, and I don't mean because she's new to town or because she's not melting at my feet as most do. She's different because she seems young and has been taking care of her son on her own, and makes it seem like it's no big deal, when most women her age would have given him up for adoption, or worse. She's different because she made it her mission to have Mr. Henderson like her, and Mr. Henderson doesn't like anyone except for his wife, God bless her soul. Do you know she makes home-cooked meals every night? She works six days a week and I'm pretty sure if she could, she would work seven, but still has the energy to come home and cook a hot meal for her and her son. Sometimes, when I take Zeus out for his walk late at night, I can hear her laughing with him and playing games, that kid has the loudest laugh, but it's like music to your ears because you can hear how happy he is and how much he loves his mom. And when I run into her in the mornings she's never in a bad mood or frustrated with her kid, she smiles politely and allows Logan to give Zeus some love before they head off." I take a deep breath and realize that I sound like a damn pussy talking about a girl like that. I wait for Hunter to start mocking me and be done with this conversation.

"Those are the type of women you hold onto for dear life and pray they never figure out that you could never be worthy enough, but you do everything in your power and try anyway." Hunter isn't looking at me but over my head, into nothing. He's lost in some past moment he can't seem to get out of.

"Don't fuck it up, women like Bailey rarely come around. I'll catch you later." He makes a move to head over across the hall to his station.

"Hunter," I call out to him. He stops with his back to me but doesn't turn around.

"Ashton is your one, don't you think it's about damn time you fought for her?" He stiffens and clenches his fists but doesn't face me.

"I fucked that up a long time ago, there's nothing left to fight for." With those last words he heads over to his station.

I take a deep breath and think about everything he said. Bailey agreed to dinner tomorrow night with Logan. I've never had to put too much effort into being with a woman and I've never been with a woman with a kid attached, but she's different and I want things to turn out right for us. I just have to take things slower than I'm used to. Shit, what am I gonna cook? What if Logan has allergies? I am way out of my element here.

She's worth it. I whisper to myself and before I can give myself more anxiety, my 10:30 client shows up and that keeps my mind off the beautiful green-eyed woman who, apparently, has me by the balls without even knowing it.