Brei Betzold - Tribal

“Okay,” I said interrupting Jaks, “let’s go find Mommy, huh?”

Jaks scrunched up his face at me. “But I was—”

“Oh I’m sure Jules knows exactly what you were going to tell her, don’t you, Jules?” I asked giving her a pleading look. I’d already had a delightful conversation with him earlier about what balls were, and why Mommy was going to cut Daddy’s off.

She took a deep breath trying to regain her composure. “Yeah sweetie, now why don’t you go on back into the drawing room, that’s where Mommy is.”

“Thank you,” I mouthed and headed back to where the office and other rooms were located, while sneaking glances around. I didn’t know if I wanted to see Cris or not at this point. After this morning, I was unsure about where we stood. I liked being with him, he was fun, caring, and sweet, at least to me. Only I wouldn’t be lied to, and I was no one’s toy. I’d already been there with an ex, and I wasn’t going back. I liked to play like any other person, but what Cris and I had wasn’t a one night thing in some play room. We were, I thought, building a relationship, and I would be treated as an equal.

“Mommy, Mommy,” Jaks screamed. “Let’s go see the big scary fucking mouse, come on.”

I walked around the corner trying to hide my amusement when I found Jaks tugging on Devi trying to get her out of the chair. Also amusing was the look of exasperation on Devi’s face, probably because of the colorful language Jaks was using. I’d tried to curb it, but when he hangs out with Seth, X, Cris, Drake, Devi, Mags, and many others it soon became a losing battle. Luckily at this point, he hadn’t cursed at school yet, at least that we knew of.

“Jaks, hold on, we have to wait for Daddy,” Devi told him.

“Awww,” he whined and sat down in the chair pouting.

“Has he been like this all day?” Devi asked.

“Pretty much,” I said. “He didn’t fare well in school today either.”

She nodded. “He always gets like this when Seth’s about to leave,” she mused.

“Well at least this will be the last time for a while,” I said handing over Cait who wanted her mommy.

“So,” I murmured glancing around.

She sighed. “He’s interviewing someone for the body mod job.”

I nodded.

“Haven, remember I told you about her, she’s the one who did my nipples.”

“Ah yes, she’s the one you want to hire?”

“Yeah, but it’s not my call.”

“I thought you bought in to the place?”

“I did, but I don’t want to run it. I just want to make sure my job is secure. I don’t want to look for a new shop to work out of. Plus Cris is good at running the place, the only reason he’s run into problems is because the economy sucks.”

I chewed on my lip. “I don’t think he shares that opinion?”

“On me wanting to run the place? Or that he does a damn good job of it?”

“Both,” I guess.

“I know that, but he won’t listen to me, and I am done fighting with him over it. I don’t have the time to dedicate to running a shop, nor have I ever wanted to. He’ll figure it out eventually. I just hope I don’t strangle him before then.”

“Daddy!” Jaks yells and I turn and see Seth standing in the door way.

“Hey buddy,” he says grabbing Jaks before he runs into him, “how was school?”

Jaks gets this scrunched up look on his face “I gots in trouble.”

“Oh?” Seth asks.

“I talked when I was supposed to be quiet.”

Seth nodded. “Well we’ll have to work on that.”

Jaks nodded solemnly. “Now can we go see the big scary fucking mouse? But Daddy, I don’t think he’s scary. I’ll hold your hand.”

“Thank you, buddy,” Seth says while choking back laughter. “I’ll hide behind you.”

“Okay, Daddy.”

I walked out of the room following Jaks and Seth to find Sam and X standing in the front, I smile and wave hoping I could get away with that. Only to have X grab me and pull me into a hug.

“Aw, it’s my favorite nanny.”

“I’m the only nanny you know.”

“No, you’re the only nanny who won’t sleep with me.”

“That’s because I’m smart.”

“Aw, you don’t have to be that way.”

I shake my head at him. “Hi Sam.”

“Hey Ash.” I watch as he dismisses me and follows Jules around with his eyes. I glance over at Devi and notice she’s watching too. I shrug, I have no idea what’s going on with those two if anything, and honestly, I have enough issues with my own personal life to get involved.

I turn to say my good byes at the same time I notice Cris’s door open and a gorgeous woman with white dreads walks out followed by Cris; I couldn’t get out of there soon enough.

Cris

I walked out of my office and swept my eyes around the shop stalling when I saw Ash standing there with X’s arms wrapped around her. I wanted to go over there and rip his arm off then beat him with it. I took a deep breath and pushed the feeling away. She had said this morning that we were through, apparently she’d moved on, quickly.

“This is where your room will be,” I pointed a room we had renovated for piercings, and other body modification work. I opened the door and showed Haven the dentist chair, along with the other equipment we had already purchased. “I didn’t want to buy more until I decided who I wanted to hire, then let them order what they wanted.”

“Is there decent ventilation in the room?”

I nodded. “Yeah we had one installed, a few of our candidates do branding.”

“Yeah, I can do branding, I’m just selective on who I will perform it on.”

“I don’t blame you there. That’s a long and painful process, from what I’ve heard.” The more I talked to Haven the more I had to agree with Devi, which in of itself pissed me off, but she seemed to be the perfect fit for our shop. She was well trained in multiple areas, as well as piercing.

“It is, and I want to make sure that they’re up to it, especially since I am burning their skin with electricity. I don’t think I can think of anything worse than starting a branding then them turning around five minutes later saying that they can’t handle it, or they don’t understand the commitment and healing it takes.”

“I’d prefer not to have branding in the shop, but if we do decide to, it will be a selective process.”

She shrugged. “I wouldn’t have a problem either way.”

We walked back into the shop where I noticed Cyn standing next to X and groaned. I wasn’t up for her shade of crazy today. I walked Haven back to the front letting her know that I’d contact her soon. I wanted to sit down one last time and talk to Devi about the applicants before making a final decision, but I had a feeling Haven would be it.

I turned around and found Ash glaring at me, standing beside a pissed off Devi and an equal mad Jules. I wasn’t sure what was going on but with the sly smile on Cyn’s face and those three glaring at me like I just ate the last chocolate bar in Dallas, I knew it wasn’t going to be good for me.

Ash

I heard the tinkling of the bells at the front door and when I looked back, I had to bite off a groan. Cyn sauntered in as if she owned the place. I knew Devi put up with her because they were cousins, and everyone else did because of Eli, but it didn’t change the fact she was an uppity bitch most of the time. She walked up glaring daggers at me and I couldn’t figure out why, then I remembered X had his arm around my shoulder. For some reason X kept Cyn around. He said it was because she was always willing to help scratch his itch. Though when she looked at women like she was looking at me when he flirted with them—and X flirted with every woman—I don’t think she got the memo of his intentions.