INKED 8: A Tattoo Shop Reverse Harem

It doesn’t take us long to reach the lake. The parking lot is a mess of gravel and dirt, but I get us close enough to the place I imagined would be perfect for our picnic. I’m familiar with this area, so I’m confident that I’ll be able to navigate us back to the truck in the dark with the limited light of a flashlight.

There’s a real feeling of serenity that lingers at the edge of a such a large body of water. It’s peaceful, and the energy is as cool and still as the water. I come here sometimes when I need to think. The last time was when Mom told us she needed surgery on her heart. Thankfully, it all went okay, but she had me worried for a while.

I hope Kyla will enjoy the beauty of this place as much as I do.

The light is low, but as we walk, it’s still possible to see the water rippling with the movement of fish, birds, and insects. When the wind picks up, it sends the dark surface shivering. I carry the heavy food basket and another bag, but Kyla is kind enough to take the bag of cushions.

“It’s so beautiful,” she says as we pause at the location for our evening together. It’s not secluded. None of the land that borders the lake is. For privacy, I’d have to take us into the woods, but that wouldn’t be half as romantic, or half as serene. I’m happy to take the risk that we might be discovered for the chance to share this awesome place with Kyla.

At this time of the evening, the only people likely to be here are those with a similar plan to ours, but as I scan the area, I can’t see another soul.

Perfect.

Placing everything on the ground, I begin to spread out the picnic rug. Kyla drops the cushions, and I place them close together with the picnic basket in the middle. First food, then it’ll be time for the main course.

“I’m not going to pretend that I’m in any way responsible for the delicious food. That’s all down to the deli.”

“Did you choose the menu?” Kyla asks.

“Yep. All my favorite things.”

“Then I guess you are a little responsible for the food.”

“What did you think of Lex’s cooking?” I ask. Of all of us, he’s the one who has the most impressive culinary skills.

“He knows his way around a kitchen,” Kyla says, smiling at the memory.

I’m tempted to ask for more information about their evening together, but Kyla strikes me as the kind of girl who’d see disclosure as a betrayal of trust.

“Is this a favorite place of yours?” she asks.

As I begin to place all the yummy food on the blanket between us, Kyla starts to help herself. “It’s a place I come to think, usually.”

“So it’s not where you bring all your women?”

She raises her eyebrows expectantly and tucks a lock of hair behind her ear.

“No,” I say. “You’re the first person I’ve brought here.”

“So where do you usually take your dates? Is it always somewhere outdoors?”

“Are you asking me if I have to be outdoors to get off?”

Kyla snorts, popping an olive into her mouth. “The whole kink thing fascinates me,” she says. “I mean, I never thought of sex that way before. I never imagined that men could have this many different things that appeal to them.”

“Kinks are just part of sex. I guess, for some people, they become integral to their excitement and fulfillment, but it’s not always like that. Think of it this way. I have a favorite chocolate bar, but I also like most chocolate bars. My favorite is special, but if I ate it every day, it would lose some of its appeal.”

“So you like to ration your kink?”

“I wouldn’t say ration. It’s more that I’m conscious not to overindulge it. Do you ever hear a song that you absolutely love, but you know that if you listen to it too much, you’ll get bored, and you don’t want that to happen? This is like that for me.”

“Well, I’m flattered that you’re prepared to indulge it with me.” When Kyla blushes, I just have to reach out and touch her face.

“You don’t need to be flattered one bit. I’m the lucky one here. I get to have this special experience with a beautiful awesome girl. I’ve hit the jackpot.”

She sighs softly, putting her plate down and shifting so that her legs are crossed beneath the fabric of her dress. “Can I ask you something?”

“Of course. Anything.”

“How come you guys are all single? I just don’t get it.”

“What don’t you get?”

She blinks her pretty brown eyes, outlined with soft liner and framed by long lashes. Beneath her freckles, her skin begins to pinken, and she clears her throat as though she’s uncertain about saying whatever’s on her mind. “It’s just that you’re all so…gorgeous…and I was expecting there to be a lot of arrogance there, but there isn’t.”