Skin Deep (Skin Deep #1)

Grabbing a file off the counter that I threw up there for him, Floyd waved and ambled back out the door as I answered the phone again.

“Good morning, Floyd Grim’s office, may I help you?” I said into the phone.

“Ewwa!” someone yelled into my ear. Huh?

“Ewwa, ith Awwie.”

“Allie?” I asked.

“Yeth. Awwie. I goth a pwobwem,” Allie whined into the phone.

Okay. “Allie, what’s going on? And why are you talking like that?” I asked.

“I nee’ yew to mee’ me on yew wunth bweak ath my houth. Pweath,” Allie begged.

This should be interesting. After promising I would be at her house at noon, I hung up the phone with Allie and got to work. The morning flew by in between phone calls and clients, and in no time I had to meet Allie. I grabbed my keys and locked up the office for lunch, heading out to my car.

I pulled up at Allie’s house in my cute, little yellow VW Bug and she came running down her front steps holding a paper towel up to her face. Now I was worried.

She got in the car and told me, “Thathoo thop, pweath. I wipp’th my thung.”

I stared at her in shock until she grunted and smacked at my thigh to get me going. Putting the car in drive, I headed downtown to the tattoo shop. (I’m assuming that I heard her correctly. Its kind of hard to understand someone when they’re holding their tongue with a paper towel.)

After about ten minutes, we pulled up at Skin Deep, the tattoo shop that I didn’t think I would be frequenting again any time soon after Friday night. Especially for the fact that I embarrassed myself beyond belief in there.

Allie and I got out of the car and walked into the shop. I didn’t see anyone at the counter right away, but after a minute, Brandon came around the corner looking even better than before (Either that or my eyes were so starved for eye candy they enhanced his deliciousness).

His face broke into a grin as he shouted, “Hey! It’s Crash and Allison! What’s up, ladies?”

I rolled my eyes but couldn’t help but return his grin as I pointed at Allie and said, “Well, Allie has done something to “wip” her “thung”, which I am assuming translates to mean she ripped her tongue. How? Not sure. But I am dying to find out!” I turned to grin at Allie, who looked so pathetic that I busted out laughing.

Allie shot me a dirty look and then turned to Brandon with the most pathetic face (even more pathetic than she looked ten seconds ago, which I didn’t think was possible) I’ve ever seen on a person. Brandon came around the counter and gently pulled Allie’s fingers and the paper towel away from her mouth.

“Okay, you should be able to talk a little bit better without your fingers and everything in your mouth. So what did you do?,” Brandon asked Allie.

“I was eating a fudge bar and when I licked it, well, you know…when you eat a popsicle and you put it in your mouth and then kinda suck and pull it back out? Know what I mean?” Allie trailed off, waiting for someone to acknowledge that we knew what she was talking about.

I wasn’t going there. And if Brandon’s eyes got any bigger, they were going to pop out of his head. I didn’t think his lips could stretch any further either, judging by the huge grin he had plastered on his face.

Allie continued earnestly, “ Well, I was eating the fudge bar and when I pulled it out, the ball to my tongue ring kinda dug into it and I felt this excruciating sharp pain in my tongue. Then I tasted the blood, which, hello, does not go with chocolate. Guess I could never be a vampire, huh? Anyway, I looked in the mirror and ‘lo and behold, I ripped my tongue!” The last part ended on a wail.

Brandon lost the battle and burst out laughing. I was more polite and turned away before losing it. Which earned me a quick smack to the back of my shoulder. What the hell, man!

We tried to control our laughter as Allie stood there and glared at us before asking Brandon, “Well? Can you fix it?” I swear she even stomped her foot.

Brandon guffawed even louder before wiping tears from his eyes and then taking a deep breath to get himself under control. (I was still giggling)

He put his hand out for Allie to take and told her, “Come on, Allie, let’s check you out.”

Brandon and Allie took off down the hall ahead of me, turning into a different room than the one I was in last time with Luke. I turned to follow them, letting out a muffled “oomph” when I ran into a brick wall. Well, it was a soft brick wall. A soft, solid, living, breathing brick wall. And boy did it smell good, too.

I felt hands grab my hips to steady me as a deep, silken voice spoke in my ear, “Hey, careful there. Wouldn’t want you to bust your lip again, sugar.”

Oh. My. God. It was Luke. And he knew who I was. Eek!

I pulled back and looked up into his gorgeous eyes, giving him a sheepish grin. He was saying something, but the intense smoky blue-grey of his eyes drew me in, mesmerizing me. I don’t think I’ve ever seen that color before, but I think its my new favorite.

“I’m sorry, what?” I stammer.

Luke grinned at me, shaking his head. “What are you doing here? Something wrong with your tattoo?” As he said this, he lightly grabbed my chin between his thumb and fingers and turned my face to the side. I felt his other hand come up and lightly trace the outside edge of my tattoo.

“No,” I said. “We’re here because Allie, believe it or not, ripped her tongue while eating a fudge bar. Brandon has her in the back looking at it.”

“Oh…okay…” Luke drew out the words in confusion, as if he wasn’t sure I was being serious. Sadly, I was.

“Can I go on back with her?” I asked him.

“Sure,” he replied, “I’ll come with you. I’ve gotta see this; it‘s definitely not the usual story we hear!”

We walked back to where Brandon had taken Allie and as I went to enter the room, I felt Luke’s hand rest at the small of my back. Whoa. Yup. There goes that electricity again, sending shivers skittering up my spine.

Allie was looking up at Brandon with a scowl on her face while he stood doubled over from laughing so hard. He had tears pouring from his eyes.

Luke asked, “What the hell, girlie?” and grinned at Allie.

Brandon wiped his eyes and straightened up, looking over at me and grinning widely.

“I’ve seen people rip their tongues before. But none by eating a fudge bar!” Brandon lost it again until Allie reached out and smacked him on his shoulder. He tried to reign in his mirth, but was failing miserably.

I looked over at Luke who was trying his damndest to keep from laughing and couldn’t help but smile at him.

“Okay, okay, I’m sorry,” Brandon wheezed, catching sight of the dismayed expression building on Allie’s face. He stopped laughing and walked over to cup her cheek in the palm of his hand. “Its just a little tear, didn’t do much damage, and as long as you don’t go sucking on any more fudge bars for the next week or two, it should heal fine. Might have a small scar, but the tongue literally is the fastest healing muscle in the body.” He stooped down to look into Allie’s eyes, watching her expression.

Allie replied quietly, “Okay. Thanks, Brandon. I really appreciate it.”

I could tell that she was affected by his gentle touch, but hell, so was I. He was being so sweet…well, now he was, since he wasn’t laughing uproariously in her face.