“Whatever.” I brushed it off. He was a grumpy asshole, and he didn’t deserve my time, even if he’d helped me out in a jam.
“I think you were looking for, thank you.” He slung his leg over the bike, and I found myself way too interested in the motion as he rocked the bike forward, adjusting himself on the seat.
I tilted my head and clasped my hands together, attempting to appear overly sweet. In a breathy Marilyn Monroe voice, I gave him what he wanted. “Thank you, Mr. Biker Man, for assisting me in changing my stubborn old tire. However, can I repay such a favor?” Then I rolled my eyes and flipped him the bird. “Better?”
“Much,” he smirked, and his devilish grin on his dark face took me aback. “But you’re not my type, so that wouldn’t work either.” He looked me up and down one last time and then started his bike. The roar was deafening, but not worse than the sound of my blood pulsing through my ears as embarrassment bloomed in my chest. He rode away without another glance and I stared after him, utterly shook.
How did that man push my buttons so well that he made me feel insecure?
“Fuck you!” I screamed after him, flipping him the bird again and then flying the other one just for good measure before stalking back to my car. “I hate men.”
Chapter 2 – Lex
Trey glanced up from his magazine at the breakroom table as I walked into Twisted Ink, an hour and a half late. “Well, look who decided to show up.”
“Don’t start.” I snapped, blowing past him.
“Oooh, somebody’s in a mood.” He stood up and followed me to my suite, but I turned and blocked his path as he tried to follow me inside.
I held my fingers up in front of his face, pinched so tight there wasn’t a paper’s width of space between them. “I’m this close to knocking someone’s teeth out. If you want it to be you, then keep it the fuck up. If not, get lost. I have a client to see.”
He scoffed and leaned against the doorjamb, dramatically keeping his toes from crossing the threshold. “Actually, you don’t. Dallin canceled your appointment.”
“What?” I whirled on him. “Why?”
“Uh, you’re almost two hours late.” He widened his eyes like it was obvious.
“Ugh!” I screeched, throwing my purse at the wall and huffing. “I’m so not in the mood for your shit today, Trey!”
“Whoa,” Parker’s calm voice sounded from the doorway, and I glared over my shoulder at him as he pulled Trey back. “That’s enough poking the bear, buddy.” He shoved him back toward his own suite.
But Trey was too dumb to leave with his safety intact, “Let’s be real. We all know that little Lexi-poo isn’t dangerous.” He added. I snatched the first thing within reach, which turned out to be a metal paperweight, and prepared to strike.
“No!” Parker barked, grabbing my arm and stopping me, sliding my door closed behind him as he went. “Down girl, he’s not worth it.”
“I’m not in the mood to be bothered right now, Parker,” I warned, tossing the heavy metal weight down onto my desk and putting my hands on my hips as I fought for control of my temper.
“What’s going on?” He asked, sitting on my stool, and staring at me, giving me no choice but to talk. Parker was probably the closest thing I had to a best friend. Typically levelheaded, he had a knack for understanding women’s thoughts, making him an easy person to talk to. But I still wasn’t in the mood.
“I hate men,” I answered like that was any answer at all.
“Yep, you’re a lesbian. That tracks.” He nodded like a therapist would for me to continue.
I glared at him for good measure and then threw myself down into my comfy chair, where I sketched most days and deflated altogether. “Sally blew a tire this morning. And I missed my first appointment because Dallin canceled it when I was late.”
His eyebrows rose. “Why didn’t you call me? I would have changed it for you.”
“Because I’m not some helpless ninny!” I huffed. “I can change a tire. But my jack was so rusted and stubborn it ate my tire iron and left me stranded.”
“So how’d you get here?”
I pursed my lips. “Some asshat pulled over and changed it for me.”
He cocked his head to the side with a stupid smirk on his face. “A man, I presume.”
I flipped him off, “I’ve flown this bird so many times this morning, it’s going to fall off my hand.”
He fake cried, “Not the pussy pleaser three thousand!” His pretty boy grin was almost enough to make me crack a smile, but not quite. After settling down again, he went on. “So what was it about the asshat man that got you so pissed off?”
I shook my head and pulled at a thread on my shorts. “Fuck if I know. He just instantly rubbed me the wrong way and gave me some toxic masculinity vibes, as he assumed I should throw myself at him in thanks for helping me out. And then,” I pointed at him, “He criticized my appearance.”
Parker gasped dramatically. “Is the ALT girl crying because someone turned their nose up at her over-the-top style? I thought that was kind of why you dressed so crazy some days.”
“It is,” I admitted. “But more than that, I do it because I like it.”
“Then what does it matter if he didn’t?” He leaned forward on his elbows.
“I don’t fucking know. I think that’s half the problem.”
“Were you attracted to him?” He asked, and I could hear the caution in his tone.
“I don’t do dicks, Parker. You know that.”
“You haven’t done dicks, Lex. That doesn’t mean you can’t change your mind, though.” He rubbed his hands together excitedly. “Do you think maybe you were attracted to him and that’s why his snub affected you? Have you felt attracted to men before?”
“Yes,” I admitted. “I can appreciate the male form and the differences between men and women. But that doesn’t mean I want to fuck them. It’s like admiring a tattoo, even if it’s nothing you’d ever want on your body.”
“But did you want that man on your body?” He raised one brow with a smirk. “You're avoiding my key question, which I think answers it in reality.”
