Joel looks to me. "You buy this shit?"
"Does anyone?" There. I set the gun down. Examine the work.
He turns to the ink. "Fuck, no wonder I keep coming back here. You do good shit."
"And you live four blocks away," I offer.
"Take more credit." His green eyes light up as he laughs. They're lighter than Kaylee's. Greyer.
Hers are more blue.
But it still sends all my thoughts racing back to her—
The way she groaned my name.
Those blue nails sinking into my skin.
The need filling her eyes.
Fuck, I need to get ahold of myself or I'm not going to survive this conversation.
"If it was me, the bragging would never end." He smiles that effortless, casual smile. "This alley girl the one you've been pining over?"
"I don't pine," I say.
Dean scoffs.
Joel too.
"Yeah. He's been pussy free for months now. More even." Dean shakes his head. "I don't know how you do it. One woman. Forever."
"She's the right woman." He holds up his left hand like his wedding ring is an Olympic medal. "You'd get it if any woman could tolerate you for more than—"
"Three minutes," I offer.
"That's cruel. Three minutes?" Joel looks to Dean. "Tell me you do better than that."
Dean laughs. "You make a woman come, she forgets how obnoxious you are."
"Not sure about that." Joel shakes his head. "Not in your case." He turns back to me. "She's the one who was hanging at the counter last time? Blond hair. Librarian look. Fuck, I love the librarian look."
"Watch it. He'll punch you," Dean says
"On my wife." Joel lets out a dreamy sigh.
"Yeah, 'cause a married man has never looked elsewhere," Dean says.
"I'll hit you." Joel curls his hands into fists, but his smile is too wide for him to sell it. "Not as hard as I'd like to, but I will hit you. We're recording shit tomorrow."
"How many times you mention that to Brendon?" Dean asks.
"I didn't know we could be talking about deflowering virgins in alleys." Joel turns to me. "You offering details? As disgusting as possible, preferably."
"If I'm not offering this asshole details, you think you have a good chance?" I ask.
He nods. "I'm only half as obnoxious."
I'm not sure about that.