Chapter 5-Tattoos on this Town

"What are you doing tonight," Holly asked Lauren as they walked around the King of Prussia mall.

"Oh you know, nothing just sitting around at home, being lazy on another lonely Saturday night. At least you have Jeff to keep you company."

"Jeff is boring and doesn't do the whole cuddling thing. We fuck and he goes back to his room or I go back to mine."

"That's not true, when Mike and I saw you two last week, he had his arms around you when you were sleeping and you two looked content. I still hate the fact you scarred my guestroom for life."

"Fuck you," Holly joked as they walked into the Betsey Johnson store.

Holly browsed the racks of handbags, "What about this one," she asked Lauren who was trying on a belt.

"That is super cute," she replied, "Wear it with a brown or black belt and some boots. I like the orange one better."

"There's too much orange in my life, I like both the black and red one."

"Get a black and red belt."

"I need boots."

"There's red leather boots on the mannequin, so they have to sell them here."

Holly and Lauren finished shopping before grabbing lunch at a nearby restaurant. Lauren smiled down at her phone as she took a drink of her iced tea.

“What are you smiling about?”

Lauren sat her phone back down on the table before smiling up at Holly, “Mike wants to know if I want to hang out tomorrow afternoon after practice. Do you mind?”

Holly squealed earning glares from people eating around them, “Why would I mind? It’s obvious you two have a lot in common.”

“I just don’t want you getting mad, that’s all. I mean you did have sex with him several times and you went on a date with him.”

“It wasn’t a date, just dinner and sex,” Holly replied, “Just tell him that you’ll go with him.”

"I don't think it's a good idea."

"Why not?"

"I just don't want to be in a relationship with someone from my hometown. Don't get me wrong, Mike is great but everyone knows who he is back in Kenora and I don't want to be that 'hometown girl.'"

Holly sighed in defeat as she felt someone staring at her. When she looked across the room, she saw the blue eyes of the only man she ever fell in love with staring back at her.

He gave her a small smile and she immediately turned her attention back to Lauren, "Can we leave?"

"Are you okay," Lauren asked, "You look like you've seen a ghost."

"Something like that," Holly replied as Lauren waved for the waiter to bring their checks. Holly threw money down on the table and stood up to leave. She felt the man's eyes on her as she left and when she looked behind her, he was standing up to walk in her direction.

Lauren and Holly disappeared into a crowd of people and when Holly turned around, she noticed she lost him. Breathing in a sigh of relief, she looked around the Victoria's Secret store with Lauren.

Lauren was the first to break the silence, "Holly, what's wrong?"

"Nothing," she lied, "I'm fine."

"You're lying and you aren't yourself. What happened in the restaurant?"

Holly realized she couldn't lie to Lauren, "I saw someone from my past that I haven't seen in a year. I fell in love with him and when I told him, he ripped my heart right out of my chest."

"I'm sorry," Lauren replied, "I don't know what to say."

Holly smiled, "No one can say anything, and I am over him." So she thought…

Lauren smiled slightly and immediately they turned their attention back to the lingerie in front of them, “Where did you meet the guy?”

“Jeff introduced me to him; he invited a bunch of people over one time and we started talking. He took me out on dates and I really thought we had it good. He was everything I wanted and more: the tattoos, the bad boy attitude, and the soft side. I fell head over heels in love with him; I always thought Jeff was jealous when he would try to talk to me about him. I should have listened to him when he told me wasn’t who I thought he was. I wish I would have listened to Jeff because when I told him that I loved him, he told me he was married and that he couldn’t see me anymore.”

“What an asshole,” Lauren replied, “I want to know who it was so I can kick his ass.”

“You won’t have to look far, just think of the Phantoms with tattoos, there’s not that many,” Holly replied giving the cashier her credit card for the lingerie set and the body products that she had purchased.

Lauren’s eyes grew wide and Holly slapped her hand over her mouth before she could blurt out the name, “WHAT?”

“Keep it down,” Holly warned as people stared at them in the mall.

“I can’t believe it. I always thought he was a great player and a nice guy off the ice but after that, what a fucking loser.”

“Like I said, I’m over him,” Holly said lying to herself and to Lauren.

"How about since we are both boring and have no lives, we go out tonight, just the two of us. You need the alcohol tonight too."

"As long as there is alcohol involved, I'm in."

Lauren and Holly finished shopping before they headed to Lauren's house for the night. Holly texted Jeff to let him know she wouldn't be home until late and not to worry. Holly and Lauren ordered in food and Holly took a shower in Lauren's guest bathroom before getting ready.
Once they were both dressed and ready to go, they headed back into the city.

The Barbary was a small night club in the heart of the city that stayed busy seven days a week. Holly liked the club; she just didn't come here often since Jeff always dragged her to fancier night clubs.

Holly and Lauren found two seats at the bar and ordered their drinks. Holly and Lauren looked around the bar laughing at men and women who thought they could dance in their drunken, perhaps sober states of mind.

Holly and Lauren giggled as they ordered another drink, “Remind me never to marry a man that rhythmically challenged,” Lauren joked as Holly paid for her drinks.

“You two ladies have your drinks paid for, for the rest of the night,” the bartender replied handing Holly back her twenty dollar bill.

“By who,” Lauren asked suspicious of who could have paid for her and Holly’s drinks.

“I’m sorry but I swore to secrecy,” the statuesque bartender replied smirking at Lauren who was undressing him with her eyes.

“I think I know who it was,” Holly said nudging Lauren out of the bartender’s pants.

“Who?”

“That piece of shit across the bar did,” she said pointing to the blue eyed man staring back at her.

“Come on,” Lauren said standing up, “Let’s get out of here and go to Azure.”

Holly grabbed her clutch off of the bar and the two of them headed outside. Lauren lied and told the taxi driver that she was the person he was looking for and they headed to the new nightclub.

“Why does he keep popping up everywhere today,” Holly asked sighing and Lauren rubbed her forearm.

“Don’t let him get to you, Holly. That’s what he wants to happen, by ignoring him; you are saving yourself a lot of heartbreak.”

“I wish someone would have told me that two years ago.”

Lauren smiled apologetically as the taxi arrived in front of the nightclub in downtown Philadelphia, “Let’s get some more alcohol and dance until our feet fall off,” she said as her and Holly showed the bouncer their IDs while paying their cover charges.

Holly and Lauren were sitting at a small table towards the back of the club that still overlooked the dance floor. Lauren and Holly were laughing and having a good time just having time to themselves. Holly was constantly surrounded by men and her girls night out with Lauren was a breath of fresh air.

“I’m going to get another drink, want anything,” Holly asked Lauren as she stood up from the table.

“I’m to my limit; just get me a ginger ale.”

“Ginger ale is a great idea, I’m starting to lose my consciousness,” Holly replied as she made her way to the bar through the crowded dance floor. Holly was waiting for the bartender to pour her and Lauren’s drinks when the all too familiar scent of the man she hated filled her nose and she felt the familiarity of his broad chest pressed against her back. Swallowing hard, she tried not to let him feel the shutter of her body when his hands made their way towards her hips.

“Why do you keep running from me,” he whispered in her ear and she felt the goose bumps rise on her arms as his hot breath tickled her neck.

“I’m not running from anyone, Riley,” she snapped, “I just don’t want anything to do with you, now if you would excuse me; I have to get back to my friend.”

Riley Cote threw his hands up in defeat and watched the woman who’s heart he broke walk away from him and towards the table where a small brunette woman was sitting. Ordering a beer for himself, he tried not to let her bother him.

“I can’t fucking believe this shit,” Holly said slamming the glasses down on the table causing Lauren to jump and almost drop her phone onto the floor.

“What’s wrong?”

“He fucking showed up here, I think he fucking followed us,” Holly said pointing her thumb behind her towards the bar where Riley was leaning with his back against it drinking his beer and looking at the table.

“We aren’t leaving,” Lauren said, “You are not going to continue running from him, like I said, ignore him. It’s eating him up inside that you won’t even acknowledge him. By the way, Mike is coming. I know I said this was going to be a girls night but Mike is bored and Jeff is too wrapped up playing Xbox with Ben Eager and said no to coming out.”

“He gets that way sometimes,” Holly joked, “He loves to party but turn on the Xbox and his ass stays on the couch all night. One time I had on lingerie that I had bought for him and he just completely tuned me out.”

“Are you talking about the same Jeff Carter, the one who is Philadelphia’s nymphomaniac of the century?”

“That’d be the one,” Holly laughed as Riley made his presence known at the table.

“Sweet mother of God, can I please lick your abs,” Lauren said without thinking causing Riley to let out a husky laugh that sent a trickle down Holly’s spine.

“I don’t think Holly would allow that,” he joked grabbing a chair and sitting down.

“Go home to your wife,” Holly snapped, “I’m sure she doesn’t know what a pig you are.”

“Holly and I are having problems,” Riley replied crossing his arms on the table in front of him.

“Your wife’s name is Holly too,” Lauren asked, “How fucking ironic?”

“Shut up, Lauren,” Holly warned ready to fight her own battle.

“Can we talk,” Riley asked quietly and Holly shook her head no, “Please Holly, just hear where I was coming from? You never gave me a chance to explain.”

Lauren shot Holly a sympathetic glance that told her maybe it would be okay to at least hear Riley’s side of things, “Just go, Holly,” she said, “Maybe it’ll bring you closure instead of ignoring him.”

“Make up your fucking mind,” Holly snapped at Lauren, “You either want me to ignore him or you want me to talk to him.”

“Talk to him,” Lauren said, “Just go, Mike is going to be here shortly anyways.”

Riley smiled as Holly gave in and followed him out of the club and to his SUV, Riley opened the door for her and helped her make the big leap into the monster like truck that he drove before he walked around to the driver’s side and drove off into the direction of his house.

“Isn’t your wife home,” Holly asked finally breaking the silence that had settled between them.

“She’s in Ohio visiting her family,” he replied as they pulled into the driveway of the house that Holly knew all too well.

Riley locked the door behind them as Holly took her shoes off by the door and walked towards the kitchen, “You wanted to talk, so talk,” Holly said as Riley smirked and stepped towards her claiming her mouth with his.

Holly pushed him away and went to protest but Riley’s hockey playing reflexes caught her and his lips were on hers again. Before Holly could even register a complete thought, her back was on the bed and Riley was hovering over her shirtless.

“Riley, I can’t,” she said but as soon as she saw the muscles in his body flex, she was a goner and claimed his lips with her own.

Riley leaned her up against his chest and slowly slid the dress’ zipper down. Holly shivered as his calloused fingers touched her bare back. As she was fully naked in front of him, Riley traced the tattoo that he had given her on her hip with his fingertips causing Holly to squirm underneath him.

“I never forgot about this,” he said kissing the Chinese symbol for “fighter.” Something he had tattooed there so that Holly would remember him.

Holly pulled the skullcap off of Riley’s head and ran her fingers through his curly hair. Riley smiled at her as he entered her slowly causing her to hiss as her body expanded to fit him. Holly shrieked as Riley hit her spot as their bodies rocked together. Holly saw the sweat dripping from Riley’s hair that had fallen forward and she pushed it back as he stared into her eyes as he brought her to the brink of pleasure.

Holly cried out Riley’s name as he collapsed on top of her and placed gentle kisses down her collarbone. Riley rolled over and pulled Holly to his chest and soon he was fast asleep with his arm around her waist. Holly lied in the bed that she knew he made love to his wife in and stared up at the ceiling. Wiping away the tear that had fallen out of her eye, she carefully removed Riley’s arm from around her waist and got dressed before calling Jeff to come get her. Jeff pulled up in front of the house and saw Holly sitting on the porch steps crying.

Jeff got out of the car in his sweatpants and Flyers hooded sweatshirt and picked Holly up carrying her to the car. Holly shivered as the cold November air hit her bare shoulders. Jeff pulled the sweatshirt over his head and gave it to her leaving him shirtless as they made the drive back to their house.

“Want to talk about it,” he asked as they sat on the couch in their living room.

“There’s nothing to talk about it, I did it again after I swore I wouldn’t.”

Jeff pulled her closer to him and wrapped his arm around her waist protectively, “It’s hard to forget people you love but you are a beautiful girl, Holly.”

“I should have listened to you when you told me to stay away from him,” Holly cried and Jeff sighed before picking her up and carrying her to his room.

Holly had changed out of her clothes and was wearing Jeff’s sweatshirt as he held her against his bare chest on the bed, “I’m not going to say I told you so because that would be rude on my part,” Jeff whispered running his hands through her hair, “Just get some sleep and try not to think about it.”

Holly kissed his cheek and laid her head on his chest, falling asleep while Jeff ran his fingers through her hair. Jeff lied in bed and vowed to beat Riley’s ass the first chance he got, he was an idiot for letting Holly go, any man was. Jeff knew he had to be there to protect her and he vowed never to let anyone hurt her again, especially not the man that had ruined her and had turned her into a girl that Jeff wasn’t sure he knew anymore.