15

THE PIERCING

~*~

“Where are you from, Jewel?” Paris’ mother asked. “I can tell you’re not used to this heat.”

“Toronto.”

“Oh. Long way from home.”

“Came to Vegas to party?” Shawn asked.

“Sort of. My sister had her bachelorette party here.”

“How long have you and Paris been together?” her sister-in-law asked.

“Not long.”

“What happened to the girl you brought to the last family function? The one with the red hair.”

“Iyana,” her husband warned.

“What? I’m just wondering. I liked her.”

“I bet you did,” Paris mumbled.

“Let’s not talk about the past. Presently, Jewel is here and that’s all that matters,” her mother said, trying to avert the subject.

Iyana was as ruthless and insistent as a hungry pit, ignoring her mother in law. “I just think it’s a shame you only come around when you want to flaunt. First the car, then a girl, now another girl. I don’t even think you’re here to celebrate your brother, you’re here to celebrate her.”

“Iyana, why do you have to start with Paris every time she comes?” Shawn asked, leaning back in his seat, arms folded across his chest. His expression was tight, his demeanor protective of his sister.

“I’m not starting with her. I’m saying to her what everyone else has been saying.”

“Is that what everyone’s been saying behind my back?” Paris asked, looking around the table. “That I only come around to show off?”

“No, Paris. But we do wish we would see you more often,” her mother said.

“I’m sorry I have to work to maintain my independence.”

“You just work so hard and you don’t have to,” her mother continued. “You could come back home and go to school like we’ve been saying. Get a degree, get a good job, then when you leave home you won’t have to struggle so hard.”

“Mom, I don’t want to take that route. No disrespect to Malcolm, but staying home and going to college isn’t what I want to do.”

“What do you want to do then? Work as a security guard your whole life?”

“You need to further your education, Pear,” her father chimed in.

She said nothing. She simply wiped her hands and mouth then stood. “Come on, Jewelina.”

“Don’t leave, Paris. We’re only trying to help,” her mother insisted.

“You’re always trying to help instead of letting me live my own life.”

Paris exited the backyard through the gate against the wishes of her family who tried to call her back. The silence that followed was thick, tense, the slam of the gate echoing. I stood, tried to muster a polite goodbye to everyone. They muttered a halfhearted goodbye Fikirtepe Escort back, the event obviously ruined.

Paris was silent in the car, her eyes staring ahead with sharp intensity.

“Do you want to talk about it?” I asked.

“No.”

“Where are we going?”

We were flying down the freeway, her car’s engine growling like it was also angry. My back was flush against the seat.

She didn’t answer my question. I watched as we came off the freeway then drove a few minutes down a street called Decatur before turning onto a small road. From there, we turned into a huge parking lot filled with cars.

Paris led the way into the equally humongous building, interlocking our fingers so I didn’t get lost in the mass of people also entering. When we were inside, I saw it was a mall. It looked more like a swap meet with the array of small businesses also inside, large corporations like Macy’s, FootLocker, Bath and Body Works not at all the main attractions.

“This is the Mall of Las Vegas, isn’t it?” I asked.

“It is,” she said, still leading while I looked around in amazement at the colorful shops we passed. I’d read about this mall prior to coming, but had no intentions of visiting it. I wasn’t much of a shopper, unless I was in Barnes and Nobles or Goodwill.

We got onto the escalators. The second floor was just as colorful and packed as the first.

“Come on.” She tugged me in the direction of a raunchy place called Diversity. Only once we were inside did I see it was a tattoo parlor.

“What are we doing in here?”

“You should get a piercing,” she said to my astonishment.

I looked around at the posters of heavily tattooed and modified human beings. I had no tattoos or piercings, although I’d always been fascinated by them. I’d never considered getting any myself, as no one I associated with had any. Well, none that were visible anyways.

“What kind?” I asked, truly intrigued by the idea.

Her finger flickered across my nipple, a chill zigging down my spine.

“I…” I was at a loss for words, partly because the thought of a needle piercing through my sensitive nipple frightened me. But mostly it was due to the fact that I’d fantasized about a moment like this when I’d have sadistic lover to push me to boundaries I would never explore on my own. To have someone that made me do unthinkable things for their pleasure, things that would cause me pain and discomfort and have me looking in the mirror at myself with a mixture of confusion and elation in my eyes, was a desire that sat heavily on my heart. I looked into Paris’ iron eyes that were watching Fikirtepe Escort Bayan me. Was this woman my person — really and truly the one I’d been waiting for? She had to be. Even though we hardly knew each other, she made my heart thump at a tempo I’d never experienced the way she seemed to be inside my head, picking out fantasies buried inside me, dusting them off and manifesting them for my enjoyment and satisfaction. Regardless of what my brain kept denying, deep within myself was the unintelligible truth that she was the one…

“How can I help you ladies?” A heavily tattooed woman was suddenly before us.

“We want to get her nipple pierced,” Paris said, still not looking from me.

“Cool. Let me get you a form to fill out and we’ll jump to it. I’m Ashley by the way.”

Paris filled out the form and provided the payment. Then we were in the back room, me sitting on the table while the piercer prepared her items.

“I need you to remove your shirt and bra, if you’re wearing one, and sit up straight.”

I did as she said, glancing at Paris. Her eyes remained on me the entire time, her demeanor cool and nonchalant, her eyes on fire the way they became minutes before she would grab me to her. When her eyes looked at my nipples, they became overly sensitive like her gaze was her fingertips.

“Ready?” Ashley asked.

“Yes.”

She marked my nipples then grabbed the first needle. “Deep breath,” she said.

I breathed in and squeezed my eyes shut as she penetrated the skin. I swallowed the whimper that tried to slip from my lips as the throbbing pain zipped sensations between my legs. As she switched the needle out for the barbell I had to keep from rocking my hips back and forth.

She began prepping the other nipple then reminded me to breathe a second before she pierced me. I gasped, forcing my body to hold still. I looked up at Paris to find she still had not taken her eyes off me. She stood with her arms crossed, eyes menacing slits. If it weren’t for Ashley being there, no doubt she would push me back against the table and do unspeakable things to me.

“All done. Wanna see?”

Ashley gestured at the mirror on the wall. I stood in front of it admiring the stainless steel jewelry decorating my nipples. Paris came to stand beside me, also admiring them.

“You’re mine now,” she whispered.

I couldn’t believe I was capable of being any wetter, but her words accomplished that task.

I put my shirt back on, we thanked Ashley, and we left the shop.

We walked around the mall, hand in hand. My nipples were aching and ten times more Escort Fikirtepe sensitive as they rubbed against the fabric of my shirt. I wanted Paris to pull me into one of the restrooms and handle me as she had at her parents’ place.

“I have to use the bathroom,” I said when another one came into view.

“Go ahead. I’ll wait out here.”

“You don’t want to go in with me?”

“I’m fine.”

There was humor in her eyes. She knew what I was trying to do and she was purposely playing oblivious. But I didn’t know how to tell her that I wanted more, that I needed her fingers between my legs again.

“I’m ok,” I ended up saying. “Let’s keep going.”

She smirked and we continued walking.

“Any of the stores interest you?” she asked.

“No.”

“Let’s get a snack then we’ll go.”

We ended up at a place called Cinnabon. She ordered us two items called Caramel Pecanbons and two waters. We took a seat at a table in the food court.

I took my pain killers from my purse and popped two in my mouth. The water helped them go down smoother.

“If we were walking too much you could’ve told me,” Paris said.

“It wasn’t the walking. I could be lying in bed all day and it’ll start hurting.”

She didn’t say anything, just watched me with concern in her expression.

“I promise, I’m fine,” I reassured her.

We began eating. The pain medicine kicked in, dulling not only the ache in my leg but also the new piercings.

“Do you want to know what happened?” I asked her.

“You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.”

“I want to.” I took a sip of water and cleared my throat. “I was in an accident with my parents when I was nine. The side I was sitting on was hit. It broke my leg. Even with physical therapy, it never healed correctly.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Thanks.” I brushed stray strands of hair out of my face then continued picking at the cinnamon bun. I avoided looking at her as I asked, “Does my limp bother you?”

“Would I be with you if it did?” When I said nothing, she continued. “No, Jewelina, it doesn’t bother me. Did it bother the others you dated?”

“Some of them, yes. They never admitted it, but I could tell they were embarrassed when people would look at me or people would ask if I needed accommodations.”

She put her hands on the tabletop, palms up. I put my hands in hers.

“You’re unlike any girl I’ve ever been with, and I wouldn’t change a thing about you.”

I smiled, my cheeks flaming with blush. “What side of heaven did you come from?”

She snickered. “The side where the wicked angels reside.”

I wiped a smudge of caramel from the corner of her lip. She grasped my wrist, taking my finger into her hot mouth. I had to stifle a moan.

“You’re making me feel things I never knew possible.”

Her lips smiled around my finger. “And it’s only the beginning. There’s somewhere else I want to take you.”