About Toy Box: Tattooed Ladies

with stories by Adriana Kraft, Kissa Starling and Beth Wylde
48 pages / 11200 words
ISBN: 978-1-61040-016-9
Ebook zipped file contains - html, lit, Adobe and Sony optimized pdf, prc, epub

What is it about tattoos that make them so sexy? This Toy Box answers that question for the ladies, with three hot stories. A Bucket List Tattoo by Adriana Kraft finds just past fifty and freshly divorced cardiac nurse Natalie Gardner who decides it’s time to create her personal bucket list. On the top of her list? A tattoo -- but she’s nervous about the pain. Maybe Cindy McGraw, the hot young physical therapist she often lunches with, can help her out. Next on her list? It may be too much to hope for, but she’s definitely angling for more than tattoo advice from Cindy. Would a taste be too much to ask?

In Lipstick Prints by Kissa Starling, an online baker's site provides an introduction for Tessa to Maria, a bisexual wife and mother. Their friendship builds through daily discussion, phone calls and eventually an in-person meeting. That moment in time becomes a catalyst for change in Tessa that she never thought possible. Finally, Beth Wylde brings us In My Skin. Melissa is a tattoo artist whose girlfriend has a serious phobia about needles. Kendra finally decides to confront her fears and let Melissa tattoo her, but just stepping into her lover’s shop leaves her shaking. Will Melissa be able to pull off the impossible and put her name in Kendra’s skin? It’s going to take some smooth moves and fast talking to get it done right.

Sample

From: In My Skin by Beth Wylde

I saw the flashing neon sign of Melissa's shop from over a mile away. The closer I got, the harder my foot pressed down on the accelerator. Instead of slowing down, I flew past the exit, missing the turn while my heart hammered in fear. "Shit! I can do this. I am not a coward."

I repeated the phrase over and over again as I pulled an illegal U-turn at the next intersection and forced myself to go back. By the time I parked the car and stumbled to the sidewalk, my legs were shaking so badly I almost fell flat on my ass. My mantra wasn't working. I was scared shitless. I stopped a block from my destination and leaned back against the nondescript wall of a tiny convenience store. One of the hundreds that filled the city. I had to calm down. "For Christ's sake, Kendra. Get a grip on yourself. People do this every fucking day."

The laugh that escaped sounded slightly hysterical. Who was I trying to kid? Maybe some people visited tattoo parlors regularly, but I wasn't one of them. In fact, I had a bit of a phobia where needles were concerned. I couldn't even have blood drawn at my doctor's office without passing out. "This is going to be a freaking disaster."

I'd just put my hand on the doorknob when the flashing Ink by M sign overhead went out, like an omen of something sinister coming my way. Considering what I was about to do, the warning seemed pretty appropriate. I did my best to shrug off the negativity, sucked in a deep breath, and forced myself to open the door. All I really wanted to do was turn around and run away. Fast. "I'm not a coward. I'm not a coward."

I kept repeating my mantra in an endless whispered loop while I glared at the empty waiting room that loomed before me. The left wall was covered in pictures of past clients showing off their tattoos, some done in places that defied both reason and sanity. The right wall held similar pictures, only these were of people and their piercings. One girl proudly showed off her double-D breasts and the huge rings she'd had attached to them. The thought of someone shoving a big-ass needle through my tits made me break out in a cold sweat.

On the far side of the wall, where the receptionist normally sat, was a huge display of black photo albums. These were Melissa's personal portfolios. There was also a poster advertising freehand drawings and specialized work for an extra fee. That was all it took. It wasn't working. I couldn't lie to myself. I was a chicken and I was about to prove it. I spun around, ready to make my escape, when I came face-to-face with Melissa, my life partner and the owner of the establishment I was about to flee.

I raised my right hand and gave a little finger wave, like a guilty child with one hand caught in the cookie jar. I wasn't sure I could outrun Melissa. Did I even want to try? "Um, hi."