women went apeshit over. Tattoos covered my arm and chest, the design building over the years as I added more. Some covering scars external and internal.
“So… what do you say?”
She nudged her flip-flop into the dirt, her long hair falling forward, slightly above her elbow.
“Sure.” She finally nodded. “Why not. But it needs to be fair or within reason.”
“Within reason?” I scoffed, pulling on my clean shirt, then tugging on my ball cap. “You’re taking away the point of the whole thing.”
“I mean, my choice can’t be the pick of a restaurant, and for yours you make me dance in a strip club or something.”
“Oooh, sweetheart, you shouldn’t have given me that idea.”
“No.” She shook her head. “It was an example.”
“Not anymore.”
“Absolutely not. Never going to happen.”
“Guess we’ll see, won’t we?” I strolled up to her, holding out my hand. “Deal is a deal.”
She curled her hands away from my reach.
“I promise I’ll start off slow. No strip clubs… today.”
“Or tomorrow… or the next day… or…”
“Deal.” She hadn’t said anything about the day after that. Now she put it in my head, and against the logical part screaming at me, all I wanted was to see her up on stage, letting loose. This girl needed to be pushed out of her comfort bubble. Live a little. Her world seemed so tight and confined. “Come on, shake on it.”
“I’m making the biggest mistake of my life.” She exhaled but held out her palm.
“Yeah, but you’re gonna love it.” I winked at her, taking her hand in mine. Strong, warm, her grasp was anything but dainty and limp, sparking a pulse down my arm.
“We’ll see. But remember this is a two-way street.” She winked back, shaking my hand.
“Bring it, Nettles.”
“I will.”
“Deal.” I smirked, my hand not letting go.
She pulled her hand away, whistling for Goat. “I’m gonna go get dressed for the stripper pole.”
“Don’t trust me?”
“Not for one moment.” She brushed past me, her skin grazing my arm, shooting a need to act down my limbs. Instead, I rolled my hands into balls.
Smart girl.
Chapter 7
Kinsley
Maybe it was the handful of painkillers I took, but I stood transfixed, staring at Smith’s adventure of the day. It wasn’t anything like I thought. I figured he’d have me doing something crazy or insane, but instead he took me to a place that was none of those things.
“This place…” I uttered, my gaze going across the bizarre encampment.
“It’s crazy, huh?” His insane arm muscles bumped into me when he folded his arms. He stared out, taking it in. The heat was already beating down, so Goat was left in the air-conditioned van, happily napping on the bed. “I prefer off-the-beaten-path places. Most people don’t even know about this.”
“Yeah. How did you find it?” I had never heard of this place, but it was so cool.
“A friend.” His body stiffened enough to suggest the friend might have been a girl, probably the same one who had taken him to the camping spot. “She was doing a modeling shoot out here. Invited me along.”
Model. Of course. I was sure all his exes were Victoria’s Secret models or famous actresses. With his looks, I was surprised no one had put him in movies yet.
“This is Salvation Mountain, and there’s also East Jesus up the road if you want to see that one too. Hippie creativity and love at its finest.” He motioned for me to move forward. “Come on, insanity awaits. Be careful not to fall down a rabbit hole.”
The place was a twisted version of Mad Max, Alice in Wonderland, and The Wizard of Oz with a Jesus theme. A yellow path led you through the adobe painted art, but there were no set trails or direction, so you found your own way around. The place was one big hodgepodge art piece of wild colors, odd buildings, and cars painted and decorated. The small hill was filled with painted flowers, scripture, hearts, and words of love and kindness that flowed over a cruel and unforgiving landscape.
Nothing made sense, and it was so completely random it pushed against my need for structure and sense. I loved it. Pulling out my phone, I couldn’t help getting caught up in the contrasting colors of the dry, hot desert to this vibrant confused mess called art.
Smith strode in front of me, checking out the semi-covered path. Clay, hay bales, trees, painted adobe, and obscure objects created these little coves and rooms, igniting the childlike imagination stuffed away in the back of my