Page 22 of Restless Ink
Jesus, Dimitri needed to do something about his life, but first, he needed to try and do something about Jason’s.
“We’re going to talk, Jason. All of us. But in the meantime, if you need anything. I’m here.”
“Whatever. Are we done now?”
While he didn’t like Jason’s attitude, there was nothing Dimitri could do about it now, so he let the kid leave, shaking his head as he looked down at his notes. Jason could be anAstudent, but things had changed, and Dimitri wanted to fix it.
But he’d been a teacher long enough to know that while he couldn’t fix everything, he could at least try.
“Mr. Carr. Good, you’re here. We need to talk.”
Vice Principle Riley strode into Dimitri’s classroom, his chin raised, and his signature sneer in place like usual. Dimitri didn’t know how the guy had worked his way up the ranks, but for some reason, Dimitri could never seem to do anything right in the guy’s eyes.
That’s what happened when he looked the part of a rock star—at least according to Riley—rather than a staid teacher.
What the fuck ever.
“What can I do for you?”
“You can keep those sleeves down. I don’t need any more complaints about your attire.”
Dimitri looked down at his sleeves that completely covered his ink. He didn’t even need to pull them down, but he gave Riley a bland look.
“My tattoos are covered. You shouldn’t be getting any complaints.”
“We’ll see.”
With that, Riley strode out of the room, and Dimitri rolled his neck. He was seriously starting to hate his job and knew that if things didn’t change, he’d have to find a new school where he could be who he was. It hadn’t been a problem before, the people changing with the times and tattoos not being a problem at most of the schools he’d taught at. He just hoped Riley got his stick out of his ass soon so Dimitri wouldn’t have to make yet another life-altering decision.
Of course, if he changed schools, he’d have to change houses, too. But maybe then he’d be able to get one where he could have Captain with him rather than their current situation.
The thought of moving made him think of not being near Thea, and he shook his head as he packed up his things. He hadn’t heard from her except for her texts after she’d left Molly’s saying the deed was done. She’d ignored his request to talk, and he’d let her have that as he wasn’t going to fucking stalk her.
The fact that Molly hadn’t texted him yet either worried him, but not enough for him to freak out. He had enough on his plate, and he needed to have a clear head for work and, frankly, to figure out what he was going to do when it came to Thea Montgomery.
He’d do that. But first, he had dinner. Mace had invited him out for a drink and wings with the guys, and since Dimitri didn’t really have a set of friends of his own, he’d jumped at the chance. Sure, things were already complicated when it came to Thea, and going out with her sister’s guy for a drink might make it weird. But Dimitri needed friends that weren’t part of Molly’s circle, and after hanging out with Carter and Mace at Thea’s, he liked the two and wanted to see if something could work out between them all.
Look at him, turning over new leaves everywhere he went.
Since his meetings had run late, he didn’t have time to go home or even stop by Molly’s to see Captain before he headed to the bar. Not that he was looking forward to seeing Molly after her conversation with Thea. But it would have to happen sometime, and he’d face the consequences of his actions when it did. He just hoped that Molly hadn’t taken out any anger she might have on Thea.
Thea didn’t deserve that. If anyone did, it was Dimitri. Sure, he was a single man who could sleep with and date anyone he chose, but that didn’t mean he should take anyone’s feelings lightly.
It wasn’t lost on him that the first person he’d slept with after his divorce was Thea. He hadn’t been interested in any form of relationship with another person so soon after his divorce when he first moved into his apartment. In the months since the divorce, he’d noticed women, but he hadn’t been in the mood to start anything new.
That was until he saw Thea again.
He had no idea what exactly he wanted—ifshe ever spoke to him again—but he knew that he didn’t want their connection, whatever it was, to end. How that would work, he didn’t know, but he had a feeling he’d soon find out.
As he pulled into the parking lot of the local wing place Mace loved, Dimitri put those thoughts to the side since he really didn’t want to talk about it with the guys. It seemed Mace and his friends came here often enough that it wastheir place,and Dimitri was oddly excited.
He was starting a new phase of his life in more ways than one it seemed.
Mace and another man Dimitri didn’t recognize were already seated at a table when Dimitri made his way to the back.
Mace raised his hand in greeting, and the other guy lifted his chin. “Hey, glad you made it, Dimitri. This is Landon. He’s a friend from way back, and now works at the most boring job possible.”
Landon, a slender man with dark hair and sharp looks, flipped his friend off before holding out a hand. “I’m a broker. Sorry, I’m not a famous tattoo artist who gets to play with sharp objects all day.”