Adrian
I can’t believeI just asked her to have a drink with me, or that she even agreed. Raven, the woman lying on my table, told me I should ask. Some people pay therapists hundreds, or even thousands, of dollars to spill their guts to a person sitting behind a desk. I’m not knocking therapy. It’s always a good idea to keep your mental health intact. But Raven is someone I’ve been working with for years. She probably knows me better than anyone.
“What did I tell you?” She laughs. “All you have to do is ask.” I want to argue with her. Tell her all of my doubts and reservations. But she continues, “Don’t bother telling me what a bad idea this is. You need to live your life, and stop living in fear of someone screwing you over the way Miranda did.”
“I wasn’t going to say that,” I mutter. It’s close to what I was going to say, but she doesn’t need to know that.
“Yes, you were,” she accuses. “Anyway, you need to finish up my ink or you won’t be able to get drinks with your crush.”
“She’s not a crush.” Dipping the needle into the ink pot, I continue working on the flowers going up and down the side of her back. We’ve been working on it for a while. She’ll have one on each side by the time we’re done. Raven will be in here in another two weeks to continue working on it.
“You know you don’t have to lie to me,” she says into the silence, scaring the hell out of me. I thought she had zoned out again. “You’ve been talking about her for months. If that isn’t a crush, I don’t know what is.”
“It’s complicated,” I sigh. “I like her… a lot. There are days she seems like a complete badass, and others when she’s as fragile as porcelain.” Today is one of the fragile days. Sophia tries her best to hide it, but something is hurting her, and as much as I’ve been fighting it, I want to be the one she confides in. Even though she’s friends with Bianca and Charleigh, I don’t think they know the full extent of who she is. We all get the tip of the iceberg, and I want to know what’s below the surface.
“Okay, Romeo,” she mutters. “Let’s get this section done. It looks like we both have dates tonight.”
“You didn’t tell me you had a date.” If she had, I wouldn’t have spent so much time talking to Sophia just now.
“What are you? My father?” She shakes her head the slightest bit, doing her best not to move the rest of her body. “I don’t tell you about all the guys I date. I’m just having fun right now until there is something to tell you about.”
“You’re being careful right?” Raven is like a sister to me at this point. Seeing her every couple of weeks for new ink is bound to form that bond.
“Yes, Adrian.” Even though I can’t see her face, I’m ninety percent sure she just rolled her eyes at me. “I’m being careful. Geez, it’s not like I sleep with every guy I go on a date with.”
“Good,” I nod. “You never know about people anymore. There are a lot of weirdos out there.”
“I should know. I’m one of them.” She looks over her shoulder to see the progress. “Now, less talking, more tattooing.”
Who am I to argue with her? She’s right, there’s only a bit more of this design that I have to finish, and she can go meet whoever this guy is. And I can go out with Sophia. Hopefully the nerves taking up residence in my stomach don’t make my hands shake too much.
* * *
The shop is finally blessedly quiet. Everyone is cleaning up their areas, ready to put this busy day behind them. I’m not sure what they are complaining about. It’s only Thursday. We still have two more long days ahead of us before we get an easy one.
Sophia is talking to Charleigh and Bianca when I walk out of my room. “Ready to do this again tomorrow?”
Charleigh groans and drops her face into her hands. “Can I call in sick tomorrow?” Her voice is muffled but we all know what she’s saying.
“Nope,” Sophia shakes her head. “I’m not going to be the one responsible for calling all of your clients. You’re booked solid through Sunday.”
“That’s it,” Charleigh throws her arms in the air. “I’m going to go hang out with Layla at her daycare. Maybe one of them will get me sick.”
“Don’t even think about it,” I warn. “People were not happy when you ran out in the middle of the day last summer. Your customer base has only gotten bigger, and you don’t want that many people pissed with you.”
“Fine,” she pouts. “I guess I’ll just go home and get some sleep.”
Bianca is doing her best not to laugh. She was always crazy busy before Charleigh started tattooing, but I think she likes the free time she has now. “That sounds like a better plan. I don’t have to be taking on your angry people.”
“Okay, okay,” Charleigh holds her hands up in surrender. “I’ll be here. Who knows? Maybe I’ll even come in early.”
“Don’t get our hopes up,” Sophia says while grabbing her purse from under the desk.
“Do you need a ride home?” Bianca is digging her key out of her back pocket. “I noticed your car wasn’t outside when I grabbed food earlier.”
Sophia sneaks a sly glance in my direction and she blushes. “No, I’ve got a ride home.”
“All right,” Bianca says, eyeing both of us suspiciously. “See everyone tomorrow.”