“Cool name.”
I smiled cordially. “Can you tell her I’m here?”
“Oh, yeah. She isn’t here, Ransom.”
Nowshe was telling me this?
“When will she be here?”
She shrugged, pushing her bottom lip out. “No clue.”
I looked around me, calculating my next move. The place was crowded, the humidity rising.
“Will she be here today at all?” I tried again.
“Oh, yeah!” she said brightly, smiling up at me. “For sure, for sure. I just don’t know when she’ll be in.”
“I’ll wait, then.” I turned around to look for a seat, but there weren’t any available.
“That’s a good idea, but you’ll have to do it outside. Company rules.”
“Company?” I whirled around to sneer at her. “It’s a goddamn tattoo parlor, not JPMorgan.”
“Yeah, well, my boss doesn’t allow loitering. You’ll have to wait outside.”
“It’s raining sheets.” I gestured to the window, in case she hadn’t noticed.
“Sorry, dude.”
Karma was in the mood to fuck me real slow to candlelight today. I trudged outside, slamming the door on my way out. There was no knowing when Hallie would be here, and I didn’t want to scare her off by calling and asking.
To make matters worse, I couldn’t wait nearby. All the bars and restaurants around were still closed—it was too early—and there wasn’t a Starbucks in sight.
Pathetically, I found myself standing and waiting in the rain. I had no idea when she’d show up.Ifshe’d show up. I just knew I had to try. I couldn’t continue existing meaninglessly. It was excruciating.
I also hadn’t fucked anyone in over seven months, and was pretty sure my balls were about to fall off.
I paced the street, back and forth. A new feeling I had yet to experience trickled into me as the hours ticked by: doubt.
It’s been too long.
It’s too soon to start trying.
She’s moved on.
This was unchartered territory for me, as I was usually sure of everything I did, down to my meals for the next month or two.
By hour four, I started getting really pissed off. The idiot kid at the reception must’ve been wrong. It was close to late afternoon and still no Hallie.
I marched back into the parlor, slapping my palms over her counter again. This time, I created two small ponds of water. I was soaking wet, to the fucking bone.
“When’s she coming?” I demanded.
The girl looked up from her iPad, completely unfazed. “Who?”
What a moron…
“Hallie,” I said through gritted teeth. “Hallie Thorne.”