“So, Ethan.” I tap my fingers on my leg.
“Yes?” he singsongs.
“Your boyfriend’s name is Chris, right?”
He nods. “Yup.”
Levi stares at Ethan’s hand as if monitoring it for any sign of a mistake. I really shouldn’t do this while the man has a needle on me, but he’s a professional. I’m sure he’s been through worse.
“Cam mentioned you guys were doing well earlier.” That catches Levi’s attention. He looks at me curiously.
Ethan remains focused, not minding the personal statement. “Yeah, we’ve been steady for a while now.”
“That’s great.” I pause. “So, what’s your favorite style of tattooing?”
“Definitely realism.”
“Color?”
“Black and red.”
“Piercing?”
“Ear. Cleanest and easiest.”
“Kind of jewelry?”
“Always gold or silver 925.”
“How many piercings do you have?”
“Four.”
“Where?”
“Ears and a nipple.”
“Levi’s kind of Prince Albert?”
“Regular.”
Levi’s eyes widen and the tattoo gun shuts off.
Holy crap, it worked, and I was right.
Ethan clears his throat. “Yeah, I only know that because Kamila mentioned it after we met.” His words are anything but convincing.
Levi looks at him, then back at me. Both of their faces are beet red, and I can’t help the laugh that spills out of me. “You’re a terrible liar.”
Cameron’s cousin’s lips twitch as he gives Levi a side-eye and chuckles silently. “Your girlfriend’s intuitive, I’ll give her that.”
I’m clutching my stomach with my good arm as I double over, the tattoo only missing one last thing. “Oh God, I’m so sorry.” Levi’s face hasn’t moved. In fact, it’s gone pale. Shit, I didn’t mean to make him feel bad. “It’s okay, Hotshot. I was only messing with you guys because of what Kami said earlier.”
Levi rubs a hand through his hair. “I need a minute.”
He storms toward the back, and I close my eyes, regretting my words. This isn’t something I would typically do. I didn’t think things through. Well, old Stevie has made an appearance once again.
Ethan pats my leg. “Give him a minute, this won’t take long.” He turns the needle back on. This time, I feel numb as he finishes, passing the soap and a paper towel over the new ink. He puts a patch of some kind to protect it for the next couple of days. The tattoo is gorgeous, but the feeling of getting the last thing on my list accomplished isn’t the same without Levi. “He probably went to the bathroom.” Ethan interrupts my thoughts and points to where it is. “Go.”
