“How’re you doing?That must have fucked you up,” Trent said.
Cujo stopped any pretense of still drawing.He rubbed his hand over his head.“Felt fucking useless.We couldn’t get the cable ties off.Couldn’t get a go at the guy.”He tried not to think about it too much, and wasn’t about to admit he’d lost sleep over it.
“How’d Drea hold up?”
Cujo smiled at the thought of her.“Solid.Didn’t freak out once.”
Trent chuckled.“Please tell me you didn’t…”
Sleep with Drea, Cujo finished the sentence mentally.“I didn’t, scout’s honor.”He raised his fingers in salute.Not that he hadn’t thought about it once or twice.Like maybe this morning when he woke up.Or last night before he fell asleep.Or in the car on the way to work.
“Well, if you’d ever been a scout, I still wouldn’t believe it.”
“You are about to cross over a line?”Cujo said.
“The fact there’s a line scares me a little,” Trent said with a grimace.
Cujo looked toward his best friend and raised his eyebrows.
“Wow.This is too much of a fucking head spin for our first day back.”Trent popped a candy in his mouth.“So what else has been happening?”
He thought of telling Trent about his mom, but it deserved more time.Later, when no one else was around.Over a beer.Or a six-pack.The girl waiting for the tattoo he was drawing walked into the studio holding a giant coffee.He picked up his pencil and added the final touches.
“Can we chat later?Maybe grab a drink?”Cujo asked.
“Definitely, man.Was going to suggest it.”
“In other news, we had a visit from the city.I tattooed a stupid underage kid, three months from being legal and just couldn’t wait, but we had all the docs to prove she gave us fake ID.And thanks to the cameras, we can show her giving it to us.”
“So no fallout?”
“Unlikely.The inspectors took copies away.Tell me more about Tahiti.”
As Trent explained, Harper joined them, her phone to her ear.“Oh, Drea, I’m sorry.What does that mean?Do you know how long?”Harper’s voice was etched with worry.There was a pause.“Well, I’m at the studio.Can you come over when you’re done, before our shift starts, so we can catch up?”Another pause.“Great.”
Drea was on her way over.And he was just about to start a solid three-hour tattoo.He couldn’t decide if that was good or not.
***
Drea closed her phone.Harper was back and it was a relief to hear her voice.She walked from the police station, where she’d attempted to talk to Detective Carter with no success, toward Second Circle.The desk officer promised to have the detective contact her when his shift started.
Her best friend was home.Drea excitedly threw the door open a little harder than intended.The glass in the window rattled as the handle hit the wall.
“You’re back!”she cried, running to hug Harper.She grabbed Harper’s hand and pretended to be blinded by the bling of her engagement ring.
Cujo laughed from his chair where he was applying a tattoo to the top of his client’s thigh.Only he wasn’t paying attention to Drea.The flutter of jealousy was unwarranted.He was free to flirt.
“Oh my goodness, Drea, I can’t believe what happened.Are you sure you’re okay?”Harper asked.
“If you’re looking for bullet holes, nothing so dramatic happened.”She eyed Cujo.“But it was really scary.”
“I bet.And what is going on with your mom?”Harper led her in the direction of Cujo’s chair.
Drea shook her head.“Not looking too good.She doesn’t qualify for a transplant.It’s only a matter of time.”
Cujo looked up as they walked by, his eyes intensely focused on her.She gave him a weak smile.They moved to the office and sat down.
“Working at José’s isn’t too scary after what happened?”Harper looked worried.
