She spun on her heel and sashayed back to the counter.
Sebastian dusted off my neck and shoulders, removing the last remnants of hair. Then, he unfastened the cape and flicked it aside. “Well, damn. You do look hot, my man.”
I touched my flushed face. “I am a bit warm, yes.”
Sebastian snorted. “No, man. I mean, you look fantastic. You’re a handsome dude.”
I hesitated. I didn’t know what a dude was… and wasn’t sure I wanted to.
Sebastian’s gaze settled on my branding mark. “Hey, who did your tattoo?”
Before I could answer, Lee cut in smoothly. “Roman was a POW for a time. He served under a brutal warlord.”
Sebastian’s eyes darkened. “Oh, man… That’s harsh.”
He grabbed his broom, swept the pile of my fallen hair into a flat tool, and then unceremoniously dumped it into the trash.
I glanced at the discarded hair—a piece of my past, swept away so quickly.
“Yeah,” I murmured. “It was.”
Sebastian tilted his head, eyeing my right arm. “You want any other ink? That arm’s looking a little… bare.”
I frowned. “Ink?”
Lee smirked. “He means a tattoo.”
Sebastian nodded. “Yeah, man. I don’t have any more hair appointments today. If you’re up, I’d be honored to inscribe something meaningful on your skin. Badass to badass.”
His usual easy demeanor shifted, growing somber.
I glanced at Lee, who gave me a slight nod of approval.
Turning back to Sebastian, I pulled my dagger from the sheath at my belt. The blade glinted under the shop’s bright lighting.
“Could you replicate this on my forearm?”
Sebastian let out a low whistle. “Holy fuck, dude.” He leaned in, eyes wide with awe, tracing the details with his finger without touching the metal. “This looks fucking ancient.”
“It is,” I said simply.
Sebastian’s grin widened. “I’d be honored.”
With that, we headed back to the tattooing area.
Sebastian led me to his station, where he retrieved a sketchpad and pencil.
He worked quickly, his brow furrowed in concentration.
I watched as he rendered my dagger onto paper, every intricate detail perfectly captured.
I had to admit—he was, as he put it, a badass artist.
Finally, he turned the drawing to me.
“This looks good?”
I studied it. The hilt, the engravings, the balance—it was all spot on.
