He had already talked me through the procedure and all he needed to do by that point was wipe some orange stuff followed by marking two places where the needle needed to go through.
“Let's just get it over with. I'm getting anxious,” I groaned, leaning back so that I was face-up on the chair, rolling my head to the side where the door was to find Dex standing just outside of it, looking in.
“I’ll do it, Slim,” he said, taking a step forward.
Slim shrugged without bothering to turn around and look at our boss. “Go for it. Everything’s ready.”
I thought it was weird that Dex offered to do it for me because I hadn’t seen him do any piercings in the time I’d been there. "I don't mean to be rude, but do you know what you're doing?"
He turned to look at me over his shoulder and simply scowled. Slim snickered.
All right then.
There was the snapping and popping of gloves being put on, and the next thing I knew, Dex was rolling my shirt up over my chest. The fingers on one of his hands rested directly over my navel for a second before he swiped me with a cool towelette that stained my skin a dark orange.
He worked silently, making thoughtful faces as he leaned over with a marker in his hand dotting two spots. One directly on my belly and one out of view. He pulled a mirror off the counter to show me what he’d marked.
“Symmetrical, yeah?” he asked me like I could really tell if it was even or not when his big body loomed over mine with the apadravya piercing still so fresh in my mind.
My nod was slow. “Yeah.”
He flashed me a little grin, another rarity, before murmuring as heused surgical-type clamps to pinch together the skin, “I’m gonnato tell you when to hold your breath, and when to let it out,all right? It’s just a pinch.”
The transfer from needle to jewelry was so quick, if it wasn’t for the awkward burning sensation that happened after he pushed the needle through me and transferred the jewelry, I wouldn’t have winced or anything.
Dex took a step back, admiring his work with a watchful eye. “Perfect.”
I sat up on my elbows and looked down at my new piercing. Itwaspretty awesome. “Nice,” I whispered, sitting up completely. I touched the top of it gingerly with my index finger before pulling my shirt down and over it with a grin. “Thanks, guys.”
Slim nodded, his eyes focused in on Dex. "Dude, when was the last time you did a piercing? I can't remember."
~ * ~ *
“I need a drink.” Dex announced, setting the alarm at Pins. It wasn't even midnight but the shop was dead and we all agreed it was pointless to stay open. “I’m buyin'.”
Blake let out a howl of approval that was a perfect companion for Slim’s whistle.
The loud beeping drowned out the slight murmur of whatever Blue said but based on the nod she was sharing, I figured she was excited about free drinks too. It wasn’t until we were outside and I was trying to inch my way toward my car when Dex turned to look at me.
“You comin’?”
I hesitated.
“You’re comin’,” he said it as a statement instead of a question that time.
I blinked at him standing there with his arms at his sides. “I don’t really drink.” The same way I didn't eat fried foods, white bread, or meat. Plenty of people didn’t like alcohol. But plenty of people also liked to tease me about being a goody two shoes when that wasn’t the case at all.
"You don’t really drink?” He repeated it just like I had when he'd asked me about my visit to the library.
I shook my head.
“No beer?”
“I drank half of one a few weeks ago," I offered.
“Cute girly drink?”
I smiled but shook my head. “Hardly ever.”
