“Then yes,” I said. “We’ll see each other again. If that’s okay with you, TJ?”
He grinned at Kiara. “Of course. See you soon, okay?”
Satisfied with that answer, Kiara leapt out of the car with her toy in hand. She ran to meet her grandparents halfway down their lawn.
I could’ve gotten out of the car to chat, but I didn’t want to leave TJ by himself. Thankfully my parents met us at the car window.
“Good-looking car,” my dad said.
“Thank you, sir,” TJ replied.
My mom chuckled. “Polite driver, too. And attractive.”
I blushed harder. Did she say that to be nice, or could she already tell how I felt about TJ?
We made small talk—during which I sensed that my momabsolutelyknew I was crushing on TJ—then parted ways and drove off.
“Your parents are nice,” TJ commented as we headed back towards the studio. “Didn’t know I’d meet them so soon.”
My ears were on fire. Now that we were alone, I felt more comfortable confronting him.
“Are you teasing me?” I asked.
“Not at all,” TJ said mildly.
Maybe that wasn’t the right question to ask. But how could I bring up my tangle of feelings without making things awkward between us?
Then again, being with TJ was so easy. I was comfortable around him, like I could tell him anything. It was tempting to spill my deepest secrets and desires to TJ’s listening ear...
As we returned to the studio parking lot, my heart raced. I knew we were alone since dropping Kiara off, but now I really felt it. My fluttering pulse kicked into high gear. My ever-present blush wouldn’t go away. My skin tingled as if anticipating TJ’s next touch.
Could I really get through the rest of this tattoo without confessing my feelings to him?
Six
Tj
The studio hada different energy when we returned. It was charged. Taut. Like both of us expectedsomethingto happen.
Although I’d been casual with Brady, I tried to slip back into a focused, professional state. I still had a tattoo to complete. I wouldn’t get any work done if I started drooling over my client.
“What should I do?” Brady asked, standing awkwardly in the middle of the studio. Since the fry-feeding incident, a blush had appeared on his cheeks and never disappeared. It was adorable.
“You can sit back in your seat,” I explained. “Let me wash up and I’ll be with you in a sec.”
After preparing to get back to work, I peeled off the plastic wrap from Brady’s forearm. There was a lot left to finish. The lines were complete, but now it was time for the color. Packing in all the pigment could take a while.
Which was fine with me. The longer I got to spend with Brady, the better.
After setting up my ink cups, I snapped my sterile gloves on. “Ready for round two?”
“Ready.”
I dipped my needle into the red ink, then pressed it into Brady’s soft, smooth skin. I quickly got back into the flow. The sound of the machine buzzing and the water fountain gurgling were the only noises in the silent studio.
Tattooing Brady felt intimate, even more than it had earlier while Kiara was present. I wondered if he felt the same way.
As I worked, I felt my pants growing strangely tight.
