While he waited fifteen minutes for it to dry completely, he got the rest of his kit ready; inks, needles, more tissues, a solution with water and neutral soap to clean, and his tattoo machine.
“So, how have you been these last few weeks?” he asked her.
“Good.” Jenna grinned. “Actually, great.”
Chris raised a brow, looking at her out of the corner of his eye as he continued organizing his cart. “Anything special happen?” He smirked.
“I met someone.”
“Nice. Is he a good guy?”
She blushed. “Girl.”
“Oh!” Chris couldn’t help but grin at her cuteness. “Is she good to you?”
“She’s incredible,” she said. “We had been talking since Halloween last year, but just started dating—kinda—like a month ago.”
“Kinda?” His tattoo machine buzzed as he tested it was working how it should.
“Hmm… With everything that’s happened in my life, I’ve never had much time to, you know, meet people. Like that wasn’t in the cards for me.” His heart bled at those words. “I’ve only dated one guy, and it was awful.” Her eyes watered a little with what the guitarist perceived as melancholy. “But I think it was because deep down I’ve always liked girls. So, I guess we’re just seeing how this whole thing unfolds for us as something more than friends.”
Chris sighed, grabbing her wrist once again and rotating her forearm up. “I know what you mean. You comfortable like this?”
“Yeah.” Jenna nodded. “And you mean, you’re gay, too?” She slanted her head.
“No idea what I am anymore, if I’m being honest.” He chuckled, unsure why he was sharing this when, except for Leah, he hadn’t told his closest friends. But maybe that was it. She didn’t know him at all. He couldn’t disappoint a stranger. “But I’ve recently realized I like one of my bandmates.”
“Oh my god! Tell me everything. Does he know? Are you two dating or anything?”
“Don’t change the subject. We were talking about you and your special friend,” he said with a cheeky grin as he glanced at her for a second.
“Okay, okay...” Jenna let out the sweetest snicker. “She’s probably the most amazing person I’ve ever met. She knows what I’ve been through. And where most people have failed, not being there for me on the bad days and all that, she’s just aced it. She’s been so supportive from the beginning…” She bit her bottom lip, making Chris equally happy and jealous of how freely she talked about this. “I don’t think I’d have made it through this year without her.”
“You’d have,” he stated. “Remember, you’re a fucking warrior. But I’m glad you have someone to shield you when you need some time to rest.”
She grinned from ear to ear. “Yeah.”
“Okay… Ready?”
“Ready.”
Five hours and thirty-six minutes later they were done, pictures and all.
“Please, for the love of all the gods, don’t forget to keep it clean. Especially during the first week. And also apply the Aquaphor as if your arm would fall off without it.”
“Jeez, you’ve told me like a thousand times.”
“I need to brand that on your brain. Some people just ignore me and then come back crying because the tattoo gets infected, which can result in it ending up completely ruined. And with the scar, you need to be ultra careful.”
“Okay, okay. I get it. I promise I’ll be careful.”
“Thanks. Also, don’t forget about our follow-up appointment next week. And send me pics every day so I can check everything is healing the way it should.”
“You’re scaring me with so much concern about the aftercare.”
“Well, you’ve seen it yourself, how the scar area got really swollen when I was working on it,” Chris said as he walked her outside.
“Yeah, but you said it was normal.”
