“Are you sure, Amate?”
“Yeah, I don’t mind waiting.”
He still contemplated saying no, but figured it wouldn’t take long, and she knew he was in a relationship, so he wouldn’t have to deal with her making a pass at him. Elias gestured for her to take a seat.
“What are you getting and where do you want it?” he asked.
“On the side of my middle finger. A butterfly taking flight with a little spiral in its wake in black.”
That would be easy enough and wouldn’t take him but a few minutes.
“You can freehand it if you want. I trust you,” she added after a second.
They discussed the price as he put on some gloves, disinfected the area of her finger and got down to work. He was halfway finished when the woman spoke again.
“So, you’re the girlfriend. No wonder he turned me down. I’m Mel. It’s nice to meet you.”
Elias paused in what he was doing and glanced at his girlfriend.
“And you’re the girl paying for my ice cream. Same.”
He refrained from chuckling, but Nesiah did not contain her laugh. He assumed she wouldn’t flirt with him, and he was correct, but it seemed she was still trying to start shit, as if she thought he hadn’t told Eri about it initially. His first thought was to leave the tattoo unfinished, but it seemed his girlfriend read his mind.
“You’re almost finished, right, babe?”
“I am, baby,” he responded.
He finished the tattoo and sprayed it before disposing of the needle and removing his gloves. She pulled some money from her pocket and handed it to him before bidding the tent goodbye and leaving.
“She’s persistent,” Eri said, getting up and taking the folded money from him. She opened it, and inside was a small slip of paper with her phone number on it. His girlfriend balled it up before handing him the money back.
“She’s wasting her time,” he replied.
“You should have called her out on the spot,” Nesiah said.
“I thought about it, but she looks like the type that might play victim and cause a scene. I’m not about to be the reason something negative happened at the shop’s first event. I’m also not worried about that girl.”
She had absolutely no reason to be, because he hadn’t been kidding when he’d inadvertently told her he was putty in her hands. Elias disinfected his area, and the two headed to get ice cream.
Elias double-checked that he had repacked everything he’d brought. The event was winding down with less than an hour left, and most of the vendors had packed up. Many of the people in attendance had trickled out after the tattoo competition, where a newer artist won, to the upset of two others who had been tattooing for two decades.
“I’ve gotten three hundred new followers today alone,” Eri said, showing him her phone.
Elias wasn’t surprised. She was great at what she did. He saw it, and so did everyone else. He wasn’t just gassing her up when he’d told her she’d take over the world with her designs. It wasbecause he knew she would, because she was as talented as she was.
“And that’s only the beginning, Amate.”
“Hey, I’m glad you’re still here. I wanted to say goodbye.”
Everyone in the tent turned their attention to the entrance.
“You have got to be fucking kidding,” Nesiah stated under her breath.
“I’m glad you’re still here, too,” Eri responded. Elias watched her remove something from her pocket and hand it to Mel. It took him only a second to recognize the paper she’d balled up earlier. “I was going to throw it in the trash on our way out, but you can have it back, and if you pull that shit again. I won’t be as nice.”
Mel shrugged. “It never hurts to try.”
“Try it again, and find out,” Eri responded with a smile.
