“The same one as last week, and it’s your fault I started them at all,” I remind him.
He leans back and places his hand over his sternum in mock offense.
“Me?My fault?Well, thank you.How many rando certs and licenses have you collected now and how have you not finished this one yet?Don’t you always complete the courses faster and better than everyone else?”
I roll my eyes and snatch his mug off the table before he can react.Cold coffee sloshes onto my hand, ruining my attempt to gloat, but I tug my sleeve away from the mess and take a sip before smirking at my roommate.
“Of course I finish faster and better than anyone else.I’m a pariah, remember?”
Peter is the only person in the world I can joke around like this with.He’s the only one who understands using humor to mask my pain.
He reaches for his coffee.I scamper across the kitchen—almost slipping in my spill—and snag a paper towel off the roll before wiping and placing the mug in the microwave.
“What’s this weekend morning’s class about again?”he asks.
I open my mouth to respond, but he cuts me off.
“The short answer, not the technical term.I haven’t had my coffee yet,” he grumbles.
I chuckle and start the microwave.
“Stuff required to become a tattoo artist,” I answer.
“Ah, I remember now.Thank you,” he says with a nod toward the microwave.
I wash my hands and use another paper towel to dry them.
“You aren’t planning to tattoo anyone else, right?Only yourself?Do you even need a license for that?”
I shake my head.
“No, but better safe than sick,” I say.
He nods.
“Hey, on that note, are the scars on your back itching real bad again?Do you need me to apply ointment?”he asks.
I shrug and toss the paper towels in the trash.
“They’re the same as always.Maybe tomorrow; I’m fine today.I’ll be late if I don’t leave now, so bye,” I say with a tiny wave and a short jaunt to the door.
I exit into the hall and lock the door behind me.Even though I never plan to practice on another person and am horrible at drawing, I make the trek to the tattoo and piercing parlor for my apprenticeship.Learning the ins and outs of the shop is interesting and fun and allows me a real-world experience I wouldn’t otherwise have.I also manage a quick visit with my piercing artist.She approves my next piercing, but we decide to wait until following weekend so I don’t shorten her lunch break.
The moment I leave the tattoo parlor, apprehension coils through me as I realize the wedding rehearsal time draws nearer.I check my watch but shove my hands in my coat pocket and tuck my purse between my arm and my side as I weave through the crowded sidewalk.
When I reach the apartment and find Peter’s note on the kitchen counter, I smile and add a lopsided heart to the bottom of the paper before locking myself in my room for an hour or two of work.In the comfort of my seclusion, the straps of my bra are too constricting and aggravate my scars, so I take it off and hang it in the bathroom to air out before settling in front of my desk.
I resist temptation and don’t open my hacking program despite wanting to snoop around and make the guy’s life miserable.Instead, I complete orders and move through my queue before swapping over to work on a project I started almost six months ago.Frustration simmers through me, but after deleting a few notes and scrolling through previous updates, I spot a potential workaround.
The project sucks me in and mutes the world.Nothing exists beyond the green numbers and letters on my black screen.
I jump when my phone alarm goes off.When I turn it off and hear my stomach rumbling, I roll my eyes and grab a packet of apple slices from my mini fridge.
Halfway through, my brain finally emerges from my project and catches up with the real world.I pause mid-chew and fight a wave of nerves as I recall why I set the alarm.
I can’t skip the wedding rehearsal even though I made myself into a laughingstock yesterday, but maybe I can avoid making it worse by limiting my time there.With an uneasy swallow, I recalculate my mental schedule with the new information I gained yesterday and decide to leave ten minutes later than planned.Maybe if I get there right as it begins, I can retrieve my ring from Sebastian with no fanfare and then bolt as soon as the rehearsal ends.
I force myself to finish my snack before rising and tossing the trash in the bin.
