Mum: I would never.
Mum: Sort of.
Sitting in the truck, I debated sending her a photo of me grimacing. It’d be hard with a toothy grin spreading across my face. I might not like the meddling, but she meant well. It was only a matter of time before she commented on my “little friend” or “your playdate,” which, as an adult, had an entirely different meaning. I surrendered and accepted my fate. Mum found an opportunity to invest in my love life, and she wasn’t going to relent.
Nick’s curse had been lifted. He and Lacie had gone back to Valhalla to celebrate. It started out harmless, a few cocktailsin the parlor. His posture and demeanor said he wasn’t fully convinced. After his year, I didn’t expect it to change overnight. The fact that he participated was enough.
Then the photos of Lacie dancing with Mabel came in, clad in their PJs; it had turned into a karaoke party. Evelyn appeared toward the end, probably summoned for the noise complaint. I zoomed in on the last photo. He held a beer bottle like a microphone. His eyes were shut as he belted into the air.
I found him. The Nick I met in the woods had returned.
I shoved open the door and slid out of the truck. Putting my phone in my pocket, I rolled my shoulders as if I were preparing for a workout. Nick had stepped outside his comfort zone, and with a well-placed slap across the face, he looked past his issues. I’m sure there’d be slips, falls, and tactical retreats, but he had takenhisfirst step.
I’d try to follow his lead.
With my hands in my pockets, I walked along the storefronts. My eyes stayed fixated on the lines dividing the blocks of cement. I passed a handful of teenagers still in their backpacks. Then an older couple. I imagined their eyes following me, picking apart my reason for being there. In a tank top with my shorts, I showed off as much ink as I could without winding up in the county jail. I wouldn’t make myself less. I owed it to myself.
Reaching the door of Ivy & Cask, I slid inside. Unlike before, Harvey and Walter weren’t in the back cracking jokes. The only movement came from the man behind the counter. I was hoping to see Julie so I could thank her for the recommendation. She had been right, Seamus loved it. More importantly, I discovered the way to that man’s heart was through his tumbler.
“Can I help you?”
From the pale blue shirt to the skinny tan pants, he didn’t need to tell anybody he worked in a liquor store. Complete withthin leather suspenders and a styled mustache, I wanted to ask if there was a speakeasy in the back of the shop.
“Is Julie around?”
“She’s in the basement. She should be back in a minute.” I waited for him to twirl his mustache like a supervillain. “Anything I can help with?”
His head tilted with a raised eyebrow. The gesture sent me hurtling back to high school. His eyes narrowed, and I returned the gesture. We were deadlocked in a race to see who could identify the other first. I sat in Mr. Valente’s chemistry class and ran through the seating chart. Second row, closest to the wall. Tall. Lanky. Hand raised in the air.
“James?”
“Charlie?”
Of course, the moment I identified him, I had to run through every interaction to see if he had been one ofthemin school. He had been the furthest thing from a bully. I remember cursing his name every time he raised his hand. While I struggled to get a passing grade, he made it look easy.
“You’ve changed.” We said it in unison.
“I hear you’re a tattoo artist?” I tried to focus on the casualness of the question. James wasn’t searching for my darkest secrets. He wasn’t after information he could feed the whisper network. I didn’t have time to dwell as he walked around the counter, unbuttoning the top of his shirt.
Uh. I waited for the porn music.
He bared his hairless chest. “I had a little too much sake and well…” He looked down at the kitten smacking a ball of yarn. “Don’t ask. I’m not allowed to drink the stuff ever again.”
“It’s—”
“Horrible.” Oh, thank God. He took the words out of my mouth. “Do you think it can be covered?”
Without thinking, I touched his chest, pulling at the skin. The line work was shaky at best, already dulled by time. Whoever had done it hadn’t packed the color tightly. The red yarn would be the hardest part. I could only imagine he had walked into a shop and pointed at the first flash piece he found. Thankfully, the inferior work meant an easier cover-up.
“Ahem.”
I froze. James continued holding his shirt apart while my eyes were inches away. We turned to see Julie holding a box. Under different circumstances, this might be a less-than-savory discovery. The grin on her face was the only thing that stopped me shouting, “It’s not what you think!”
“Please tell me you’re going to cover Mittens.”
“Mittens?” I leaned back as James buttoned his shirt.
He frowned. “She named it.”
