JJ’s bare arm occasionally grazes mine as he raises his drink to take a sip, and I’m well aware of the warmth it gives me. I glance down and stare at his tattoos on display. I’ve not really had a chance to see them up close and in the light, but they litter his arms in a patchwork style.
“What?” He chuckles when he catches me looking.
I shake my head and meet his eyes. “Oh, I just—” I pause to find a look of amusement on his face. “I’m being nosy.”
“You can be nosy.” He nudges me.
“Do your tattoos have meanings?”
JJ pauses for a moment, lowering his cup. “Not all of them. Some do. Some I got just because I liked them. I don’t think every tattoo has to have meaning.”
I spy the sparrow on his forearm with fine lines and light shading, then I glance up to find a cloud with a lightning bolt through it, and higher up is a leopard that sits on the outside of his bicep.
“What about these ones?” I gesture to his arm.
He places his cup down and twists his arm to have a look, as if he’s forgotten which tattoos are there. “The sparrow was my first tattoo,” he starts. “I read that sparrows represent resilience and freedom. I got it when I was freshly eighteen to keep reminding myself to do what I love, regardless of the life my father wants for me.”
My forehead creases at his words. “Does he really dictate your life that much?”
JJ glances out to the sea. “We’re working on it.”
“And the cloud?”
“My tattoo artist had a flash sheet, and when I saw it, I liked it. Just a reminder everyone has bad days, but it doesn’t mean it’s a bad life, you know? Rain and storms usually clear up, just like bad days.”
I nod, relating to his words.
“What about the leopard?”
His hand cups his bicep, stretching the ink over his muscles. “This one’s my favourite.” He beams.
“Why?” I smile as I study the tiny markings of the leopard, intricate and thoroughly detailed.
JJ shrugs. “Because leopards are my favourite animal. Simple.”
“Which ones did you get because you just liked them?”
He flashes me his other arm, and on the inside of his forearm is a dark snake. “This has no meaning. I just liked the look of it and the placement when he put down the stencil.”
When he straightens his arm, I get a peek of an abstract pair of faces on his tricep and some sort of card on the inside of his forearm.
“What’s that?” I ask, pointing to it.
“It’s a tarot card for strength. It’s my newest one. I got it when my mum got sick.”
I instinctively reach forward to take his elbow to get a better look. Inside is a woman hugging a lion with the moon and stars in the background. I’m amazed by the level of detail.
“I like this one,” I confess as my thumb grazes the ink. “It’s beautiful.”
“Thanks.” He smiles.
“Are you spiritual?” I ask, looking up at him.
JJ pulls a face. “Not really, but a friend at university did me a card reading and it was the first card I pulled. I guess it kind of gave me hope. I was afraid I’d pick the death card, but it didn’t come up.” He picks up his drink when I drop his elbow. “I know they’re just a bunch of cards, but I felt something when she told me about the strength card, and it meant a lot to me.”
I blink slowly as I take him in. My mouth becomes increasingly dry as he stares right back. He’s a sentimental kind of guy, that’s obvious in the way he expresses himself.
“What?”
