He moves to his laptop at the register and checks his calendar. “I can do it in the evening, around six. It will take around two and a half hours.”
“Sure, that works for me.” I shrug, but inside, I’m squealing.
He taps on his laptop and asks, “What’s your name?”
“Carolina,” I reply, my voice almost betraying the flutter in my chest.
He nods, entering it into the system. “See you in a week, Carolina.”
“Thanks. Bye,” I say, my voice a tad more high-pitched than I intended.
I turn, tripping slightly over my own foot in my hurry, and quickly walk out of the shop, hoping he doesn’t notice my awkward departure.
As the door closes behind me, my heart still thumping loudly, I take a deep breath.
I am finally getting my tattoo!
FIVE
It’s Saturday morning,and since I was let go from the Bread and Bagel café, I find myself with some free time before I have to go to the bar tonight. It bothers me that I haven’t had much time for Chiara the last few months due to my busy schedule, so I plan to change that today.
As I prepare scrambled eggs with toast for breakfast, my little sister walks into the kitchen and takes a seat.
“Buongiorno,” I say with a smile, and quickly make a plate of food to place in front of her, then pour a glass of water for her too. “Did you sleep well?”
“Like a rock.”
I chuckle, making myself a plate. “So, same as always. Do you have a lot of homework for the weekend?”
She shakes her head, replying with her mouth full, “Nope, already finished everything.”
“Brava,that’s perfect,” I say, sitting down in front of her. “Because I’m free today until I have to go to the bar, so do you want to go to the mall? We can grab some bubble tea and stroll through the bookshop you love so much,” I ask, already excited for my first sort of day off in weeks.
She furrows her eyebrows, her mouth turning down. Not the reaction I was looking for at all. “Do I have to? I promised Monica that we would spend the weekend together, and I’m going to sleep over at her place tonight.”
“Oh, okay,” I say, trying to hide my disappointment. “No, of course, you don’t have to. I just thought it would be nice to do something together since we haven’t in a while.” I try to sound understanding, even though her words stung.
She rolls her eyes. “Don’t put the blame on me. You’re the one who’s always working.”
I bite my lip, trying to hold back anything I might regret later. Taking a deep breath, I say, “You’re right. I’m sorry. Starting on Monday, I’ll be doing an internship at the NYPD. I’ll see how the hours go, and maybe we can spend more time together in the future. I promise I’ll ask you in advance instead of springing it on you last minute.”
Chiara beams at me. “At the NYPD? That’s what you’ve always dreamed of.”
I smile at her. “Yes, it is.”
Her happiness for me melts away any frustration I just had. I know her occasional attitude is just a phase. Deep down, she’s still my sweet little sister.
“I’m so happy for you,” she says, and I reach out, squeezing her hand.
Shortly after we finish eating, Chiara gets ready and leaves. Feeling lost over what to do next, I deep-clean the apartment before taking a nap.
I somehow wake up just in time to get ready for my shift at the bar. When I arrive, Cindy doesn’t even make an effort to help, so I find myself rushing around, trying to handle everything on my own as usual.
Around midnight, I’m desperate for a break, so I ask her to watch the front while I retreat into the kitchen. Leaning againstthe wall next to the door, I take a deep breath and briefly close my eyes.
Lennard is leaning on the counter with his arms crossed. He asks, “Tough night?”
I nod, feeling the exhaustion weighing me down. “Just need a minute. Can I have some ice cubes?”
