“Keep your eyes on the road and leave my tatts alone,” Mano muttered.
“And your other arm has wings?”
“They start from my upper back,” Mano said.
Ody’s jaw dropped. “Seriously? I’d love to see that.”
Mano turned to stare at him, and Ody glued his eyes back to the road, pretending he had said nothing.
The rest of the drive passed in a charged silence until they pulled into a parking spot. They stepped out and walked toward the restaurant.
Ody, now on Mano’s right, got a clearer look at the tattoo on his other arm. The sleeve hid most of it, but his curiosity grew. His gaze drifted to the tattoo behind Mano’s right ear, a small cross trailing down onto his neck beneath the silver hoop earring.
“Can you stop staring at me like that? You’re going to walk into a pole,” Mano said.
Ody blinked and looked ahead again, his cheeks warming. Mano shook his head and kept walking as Ody hurried to catch up.
A moment later, the sign of the restaurant came into view. “Here it is,” Ody said, pointing at the entrance.
Inside, a hostess greeted them with a warm smile. “Good evening. Just the two of you?”
“Uh, yes,” Ody answered.
“Right this way.” She led them to a small table tucked at the back. The decor had a calm, Asian aesthetic, soft lighting, warm colors, and gentle music drifting through the air.
“How do you like it here?” she asked.
Mano’s mind flicked to his date with Stella, the way she had insisted they move tables so everyone could see them.
“It’s great, thank you,” Ody said as they sat across from each other.
When the hostess left, Mano looked around. “Do you come here often?”
“Every now and then. Why?”
“It looks expensive.”
“They have amazing food. And the sushi is awesome.” Ody opened the menu, and Mano followed. “Do you want something with noodles or rice and chicken? Shrimp? Or do you want to try their sushi?”
“I think I’ll get something with noodles too. I’m starving.”
“Okay. Check the sushi after and tell me what you like.”
They scanned their menus until they decided. Ody seemed genuinely excited to order whatever Mano wanted. After placing their order, they sat waiting in comfortable silence until Ody suddenly reached across the table and took Mano’s right hand.
Mano stilled. Ody turned his hand gently, studying the tattoo on his thumb. The movement made the silver rings on his fingers catch the light, while the chunky chain around his wrist shifted softly. “Isn’t that an ankh?” he asked. “The symbol of life?”
“Yeah.” Mano pulled his hand back quickly, hiding it under the table.
“You’ve got a lot of tattoos. Any others?” Their eyes locked for a few seconds before Mano answered.
“Over my chest.”
Ody’s gaze drifted downward on instinct.
“Left side,” Mano said, catching exactly where Ody was looking.
He shifted his eyes back to Mano’s face. “What is it?”
