Flirting with Forever: A Hot Romantic Comedy(68)

I was maybe, possibly, a little bit in love with that man.





28





DEX





Brianne didn’t look the least bit nervous as I led her back to my station for her tattoo appointment. Her energy was relaxed and she had a smile on her face. She had her hair up and wore a black tank top and jeans. She’d brought her husband, a guy named Matt, and I liked him immediately. He looked at her with so much pride, as if to say, hell yes, my girl survived.

I got her situated on the chair and pulled a curtain to give us more privacy. Matt sat next to her, ready to hold her hand and offer comfort if she needed it.

“I have three different designs for you,” I said. “Keep in mind, these are starting places. I can make any changes you want, combine elements you like, whatever you need. We won’t start until you’re one hundred percent happy. I blocked out the rest of my day for you, so we can take as much time as we need.”

“Awesome, thank you so much,” Brianne said.

I brought out the designs I’d created for her. One was floral, which was a common choice for mastectomy tattoos. The second looked like feathers blowing in the wind.

But the third was my favorite.

On one breast, the outline of a bird in flight, stylized, the lines delicate rather than heavy. It trailed flames and on the other breast, ashes with the remnants of the bird’s fiery flight. A phoenix, rising from the ashes.

As much as I wanted to do the phoenix on her, I wasn’t about to push. I let her look through the sketches and confer with her husband while I waited.

“This one,” she said, pointing to the phoenix. “I never would have thought to ask for this, but it couldn’t be more perfect.”

“This is so her,” Matt said. “I don’t know how you captured her so perfectly after meeting her once, but you nailed it.”

I grinned. “I was hoping you’d pick this one.”

We went over the details of the design, making small changes until it was perfect. Then I got to work prepping everything I needed. I transferred the design onto transfer paper that would create a stencil on her skin and got the rest of my station ready.

“Okay, Brianne, we’re getting close to the moment of truth. I’ll have you take off your shirt for me so we can get the placement right.”

She discarded her tank top and bra and handed them to Matt. Objectively speaking, her breast reconstruction did look great. Very natural.

“Your surgeon did a good job,” I said.

“Oh my gosh, Dr. Reid was the best,” Brianne said. “I thought he was kind of a jerk at first, but he grew on me.”

“Dr. Weston Reid?” I asked.

“Yeah, that’s him.”

“Small world. I know him. Kind of. I went to school with his sister-in-law, Mia. I ran into their family not long ago. Nice people.”

“That’s so crazy. Small world, indeed.”

I transferred the stencil onto her skin and had her check the placement in the mirror. She was happy with it, so it was time to get to work.

My tattoo machine buzzed in my hand as the design took shape. I started with the outline, working first in black. Brianne barely flinched, even when I worked on areas that might have been more sensitive. She was definitely tough.

Matt chatted with her while I worked. I felt myself sinking into the zone, my focus sharp. The phoenix came to life, just like I’d seen it in my mind. Delicate black lines accented by areas of shading. Then the fire. Flares of orange and red, sparks trailing behind. It had movement and depth without overwhelming her body. It told a story without being the story. Tragedy and fear burned away to ash on the flames of her survival.

Hours went by in a blink, almost as if I was in a trance. I studied my work, checking for the smallest details. I made a few adjustments, filled in areas that needed more ink. Then it was finished.

Matt helped her up so she could see herself in the mirror. She stood still for a long moment, looking at her freshly inked skin. Tears sprang to her eyes.

“It’s perfect,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper. Her husband beamed at her.

I waited, giving them a moment. Then I got her properly wrapped and went over all the aftercare instructions. They left and I felt a buzz of satisfaction. There was nothing like creating something beautiful, a piece of art that would travel with a person throughout their entire life journey. And a client like Brianne, who’d overcome so much, was particularly special.

Kari helped me clean up my station. Then I said goodnight to everyone and left. Nora’s friends were coming over tonight so I could finally meet them and I was glad I had a bit of time in between. Physically, I felt great. Thanks to Nora, I’d actually slept last night. But mentally, I was spent. I was happy for a bit of a break.

I was about halfway home when my phone rang. My mom.

“Hey, Mom.”

“Hi, honey. How was your day?”

“Great, actually. I just did an incredible mastectomy tattoo. It turned out amazing.”

“That’s lovely. What a beautiful gift.”

“Yeah, tattoos like that are really fulfilling.”

“How’s Riley? Is she holding up okay?”

I’d told my mom about Brooklyn’s latest stunt. I still couldn’t believe she’d called Riley and bailed on her an hour later. “She’s been quiet about it. I’m hoping the fun stuff they’re doing at school for the end of the year will take her mind off it.”