I smile, despite my current state of sadness, loving that he still gets excited about things like that.
I notice the time on my phone and realize it’s almost time to meet Dare. Angling the rearview mirror down, I fix my smudged eyeliner, tighten my ponytail, and give myself a mental pep talk.
Suck it up, Lo. You’ve been in worse situations. You’ll figure this out, too.
I decide to run back inside the store to grab what I need for Upside-Down Day since I can use the stove now, then I drop off the groceries at Henry’s. The kitchen table is gone. With each load he moves to his shop, my anxiety about finding a place intensifies.
The whole drive to Bad Intentions, I’m racking my brain for a solution that never comes. I don’t even know if we have a home to go back to in Oakland. We are, quite literally, out of options.
I park behind the shop, running toward the back door to escape the freezing wind. No one notices my arrival. Matty and Cordell each have clients, but I don’t see Alec. Dare sits at his station, his back to me, head down. His foot taps against the floor as he focuses intently on whatever he’s working on—a habit I’m not even sure he’s aware of.
I walk up behind him, covering his eyes with my hands and kiss his neck.
“Dammit, Cord. How many times do I have to tell you? Not in front of the customers.”
“Shut up.” I laugh. He tosses his sketchbook to the floor and pulls me onto his lap, my arms automatically circling his neck. I already feel lighter being around him, but heavier at the same time, knowing our time here has an expiration date.
“Hey, Sally. Thought you might chicken out.”
“Pft. Do I look like a pussy?”
“Mmm, you are what I eat,” he says, wiggling his brows.
“I don’t think that’s how that saying goes.” I bite my lip, suddenly feeling a little apprehensive.
“So, are we doing this?”
“We’re doing this,” I confirm.
“Do you want to see what I’ve been working on?” He flicks his chin toward the drawing pad on the floor.
“Nuh-uh. I want it to be a surprise.”
Dare pins me with a skeptical look. “You don’t want to see something that’s going to go on your body forever?”
“Nope,” I say resolutely. “Surprise me. I trust you.”
Trust. A foreign concept in my life. But, somehow, I do trust him, and not just with the tattoo.
“Okay, then. You’re not allowed to be pissed if you hate it.”
“Just do it.” I roll my eyes, hopping onto the black leather chair.
“I designed it for the top of your thigh, up to about here,” he says, pressing a finger into my hip, “but I could tweak it to make it fit between your breasts if you’d rather that. It would look good there, too.”
I almost make fun of him for saying breasts. He slipped into professional mode so quickly.
“Thigh sounds good. How do you want me?” The question is unintentionally suggestive. Dare shakes his head, pinching the bridge of his nose.
“Lie back on the table. Let’s do your right side.”
I do as he says, taking off my vest first. I kick my boots off as Dare takes my vest from me and throws it over another chair. Might as well be comfortable as possible as a needle digs into my flesh.
“I’m going to have to pull your pants down. Do you want to go to the private room?”
“I’m good.”
Dare nods, slipping his fingers into my waistband. He tugs them down to mid-thigh, then pushes my hoodie up to sit above my waist. The leather chair is cold against my bare skin.