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“Let me give it to him,” Lucy said, trying to take the bowl of soup from my hands. Mom insisted we bring it to him while visiting him at the parlor.
I gave it to her before she made me drop Eli. “Be careful with it.”
Lucy opened the door for us and yelled, “Elijah!” He glanced up from his corner as he slipped on a pair of gloves.
A cheerful grin stretched across his handsome face. My chest cracked open and all these feelings burst through. “Lucy!” He looked over at the guy sitting with his shirt off. “Do you mind giving me a sec?” he asked the customer.
“Go on. I’m in no hurry,” the man said as Elijah chucked off his gloves and tossed them in the trash.
“I hope we’re not bothering you,” I said while the other tattooists ogled us.
“No. I was just about to begin on a back piece.”
“We brought soup from Mamaw’s!” Lucy thrusted the bowl upward. Thankfully, Elijah caught it. For a second, I thought it was about to hit the ground. “It’s good.”
“Thank you. How was school today?” he asked.
“Good. When will you get off work?”
“Late, I’m afraid.”
“It’s been like this all week!” She tossed her hands up dramatically.
“I’ll be free this weekend, and then I’ll come see you.” He ruffled her hair, and she swatted his hand away. “I miss you all.” His gazed at me.
“You must be Lucy,” the female tattooist hollered over. If I remembered correctly, Elijah told me her name was Wendy, but I was too afraid of getting it wrong to say it out loud.
“Are you doing a tattoo?” Lucy said in awe.
“Yeah, I am.”
“Can I see?”
“You can get on the stool and sit and watch me from the counter but it’s against the rules to come back here. Health violations and all.” Wendy paused. “Do you mind if she peeks over here?” I realized she was asking the girl she was tattooing. I saw her shake her head no, and she gestured for Lucy. “Come on.”
Lucy looked at me for permission. “She said at the stool, Lucy. Don’t go back there.” She grinned and rushed over to the stool. “Papaw won’t like how much she’s taken a liking to tattoos since meeting you.”
Elijah stepped closer and rubbed his hand down my arm. Goose bumps spread over me at the small bit of contact. I hadn’t had the chance to sleep with him since last week. “Does your dad even know about the one on your back?”
I sputtered. “What? Of course he doesn’t. I’ll tell him when I’m fifty.” I gazed at him—admiring how long and dark his eyelashes were, the unruly mess of hair on his head, and his dark and dreamy eyes. I breathlessly mumbled, “I miss you.” I tightened my hold on Eli, afraid he’d slip right through the putty I became.
“I miss you, too.” More slow fingers running up and down my arms.
“How late will you be tonight?” I asked.
Elijah jerked his head toward his customer. “Depends on how much he wants to get done on his back. I’d say about midnight.”
“Will you come wake me?” It came out as a whisper. Shyly, my eyes met his.
“Fuck, yeah.” He glanced over his shoulder. “But I got to get to tattooing if I want to be out of here anytime soon.”
I nodded. “We’ll leave before Lucy looks at all your paintings.”
He chuckled.
______
Elijah woke me up after midnight. He called me so I could let him in. As soon as I opened the door, his hands were all over me. He carried me to my bedroom where we barked out orders to each other on being quiet in which neither of us followed.
