“Good to hear it.” She looked at me. “So if you’ve always wanted one, what’s stopping you?”
It took me a second to focus. A tattoo, right. “Honestly, I’m not sure. Just the permanence of it, I guess. But I even know exactly what I’d get.”
“Tell me,” she said. I immediately liked her.
“Fearless. Down my spine. Dainty but with curves on each side of the word. There was a woman in my pastry class with one that started at the base of her neck and down her spine, and it was so pretty.”
“Fearless. I love that,” Jules said. “I could use a new one. I’d get it on my rib, just below the bra line. I’ve always wanted one there but am a big chicken. I hear it hurts like hell.”
“Let’s do it.” Delaney was looking at us with big wide eyes that said, “Let’s go!” “I’d get the same word to match you guys, right here.” She pointed to her forearm.
“Are you being serious?” I asked.
“Totally.”
Mazzie looked at our drinks. “How long are you guys in town?”
“Just for the night.” Delaney took a sip of her drink.
“Lucas is usually closed in the morning, but he’d absolutely make an exception. If you want, I can take you over there to talk to him. He’s about to close down so we’d have to run over now.”
The three of us looked between us. Clearly Delaney was in. For someone who didn’t have any ink, she seemed pretty sure of herself. Jules would do it for sure. She had four or five already and was due for a new one.
It was completely not me, to do something so permanent impetuously. On the other hand, I knew exactly what I wanted. When I first heard the quote, “Doubt kills more dreams than failure ever will,” I loved it. Made it my phone background and tried to remember it when the inevitable doubt monsters peeked out from under my bed. And the fact that the girls were willing to get matching ones was really cool. But lately, nothing about my life had gone according to plan, and maybe that wasn’t such a bad thing. Maybe spontaneity didn’t always mean recklessness. Maybe it meant saying yes to the life I actually wanted.
I looked at Jules, then Delaney. Their eyes were lit up with the kind of thrill I hadn’t felt in a long time.
Screw it.
“I’m in,” I said, surprising even myself. “Let’s get fearless.”
“I like you ladies already,” Mazzie said, echoing my thoughts. “Take your drinks.”
Each of us grabbed them and followed her from the bar right next door. I honestly couldn’t believe this was happening. But aside from that brief hesitation, I wasn’t second-guessing it. As we walked into Grunt Ink, Mazzie called for the owner in the back room. Jules and Delaney chatted excitedly, looking at the various pictures on the wall. For my part, I sank into a leather chair and grabbed my phone, putting the drink on a coffee table.
Finally, I was able to see Beck’s last text.
You’re always #1 Mae Bae.
My heart raced. Impending tattoo and all.
It was the kind of thing he’d said a hundred times. Beck’s nickname for me wasn’t new, and neither was the sentiment. But for some reason, it hit differently tonight. I tried to think of a response.
Since when did you agonize over a response to Beck?
Since tonight.
“I hear we might be interested in getting some tattoos?” a deep voice asked.
Time to go. I stood, heart still pounding, sliding my phone away, like if I waited long enough, maybe I’d figure out why I needed to think about what to text him back.
11
BECK
“You’re home early.”
“You’re up late,” I responded, not expecting to see Pia at the kitchen island, drinking tea. Decaffeinated, I assumed.
