“Hi,” Oliver steps closer to me and puts an arm around me. “We’re both interested in getting piercings today. Right, babe?”
Babe?My pulse quickens. Oh, so I guess we’re pretending to be a couple after all.
Bree’s grin widens. “Wonderful! Your timing is perfect because we’re having a Couples’ BOGO on piercings. What piercings are you thinking?”
“I’d like both earlobes pierced,” Oliver continues. “Does that count as one or two piercings?”
“We count it as one piercing, but you do have to pay for two studs, of course,” she replies, gesturing to the brightly lit, waist-high glass cabinets at the front. “And what about you, hon’?”
Shit. She means me. Snapping out of my daze, I swallow and take a breath. “My nostril. Please.”
“Awesome! I’ll just need your IDs to get the paperwork started.” Bree leads us to the front and retrieves two clipboards from behind the counter.
As we walk, Oliver keeps his hand pressed gently on my mid-back. “Is this okay?” he whispers, his breath tickling the shell of my ear and sending a shiver down my spine.
I nod. “Yeah, sorry. Just nervous.”
“Do you have any allergies to metal, latex, soap, or other topical medications?” Bree asks as she hands over the clipboards.
“Not that I’m aware of,” Oliver says, taking them both and passing one to me.
“Same here,” I reply, fumbling for my wallet and pulling out my ID to hand to Bree. Oliver does the same.
“Perfect! Feel free to have a seat in the lobby while you finish filling those out, then we can pick out the jewelry.”
Oliver and I move toward an oversized black leather loveseat and sink into the cushions. The form is fairly straightforward, but my mind is put at ease when I see a field for “preferred name”.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” Oliver asks softly.
I look up at him. His intense brown eyes are studying me, his brow furrowed with concern. I pat his knee reassuringly. “Better now,” I say with a smile. “Just a little freakout, but what else is new?”
“Did I cross a line or anything? If you don’t want to do the fake couple thing, we absolutely don’t have to–”
“No, that’s not what I was freaking out about at all. You’re fine.”
Oliver’s shoulders finally relax, and the little furrow in his brow vanishes. “Okay, I just wanted to make sure. And, hey,there’s no pressure to do any of this. We can leave anytime you want.”
I shake my head. “I don’t want to leave without a new hole in my nose.”
He snorts. “I feel like there’s a joke in there somewhere.”
“I’m sure it’ll come to you.”
After completing our paperwork, we return to the front and peer into the display cabinet. There are dozens of colors, styles, and stones to choose from. I can’t even tell which piercings some of the pieces are for.
“Here are your IDs back,” Bree says, handing them back to us. She picks up the forms and scans them, nodding. “Perfect. So, for you, Oliver, since you’ve never had piercings before, I highly recommend titanium. It’s the most hypoallergenic metal we offer, and completely free of nickel and other harmful irritants.” She points down to a grouping of studs in the cabinet. “The solid metal ball is $30, and the cubic zirconia stud is $40, but there are a few other colors and gems in there.”
Oliver stares down into the cabinet with a blank expression. “I have no idea,” he admits. He nudges me slightly. “What do you think, babe?”
I try not to snort at the pet name, despite how strange it sounds coming out of his mouth. “Hm,” I say, looking up at Oliver to picture it for myself. “I’m personally a fan of cubic zirconia, but I like shiny things. The solid metal look might be more your aesthetic.”
Oliver frowns. “I like shiny things, too. I’ve just never really had an opportunity to wear anything shiny until now.” He turns to Bree with a confident smile. “I’ll take the cubed Arizona, or whatever you said. Please.”
I burst into giggles. “Cubed Arizona. I’m never letting you live that one down.”
Bree stifles a laugh as she slides open the back panel of the cabinet to retrieve a sealed carton beneath the display pieces. “Alright, Jude,” she says as she straightens up again. “For your piercing, if you’ve never had any sensitivity issues with your lobe piercings, any of these studs would probably be fine. I’d still recommend titanium or gold.”
“I’ll take the titanium cubic zirconia, as well,” I reply. “I’d rather not take any chances.”
