Page 48 of Game On

“Um, Blaise and I did the casual thing, and now we’re having a baby,” she said.

She looked down at her stomach and rubbed her hand on it. Despite the morning sickness, Veronica looked so happy that she and Blaise were starting their family together. A part of me would always feel guilty about what happened between her and Seth, even though it wasn’t my fault. I was glad she got her happily ever after, despite what he did.

“Who’s having a baby?” Alex asked.

Veronica and I both jumped at the sound of his voice. Alex stood in the open doorway, peering at his sister suspiciously. Veronica hadn’t wanted to tell her brother or his husband that she was pregnant yet. Especially this soon in her pregnancy. I gathered he knew already with the way he stared pointedly at her stomach.

“No one,” I told him. “Talking about my baby.”

Alex gave Veronica an exasperated look. “V, admit Blaise knocked you up. Everyone knows.”

I gave Veronica a sheepish look. I had kept that secret close to the vest. I would’ve never given it up. I knew how tough it was being in the early stages of your pregnancy and how you weren’t supposed to tell anyone.

Veronica frowned. “How did you know?”

Alex rolled his eyes. “Blaise is constantly touching your stomach and being all cute. And you vom like every day.” He pointed at me. “You totally knew.”

I cringed and held up my hands. “Guilty, but I was sworn to secrecy.”

Alex looked giddy. He ducked his head out of the door. “HEY BABE!” he called to his husband.

I smiled while Veronica put her head in her hands. “This is why I didn’t tell them.”

“Aw, they’re excited.”

“We’re gonna be GUNCLES!” Alex yelled.

I shook my head at them. I lost all hope of getting any more work done. I saved my work and made a note in my planner on where I left off. I needed to get across town for the consultation with the tattoo shop in Manayunk.

I packed up my stuff, waved goodbye to Veronica, and walked to my car parked a couple of blocks over in one of the lots. That was the one thing I hated about the city. Too much city, not enough places to put your car. When I lived with Seth after the baby was born, we had moved out to the suburbs. I liked being a little further away from it all. Even where I grew up in the Northeast was a little more manageable than the hustle and bustle of Center City.

I drove over to Manayunk and rehearsed what I wanted to say to the client while I drove. I had a proposal ready, but they didn’t discuss their needs with me. If they needed a full-time bookkeeper or someone to run their numbers monthly. Last night, I put together a plan for both options. I was prepared for anything because I needed this to be a success.

I found the shop quickly and parked my car on the street after driving around the block a couple of times. I checked my hair and makeup in the overhead mirror before I got out.

The shop was on a corner, and the exterior was painted black with a big sign above the door bearing the shop’s name. When I stepped inside, it was exactly what I expected. There were tattoo designs hanging up on one wall and a large reception desk in front. A woman with purple hair and tattoos up and down her arms and even chest sat behind it.

She peered at me with a bored expression. “Can I help you?”

“Hi, I’m looking for Rich. We have an appointment.”

She gazed up and down at me, assessing my white skin bereft of any ink. I wore one of my nicer designer dresses and a blazer over it with smart pumps on my feet. I couldn’t turn off the corporate business attire, but I definitely looked out of place.

“Rich!” the woman called into the other room. She looked back at me with a curious look. “Is this your first tattoo?”

I shook my head. I let Seth do a tiny rose on my wrist. It had hurt slightly less than childbirth, but I was glad I did it. Kinda wished Veronica had done it, though, since flowers were her specialty. Seth’s artwork wasn’t bad, but it burned the memory of his betrayal into my skin.

I pulled back my sleeve and held up my wrist. “Nope,” I told her with a smile.

Before she could say anything, an older man who was round in the middle and had a big bushy greying beard came up to the front.

“Lily, right?” he asked and put out his hand.

I shook his hand firmly. “That’s me.”

“Come on back to the office so we can talk in private.”

I followed him through the doorway where there were a few different stations with artists inking up their customers. Rich stopped to speak to an older woman around his age, tattooing the back of a burly biker dude.