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I completely miss her paying for her tattoo or starting to walk out the door. In fact, I would have completely missed her if a snotty voice hadn’t practically screeched from the front of the shop.
“Excuse me,” the blond woman pushing past Casper snaps. “You’re blocking the way.”
“Oh, I’m sorry.” Casper flushes. “I was just so excited about my tattoo.”
The blonde curls her lip, and I’m moving before I can stop myself.
“I’m sure you are.” She pushes past Casper and into the shop, stopping directly in front of me. Her entire demeanor changes, and I can actually see her stand up straight and push her chest out at me. “Oh, hi there. Is Tom here?”
“What d’ya want, Lola?” Tom answers for me, so that I can sidestep the blonde and get to Casper.
Casper actually looks like she is about to pull out Lola’s hair and start a fight in the middle of Tom’s Tattoo.
“Let’s go, babe.” I wrap my arm around her before thinking better of it.
Releasing her, I can feel the air around her deflate as she thinks I don’t want her. But Casper has no idea what I’m going to do, and that puts a smile on my face.
I turn back to the blonde, who is now trying to convince Tom to give her a touch-up, even though the shop is closed.
“Come on, Tom,” she practically whines. “You know I don’t want anyone else touching me.” She even bats her eyes at him, and I have to fight the urge to roll mine.
“I told ya, no.” He crosses his arms over his chest. “It’s gettin’ late and I want to get Di home.” He nods toward Diana, who is still lightly snoring on the couch.
“Excuse me,” I interrupt. “I think you owe Casper an apology.” I address her directly, so there is no way she misses it.
“No, I don’t.” Lola narrows her eyes. “It’s not my fault the tubby ginger was in the way.”
The gasp that comes from behind me, where I can feel Casper practically burrowing into my back, sends me over the edge.
“That’s my girlfriend,” I lie through my teeth. “I really don’t appreciate you calling her that.”
“I wouldn’t figure you for a chubby chaser,” Lola goes on, and I see that she isn’t a decent human being.
She is disgusting, and there is likely nothing I can do to stop her mouth. But I need to protect Casper, and I am starting to think I’m causing more harm than I am helping, by intervening.
“You…” Casper snaps and pushes around me in a flash, pointing her finger at Lola’s chest. “Are vile. No wonder you have to try and flirt with men to get them to do anything for you. You’re evil and mean. And I don’t think Tom would want to tattoo you when his wife is asleep and he wants to take her home.”
When Lola tries to interrupt, Casper silences her with one look. The sight is hilarious. Tiny, curvy little Casper, with her red curls bouncing everywhere, putting another woman in her place. I expect a panic attack or the anxiety that I’ve gotten so familiar with. What I don’t expect is for Casper to go full-on teacher on the ugly woman.
“You are going to leave. Now. And unless Tom calls you to put you on his schedule, you’re not going to come back.” Casper’s voice is deathly calm. “No one acts the way you have tonight. It’s not acceptable, and your parents should be ashamed of you. Carrying on like this. Everybody in the world is built differently, and the fact that you’re judging me based on the color of my hair and the size of my waist is despicable. I feel bad for you.” Casper puts one hand on her hip, only emphasizing the curves that I love. “Honestly, if you weren’t so insecure about yourself, I’m sure that you’d be a nice person.”
Lola is standing there with her mouth hanging open, completely helpless on how to answer, when Diana steps forward too, having woken up sometime during Casper’s rant.
“I’d go now, Lola,” Diana practically snarls. “And don’t worry about getting your tattoo touched up here. You’re persona non grata now.”
Lola looks crushed, but that doesn’t stop the harsh expression that both Tom and Diana have pointed in her direction.
“I don’t tolerate bullying,” Diana explains once the blonde has walked stiltedly out of the shop. Diana yawns, scratches her head, and then rests on Tom’s chest. “Did you get lots of pictures of it?”
“Yep,” Casper says excitedly. “I’ll send them to you.”
“Good.” Diana turns to her husband. “Take me to bed or lose me forever.” The famous quote has all of us smiling.
He kisses the tip of her nose, swatting her ass as he does it. “Yes, ma’am.”
Tom walks us out, locking the doors behind us, and I am left standing on the dimly lit street with Casper at my side.
“I’m sorry,” she says hurriedly. “I didn’t mean to just ghost you like that.”
