Chapter 17
SEVENTEEN
I can’t stop thinking about her.
“No Omegas,” I remind Burger. “Omegas have Alphas, and Alphas don’t like to share with Betas.”
The dog tilts his head as he listens to me spiral.
Again.
Like I have every hour since I saw Crystal at the grocery store.
She told me she met an Alpha, and I’m happy for her.
I am.
But my gut hurts, and not because I panic ate some pancakes.
“No Omegas,” I say again. This time, Burger gives me a squeaky bark in return. “You’re right, Burger. She is different.”
Am I projecting my desires onto my dog to help justify a decision I will probably regret?
Yes.
Am I going to stop?
Highly unlikely.
“But I don’t know her, Burger. Not really. I’ve tattooed her for a long time, but that was the first conversation we’d ever had outside the studio.”
“Woof, grrr.”
“You’re right. I need to get to know her outside of the studio. That’s a good idea, buddy.”
His bark gets higher-pitched, and he yowls at the end.
“I don’t have her number, but it’s in her client file. I’ll get it.”
Another bark.
“I know it’s against the rules, but I don’t think she’ll mind. Maybe she’ll think it’s romantic, like in a romcom or cheesy romance novel.” He yips at me and I snap, pointing at the little guy. “Yeah, it’s romantic.”
He runs up to me and bumps me with his nose. A glance at the clock reveals I’m about fifteen minutes late feeding him dinner. I’m not sure how my dog learned to tell time, but he’s a punctual bastard.
As I scoop the food into his bowl, I grow more sure about my decision. “I’m going to get her number. Get to know her. What’s the worst that could happen?”
* * *
“What are you doing?” Trina asks, startling me from where I’m digging through the computer at the reception desk. “What are you looking for?”
“Uh…” I stutter out suspiciously. My brain isn’t fast enough to make up a lie. Trina narrows her eyes, knowing that whatever is about to come out of my mouth isn’t true, and my shoulders slump. “I was trying to find Crystal’s number, okay? I ran into her at the grocery store yesterday and meant to ask her for it, but I forgot.”
“So you were going to rifle through her file to find it?”
“Yes? Look, I know it’s wrong, but she met an Alpha, and if I want the chance to take her out and maybe be a part of her pack, which I know is getting ahead of myself, Trina, you don’t have to look at me like that, then I have to try now and sure it probably won’t go anywhere because she’s older than me and an Omega and what does an Omega need a Beta for, especially one like her because she’s so fucking incredible and I’m just a street rat, but I have been tattooing her for four years and I feel like I know her well and I feel like we could be good for one another and I just really want to see where this will go and I’m running out of time so can you please not fire me and let me have her number? Please?”
Trina places a hand on my shoulder. “Oh my God, Gage, fucking breathe, dude. That was probably the longest run-on sentence I’ve ever heard. You kicked my anxiety up like ten levels. Jesus Christ, I think I need a garden gummy now.” She scrubs her face with her hands. “I’m not surprised, Gage. I’m just surprised it took this long. You two have some crazy chemistry, and even though she comes in here looking like she’s steps away from ending it all, she leaves much lighter after talking to you. But you have to understand that if you do this, cross this line, and reach out to her, she may never come back. She may go to someone else for her tattoos, ruining that beautiful piece you’ve been carrying around for years, waiting for her to be ready for it. You have to decide if a chance with her romantically is worth the risk of never seeing her again.”
Never seeing her again feels like the worst thing that could ever happen to me.
But I don’t want to wait another three months for her to come back here for a cryptic tattoo.
“I’m willing to risk it,” I say quietly. “I’ve got good instincts, I think. I need to do this.”
Trina nods, leaning over me and pulling up Crystal’s file with a few taps of her fingers. “I hope you’re right because this is such an invasion of privacy to do this.”
My hands shake as I type her number into my phone and save it under her name, with a little cherry emoji beside it. She doesn’t know I started stocking only those little cherry hard candies after her second session because I noticed that she picked them out of the bowl of mixed flavors.
Oh shit, I’ve been down bad for her from the beginning, in retrospect.
It takes me ages, but I finally type the perfect opening text.
Hey. It’s Gage.
A masterpiece.
Wait. What if she knows more than one Gage? Fuck fuck fuck.
The tattoo artist.
With celiac.
I don’t know why I used that as a qualifier, you literally just learned that yesterday.
My dog is named Burger, which is funny, right, since most burgers aren’t gluten free
uh
anyways
hi
I nearly throw my phone across the shop. I would unsend every single one of these messages if I could, but then she’d get the notification that I had unsent messages, and she’d probably wonder if I was a creep or something.
Do I want to look like an idiot or a creep?
Probably an idiot, right?
I don’t know many people who’d willingly go out with a creep, but everyone I know has dated idiots.
I’ve got no clients on the books this morning, so I get to spend it obsessively staring at those blue bubbles, hoping to see three little dots appear with her response.
“Gage,” Trina shouts. “We got a walk-in. You up for it?”
I stuff my phone in my pocket, resigning myself to being ghosted by the beautiful Omega with the uniquely colored hair. Over the years, she’s changed her hair color to every shade under the sun, but I’m pretty partial to the faded pink, purple, and blue she’s got right now.
“Yeah, I’m down. Come on over, let’s see what I can do for you.”
The Alpha shuffles towards me, bags under his eyes. He’s a handsome dude, but he looks beat down. There is a familiarity to him that tickles the back of my brain. When he slides into my chair, I pull out my tablet and slide my stool beside him.
“Hey man, I’m Gage.”
“Maverick,” he responds stiffly.
My eyebrows raise. “Wait, are you Manic Mav?” I squint, trying to picture him in a fishnet shirt and strappy, baggy pants.
He smiles softly and pushes his hair from his face. “Yeah, I am. You watched the show, then?”
Lie, Gage. Lie. Don’t let him know you watched every episode because he was just that magnetic.
“Nah, I’ve been to a few of your sets, though. You put on a great show.” I open up my app with my pre-drawn designs, which most walk-ins get because there isn’t time for a custom piece. “Whatcha thinking today?”
“Oh, well,” he blushes a pretty pink across his nose, ruffling his hair. “I’d like to get a crown. For my Omega.”
“You got yourself an Omega? All of Lunarcrest city will weep when that gets out,” I joke, flipping through a few pages. “Any particular type?”
“Uh, I’m not sure. Do you have any pre-drawn?”
I show him a page with various royal symbols, and he points at one. “Have you given anyone this one before?”
“Nope. Relatively new piece.”
“How much will it cost for you to remove it from your sheet so I’m the only one with it?” He pulls his wallet out. “I don’t want anyone else to have it. It has to be special.”
“I’ll just charge you the custom rate. Where do you want it done?”
He whips his shirt off and points at his pec, just over his heart. “Here, yeah? Make it big.” He holds out his hands like he’s describing a fish he caught. “It’s a declaration. A grand gesture of sorts.”
With a chuckle, I sanitize my hands and glove up, applying the stencil and getting his approval before setting up the inks. He chose a round crown with several jutting points and gems on top of each. It’s got flowers growing around it like it’s been left in the grass, and he wants me to ink the metal so it looks a little tarnished.
It’s an odd choice to honor an Omega.
“Your Omega isn’t going to be upset that this is a discarded crown?” I ask as I sanitize again and reglove after setting up my tools.
He shakes his head and leans back as I slide up next to him. “No. I don’t think she’ll mind leaving her crown behind.”
“Well, alright then.”
The tattoo takes a few hours, and Maverick and I joke around and chat about our lives. He’s an interesting guy with an infectious laugh and a slightly unnerving intensity. Being on the receiving end of that must be something special.
I know that whoever his Omega is, she must have a strong personality to keep up with him.
When Maverick leaves, he seems happier and lighter than when he came in. He tips generously, and when I hand him the aftercare sheet, he reads it several times before asking clarifying questions.
I’d forgotten all about Crystal while tattooing him, but now that I’m by myself again, I feel the anxiety creeping up.
What if she didn’t respond?
Shit, what if she did respond, and she called me a creep?
It’s too late now. Gingerly, I pull out my cellphone and nearly drop it at the number of notifications on my screen.
Crystal
lol hey Gage, of course I know who you are
How’s Burger? Send me a picture, I’ll make it your contact photo
I was about to ask how you got my number, but then I realized I filled it out at the shop. Did you get my number from my file, Gage?
How inappropriate.
I’m joking, I’m glad you did. We’ve been seeing each other for so long now, it almost feels weird not to have your number somehow.
This is the longest relationship I’ve ever had.
Not to say we’re in a relationship oh my god
Not that being in a relationship with you is anything bad
You’re really good looking, anyone would be lucky to have you
Oh my god I’m being so weird I’m so sorry
I’m going to blame it on work. That’s what people do, right?
Shit, my lunch break is over. Oh my god you’re going to think I’m so weird when you see this. I promise I’m only a little weird.
It feels weird to talk to you when I’m not getting a tattoo.
Not that we’re even talking OH MY GOD
I can’t
BYR
fuclk
FUCK
BYE GAGE
I think I’m in love.
This is what love feels like, right?