Chapter 9
Morgan
The client held the mirror and moved her face around to examine Morgan’s work. The woman’s fluffy red bangs peeked out beneath a colorful fabric headband, while the rest of her curly hair framed her head in a bob that looked cute on her youthful face.
When she was satisfied, the woman handed the mirror back.
“Looks great!”
Morgan put the mirror on top of some drawers and stared at the piercing again. She looked from side to side, then up and down, making sure it was properly positioned on her brow.
Everything looked good to her, too.
“Same instructions,” Morgan said, since the woman had been in before for a lip piercing.
“Don’t twist it or touch it unless you’re cleaning it.
Wash your hands, then clean it with saline spray and wipe gently around it with gauze pads a couple times a day.
Six to eight weeks. Watch for signs of rejection, like we talked about. Anything weird, come see me.”
The young woman nodded. “Got it.”
“Then you’re all set,” Morgan said. “We can settle up out front.”
She walked behind the woman, around the corner and over to a payment pad sitting near the wall. She typed in the amount for the service and the jewelry, then gestured for the young woman to finish the transaction.
Morgan turned away, in part to not look over her shoulder while she decided on a tip. But she also wanted to take a look at how many people she had left waiting. Just one.
Wait.
She looked again.
Just the one. The one Morgan wondered would show up that night or not. The one she wasn’t supposed to be waiting for, but couldn’t help it.
She’d been excited to see Danielle’s text earlier in the week. She’d been trying not to think about her and had been doing a good job of it. Until that text.
Forgetting all about her last client, Morgan walked toward the counter and stood across from the waiting area.
“You came.”
Danielle’s green eyes lit up as a wide smile splashed across her face. “Thanks for telling me when to come. I can’t believe this place isn’t busier.”
Her voice was smooth and self-assured, but Morgan could sense a slight wobble beneath that confident exterior.
“You should have seen it earlier,” she said.
“Well, I’m excited anyway.” Danielle’s voice lowered as she leaned forward slightly. “And a little nervous.”
Morgan smiled. Danielle had seemed so confident during their first meeting when she’d sat down at Morgan’s table. This was a different side of her that was also endearing.
Nope. No endearing thoughts.
“Thanks,” the young woman said as she put a hand on Morgan’s shoulder and walked past her.
“Let me know if you have any issues at all.”
Danielle watched the woman walk out, then turned back to Morgan while pointing at her brow. “Was that what you did just now?”
Morgan nodded. “She’s been in a few times.”
“That one’s so cool.”
“Sure you don’t want one?” Morgan said with a sly grin. She knew the answer. But it was fun to hear it.
“Oh no. I’m too much of a wimp for that.” She raised her brow in thought. “Maybe one day, though? Yeah. Maybe one day.”
Morgan stared at her, her mind wandering back to that evening in the reception hall. Their conversation. Their ease together.
But thinking about that ceremony only brought her mind to another ceremony. One she had a day left to decide if she’d attend it or not.
She was never this indecisive. Never. She hated the feeling. Hated her mother even more for making her feel like she couldn’t go. She felt trapped by the decision. A feeling she thought she’d shed long ago.
“You okay?” Danielle asked. “I can come back another day if—”
“No, it’s fine,” she said. “I’m fine. This is fine.”
Leave it to her sister’s wedding to have her stumbling over her words.
“You sure?”
Danielle’s eyes were kind and earnest. Anyone who could call this woman a friend was a lucky person indeed.
“Yeah, definitely.” Morgan tapped the top of the counter with the glass case beneath it. “Let’s pick out some jewelry.”
Morgan looked back and forth between both ears, examining her work above the first set of empty holes. Danielle had chosen small titanium threadless earrings with aventurine stones that accented the lighter green flecks in her eyes. It was a perfect choice for her.
She handed Danielle a mirror just like she had with her previous client, catching a whiff of jasmine and something that smelled like a cool spring breeze.
“What do you think?” Morgan pointed at the wall next to the chair. “You can take a look in the bigger mirror.”
Danielle turned her body toward the wall mirror, then spun her head back and forth. “Oh my gosh, I love it.” She put down the hand mirror and turned back to Morgan with a wide smile. “Thank you!”
“My pleasure.”
Morgan immediately regretted her choice of words.
“It didn’t hurt as much as I thought it would,” Danielle said. “You’re really good at this.”
Morgan laughed. “Glad to know.”
The praise warmed Morgan to her core, and she wondered how else she could get that high of Danielle’s approval again.
Danielle was still sitting in the chair, but no one else was waiting out front. Morgan was in no hurry to usher her out.
Her stance on relationships remained. She didn’t want to be tied to anyone or anything.
Potentially having to face her mother again was enough of a reminder of how relationship ties can turn possessive and ugly.
She didn’t want to feel trapped or be expected to change who she was for anyone else ever again.
But she could still enjoy the friendly time she had with someone.
“Really,” Danielle said. “Thank you.”
“Thanks for keeping me company last week.”
She hadn’t meant to say it. Hadn’t meant to bring up that night at all.
So what was she doing?
“You were good company to keep.” Another gorgeous smile appeared on Danielle’s face, and those dimples made an appearance again. Then, with a laugh, she added, “Too bad we don’t have another wedding to chat through.”
Morgan’s insides clenched.
No.
She couldn’t.
Could she?
She really had enjoyed herself with Danielle. And she could use the company at this next thing. Plus, it would piss her mother off, which was always a perk.
That last part would involve using someone, which she absolutely wouldn’t do. Not unless they consented up front.
The bigger issue was she didn’t want to lead someone on. This would still be a one-event-only deal.
Wait, why was she even considering this?
“Funny you say that.” Morgan pushed her doubts away as she barreled forward. “My sister has a wedding coming up.”
“That’ll be fun for you. When is it?”
“In three weeks.” Morgan hesitated. Once she said these next words, there was no taking them back. “Wild idea… would you maybe want to come with me?”
She could hear the fear in her own voice, and she didn’t like the sound of it. It sounded so small. So pleading.
Was she really this terrified to go to her own sister’s wedding? Or did she really so desperately want this woman’s company?
“Me?” Danielle’s expression was confused, but at least it wasn’t horrified. She closed her eyes and shook her head. “I’m sorry. I’m not understanding. You want me to go with you to your sister’s wedding?”
“Yeah, if you want to. I just thought, you know, we had a good time last time, and I could use the company. I promise, knowing my sister, she’ll serve top tier-food and drinks.”
“Wedding food does sound better than boxed mac and cheese.” Danielle waved a hand between them. “But this…”
“Still just as friends,” Morgan said, probably a little too quickly. She had a feeling she was going to be reminding herself of that on repeat for the next few weeks. “Just a fun, friendly night of music, food, and conversation. You might even convince me to dance if the right song comes on.”
Danielle’s eyes lit up. “And what’s the right song?”
Morgan gave her a sly grin. “You’ll have to wait and see.”
“But if I go,” Danielle said, her expression turning serious, “even if we’re attending as friends, you know everyone there will assume otherwise. Didn’t you say something like that might be an issue with your family?”
“My sister will be the only person there that I care about. She and I have our issues, but she won’t say anything about whoever I bring in whatever arrangement we have.
” Morgan let out a re-centering sigh. “The rest of my relatives will gossip about anything, and this way I don’t have to answer their questions about why I didn’t bring some lovely young man with me. ”
Danielle gave a knowing smile, then raised her brows. “I remember you mentioning an issue with your mother?”
“My mother will be unhappy with me no matter what I do,” she said. “At least this way I can piss her off.”
All the amusement left Danielle’s face as her brow furrowed, and her lips curled downward. “So you want me to go with you as a friend to a wedding where everyone will think we’re a couple, so I can annoy your mother and deflect the other guests. Do I have this right?”
When she put it that way, Morgan had to admit it sounded like a terrible offer. Her heart clenched as she realized this was probably the worst offer ever, and she was going to miss her chance to spend this event with Danielle.
“Did I mention the top-tier food, drinks, music, and conversation?”
The hint of a smile cracked through, but the look of concern on Danielle’s face quickly returned. “Why me? Surely there’s someone else you can take. I know you don’t want a relationship, so maybe not an actual date. But a friend? Someone you’ve known for more than two occasions?”
It sounded sad having to admit it, but Morgan’s circle was tight. She liked it that way, but people always seemed to think it was some kind of flaw in her system.
Besides, her circle of one was more support than Morgan’s whole family ever was.
“The only other person I’d consider is my best friend, Jen.
She works here too. Tattoo artist. You’d like her.
” Would she? Morgan didn’t know why she had even said that.
“She already has a client booked that evening. She books out pretty far, and it’s someone who has multiple sessions scheduled in advance. ”
Danielle narrowed her eyes slightly. Not in an angry way. More in a puzzling way. “So why not just go alone?”
That was a good question.
“Because I know I’ll enjoy it more with you.” The admission filled Morgan with a shaky sense of vulnerability. “We already agreed we make good company.”
Danielle’s hesitancy softened some as she nodded. “That’s true.”
The wait that followed was excruciating, confirming that this had indeed been a terrible decision.
“You know what,” she said. “I’m sorry. Forget I said anything. This whole thing has me stressed, and I shouldn’t have asked you to be in the middle of it all. Plus, we don’t know—”
“Yes.”
Morgan blinked at her, processing that one little word she was sure she must have misheard.
Or misinterpreted.
“Yes, we can forget about it?”
“No,” Danielle said with a soft laugh as she stood from the piercing chair. “I’d like to go with you. If the offer still stands.”
A mixture of relief and gratitude and a million other emotions rushed through Morgan with a warmth that flowed through her entire body. But she had to make sure this was real.
“Are you sure?” Morgan backed into the doorway so they could both make their way to the front. “Did you hear the part about my nosy relatives and pissing off my mother?”
Danielle smiled and walked toward Morgan in the piercing room doorway. “Yes, I heard that part, and I’m fine with it. It’s not my family, so it won’t bother me. And if I can distract you from some of that, I’m happy to help.”
Gratitude swirled to the top of Morgan’s emotional stew. She couldn’t believe someone would be this kind. Sure, Jen was kind. The kindest person Morgan knew.
Until Danielle.
They walked up front together while Morgan thought of what to say next. Nothing she could think of matched what she felt.
What she shouldn’t feel.
“Thank you,” she said, deciding to go the simple route.
They reached the front counter, where Danielle turned to face her again. She tucked her blonde hair behind her ears and set her bag on the counter. “What do I owe you? I know you said just the jewelry, but I want to pay you for your time, too.”
“Oh, no.” Morgan put her palms up and shook her hands. “Absolutely not. It’s all on me. Thanks for agreeing to the whacked-out invitation.”
Danielle laughed. “Seriously, it’s not that big of a deal. And, like you said, I’ll get free food out of it.”
“This is still my token of thanks.”
Danielle put her wallet back into her purse. “If you’re sure. Thank you.”
“I’m sure,” Morgan said with a nod. “I’ll text you the date and time, and I probably have to be there early for pictures or whatever, but I’ll let you know after I talk to my sister tomorrow.”
The words came out in a flurry that Morgan couldn’t contain even if she tried.
“Sounds good,” Danielle said. “I’m usually free or at least flexible on weekend nights, so it will probably be fine.”
Morgan tried to ignore the word “flexible” in there.
“Great.”
One of the tattoo guys walked over to lock the front door, assuring no new customers would come in.
Danielle nodded toward the door. “I think that’s my cue.”
“I’ll let you out.” She walked with Danielle and unlocked the door. “Hang on, I’ll walk you to your car.”
“Oh, no. It’s fine.” Danielle pointed to a blue sedan parked right up front. “That’s me.”
Morgan’s brain vacillated between wanting to find a reason for this woman to stick around longer and wanting to call off the whole wedding invitation.
She knew which one she should do. Since this would go no further than a friendly acquaintanceship, there was no point in extending their interactions.
So she decided on neither.
“Thanks again,” she said. “Have a good night.”