22 Everleigh Make Way For The Feeling—Chance Peña #2
“Yes,” he replies honestly. “It really is. All I want is to see you happy, no matter what that looks like. If you need to remake yourself to do that, then I’m all in. As long as you’re still you.”
Tears prick the corners of my eyes. “Thank you for supporting me.”
“Love isn’t conditional, Eden. I’m sorry you ever thought it had to be that way. Real love . . . well, it’s just a fact. A state of existence. So you’ll always have my support, no matter what.”
Playfully tugging on a loose strand of hair, he gifts me a heart-stopping smile, then climbs out of the car while I’m still picking my jaw off the floor. Part of me doesn’t believe it. The rest recognises that he means every single word.
Our hands interlink as we join Maverick and walk around the front to enter the tattoo parlour. It’s located in a small retail unit right in the middle of the high street, bustling with life in the blazing sunshine.
Spotting the tourists amongst local residents is easy enough, all eating freshly churned ice cream or carrying bags laden with souvenirs, handmade trinkets, and freshly baked Lake District gingerbread. This place is the picture-perfect postcard dream most have of rural England.
As for Thierry’s parlour, it sticks out like a sore thumb. The pane-glass windows have been stained black, standing stark against natural hewed stone and cobbled streets. Inside, a vast array of displayed vinyl discs plays crackly eighties music throughout the brightly lit studio.
“Look what the cat dragged in,” a sing-song tone calls.
Dripping head to toe in beautiful, coloured ink, Thierry is all long legs, toned muscle, and devastatingly good looks. His bleach-blonde hair is swept over on one side, accentuating blue eyes so dark, they resemble pools of navy ink.
“Sorry we’re late.” Leo grasps his forearm, exchanging backslaps. “Good to see you, man.”
“Likewise. What was the hold-up?”
“Eden drove,” Maverick rats me out.
After pulling them both into tight hugs, Thierry pauses to look me over. His smile is open, oozing friendly charm. I immediately feel at ease despite his perusal and only stiffen up slightly at the bone-crunching hug he pulls me into.
“Heard a lot about you,” he says by way of greeting.
“You have?” I gape at Leo over his shoulder.
The suspect in question winces, mouthing an apology. Busted. He’s so been talking about me to his friends.
“Leo’s quite the smitten kitten over you, doll-face.” Thierry releases me, still grinning. “I can see why. You’re cute.”
“Um, thanks?”
“Not my type, don’t worry.” He winks at Leo good humouredly. “Think my husband would have something to say about it if you were.”
“And I’d be the first to dob you in to Jonas,” Leo vows. “Turnabout’s fair play.”
“Chill out, hotshot.” Thierry blows him a kiss. “Go sit your ass down and show me what we’re doing today.”
“You got some portfolios Eden can take a look at while you do him?” Maverick asks.
Laughing, Thierry scrutinises me. “These two corrupted you already?”
“Just thinking about a change.” I shrug, keeping my nerves hidden.
“Well, go take a seat in the comfy chairs and I’ll get my apprentice to bring an iPad over. We can do full-colour, abstract, fine-line, calligraphy. The works.”
Ah, shit. I’m so out of my depth here.
“Come on, Eden.” Maverick takes my elbow to steer me. “I’ll help you brainstorm.”
“Thank God,” I mutter to myself.
“I’ve got you, mystery girl.”
We’re set up in the leather bucket seats positioned in the corner behind a privacy screen. Nearby, Leo pulls a chair up to the inking bench and tugs off his T-shirt to lay his left arm out on clean transparent film. I pluck up a smile when he meets my gaze and grins.
Thierry’s apprentice, a pink-haired girl called Avalon, delivers us an iPad to browse through his client photos and social media. Every now and then, Maverick leans over me to point to a design or two, cooing over the phenomenal artwork. It really is exquisitely detailed.
“Anything catch your eye?” Maverick murmurs.
“I think I’d start with something simple.” I brush a finger over a delicate, fine-line dragonfly. “Why is this so hard to decide?”
“You don’t need to figure it out right now. Just have a think.”
“I feel like I need to do this. It’s hard to explain.”
“No, I get it.”
“You do?”
“Sure. There’s something liberating about taking control of your body. I felt the same way when I got my first ink. Elias threatened to break my neck, but he eventually got over it.”
“Wait, did your uncle raise you?”
“He became our legal guardian.” Maverick flicks through another page of designs. “Raising kids wasn’t on our parents’ list of priorities, and Elias stepped in where his sister failed us.”
“That must’ve been tough for him.”
“Don’t think he even batted an eye. We got lucky.”
“He never had any kids of his own?”
“Nah, I think me and Piper were enough to handle.” He laughs quietly. “That reminds me, you’re coming to the gallery opening next weekend, right? I’m catering and helping with the big launch.”
Wincing, I want to let him down easy to avoid the possibility of another run-in with Elias, but the hopeful look in his eyes seals my lips shut. Maverick has been a good friend. He deserves better than that.
“Sure.” I plaster on a smile. “We’ll be there.”
“Thanks, Eden. It means a lot.”
“Of course.”
The sound of Leo cursing interrupts our conversation. Across the room, he’s glowering at Thierry, the latter chuckling unrepentantly.
“Let me go check on the big baby.” Maverick rolls his eyes. “I don’t know how he has so much ink with his shit pain tolerance.”
Smiling, I settle into the chair to continue searching. Thierry has some stunning pieces, capturing the realism of different animals and insects. An idea begins to take shape in my mind as I study a collection of butterflies.
“Do you have a pencil laying around?” I call out to him.
Thierry pauses for a second to point at the supply shelf. “Go wild.”
“What’re you up to?” Leo narrows his eyes on me.
“Wait and see.”
Sourcing a pencil and sketch-pad, I resettle in the seat to sketch out the image forming in my mind.
I’m not much of an artist, but I can trace the basic outline of a butterfly, bisecting it down the spine with a straight line, then drawing the second portion as clustered dahlias where the wing would be.
Turning the sketchbook at several angles to complete my design, I flip the page to show it to Maverick when he comes to look. He studies it for a long pause, then steals the pencil to add floating petals falling from the floral half, adding to the sense of decay giving way to new growth.
“Better,” he hums. “I love it.”
“Too girly?”
“Not at all. It’s unique.”
“I was thinking just above my elbow, maybe inside the arm.”
“Got your heart set on this?”
“Yeah . . . I think so.”
“Thierry!” Maverick bellows, startling me. “Cancel my appointment today. Eden’s gonna take the slot.”
“Wait, I’m doing what?” I splutter.
“We’re starting this little journey right now.” He flashes a wolfish grin. “No excuses.”
“I can’t just take your slot!”
“Sure, you can. I wanna see this.”
“Leo! A little help?”
“I’m on Mav’s side here,” he shouts back.
“It’s up to you, doll-face.” Thierry pauses to flick us a glance mid-ink. “I’ll be real gentle for your first time.”
“Oi.” Leo scowls at him. “Watch your mouth.”
“Pipe down, caveman. Still happily married. I’ll take good care of your girl though.”
“Do you want a punch?”
“Not if you want me to finish this tattoo.”
Fingering the edge of the sketchbook, their ribbing filters over me while I try not to give power to the voice that inevitably arises.
Follow the rules. Wear the clothes I give you.
Don’t answer back. It’s hard not to feel the weight of this decision after years of shrinking myself to fit into that box.
“Okay,” I squeak.
The room falls silent.
“You’re going for it?” Maverick quirks a brow.
“Well, since you so graciously cancelled your plans for me . . . it would be rude not to.”
“Alright!” Leo fist-pumps with his spare hand.
Breaking into a grin, I tear the design out of the sketchbook to be handed over. The nerves are building already.
“Avalon!” Thierry bellows for his apprentice. “Can you get Eden here prepped with the consent forms and patch tested while I finish up?”