“I don’t like surprises,” Ed complained.
It was Wednesday evening. After taking him to dinner at a local fast-food joint, Emma announced she had a surprise for him. She drove down what was deemed Old Main Street, passing by an antiques dealer, a tattoo parlor, a fashion boutique, a florist, a bakery, and a bank. It seemed every town had one of these roads, littered with two-story brick buildings and narrow side streets. The base of each lamp post was decorated with an autumn floral arrangement, each pot overflowing with colorful mums.
“Only you would say that! Come on, have a little faith. It’ll be fun.” Emma laughed at Ed’s sullen expression. Briefly, she stopped traffic to parallel park her truck. It was a snug fit, but she managed it. She pulled her wallet from the glove box. “Come on.”
“I’m not getting out of the truck until you tell me where we’re going.”
“You really don’t trust me, do you?” Emma set her wallet on her lap. Pulling the keys from the ignition, she said, “We’re going to get you some ink.”
Ed’s eyes widened. “Some what?”
“Ink. You know, a tattoo.”
“I’m not getting a tattoo.”
“But you don’t have any. I know, I’ve looked.” She grinned. “Thoroughly.”
“I don’t want a tattoo.”
Emma rolled her eyes. She’d predicted as much, which is why she hadn’t booked him an appointment. She’d booked herself one. She opened the door, grabbed her wallet and keys, and leaped from the truck. “But I do. So come on.”
“You’re getting a tattoo?” Ed closed the passenger door behind him and jogged around the truck’s back end to join her on the sidewalk.
“Yep. I thought maybe you’d want to be there.”
Gripping her arm, Ed pulled her to a stop. “Your uncle doesn’t want you to get any more tattoos.”
“Uncle Cain has no say in what I do with my body.” Emma wiggled her eyebrows at him. “Good thing for you, huh?”
When she tried to walk away, Ed’s grip tightened. “Have you thought this through?”
“Of course.”
“Really? Because you keep making rash decisions. Tattoos are permanent.”
In mock surprise, she gasped. “What? No one told me that!”
“Don’t be a smart-ass.”
Patting his chest, she said, “Look, I’ve wanted another tattoo for a while now—just a small one for my ankle. I finally decided on a design. I’m getting it whether you like it or not. You can either come with me, or if you’re afraid of Uncle Cain, you can have a coffee at that little bakery and then claim ignorance.”
“I’m not afraid of Cain.”
“Good. So you’re coming with me?”
Ed released her arm, shoved his hands in his pockets, and walked alongside her.
Inside the tattoo parlor, Emma was greeted by Jason, the artist who had done all her designs. After she signed all the paperwork and handed it back to him, she told Ed to look around. On a weeknight, the place wasn’t very busy. A couple of high school girls had walked in off the street looking to get their navels pierced, but both were underage, and without the consent of an adult, they were turned away.
Ed took a few moments to scan the images on the wall. Posters of various designs, particularly the popular ones like skulls, hearts, and various animals, hung around the lobby. While Ed was occupied, Emma snuck into the back with Jason and jumped into a chair. She pulled a piece of paper from her back pocket to show Jason the design she wanted, and with Ed out of earshot, she told him of the alteration she wanted to do to the stem of the flower.
He sketched out the pattern on carbon paper before applying it to her ankle. With it approved, he went about preparing the items he’d need.
As Jason set up the tattoo gun, rubbing alcohol, needles, bandages, and other equipment he’d be using, Emma called to Ed. Jason got a second stool for him to sit on. Ed rolled it near Emma’s chair and sat down.
Emma was giddy as she waited for Jason to begin. She vibrated in her seat. From the moment she’d made her decision about this tattoo, she’d been excited. She wanted a permanent reminder of the past few weeks. Ed, however, still seemed bothered by the whole thing. “Are you sure about this?”
Jason nodded toward Ed. “First time?”
“Yeah, he’s a newbie,” Emma explained. “I offered to get him one, too, but he turned me down.” She looked up at Ed. “While we’re here, what about a piercing instead?”
Ed scowled at her.
“Your eyebrow, or maybe your earlobe.” Emma bounced in her chair. “What about a Prince Albert?”
Stony in his response, Ed replied, “I think not.”
Jason laughed. “You ready, Emma?”
“Yep.” Adjusting her leg on the chair to grant him better access, Emma watched as Jason brought the needle’s point toward her skin. Ed took her hand as Jason got started. If she’d had any doubt in her mind about the tattoo, she knew then she’d made the right decision.
The hum of the tattoo gun was a constant in the background, and they chatted while Jason worked. Ed wanted to know how long Jason had been a tattoo artist. Jason explained that he started shortly after high school and had been doing it for nearly twenty years. He was interested in art in all its forms, and in his spare time, he dabbled in graphic novel illustrations. Along with a writer friend of his, he’d recently started an ongoing online graphic novel.
“Jason has done all my tattoos.”
Ed peered down at the tattoo visible under her tank top. It took up most of her right shoulder and part of her breast. “You do good work.” Looking up from her cleavage, he sent her a heated glance, but when she winced, his look turned to one of concern. “Does it hurt?”
“It’s a needle permanently scarring my skin,” she scoffed. “Yes, it hurts.”
“Then why do it?” His tone wasn’t accusing, just curious.
“It’s not that bad. Besides, this is something that I really want, so it’s worth a little pain.” Emma refused to expand on that any further and instead changed the topic.
She asked Jason about his bike. He told them about a road trip he’d taken in August across to the Maritimes to visit his sister. When Emma expressed interest in getting a bike, Ed looked ready to explode, claiming she had a death wish.
She laughed at him. “One day, I’m going to get you to relax.”
“I was relaxed that day we went mudding. And the other night in the hot tub.” Ed smirked at her.
She still thought he worried too much, but she let it go.
Ed was using the washroom when Jason finished up.
Delighted, Emma looked over his work. “Awesome, Jason, just awesome. I love it!”
Jason beamed. He was still going over aftercare instructions when Ed rejoined them.
“Look!” Emma twisted in the chair to show Ed the design.
Ed was silent for a long time as he stared down at her ankle. He pointed at the stem. “Are those my initials?”
Emma had brought the pattern with her, a simple flower, the stem pointing down to the ground, the top dense as it represented the pistil, with the gangly black petals reaching outward from the center. She’d asked Jason to make one modification to the design. The letters E and M—Ed Moore—were embedded in the stem in cursive lower-case writing.
Unsure what Ed’s reaction would be, Emma playfully swatted at him. “Nothing gets by you, does it?”
“Why?” He glanced at her. Emma couldn’t read the emotion in his eyes. Anger? Confusion?
She was honest when she said, “I’ve really enjoyed the last few weeks. I wanted a permanent reminder of that.” She wouldn’t tell him that she loved him. No way was he prepared to hear that, and after his behavior at the gym, she wasn’t sure he’d ever be ready.
And that was okay.
He might never be able to cope with the idea of love. Something had happened in his relationship with Jenny that caused him immense pain. But for now, for her, she just wanted to spend time with him, to soak up as much as she could so that when it ended, she’d have wonderful memories to look back on. That was more than most people could hope for when it came to their first love.
His eyes searched hers. She deliberately attempted to keep them void of sentiment. Finally, he muttered, “I’ll be in the lobby.”
It wasn’t long after that they heard the bell at the front door ring. Emma wondered if that signified someone was coming in or that Ed had chosen to wait outside.
“New beau, huh?” Jason wondered as he fitted a bandage over her tattoo.
“Not really. I think I’m more of a fling to him.”
Jason eyed her reddened ankle. He must wonder at her decision to engrave Ed’s initials into her body.
“Don’t worry about me. I know what I’m doing. No regrets, I promise.”
Sure enough, the lobby was empty when Emma reached it. She tried not to feel disappointed.
Jason accompanied her to the front desk, where she paid using her credit card before Jason greeted another customer. Emma thanked him for his service, took her receipt, and left.
Ed was pacing in front of the shop when Emma walked down the two uneven steps and started walking down the sidewalk toward her truck.
When Ed didn’t immediately follow, Emma called back, “You coming?”
They were halfway home before Ed finally spoke. “Why would you do that, Emma?”
“It’s something I wanted.”
“I don’t understand.”
“You don’t have to understand. Look, Ed, I don’t want you to be freaked out. It’s just a tattoo. You don’t have to worry about it. No hidden meaning. I promise.”
“They’re my initials.”
Ed wasn’t likely to understand, and Emma wanted to avoid a deep discussion about feelings. She didn’t want to get kicked out of his house. She wasn’t ready to leave yet. “You’re going to have to be on top tonight.”
“What?” The change in subject threw him. Good.
“My ankle will be healing. If I’m on top, it’ll rub on the bedding, and that will hurt. So, if there’s going to be any hanky panky tonight, you’ll have to be on top.”
Ed sighed in frustration. “Unbelievable.”
“Or we could do it doggy style. That would work. Or reverse cowgirl. I think my ankle would be lifted enough for that to work.”
Ed stared out the window and refused to answer.
Emma parked the truck in his driveway. She couldn’t take the silence anymore. “Come on, Ed. Tell me what you’re thinking.”
“I’m thinking,” Ed declared, his gaze swinging to meet hers, “that I want to try reverse cowgirl.”
Relieved, Emma released a long exhalation.
“I’m going to run Rufus out first.” The dog didn’t like to be left at home alone, and between the tattoo parlor and dinner, he’d be about ready to burst. “If it hurts you, though, let me know, and we’ll switch.”
She watched as he went to the house to retrieve her dog. He took care of Rufus. He took care of her. He worked hard and was well-respected by his friends and family.
He was hot.
She checked out his ass as he walked by with the dog.
He had a healthy sexual appetite that spurred hers from dormant, transforming her into a sexual deviant.
Her first assumptions were right. He was perfect, but not in the annoying way she’d predicted. He made her want to be a better person. When it came to Ed, how could she not love him?
The next morning, she didn’t have to be at the garage until noon. She had a short four-hour shift. She’d have to keep her tattoo covered to prevent dust, oil, and grease from getting on it, though. Having fabric constantly rubbing against it would be irritating, but for a few hours, she could deal with it.
When Ed had woken early that morning, she’d kissed him goodbye before rolling over for a few more hours of sleep. Several hours later, she woke refreshed and ready for the day.
Wearing only a T-shirt and panties, she’d let Rufus into the backyard for a quick pee while she sipped her morning coffee. Occasionally, she peeked down at her ankle and smiled. Having an eternal reminder of Ed made her giddy.
Luckily for her, Ed had dropped the tattoo conversation and instead accepted her olive branch of offered sex. She hoped he didn’t read too much into it. She didn’t want to scare him away.
With her mug washed and Rufus eating a late mid-morning breakfast, Emma trudged back up the stairs to the bedroom. She didn’t expect to be ousted from the house anytime soon since last night he’d invited her to go with him to the bar his friends frequented. That weekend, Nick, Kevin, and Gabe would all be going, and to top the evening off, there would be a live band.
Before heading to work, she planned to stop by her apartment and grab a few more things, like her PlayStation, the novel she’d abandoned, along with another bag of clothing.
Taking her time, she brushed her teeth and changed into loose-fitting jeans to wear at the garage. Hopefully, they’d keep her ankle covered but not rub too much against the skin. She sat on the edge of the bed to pull on a pair of socks, and that’s when she noticed the watch.
Ed didn’t wear his gold wristwatch when he was at work or in the shower. At those times, it lived on his nightstand next to his alarm clock.
Ordinarily, Emma wouldn’t touch it, but curiosity got the best of her.
It was heavy. And expensive. Roman numerals occupied the circumference, thick bronze arrows pointing to the time. It ticked steadily as she held it. Many times, she’d admired it on his dark wrist.
On impulse, she ran her thumb along the back. Not surprised in the least, she realized it was engraved.
A watch with an engraving was the type of gift someone would give a boyfriend.
Emma flipped it over and forced herself to read the engraving.
Love you forever. Jenny
Cringing, Emma swallowed the lump in her throat.
They had lived together, so it made sense that they’d been in love. Emma wanted to know what happened between them. She was sure it would help her to better understand him and his reluctance to commit to a woman.
She knew he didn’t owe her anything, but still, it hurt that he hadn’t told her about Jenny, that she’d had to hear about his first love from someone else.
Steeling her heart, Emma returned the wristwatch to the nightstand and reminded herself to enjoy each moment with Ed.
And not to expect anything more.