39. Chapter Thirty-Nine

Chapter Thirty-Nine

Cody

“So… a mountain lion?” Jared from Jared and Jenna’s Tattoo Shack— yes, you can’t make this shit up—raises a pierced brow at Luke while he takes in my tattoo and the drawing on the paper in front of him. I try to tell myself that Jared is a professional and that he’s touching Luke’s hip in a solely professional manner, but my inner mountain lion just wants to scratch his eyes out.

“Yep,” Luke nods, trying to be the image of coolness, channeling his alter ego of Cool Hand Luke, but I can tell he’s freaking out on the inside, a greenish sheen to his skin. He hates needles. We found that out in the hospital when I was the one who was prodded and poked at, and Luke almost fainted.

“How big do you want it?” Jared pulls on a pair of surgical gloves, the muscles of his tattooed arms flexing, a shark chasing a merman across his upper arm.

“Not too big,” Luke gulps, his voice shaking slightly. “Just… so you can make out the details.” I throw him a reassuring smile, squeezing his shoulder.

‘Will it hurt?’ he asked me for the thousandth time last night when I thought he was asleep.

‘A little,’ I whispered. ‘But in a good way.’

‘A good way?’

‘Yeah, it’s kinda cathartic, you know? Feeling yourself like that.’

“Sure,” Jared hums, swiping a disinfectant wipe across Luke’s hip. “Colors? The same?”

“Yep. Exactly the same,” Luke beams.

“These right here?” Jared points at the drawing of a leaping mountain lion. Boy, the dude asks a shit ton of questions, but I guess it makes sense when you’re engraving something permanent on a stranger’s body.

“Yeah. That okay?” Luke looks up.

“Fine by me,” Jared shrugs and Jesus, could the guy maybe just fake a little enthusiasm? “Any particular order?” Jared pokes at Luke’s skin.

“Yeah. Black, gray, white, and purple.”

“Cool. What about you? You gettin’ one too?” He tips his chin at me and I nod.

“Yeah. I mean, if you have time?” The shop is empty aside from a French bulldog snoring loudly in a corner next to the counter on a plush pink… dog chaise long? No sign of the mysterious Jenna anywhere.

“Oh yeah? What?” There’s a faint glimmer of interest in his blue eyes and I almost feel sorry for the guy. I can tell that he’s hoping for me to blow him away with something unique and original. Shit, he must tattoo so many butterflies, boyfriend names, and star signs.

“This one.” I point at the small emblem on the front of my cap. “I mean, if you’ve got time to fill in the colors and all.” His gaze lands on my cap.

“Oh, that’s fucking cool, dude. So fucking cool. Never had one of those before.” His face positively glows, real excitement pouring off the guy. “You are one, right? Thought I recognized you.” Something indecipherable flashes across Jared’s pierced face. Like he wants to say something more, then decides against it.

“Yeah. We both are.” Luke nods just as the doorbell chimes and a UPS delivery guy enters, placing a large box on the counter. That gets the sleeping beauty going. In a flash, the bulldog jumps off the pink daybed and bolts to the door.

“Hey baby girl!” the guy coos, bending to pick up the not-so-small dog. “You miss me? You miss Daddy, Jenna girl?” He rubs his nose against the dog’s wet snout while I try to digest that the Jenna in Jared and Jenna’s Tattoo Shack is, in fact, Jenna the Bulldog. Unless there’s also a Jenna the Human. Luke must have the exact thought because, of course he does, since he’s my soulmate and all.

“That’s Jenna?” he laughs, looking at the UPS guy swooning over the ugliest dog I ever saw.

“Of course,” Jared shrugs, smiling at the UPS guy with stars in his eyes. “Hey, handsome. Come check this out,” he motions at the UPS guy, who probably has a name because going through life as UPS Guy must be kind of bothersome. He looks up, shooting Jared a dazzling smile, and then his jaw drops. It literally drops and Jenna the Bulldog must feel it, too. How it feels when you’ve just been outshined, out-dazzled, and outslayed because a pathetic whine leaves her snout.

“OhMyFuckingGawd!” UPS Guy squeals and it’s the most gut-wrenching sound I’ve ever heard. Then, in a flash, he’s up in Luke’s face like he’s taking in a gorilla at the zoo.

“I know, right, handsome?” Jared shakes his head in disbelief, too.

“It’s them,” UPS Guy whispers in awe. “It’s really them.” He blinks rapidly. What the actual fuck is going on? I mean, we get recognized around town all the time. Of course, we do. But this feels different somehow.

“We’re who?” Luke stammers like he, too, has a feeling that we’ve landed in some alternate universe where Jared, UPS Guy, and maybe Jenna, too, know something that we don’t.

“Thank you,” UPS Guy whispers, and then he starts bawling. Like literally truly bawling. In a flash, Jared jumps from his chair and pulls UPS Guy against his chest.

“Shhh, it’s okay, handsome. It’s okay,” Jared coos. “Milo, sweetheart, it’s okay.” And wow, UPS Guy does, in fact, have a name. He’s a Milo. I throw Luke a WTF look, and he, too, looks relieved Milo doesn’t have to go through life just being UPS Guy. Or maybe it’s just the look you throw someone when two guys are hugging and crying in front of you. When you thought you just came in for a tattoo and then you got an intimate glimpse into some strangers’ lives instead.

Milo comes up for air, wiping tears and snot away from his face with the back of his hand. He smiles shyly.

“Sorry about that. It’s just. You’re them ,” he says. “You’re…”

“Luke,” Luke sticks out his hand and Milo looks at it like it’s a venomous snake at first and then like it’s made of pure gold. “Nice to meet you.” He nods at Jared, too.

“Nice to meet you, too.” Milo grabs Luke’s hand and shakes it eagerly. “I can’t believe you guys came fucking out,” he says, shaking his head, ginger curls trying to escape from behind his UPS cap. Then he starts crying again and Jenna does a nervous dance on the floor between his legs.

“Milo was kicked off his old softball team,” Jared starts, patting Milo’s head. “When he came out,” he clarifies. “He came out, and of course, they couldn’t kick him off. But they bullied him off the team because apparently, you’re allowed to do that in God’s own country.” There’s a bitter edge to Jared’s deep voice. Hurt, too. “So, yeah, when you guys came out…” Jared shrugs. “It just meant the fucking world to Milo, right, sweetheart?”

Milo nods frantically, wiping his eyes. “So much,” he hiccups. Then he seems to sober. “In fact, I’ve reported my old team to the disciplinary board.” He pushes out his chest proudly, Jared looking at him like he just turned water into wine. “And I’m starting my own softball team, too. Where everyone who wants to play, can play,” he beams.

“You’re damn right, baby boy,” Jared smiles, his cheeks battling against the red of his T-shirt. Then he claps his hands together, setting off a chain reaction of woofs and squeals. “Let’s get this show on the fucking road!”

And there he goes again, the most gorgeous guy to ever walk the face of this earth and skate across the bright blue ice, going all green while he mumbles, “Oh, fuck.”

“It’s okay, babe,” I lean in, pressing a kiss against his cheek. “You’ll be okay.” Then I bend and rummage through my backpack and pull out a pink Gatorade and a packet of Reese’s and the smile that Luke sends me is worth a billion dollars. “Now, get on the bench, babe,” I pat the black leather. “I promised Riley I’d record this,” I wink.