Hard Read Free

the bike, stood it upright, and handed Tomi his helmet as he brought the hog to life. She was so drunk she would probably fall off the damn thing, and at least with a helmet on, she might wake up the next morning.
     
    ***
     
    “So what’s it going to be, ladies?” Stiles asked as he flipped on the lights. If you want it completed tonight, it’ll have to be small and simple.”
     
    “I want a heart. A broken heart,” Bridget said as she stepped forward.
     
    Stiles pursed his lips, her statement cutting him. “Here,” he said, setting a book on the counter and flipping it to the hearts section. “Pick out something you like,” he said softly, not meeting her eyes. “Anyone else? We need to snap this up if anyone besides Bridget gets one.”
     
    The women mumbled among themselves a moment, but only Tomi stepped forward. “I do.”
     
    Stiles smiled at her. Of course she would. “Do you know what you want?”
     
    “A dragon!”
     
    Stiles laughed. “A dragon, huh? You know I can’t do that all tonight.”
     
    “I can stay late…then you can work on me some more in the morning.”
     
    “I’m sure you can, but the last thing you want is a sleepy tattoo artist working on you. I tell you what,” he said reaching under the counter for another book. “Take this and have a seat in there,” he said with a nod of his head at the waiting area. “Flip through it and see if anything catches your eye. I will do Bridget’s then we’ll make a plan for yours.”
     
    Tomi took the book with a smile and weaved her way into the waiting room, the other two women following her.
     
    “That cunt,” Bridget snarled under her breath.
     
    “Now, now,” Stiles said with a smile. “You’re the one who said we had to keep this below the radar. I couldn’t very well tell her I was sleeping with her friend, now could I?”
     
    “She’s still a cunt. She’s lucky I don’t kick her ass.”
     
    “Are you sure you want to do this?”
     
    “Yes. Something to remember you, us, by.” She spun the book around and pointed to a small heart with a tear down the middle. “That one.”
     
    “Where?”
     
    “Here,” she said, touching the inside of her left breast.
     
    “I have a better idea,” Stiles said. “How about on your ankle? That way maybe, someday, your heart can bring you back to me.” He didn’t mention that placing it below her ankle would make it easy to conceal if she regretted her decision later.
     
    Bridget whimpered, trying not to cry. “Okay, my ankle.”
     
    He put on gloves before pulling paper over the table and then gave it a pat. After Bridget hopped onto the padded table, he carefully freehanded the heart design onto her ankle, but modified it to make it resemble a butterfly, the rip becoming the body. After transferring the design and surrounding the rest of her foot in barrier cloth, he set to work, carefully inking in the body of the butterfly.
     
    “How’re you doing?” he asked as the machine buzzed in his hand.
     
    “It hurts,” she said, grimacing as he inked.
     
    “I know. Let’s take a break and let me check on dragon lady in there.”
     
    He returned in a moment and picked up his phone. “All three of them are asleep,” he said softly as he called the cab company again.
     
    “Good,” Bridget murmured.
     
    He cleaned his work area while waiting on the cab, then got the women roused. “Ready for me?” Tomi asked as she tried to drag herself up out of the fog.
     
    “Tomorrow, okay? By the time I finish Bridget I won’t be in any shape to work on you.”
     
    “You promised,” she pouted.
     
    “Come see me tomorrow, if you’re still interested, and I’ll give you a dragon tattoo that will be the envy of all your friends.”
     
    “Okay,” she said but continued to pout and delay as he hustled her and her friends out the door. “What about Bridget?”
     
    “I still have some work to do on her. I’ll send her home later.”
     
    Stiles got the