Page 21 of The Heartbreak List

“What does your tattoo mean?” I glance at the waistband of his jeans. While his arms are bare, I noticed the hint of a tattoo above that hard line where his torso meets his hip. He has at least one that he doesn’t show off.

“You noticed that, huh?” He jacks up a brow.

I glance away. Check out the artwork on the wall. Chew on my thumbnail. “You were half-naked. Slightly more than half. It wasn’t like it was hidden.”

He makes a huffing noise. “Yeah, it means something.”

“What?”

He bunches his jaw. “It’s personal.”

Perhaps, it’s embarrassing. Like its meaning is don’t get a tattoo after losing a drunken bet.

“Here we are.” Harlan comes back into the room with my temporary tattoo. He holds it up for us to see.

It’s a black and white kitten wearing huge and colorful glasses. It’s sitting in a teacup, and is impossibly adorable, but I can’t imagine why Theo chose it. “What does it mean?”

“Why don’t you tell her?” Theo tells Harlan.

“Well, cats symbolize femininity and gracefulness.” He grabs a spinning stool and sits in front of me. “Two things that I can tell you have in spades.”

I smile at Harlan and then I smile at Theo. “You two thought it was cute. Admit it.”

“It’s going to be very cute on you.” Harlan winks as he helps me arrange my arm so that it will be easy to put the tattoo on, and then he cleans the area with a swab. Pulling off the clear layer, he positions the paper on my skin and holds it in place with his hand until he has it taped down.

“Stop flirting with her,” Theo grumbles. “She has a fiancé.”

“I do.” I lift my hand and flash him my ring. It’s getting loose. I’m going to have to get it resized soon. Or put it away so I don’t lose it.

“That’s too bad.” Harlan shakes his head. “But of course a pretty girl like you would be off the market.”

“Cats have nine lives.” Theo clears his throat.

“Sorry?” I glance up at him as he moves nearer to observe over Harlan’s shoulder while he finishes transferring the tattoo to my skin.

Theo shrugs. “Cats have nine lives. They symbolize rebirth. And luck.”

Harlan tosses the backing in the trash. “And they look really sweet on you.”

I stare at the image on my arm with a big smile on my face. I always wanted a tattoo and even though it’s only temporary, it looks real.

“The level of detail in your artwork always amazes me, Harlan.” Theo grabs my hand and bends over my arm to check the tattoo out up close. He smiles as our eyes lock. “Do you like it?”

“I think I want to come back and tattoo it on my skin forever.” I beam at him, and then at Harlan.

“She loves it.” Harlan dusts his hands together as he and Theo exchange smirks.

“Can you take a photo?” America should have been here for this. I have to show her. “I want to document it.”

“Sure.” Theo takes out his phone and snaps a handful of photos. He thumbs through them and a shadow flickers across his face, but it’s gone when he lifts his gaze. “I’ll text them to you.”

“Thank you.” Maybe I imagined the emotion I glimpsed. It’s possible that I’m projecting my own less than positive emotions onto other people. Like buying a particular car, then seeing that car everywhere.

“Hey, Harlan, take one of the two of us.” Theo offers his phone to the tattoo artist. “Is that okay with you, Indy?”

I pat the padded surface next to me. I wouldn’t have gotten a tattoo, no matter how temporary, without him. And I certainly wouldn’t have gotten it today. I would have let chemo derail me completely. “I couldn’t have done this without you.”

Theo sits on the end of the seat, our thighs touching, because there’s not really enough room for two people. His hands are linked in his lap, and I am smiling so hard. I can’t believe that we did this. Or that I could be this happy while my whole world is falling apart.

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