Page 15 of Love at First Ink

He supposed it was a good sign she hadn’t thrown his card away. Still, he couldn’t help the disappointment that took over. “Sure. I’ll talk to you tomorrow then.”

“Tomorrow,” she agreed. “Goodbye, Cisco.” Marisol offered him a tight smile before she walked away from him. Her short, fitted skirt hugged her ass perfectly. It was long enough to cover her tattoo though, which was what she wanted. Even when she slid into the front seat of her father’s car, she took great care to keep her thigh concealed. She shut the door with a resounding thud.

Cisco didn’t move back to his car until the Bentley drove down the road, taking Marisol and her answer about tomorrow further away.

CHAPTER 8

Marisol

If Marisol had friends, big life decisions would be much easier. Dates shouldn’t have fallen under that category, but any deviation from her norm fell under major decisions. Choosing for herself didn’t come naturally, no matter how much she willed it.

Thoughts of her mother plagued her mind, taking up residence within her soul and tainting every decision of her life. Her mother’s approval was at the forefront of everything. It was easier to simply go along with what she said because it made life easier. Even if that chipped away at parts of her until she was nothing but an empty shell, content to be pushed along by someone else.

So, yes, friends would make this decision a lot easier so they could psych her up and tell her it was okay to go on a date with a man her family—specifically her mother—would not approve of because he did not fit into the image she had molded for their family.

Although her relationship with her sister had improved, they didn’t talk about men or dating. Not since Marisolmarried Archie, Lola’s ex-boyfriend, and destroyed her sister’s trust. Now they stayed on more neutral topics, like Lola’s children or weekend plans. Despite not going in-depth about their lives, Marisol still enjoyed the time she got to spend with Lola. It made her think of all the time she missed out on as children, but it gave her hope for the future.

With no friends and her unwilling to call her sister about this matter, Marisol only had one other option. Heading into her formal dining room, Marisol sat down on a white upholstered chair and opened her laptop. She pulled up her email, found the link sent to her and clicked on it. Her face filled the screen while she waited for her call to be answered. She didn’t have to wait long.

On the second ring, a new face filled the screen. Her gray hair was piled into a neat bun atop her head, and her glasses sat on the bridge of her nose. She squinted, mumbling something under her breath. “Can you see me?” Alice asked, poking at the camera.

Marisol smiled. For as good as her therapist was in person, she lacked the proper knowledge of online therapy sessions but was getting better. At least this time, she was able to send the link and log on to her own session.

“I can see you just fine. You don’t need to poke the camera.” She laughed.

Alice stopped assaulting the camera and sat back in her black leather chair. “Oh, good. It’s good to see you again, Marisol. How are you doing? You don’t normally call last-minute sessions.”

The warm smile Alice reserved for her always put Marisol’s nerves at ease, even if her mind was a whirlwind of anxiety. “Thank you for meeting with me on such short notice.”

“Anything for my favorite client.”

“Are you allowed to say that?” Marisol asked, raising a brow.

Alice just winked at her. “So, what did you want to talk about? Oh! Did you get that tattoo for your birthday?”

There was a playful gleam in Marisol’s eye as she stood up and raised her cotton shorts.

Alice gasped as she leaned closer, her eyes taking up the entire screen. “Oh, Marisol, it's beautiful! Look at that line work. Oh, wow. I expected a little flower or something, not this beautiful piece. It’s big!”

“It is, but it’s easy to conceal too. Only Lola knows I got it. She’s actually the one who scheduled the appointment for me. I don’t think I would have gone otherwise,” Marisol admitted.

“How sweet of her. It’s a great present for you. She took the time to hear what you wanted and gave it to you. Has she seen it yet?” Alice asked.

Marisol rolled her shorts back down and took a seat. “Only on a video call. She liked it too. But, uhm, that’s kind of the reason I scheduled this meeting.”

“Oh? About your sister?”

“No, not Lola.” She shook her head, suddenly feeling foolish. Maybe it wasn’t the right idea to call Alice. She wasn’t a relationship guru. She couldn’t tell Marisol what to do or?—

“Marisol, come back to me. I know that look. You’re doubting our call. But that only confirms this call is completely necessary. Tell me what has you worried,” Alice said gently. Her voice had a soothing quality that made Marisol take a deep breath.

“Well, while I was getting tattooed, the artist—his name is Cisco—and I got to talking. We like the same music and connected over a band we both like. I had a fun time talking tohim, and by the end of it, he…” She hesitated as nerves started to take over.

“And what happened by the end of it?” Alice inquired, a small smile on her lips.

Marisol fidgeted in her chair. Her leg bounced up and down in rapid succession, a nervous habit that drove her mother crazy. “He asked me out. At first, I thought he might have been joking, but I ran into him again yesterday, and he’s serious,” she said so quickly, her words ran together.

Thankfully, Alice was able to understand her chaotic speech. “Did he? And what did you say?”

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