Page 63 of Can't Kiss the Chef

“Fuck you.” She says through gritted teeth.

I hold my hands up in surrender. “You are the one that chose to be friends with athletes.”

I’m shocked that the door to the tattoo shop is unlocked. Lola stomps into the now brightly lit shop throwing a little temper tantrum. Isn’t that cute.

Cora is in the back setting her station up. She must have come in through the back door.

The shop is cool. I normally get my tattoos done when I am at home. Tattoo artists are one of those people who once you find one you like, you stick with them. There was one-night last year when Lola and I were cuddling in her bed–I’m a class clown who likes to cuddle; it’s not that shocking- and while I was ghosting my fingertips up and down her arm, I noticed how skillfully done her tattoos were.

“Thanks for letting me tag along, Cora. I’ve been dying to have you tattoo me since Lola told me you did most of her work.”

“Oh, it’s no problem. I love working when there is no one else in the shop.”

When Cora walks to the back of the shop to get some ink, Lola settles in her chair.

“What are you going to get?”

I use my right hand and tap the inside of my left arm, that’s bare. “I’m going to get Westvale’s Riley logo and the year we won the National Championship.”

Lola taps the empty tray next to her seat a few times before turning back to face me. “I like that,” she says simply. Lola hates it when people get frivolous tattoos.

They should all have a story to tell. She told me that night at Jasper’s.People are going to ask, and you’ll look stupid if you say, I just liked it.

That was the moment I knew I had to know more about this girl. She spoke her mind. Most girls just try to impress me by putting on a show. Not Lola, she doesn’t give a shit who likes her. She cares more about being her authentic self.

“Getting a tattoo with no story behind it is dumb, right?”

“Right,” her smile reaches her eyes and she couldn’t look more beautiful.

“So, are we sure we want to put the anchovies on it?”

The tattoo appointment didn’t take as long as we thought it would. So now we are hammering out the rest of our menu.

“Yeah, I think the umami flavor will balance out the olives on top of the tartness,” she scribbles her thoughts down. I’m still so damn proud that she took the hard road and bucked against her parents’ dream for her.

“Well, aren’t we speaking like a professional?”

“Well,” she copies my sarcastic tone. Then she grows serious. “I figured if I pretend for long enough, I’ll start to believe I can actually do this.”

She’s still doubting herself. It kills me that she can’t see how talented she is.

It’s obvious to anyone who takes the time to listen that cooking is her true passion. She constantly talked about the places she wants to travel to and what kitchens she would die to work in while she is there. I never pushed, but I did try to leave little hints for her to follow her dreams. We all only get one chance at life and she should do what makes her happy. Then, one day, it clicked. Like she suddenly remembered, she had been rebellious her whole life.

“How are things with your parents?”

“Umm,” she starts, running her pen up and down her notesheet.

“I don’t need the perfect answer, Lo. It’s me.”

She winces. I know this summer didn’t go as we planned, but I still want to be there for her.

“We haven’t talked much. I guess since I am no longer taking biology classes, we have nothing to talk about.” Tears start trickling down her cheeks. I wipe them away, but they start flowing faster than I can wipe them away. “And now I’ll have to see them all the time because they’ll come to watch their perfect son’s games.” She takes the collar of her shirt and uses it to wipe her tears.

“Maybe it will take the pressure off the relationship, and you’ll be able to show them who you really are.” I take her hand running my thumb over the top. “I can come with you, you know mom’s love me. It’s true. The baby face and the goofy smile make me a hit with the over-fifty crowd.”

She giggles before dragging her eyes to mine. “You’d do that for me?”

“I’d do just about anything for you Lo.”

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