Page 48 of Knot All is Crystal
I stuff my phone in my pocket, resigning myself to being ghosted by the beautiful Omega with the uniquely colored hair. Over the years, she’s changed her hair color to every shade under the sun, but I’m pretty partial to the faded pink, purple, and blue she’s got right now.
“Yeah, I’m down. Come on over, let’s see what I can do for you.”
The Alpha shuffles towards me, bags under his eyes. He’s a handsome dude, but he looks beat down. There is a familiarity to him that tickles the back of my brain. When he slides into my chair, I pull out my tablet and slide my stool beside him.
“Hey man, I’m Gage.”
“Maverick,” he responds stiffly.
My eyebrows raise. “Wait, are you Manic Mav?” I squint, trying to picture him in a fishnet shirt and strappy, baggy pants.
He smiles softly and pushes his hair from his face. “Yeah, I am. You watched the show, then?”
Lie, Gage. Lie. Don’t let him know you watched every episode because he was just that magnetic.
“Nah, I’ve been to a few of your sets, though. You put on a great show.” I open up my app with my pre-drawn designs, which most walk-ins get because there isn’t time for a custom piece. “Whatcha thinking today?”
“Oh, well,” he blushes a pretty pink across his nose, ruffling his hair. “I’d like to get a crown. For my Omega.”
“You got yourself an Omega? All of Lunarcrest city will weep when that gets out,” I joke, flipping through a few pages. “Any particular type?”
“Uh, I’m not sure. Do you have any pre-drawn?”
I show him a page with various royal symbols, and he points at one. “Have you given anyone this one before?”
“Nope. Relatively new piece.”
“How much will it cost for you to remove it from your sheet so I’m the only one with it?” He pulls his wallet out. “I don’t want anyone else to have it. It has to be special.”
“I’ll just charge you the custom rate. Where do you want it done?”
He whips his shirt off and points at his pec, just over his heart. “Here, yeah? Make it big.” He holds out his hands like he’s describing a fish he caught. “It’s a declaration. A grand gesture of sorts.”
With a chuckle, I sanitize my hands and glove up, applying the stencil and getting his approval before setting up the inks. He chose a round crown with several jutting points and gems on top of each. It’s got flowers growing around it like it’s been left in the grass, and he wants me to ink the metal so it looks a little tarnished.
It’s an odd choice to honor an Omega.
“Your Omega isn’t going to be upset that this is a discarded crown?” I ask as I sanitize again and reglove after setting up my tools.
He shakes his head and leans back as I slide up next to him. “No. I don’t think she’ll mind leaving her crown behind.”
“Well, alright then.”
The tattoo takes a few hours, and Maverick and I joke around and chat about our lives. He’s an interesting guy with an infectious laugh and a slightly unnerving intensity. Being on the receiving end of that must be something special.
I know that whoever his Omega is, she must have a strong personality to keep up with him.
When Maverick leaves, he seems happier and lighter than when he came in. He tips generously, and when I hand him the aftercare sheet, he reads it several times before asking clarifying questions.
I’d forgotten all about Crystal while tattooing him, but now that I’m by myself again, I feel the anxiety creeping up.
What if she didn’t respond?
Shit, what if she did respond, and she called me a creep?
It’s too late now. Gingerly, I pull out my cellphone and nearly drop it at the number of notifications on my screen.
Crystal
