Page 35 of The Devil's Tattoo
They all looked at me as if they thought I wasn’t telling the truth, but the interviewer looked pleased enough and moved on to anotherquestion.
Thankfully, after that, Will kept his hands to himself, and I said nothing that embarrassed me, though, by the time the interviewer left, I knew everyone wasontous.
The first moment I could, I pushed my chair back and walked away, but Dee was hot on myheels.
“Okay, hot shot,” I said as he came level with me. “Rubitin.”
“Footsie under the table?” he asked withlewdwink.
“No.” I glared at him. “Handsy under thetable.”
He let out a loud laugh, throwing hisheadback.
I slapped him on the arm. “What’s going on? You know, Isawyou.”
“I know what you think you saw, hot legs, and I can safely say it wasn’tmyidea.”
“Thenwhatwas?”
“I’m not at liberty to discuss such information,” he tried to say with a straight face, but apparently, he found my angerhilarious.
“What happened to wanting to keepmeaway?”
“He’s all right, Zo. He said he was sorry. I had wordswithhim.”
“Oh, the magic ‘words,’” I said with air quotes as I rolledmyeyes.
“Zoe.” He wound an arm around my waist and guided me toward the elevator. “All I’m sayin’ is to give the guy a chance. If he stuffs up in the first five minutes, I’ll be here to punchon.Okay?”
“Dee,” I said, lowering my voice. “You know I’m attracted to him. I don’t know how to deal with it. I’m good now. I’m happier than I’ve been in a long time, and I don’t want to stuffitup.”
He looked down at me with a frown, suddenly serious. “I know, Zo. But sometimes you’ve gotta take a chance, no matter how broken you’ve been inthepast.”
I looked away, tears stingingmyeyes.
As the elevator arrived and the doors slid open, Dee gave my waist a small squeeze. “I think you should take achance.”
I didn’t like it, but he was right. “God, you piss me off sometimes, Dee, but Iloveyou.”
He kissed me on the top of the head. “Till the end of time,sister.”
* * *
After the interview,we had some free time. There wasn’t a gig tonight because the venue was booked for an international band, so we decided to meet up with Frank, Chris, and Simone and go out for dinner somewhere. Just The Devil’s Tattoo and I was glad it was just us. I still didn’t know what to do about today, and every time I thought about it, which was every bloody minute, my handtingled.
It was such a nice night out as we sat out the front of the hotel, waiting for the taxi we’d ordered. I sat on the edge of the flowerbed under the windows of the hotel bar, Dee beside me. Simone was standing as close as she could to Chris without it looking obvious she was into him, and Frank was horsing around as perusual.
“We look like a bunch of no-hopers loitering out here,” Frank said, pacing up and down thefootpath.
“Singin’ for our supper,” Dee said in a posh Englishaccent.
Frank started to do a poor imitation of a beatboxer, but all he managed to do was spit up all over his front, much to ouramusement.
“You know, they have apps for that,” I said, waving my phoneathim.
“You’re a genius!” He pulled his own phone out and started tappingonit.
“We should totally form an a cappella group,”Deesaid.
