Page 8 of The Vegas Rerun
We go back over to the counter.
"Alright, who’s first?" the tattoo artist asks.
Joshua looks at me.
"You dragged me here. You go first," he says.
I roll my eyes, but I show the tattoo artist the star we’ve chosen and then I hop onto the chair, lifting my shirt slightly so the tattoo artist can place the stencil low on my back, just besidemy left hip. He draws on the outline and checks in with me and I nod for him to go ahead. The buzz of the tattoo gun starts, and the sting follows right after, sharp and persistent. I grip the edge of the chair, but I don’t flinch. I’ve never done this before but I kind of like the stinging feeling.
Joshua watches, leaning forward slightly, his eyes locked on me.
"Does it hurt?" he asks me.
I smirk through the pain.
"A little bit. But that’s part of the fun."
He shakes his head, amused.
"You have a strange idea of fun."
I just wink at him.
The process is quick, and soon the artist wipes away the ink and blood, holding up a mirror so I can see. The small black star sits perfectly on my skin, a tiny but permanent reminder of tonight. I nod my head and tell the tattoo artist it’s great and he sticks some cling film over the tattoo, and I grin, hopping off the chair.
"Your turn, CEO," I say.
Joshua exhales and rolls up the sleeve of his t-shirt, exposing the solid muscle of his upper arm. I try not to stare as he settles into the chair. He’s relaxed, but I can see the tension in his jaw as the needle starts. He doesn’t make a sound, though, just watches as the ink sinks into his skin.
"See? Not so bad," I say.
He smirks.
"You were right, although really, I should have known it wasn’t so bad from this," he says, and he grins and lifts his shirt and turns around, showing me a full back piece.
“Oh, you bastard,” I say with a laugh. “You really had me thinking we were both tattoo virgins.”
“It’s my first matching one,” he says, and we smile at each other.
The artist finishes, and Joshua inspects his tattoo in the mirror. The same small black star, etched into his skin just below his shoulder. He flexes his arm slightly, then glances at me.
"Now we match," he says.
“Now we match," I repeat, grinning at him as the tattoo artist wraps his arm in cling film. I take my card from my purse, but Joshua beats me to it, insisting this is his gift to me to thank me for showing him Vegas life for a non-tourist.
When we’ve finished getting after care advice from the tattoo artist, we step back out into the night, the warmth of the city wrapping around us like a promise once more. Joshua looks again at the tattoo on his arm, then he looks at me, and there’s something unreadable in his expression.
"So, what now?" he asks.
I bite my lip, considering.
"Now, we see where the night takes us."
CHAPTER 6
JOSHUA
Mollyand I have both said we don’t want this night to end, yet we seem to have naturally gravitated towards Caesar’s Palace. She isn’t showing any signs of wanting to get away from me, and I know she can’t really be seen to be in the bar or the casino with me, so that makes me think that she is thinking the exact same thing as I am. I want to ask her, but if she says no, that’s not what she’s thinking at all, it will ruin the moment, and this way, I still have hope that I’m going to get to spend the night with this gorgeous creature.
