I check in with her. “Everything all right? Just shout if you need to take a break.”
But she just gives a tight smile and nods. “I’m fine. Keep going.”
So I do.
I’m not one to make small talk with a client while I work, preferring to concentrate and listen to the music which plays through the whole of the tattoo studio via connected speakers.
“The outline is all done,” I say finally. “That’s the hardest part. The colour is always easier. Sure you don’t want a break now? Ten minutes. Let you stretch out a bit, but don’t let anything touch the ink, okay.”
She nods. “Okay, thanks.”
“Cool. I’m just gonna grab a drink. You want anything?”
“Just some water, if you’ve got it.”
I grin. “I think I can manage that.”
I leave her in the room and head out to reception. We have a staff room at the back of the building, which contains a fridge and kettle, and a small couch for us to hang out, if we need to.
“How’s it going in there?” Tess asks as I pass her to get to the staffroom.
“Yeah, great.” I try not to roll my eyes and fail.
“What did you do now?”
“I may have implied that I thought she had fat hips.”
Tess snorts laughter through her nose. “Oh my God, Kane. You didn’t?”
I glance down at the floor. “Yeah, I kind of did.”
“Why? I saw how you were staring at those hips. I’m surprised you didn’t try to dry hump her against the wall before you’d even said anything.”
I lift my gaze to her in horror. “I wasn’t that obvious, was I?”
“Err, yeah, just a bit. But she was looking at you in exactly the same way, so I wouldn’t sweat it.”
“Fucking hell.”
Tess laughs. “Ask her out.”
“No, she’ll think it’s like a pity date or something.”
She shrugs. “Or don’t. Seems a shame to let those hips go to waste, though.”
I groan. It really does. The woman I’ve been tattooing for the last hour looks as though she was built for sex, her breasts straining against her top, her curves spilling out of her jeans. It’s been all I could do to stop myself grabbing handfuls and burying my face between her breasts. Okay, that would be completely inappropriate, and she’d probably kick me in the balls if I even attempted such a thing, but that doesn’t stop me thinking about it.
“Where’s Art and Rocco?” I ask, asking after my boss and my colleague respectively.
“Art’s had to go into the city to meet up with a supplier, and Rocco’s in with his afternoon client, too.”
“Oh, right.”
I wish one of them was around. I appreciate Tess giving me her opinion, but I’d rather bounce things off the guys. Art has always had a rule about us not dating clients—at least not more than once—but since Art hooked up with Tess, he’s relaxed those rules.
I make my way into the staffroom and open the fridge to take out two bottles of water. I’m always aware of being at such close proximity to my clients. The men don’t matter so much, but I don’t want to be breathing coffee breath or smelling of anything less than just-out-of-the-shower body wash and deodorant when I’m working on a female client. So I stick to the water as well, even though I’d kill for a coffee. It’ll have to wait until I’m finished.
Does Holly drink coffee? I take her for more of a tea drinker. Maybe I can ask her out when we finish? No, she’ll want to escape and get home. Some people find themselves shaky and lightheaded after getting inked. It’s because of all the endorphins the body releases to combat the pain, thinking it’sbeing attacked. A similar thing happens when you eat spicy food, but obviously getting tattooed lasts for a lot longer.
