Page 20 of Nolan (The Doherty Mafia)
Fuck.
What was going on?
I didn’t think I’d see her again.
She wore a pair of ripped dark jeans and a black baggy top with thin straps. I saw hints of her pink bra peeking through. My cock came alive the moment my eyes landed on her. The only thing I could do was imagine her naked. In her most beautiful form.
Her golden curls shined as she stood under the lights and when she looked up at me, I was reminded again of how big and gorgeous her green eyes were. Her mouth was the perfect bow shape. Dark chocolate lipstick. Dark eyeshadow.
“Nolan?” she said my name in surprise.
So last night wasn’t a dream. It actually happened. I actually met this chick.
“What are you doing here?”
“Getting a tattoo. What are you doing here?” she asked.
I shrugged. “Hanging out. Chad is a buddy of mine,” I replied, tipping my head in his direction.
Amelia’s cheeks flushed. She seemed embarrassed we’d bumped into each other again like this. I had a feeling she’d just turn around and walk out of here. Maybe she planned on never seeing me again.
“Okay, so you can help me decide what to get,” she said.
She picked a tiny cactus for her foot. Apparently, she was obsessed with cacti and her apartment was filled with them.
“I guess it’s because I’m a prickly person,” she said with a laugh.
I wanted to tell her she wasn’t. That there wasn’t anything prickly about her. She was amazing and beautiful, but how ridiculous would that make me sound? The last thing I needed was to make one more person in the world feel like I needed them.
Chad prepared the area for Amelia’s tattoo and she sat on the table with her feet hanging off the edge.
“You nervous?” I asked, pulling up a chair beside her.
“How bad can it be?”
Chad smirked and I shrugged.
“Why did you pick today to be the day you got a tattoo?”
Amelia looked away. Maybe she was embarrassed by the way we parted ways in the morning.
“I’ve thought about it for a while, and I had some free time after work.”
“What a coincidence you picked this store out of every other tattoo parlor in the city.”
She nodded, watching Chad preparing the needles.
“Yeah. I mean, you don’t even live around here. So I didn’t think there’d be any chance of bumping into you.”
It was like she tried to reinforce the fact that it wasn’t planned. I didn’t doubt it. I saw my presence here made her uncomfortable. But I couldn’t give up this opportunity to spend time with her.
Besides, I figured she’d need the moral support for what was about to happen.
Chad traced the design on Amelia’s foot after he had sanitized the area. She looked up at me and I smiled.
“This is one of the most permanent things you can do in your life. You’re going to have this cactus on your foot forever.”
“Thanks for the encouragement!”
“Just keepin’ it real,” I said.
We smiled at each other just as Chad started the tattoo gun. The buzzing sound of the machine made her sit up straight. Amelia reached for my knee and clamped down. I didn’t think she’d be afraid. Maybe she wasn’t. But I covered her hand with mine anyway.
Chad started the tattooing process and I knew from experience that it’d sting and hurt in the area she’d picked. Amelia stared into my eyes, making an effort to not look at what was happening to her foot.
“Would you like to get some pizza after this?” I asked, trying to keep her mind off it.
She looked surprised again.
“Tonight?”
“Yeah, after you’re done with the tattoo here. I’m kinda hungry. Are you?”
She nodded. The tops of her cheeks had turned red but her eyes hadn’t filled with tears. She had done an impressive job of keeping it together.
“I know a great place around the corner,” I added.
“Can’t wait,” she said in a shaky voice, forcing herself to smile.
She had her foot bandaged to keep the raw tattoo protected for a while, but she didn’t seem to notice the pain anymore.
We walked out of the tattoo parlor together. I knew Chad and Ricky would have a lot of questions later. They’d never seen me go out with a chick before, and Chad must’ve heard me invite her for pizza. So this was my idea and it definitely sounded like a date.
“I’m sorry…about this morning,” Amelia said, half-mocking and half-apologetic.
“When did you leave?”
“Early. I had to…go back home because I had an early morning shift. I had to get ready.”
“You don’t have to justify it. It doesn’t matter why you left. I don’t hold it against you. We don’t know each other. It’s cool.”
“I had a good time last night.” She tucked some curls behind her ears.
“Yeah, it was fun. I didn’t think I’d see you again.”
“This is crazy!” she said with a laugh. “But I’m happy to see you again.”
