with MAY THE SCHWARTZ BE WITH YOU .”
Trenton beamed. “Is that a
Spaceballs
reference? I’m impressed!”
“See? I’ve already seen it. A lot.”
“You can never see
Spaceballs
too much.”
Hazel, Rachel, and Rachel’s boyfriend returned to the lobby. Hazel gave Rachel a big hug, and then they said tearful goodbyes.
“Christmas is right around the corner,” Trenton said.
When Rachel left, Hazel was smiling, but a little sad. “Damn it. I love her.”
“You love all of them,” Trenton said. “If you get them on a monthly cycle, you could see one of them every day.”
Hazel elbowed Trenton, and he elbowed her back. They fought like brother and sister.
“So,” Hazel said, chomping on a piece of gum. “I heard you guys talking. I can’t believe you’re scared to get a tattoo.”
I shook my head. “Not at all.”
Calvin walked to the vestibule. “Has Bishop been in?” he asked.
Hazel shook her head. “No, Cal. You’ve already asked me that today. We were just discussing Cami’s first tattoo.”
Calvin’s scanned me from head to toe. “That’s bad for business, a receptionist that doesn’t have any tats. You can make it up to me by picking up some hours on Sunday.”
“Only if you let me start working on papers and homework when we’re not busy.”
He shrugged. “Deal.”
My shoulders fell. I didn’t expect him to agree.
“Let me pierce your nose,” Hazel said, her eyes bright.
“One of these days,” I said.
“Baby doll, don’t let them talk you into anything you don’t want to do. There’s no shame in being scared of needles,” Trenton said.
“I’m not scared,” I said, exasperated.
“Then let me ink you,” he said.
“You’re a bartender for Christ’s sake,” Hazel said. “You should have at least one tat.”
I glared at each of them. “Is this peer pressure? Because that’s lame.”
“How am I pressuring you? I just said not to let anyone talk you into anything,” Trenton said.
“And then you told me to let you give me a tat.”
He shrugged. “I admit it would be kickass to know I inked you first. It’s kind of like taking your virginity.”
“Well, that would require going back in time, and that’s not going to happen,” I said with a smirk.
“Exactly. This is the next best thing.
Trust me,
” he said, his voice low and smooth.
Hazel cackled. “Oh, God. I’m ashamed to admit that line totally worked on me.”
“Yeah?” I said, suddenly feeling very uncomfortable. “From Trent?”
She burst out laughing again. “I wish!” She closed her eyes and cringed. “Bobby Prince. Smooth talker. Tiny penis.” She spoke the last sentence in falsetto, and held up her index finger and thumb, not even an inch apart.
We all shook with laughter. Hazel was dabbing the wet skin beneath her eyes. Once we regained our composure, I caught Trenton staring at me. Something in the way he was looking at me made me forget all about being responsible, and reason. For once, I just wanted to be young, and not think too hard or too much. “Okay, Trent. Pop my cherry.”
“Seriously?” he asked, standing up straight.
“Are we doing this or what?” I asked.
“What do you want?” He walked over to the computer and popped a pen in his mouth, holding it lengthwise in his teeth.
I thought for a moment, and then smiled. “Baby Doll. Across my fingers.”
“You’re shittin’ me,” Trenton said around the pen, stunned.
“No good?” I asked.
He chuckled and took the pen out of his mouth. “No, I like it . . . a lot . . . but that’s a helluva tattoo for a virgin.” He popped the pen back in, freeing up his hand to move the mouse.
I smirked. “If I’m going to lose it, I want to be broken in right.”
The pen fell from Trenton’s mouth to the floor, and he bent down to pick it up. “Uh . . . any, uh . . . any special font?” he said, glancing back at me once before drawing it up on the computer.
“I want it to look a little girly so I
Trenton beamed. “Is that a
Spaceballs
reference? I’m impressed!”
“See? I’ve already seen it. A lot.”
“You can never see
Spaceballs
too much.”
Hazel, Rachel, and Rachel’s boyfriend returned to the lobby. Hazel gave Rachel a big hug, and then they said tearful goodbyes.
“Christmas is right around the corner,” Trenton said.
When Rachel left, Hazel was smiling, but a little sad. “Damn it. I love her.”
“You love all of them,” Trenton said. “If you get them on a monthly cycle, you could see one of them every day.”
Hazel elbowed Trenton, and he elbowed her back. They fought like brother and sister.
“So,” Hazel said, chomping on a piece of gum. “I heard you guys talking. I can’t believe you’re scared to get a tattoo.”
I shook my head. “Not at all.”
Calvin walked to the vestibule. “Has Bishop been in?” he asked.
Hazel shook her head. “No, Cal. You’ve already asked me that today. We were just discussing Cami’s first tattoo.”
Calvin’s scanned me from head to toe. “That’s bad for business, a receptionist that doesn’t have any tats. You can make it up to me by picking up some hours on Sunday.”
“Only if you let me start working on papers and homework when we’re not busy.”
He shrugged. “Deal.”
My shoulders fell. I didn’t expect him to agree.
“Let me pierce your nose,” Hazel said, her eyes bright.
“One of these days,” I said.
“Baby doll, don’t let them talk you into anything you don’t want to do. There’s no shame in being scared of needles,” Trenton said.
“I’m not scared,” I said, exasperated.
“Then let me ink you,” he said.
“You’re a bartender for Christ’s sake,” Hazel said. “You should have at least one tat.”
I glared at each of them. “Is this peer pressure? Because that’s lame.”
“How am I pressuring you? I just said not to let anyone talk you into anything,” Trenton said.
“And then you told me to let you give me a tat.”
He shrugged. “I admit it would be kickass to know I inked you first. It’s kind of like taking your virginity.”
“Well, that would require going back in time, and that’s not going to happen,” I said with a smirk.
“Exactly. This is the next best thing.
Trust me,
” he said, his voice low and smooth.
Hazel cackled. “Oh, God. I’m ashamed to admit that line totally worked on me.”
“Yeah?” I said, suddenly feeling very uncomfortable. “From Trent?”
She burst out laughing again. “I wish!” She closed her eyes and cringed. “Bobby Prince. Smooth talker. Tiny penis.” She spoke the last sentence in falsetto, and held up her index finger and thumb, not even an inch apart.
We all shook with laughter. Hazel was dabbing the wet skin beneath her eyes. Once we regained our composure, I caught Trenton staring at me. Something in the way he was looking at me made me forget all about being responsible, and reason. For once, I just wanted to be young, and not think too hard or too much. “Okay, Trent. Pop my cherry.”
“Seriously?” he asked, standing up straight.
“Are we doing this or what?” I asked.
“What do you want?” He walked over to the computer and popped a pen in his mouth, holding it lengthwise in his teeth.
I thought for a moment, and then smiled. “Baby Doll. Across my fingers.”
“You’re shittin’ me,” Trenton said around the pen, stunned.
“No good?” I asked.
He chuckled and took the pen out of his mouth. “No, I like it . . . a lot . . . but that’s a helluva tattoo for a virgin.” He popped the pen back in, freeing up his hand to move the mouse.
I smirked. “If I’m going to lose it, I want to be broken in right.”
The pen fell from Trenton’s mouth to the floor, and he bent down to pick it up. “Uh . . . any, uh . . . any special font?” he said, glancing back at me once before drawing it up on the computer.
“I want it to look a little girly so I
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