“You want the usual, Ms. Charlie?”
“Yes, sir. One with everything and one plain.”
He handed me one hotdog wrapped and the other one unwrapped. Huck sat at my feet, licking his chops; he knew how this worked. He downed his in two head-jerking bites.
I shook my head. “Someday you’ll learn to savor your food, I swear.” I looked up at Jimmy. “Have a good night. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“It’s a date, Ms. Charlie. To be sure, it’s a date.”
I pushed my bike, and the drunken revelers parted like the Red Sea. It was a common occurrence when traveling with Huck. His rangy stride was pure king of the beasts, and he looked mean as fuck, so no one bothered us.
A half-mile later I dug out my keys and unlocked the narrow wrought iron gate that blocked off the passage leading to my secret garden oasis. Okay, Harriet’s secret garden oasis, but she let me use it. Locking the gate behind me, I unclipped Huck’s leash, and he trotted over to his designated grassy section. After he’d taken care of business, we ascended the wrought iron spiral staircase that led to my 500 square foot apartment. It had hardwood floors, a space that could loosely be called a kitchen, an itty-bitty bathroom, and skylights dotting the ceiling throughout. It might be tiny and humble, but it was mine. Well, again, it was Harriet’s, but she leased it to me. The woman was my very own fairy godmother. She was the grandmother of my crazy best friend from college. The one who my mother begged me not to befriend because she had tattoos, and even worse, she was a Democrat. Lena Zwiers was actually more of a socialist, but I didn’t tell my mother that. After college, she’d opted for a stint in the Peace Corps and was now living in Madagascar. Beyond being a fantastic—though long distance—friend, Lena had begged Harriet to let me rent the place. So when I showed up, fresh off the Greyhound from Atlanta, with my newly black hair still reeking of cheap dye, she’d taken me in with open arms. I paid fair rent, but Harriet treated me like more than a tenant. A shrewd businesswoman who owned several shops in the Quarter, Harriet preferred to spend her time painting and traveling the country showing off her art. She’d farmed out management of the shops to trusted employees, one of whom had agreed to hire me—despite the fact that Harriet was my landlord. Which was the reason I had an early shift tomorrow morning at the Dirty Dog, a vintage clothing and novelty shop. I looked at the clock and sighed. It’d be another night of too little sleep.
I scrubbed the heavy black eyeliner from around my lids and slathered on face cream before curling up in my bed. I reached out a hand to ruffle Huck’s fur where he slept on the rug. With my other hand, I traced the ink on my arm revealed by the dim glow from the skylight. With each line the needle buzzed into my skin, I was another step removed from my former life. The tattoos had become more than camouflage to hide the girl I’d once been; they were a declaration that I was never going back. I’d permanently marked myself to ensure that I could never again fit into the life I’d previously led. The life I’d run from rather than face every day as my father’s daughter. Rather than face constant questioning by the FBI and the chance that the Department of Justice would eventually decide that despite the truth I’d spoken on the stand, I was somehow culpable for my father’s crimes. I could freely admit it had been cowardly to run, but at least by running I gave myself a shot at having some sort of future. A future where my every breath wouldn’t be scrutinized and dissected. Each tat was a conscious, deliberate choice to move toward the new me. I’d taken the tiny spark that had always burned to rebel against my mother’s directives as she groomed me into a perfect society princess, and I’d fanned the flames. The irony of it was, even though I had assumed a false identity, I was finally discovering the real me. All it took was ripping off the blinders I’d worn for twenty-two years.
I pushed open the door of Voodoo Ink at four o’clock on Saturday afternoon. I’d spent the morning hung over and pathetic, with one thought from the night before bothering the shit out of me—there was no way that girl was as stunning as I’d remembered. I mean, I had on beer goggles, tequila goggles, Hurricane goggles, and every other kind of goggles out there. But my curiosity had gotten the better of me. It was a thread of my drunken compulsion from the night before that my brain wouldn’t let go of. I had to know.
Just like last night, the bell dinged and a cool rush of air conditioning hit me as I stepped inside. The place was deserted, and, even sober, it was still creepy looking. A glance at the door told me they’d just opened and would stay open until 2 AM. I couldn’t figure out how the rule about not tattooing drunks gave them enough customers to stay open that late. Not my business or my problem. A woman with chin-length blond and pink hair, wearing a ‘50s style pink and orange polka dot dress, was sitting at the counter.
No Lee.
And yes, I remembered her name, even after the last two bars we hit.
“Hey, handsome. How can I help you?”
I looked around, but I didn’t see anyone else. Disappointing, but it’d been worth a shot. I glanced down at my faded tattoo. Might as well make the trip a useful one.
“Con mentioned something about doing touch-ups for veterans.” I held out my forearm where the trident and anchor I’d gotten shortly after graduation from the Naval Academy were now a dull gray.
The woman flipped open the appointment book on the counter and then extended a hand with orange-tipped nails. “I’m Delilah, and I’d be happy to do that for you. Thank you for your service.” I shook her hand and followed her to one of the small rooms where she pushed aside the black curtain. “I’m the only one here right now,” she explained. “We may get interrupted with walk-ins, but you picked a good time, because things don’t usually pick up until later.”