Page 82 of Revved up & Ready

Anticipation buzzes in my veins. “Nope, I just want to do it. Get the nerves out.”

“Send it,” he says, squeezing my hand.

“Send it,” I agree, nodding.

Inez is incredibly sweet, explainingin what may be excessive detaileverything I need to know. The drawing she prepared for me is even prettier than I imagined—a whisk crisscrossed over a rolling pin, with a pink banner that readsLife is Sweet.

Cam waits in a nearby chair, not speaking up until I ask his opinion about the exact placement. Then he and Inez help me decide on the inside of my upper arm.

He reminds me to breathe when she brings the tattoo machine to my arm. It’s okay—a little sharp and unpleasant—but it’s doable. They’ve known each other for years, so time passes quickly with stories and updates about his race season.He’s tied for first place in points with Ludlow.

When she asks how we met, I tell her about Allie and Luke—that Cam and I met at the opening of their bar and shared a drink in the back parking lot.

“That’s notreallythe first time we met, though,” he says. For a moment, I think he’s realized he has a tattoo of me on his thigh. But then he continues, “Six or seven years ago, I was in Portland for the invitational race I do up there every year.”

“I used to live in Portland,” I explain.

“I had a meeting with my agent after the race at some pretentious steakhouse, and this absolutely stunning blonde was standing in front of the restaurant by herself.”I didn’t know that’s why he was there.“It made me late, talking to her, but I couldn’t help myself. She looked like she needed a little cheering up—”

“And you’re just the right person for that,” Inez adds, dipping her needle back into the little yellow container of ink.

He continues, “Once I made her smile, I wanted to keep seeing her smile. Still do.”

At those words, I can’t help but do exactly that.

“See?” he lifts a hand toward my face. “The dimples? She’s fucking gorgeous.”

None of that was pretend. It’s all true. That’s how we met, and apparently, that’s how he felt about it.How much of the rest of this between us has been true?

When the tattoo is finished, I go over to the mirror to check it out, turning my arm one way, then the other.

Leaning over, he whispers, “Looks good on you.”

“You feel up for doing the other one?” Inez asks. “It’ll be a lot quicker than the first, but we can definitely do it another day if you’re tapped.” TheLife is Sweettattoo took a couple hours, and by the end, I was ready for it to be over. But I want the matching one with Cam, so I agree.

This one is a different style, much simpler. It’s all black—the outline of sunrays behind a palm tree and a cactus, to represent Palm Springs. We put it inside my other arm, just above my elbow. It hurts a bit more, but it’s over in fifteen minutes.And now I have two tattoos.

“Not too bad for one afternoon,” I say, admiring my arms in the mirror.

He gets the same tattoo, but since he’s pretty much out of arm real estate, it goes a few inches above one of his knees.

After we pose together for a picture that Inez snaps, I ask, “Can I just make another appointment with you right now? I have this gingerbread idea, and also this cat friend I kind of want a tattoo of.”

She and Cam share a laugh. “You sure can, babe,” she says, then asks Cam if he’s coming too.

“Of course.”

“Do you even know what you want?” I ask.

His eyes settle on me, and he brushes an errant strand of hair behind my ear. “I know exactly what I want,” he says.

“You two are so cute, it’salmostsickening,” she laughs.

“Do you think your mom would like theLife is Sweettattoo?” Cam asks, as we step outside.

“That’s exactly what I was just thinking about, actually. I think she’d love it. I wish she could see it.”

Cam tucks his hands into his front pockets. “If you’re up for it, you could send her a picture.”

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