Page 36 of Forbidden Harmony

“What?”

“He does, um, clit piercings.” Addison’sface had gone hot. Lord, had she ever blushed this much in her life as she hadin the last few days?

“Oh yeah? Lemme see.” Harper leanedcloser to her phone, squinting at the image. “Look at that, a pierced clit.”

“I didn’t even know you could piercesomething like that.” Addison stared at her crotch. “My God, it must hurt so much.”

“Honey, whatever body part you can thinkof, I guarantee someone has pierced it. Whatever you do, do not google aPrince Albert piercing.”

“Thanks for the tip,” Addison said. “Okay,I’m gonna call and book an appointment.”

“Pinky-pie,” Harper’s voice had turnedserious, “are you certain you want to do this? I love that you’re getting tattoosand trying new things, but body modification is a big step outside your comfortbox. Especially if you’re only doing it as an excuse to see Preacher again. Because,holy shit, just wait a couple days and you’ll see him at the barbeque this weekend.”

“It’s not that,” Addison said. “I’m tiredof living my life as if I’m still engaged to Harrison. I’ve spent years doingexactly what he wanted me to do and now… now I want to do something that I wantbecause no one’s allowed to tell me I can’t. You know?”

“I do,” Harper said. “Go get that nipplepierced. Live your authentic self, you sexy beast.”

“Thanks, Harper. I love you.”

“Love you too, pinky-pie. Send me pics ofyour pierced nip.”

She ended the video call before Addisoncould tell her she absolutely would not send her a picture of her nipple.

Her fingers trembling a little, she calledPreacher’s shop. It rang twice before a voice said, “Crimson Door Tattoo.”

“Um, yes, hi. I’d like to book a piercing,please.”

“Sure, what are you looking for?”

She swallowed hard. “Nipple piercing, please.”

“Sure.” She could hear the clicking of amouse. “Preacher’s got some spots open for piercings next month. I can bookyou in… oh, hold on. We had a cancellation for today at the end of the day. Ican book you in at six forty-five.”

“Today?” She didn’t want to admit this,but part of her ease in phoning for an appointment was because she was certainit would take a few weeks and by then, her weird obsession with seeing Preacherwould probably be over and she would just cancel the appointment.

“Yeah. Today work for you?”

“Yes.” Her voice sounded a bit shaky, but shecleared her throat and said it again, “Yes, I can do it today.”

“Great. Nipple piercing is fifty bucks,but you have to pay the cost of the jewelry too. You going barbell or hoop?”

“Barbell, please. It’s better right?”

“Yeah, it’s what we recommend. We carrytitanium, gold and platinum barbells. Titanium’s the cheapest and the one werecommend for new piercings. If your body rejects the piercing, you’re not outa lot of cash. They only run about fifty bucks.”

“Right. Okay.”

“Be here ten minutes before yourappointment as there’s paperwork to fill out and you need to pick your jewelry.”

“Oh, I was there the other day,” Addison pullednervously at a thread on her couch, “and I saw the jewelry. Just a plain titaniumbarbell will be fine.”

“Okay. But come early to fill out the paperwork.I need your name and a phone number.”

She recited her name and number, waitingpatiently as he typed it in. “All good. See you around six-thirty.”

“Bye,” she said but he’d already ended thecall.

Her heart was thumping and despite the airconditioning in her apartment, she was sweating. She was getting her nipplepierced. Tonight.

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