Page 35 of Until the Ink Dries

“Don’t think too hard,” Benjamin said. “It’s not my business anyway, right?”

I gave a nervous smile. “Right.”

Deciding to try and focus on the movie, I turned back to the screen. Still, my thoughts drifted. They drifted so far that I didn’t realize when the movie was over until Benjamin stood to gather their things.

“Damn, that’s gonna be a walk,” he mumbled.

“Y’all walked here?”

“Yeah. I didn’t expect her to fall asleep.”

“I can take you home. I have my dad’s car.”

“I appreciate that. If you give me the keys, I can put most of this stuff in, then come back for Charlie.”

I nodded toward the basket. “Inside pocket. Click the alarm and it will bring you to the car.”

He reached in and grabbed them before packing up his things and what he could carry of mine. While he was gone, I looked down at a sleeping Charlie and smiled. How could anyone not love her? It was clear why he went so hard for her mother to be a part of her life. I prayed that Tierra would get the help she needed and give this baby the love she deserved.

Benjamin returned and took Charlie from my arms. I gathered my chair and blanket, then we made our way to the car. It took about five minutes to get from the square to where he lived above the shop. I helped him get their things inside and unpacked his cooler as he laid Charlie down for bed.

“Thank you again,” he said upon returning to the kitchen.

“No problem. It was my pleasure.”

He stared at me for a moment before speaking again. “Thank you for being welcoming to Charlie. I don’t play about my baby, so I don’t have her around women at all. She seems to like you.”

I smiled. “I like her, too. You’re doing an amazing job with her, Benny.”

He gave a scratch to the back of his head. “I’m trying, man.”

I grabbed his hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. “You’re killing it. Trust me.”

I offered him a hug… one that lingered for a moment before he hugged me back. I felt comfortable in his arms, and it was the strangest feeling. Awkwardly, I pulled away.

“I should go,” I said, clearing my throat.

“I’ll walk you down.”

We left the apartment in silence and took the stairs down to the ground floor. He stood at the door and watched until I was safely in the car. With a final look back, I waved at him and pulled off with a slight smile on my face.

The day seemed like it went on forever. I would like to blame it on the many tattoo sessions I had crammed into one day. But I knew better. It seemed like since I’d run into Willow at Chrome, she had been running through my mind nonstop. It didn’t help that now that Charlie had met her; she was all she could talk about.

You would think she was introduced as the woman I planned to date. Charlie sang her praises from the moment her eyes opened this morning. She had everyone in the tattoo shop wondering what I had going on. I remembered in that instant why I lessened the amount of times loose lips came with me to work.

I finished up my final session, then checked my watch. Charlie was watching her iPad in the corner of the room. I sprayed the tattoo down and wiped away the residue before wrapping it up. After giving them the care instructions, I led them to the front so they could pay for it.

Once I let them out, I locked down the shop since I was the last to leave tonight.

“Daddy, are you done now?” Charlie asked behind me.

“Yes ma’am. You don’t like being in the shop with daddy?” I asked.

She shrugged her shoulders and tilted her head to the side.

“Sometimes, but I don’t have anyone to play with.”

I nodded and leaned down to lift her into my arms. I held on tightly to her as I closed every blind, then turned off all the lights, before heading out the back door toward the stairs that led to our place. She leaned in and kissed my cheek, then wiggled from my grip to run ahead of me upstairs.

---