Page 13 of With Stars in Her Eyes
“Are the migraines why you’re getting the daith piercing?”
“Try anything at this point.”
I ushered Courtney back to my chair. “I should tell you that the research is mixed on whether this helps or not.”
Courtney nodded. Her posture was stiffer than before, but I didn’t know her well enough to guess why. Or maybe Courtney just wasn’t very talkative with strangers normally, and the bearded dragon incident had temporarily lowered her guard.
I rattled off my normal spiel about safety and care and potential issues while explaining the process. Courtney listened intently, with tiny nods before selecting the hoop I suggested.
Despite the speed of my heartbeat, my gloved hands were as gentle and steady as always. I touched the shell of Courtney’s ear, explaining the placement for the piercing.
Courtney lay down on the small, reclined chair with her focus fixed on a spot in the corner. Was she nervous? Or was eye contact a struggle for her?
“This will be a little cold,” I said before trickling disinfectant over the thin, delicate skin around the marked piercing spot, careful to avoid letting any liquid drain into the ear by using a soft application of cotton.
Courtney’s body tremored, as if a shiver had run down her spine, but her expression barely shifted. Courtney’s long, lingering exhale prickled the tiny hairs on my forearm. Her dappled green irises met mine. A barely perceptible dip of her chin seemed to murmurI trust youinto the silence.
My heart’s decision to reenact the final scene ofFootlooseagainst my ribs was neither professional nor ideal for someone wielding a needle. Hopefully none of the tapping beats wereaudible. I blinked several times, forcing my brain back into the normal rhythm of preparation.
As my fingers hovered over Courtney’s ear, I was acutely aware of my closeness to another human’s body in a way I never was in this situation. “Do you want a one-two-three?”
“No, I’m good.” The words were less than a whisper, but the heat of her breath sent another sweep of warmth over my skin.
“Okay, so then take a deep breath in and now exhale.”
Except for a slight jaw twitch, Courtney stayed completely still. In less than a second, the hoop was in place and the sharp needle discarded into the red bin beside the chair.
“Cold again.” I cleaned the area once more. “All done.”
Courtney’s hands had been curled into fists, but they relaxed. Her cheeks were a shade paler, but her mouth was more upturned. “Thank you.”
“You okay? Dizzy?”
“I’m fine. Just really hate needles. Terrified of them.”
“You’d never know it. You barely flinched.”
“Oh, I have to deal with them a lot lately.” Courtney pointed at her head in a callback to her migraines. “But it doesn’t stop me from hating them. Thanks though. I’m glad I wasn’t too much of a baby about it.”
“Well, you can be assured that you weren’t a baby at all. Some people scream.” I patted her once on the shoulder.
Did she lean into the contact?
Her lips pressed together mischievously. “Guess it’s definitely less scary than an unexpected bearded dragon.”
My eyes narrowed.
“Not that you screamed.” That shadow of a smirk made the color return to Courtney’s face.
“Because I didn’t.” I snapped my gloves into the trash can.
“Of course not.”
“I never scream.”
Courtney studied me from beneath long lashes, her voice even raspier. “Never?”
Something went molten inside me. Who thefuckwas this tiny, hot woman making me feel all the butterflies and blush like a baby bisexual?
