Page 10 of Pierced Pages
Morgan laughed again. It was a rich laugh that somehow soothed the ache in Danielle’s head.
“It’s not too bad, but you should go with what you’re comfortable with.” She leaned her head to examine Danielle’s ear. “I think a line of them would look cute on you.” She clearedher throat and pulled her head back. “I mean, it would look good on your ear. The shape and curl would look great with just about any jewelry you want.”
Danielle tried to ignore the fact that Morgan had basically called her ear cute, but she couldn’t ignore it any more than Morgan could take it back.
“So what do I do if I want another one? Like one just above mine, I guess. I had these done in the mall when I was a kid.”
“Definitely don’t do that.” Without hesitation, Morgan pulled out her phone and handed it to Danielle with the messaging app open. “Put in your number, and I’ll text you mine.”
Danielle tried and failed to stop her hand from shaking as she took the phone and typed in her number. This felt so much like the start of something.
But it wasn’t the start of anything. They’d both been clear on that.
A moment later, Danielle’s phone dinged with a text.
Morgan Guillory
Ink and Artistry Tattoo and Piercing
“You can go anywhere,” Morgan said. “But if you text me when you want to come, I can make sure to be there and tell you when it’s usually not busy.”
Danielle stared at her phone and that name. Then she finally pulled it together and put the phone away. “Thank you. I’ll take you up on that.”
A smile spread across Morgan’s face that actually made Danielle’s knees weak even though she was already sitting down.
No, not the start of something. Her no-relationship policy still stood.
Maybe if she said that enough times it would feel true.
Chapter 5
Morgan
Jen poked her head around the corner with a plastic container of salad in one hand.
“So, was it miserable without me? Tell me how much you regret not taking me up on my offer. Tell me everything and why you’ve been avoiding me since Saturday.”
Morgan shook her head and laughed while she continued checking the drawers, boxes, and bins to make sure everything was stocked for the day. That was supposed to be done at the end of each shift, but she couldn’t guarantee the piercer taking her place had actually done that. While she was a mess with organization and finding things at home, here there was already a system in place to keep her on track.
“You, my friend, are always missed,” she said, sticking her head into a cabinet. “How’s your back?”
“Better. Stop deflecting.”
“Fine. It wasn’t miserable. And I haven’t been avoiding you.”
It had been far from miserable, but she’d been trying for two nights and a day to not think about how far from miserable it had been or the reason for that.
Which was the exact reason she really had been avoiding Jen yesterday. She’d put off their weekly reality TV date, saying shewas tired from the night before, but she knew she wouldn’t be able to avoid her at work come Monday.
Jen stuffed a forkful of lettuce and cucumber into her mouth. She was wearing another worn-in T-shirt with the sleeves cut off and loose light wash jeans with her blonde bob pinned back to keep it out of her eyes while she bent over to work.
She eyed Morgan while she set up her station in the little corner room at the back of the shop that served as the piercing area. Morgan knew Jen didn’t have a tattoo client until one, so she had an hour to grill Morgan for details.
Between bites, Jen asked, “I guess Kim was happy?”
“So happy.” Morgan closed a drawer and turned to look over her shoulder at Jen. “They’re so disgustingly happy that if I did want a relationship, that’s what I’d want.”
“You could, you know.” Jen leaned against the door frame and aimed her fork at Morgan. “Have that, I mean.”
