“And dumb,” Chloe interrupted causing Greer’s face to twist into an expression of mock annoyance.
“Don’t be a sore loser. You’re the only one who has managed to avoid embarrassing yourself.”
“Will someone clue me in on what’s going on?” Reid asked again, his eyes darting between Chloe and Greer’s stare down.
Inky sighed and rolled her eyes. “Two people roll a die. The one with the lowest number has to tell the story behind a tattoo of the winner’s choosing. Chloe hasn’t lost a match yet. Until now.”
“See,” Chloe muttered. “Dumb.”
“The more you protest, the more intrigued I am about what you’re hiding,” Greer said with a smirk.
“I should have worn a turtleneck,” she sighed before holding her arms out, the thin tank top exposing the tattoos on her arm as well as the ones wrapping around her shoulder.
“What are the rules on tattoos that aren’t exposed?” Reid asked, a sly smile pulling at the side of his mouth.
Chloe gasped. “You’re not helping!”
Reid shrugged and looked at Greer with an innocent expression. “If I’m going to get in on this game, I should know all the rules, right?”
Greer laughed before looking at Chloe with a face that was anything but sympathetic. “Sorry, Chloe, but he does have a point. Inky, what’s the rule concerning hidden tattoos?”
“Dogs and bones,” Inky muttered before giving Chloe a reassuring look. “Sorry, guys, but you can’t ask about a tattoo you haven’t seen. You have to describe the tattoo you want to know about. That means it would have to be one you’ve seen.”
“No more midriffs for me,” Chloe snarked.
“Hey, now,” Drew cut in. “Let’s not get too hasty.”
“You’re all ridiculous.” Chloe turned to Greer and crossed her arms over her chest. “Well, pick your poison.”
Greer leaned across the small space and studied the ink covering her arm. When he reached out and lifted Chloe’s arm to inspect the underside, Reid shifted in his seat. Greer hummed and narrowed his eyes in thought before leaning back in his seat. “Explain the glowing, battling dicks.”
Chloe’s eyes widened and she covered her mouth to hold back her laughter. Reid wasn’t as subtle as he choked on the laugh trapped in his throat. “Those aren’t dicks,” Reid gasped, his hands braced on his knees.
“What the hell is wrong with you?” Chloe giggled, tears leaking from her eyes. “Those are lightsabers, you idiot!”
Drew and Inky doubled over when they got a good look at Chloe’s tattoo. She tried to compose herself, but when Reid caught her eye, she lost her breath with laughter all over again. “You’re not going to get some crazy story out of this one,” Chloe said, her words broken. “I’m obsessed with Star Wars. I got that one completely sober.”
“Well, shit,” Greer exhaled. “That was a waste.”
Chloe wiped under her eyes. “It really was.” She turned her attention to Reid and lifted her brow. “Okay, mister, time for you to take a turn.”
Reid started to protest, but the words died in his throat with Chloe’s challenging expression. “Fine. Who’s rolling against me?”
For the next hour, the group divulged stories that were both nostalgic and shameful. Inky, unsurprisingly, had more stories than anyone. Reid couldn’t help but wonder how much longer it would be before there wasn’t a single place on her body that wasn’t colored with ink.
“Okay, last roll. Chloe, it’s you and Reid.”
Chloe grabbed her die and looked to Reid. “You’re going down.”
“He wishes,” Greer mumbled, earning a kick from Inky.
As soon as the dice hit the floor, Reid’s arms flew in the air. “Finally,” he laughed.
Chloe grumbled under her breath and rolled her eyes. “You got lucky. Now pick a tattoo so this game will finally end.”
Reid scooted to the edge of the couch and, like Greer, he lifted Chloe’s arm to look at the tattoos hiding on the underside. Not satisfied with the angle, he stood and pulled Chloe to her feet. His swept his thumb across her skin and tried to ignore the way she shivered from his touch. Clearing his throat, he dropped her arm. “I wanna know about the one with the zodiac signs. What’s the story behind that one?”
“Shit,” Chloe groaned and fell back onto the bench. “I was really hoping I’d be able to avoid this story.” Chloe traced her finger along the tattoo. “Although, I am impressed that you knew they were zodiac signs. Most people think it’s some kind of weird cave drawing.”
Reid laughed. “I can see that. You have two girls holding hands while they stab a ram and then the same two girls kissing each side of a lion’s face. It’s weird, but there’s a story there.”
Chloe sighed. “A drunk one, at that.”
“About damn time,” Greer complained. “You have far too many sober tattoos.”