I know exactly where it is. “You want to go see it?”
She shrugs and holds out her hand so I can pull her to her feet. We both get dressed. I leave a short note for Pop and the kids to let them know we’ll be back soon. Sally looks up at us once before we go out the door, then he lays his head back down with a heavy sigh.
We take the elevator down to street level and start to walk. I get between her and the street, and between her and all the elbows. Then we see the flashing neon sign that says Reeds’.
Katie rubs her hands together. “I’m so excited.”
“You want to go in?” I ask.
“Can we?”
I shrug. I don’t tell her that I know these guys from when I used to work in this area. I’d rather surprise her.
We go inside and find not just one Reed, but all five of them. And Friday Reed is there too. The Reeds are five brothers who own a tattoo shop in the city. They do a lot of good in the neighborhood. They also are the stars of an extremely popular reality TV show. The oldest one is Paul, who’s married to Friday. Friday is a brunette bombshell in fishnet stockings, a short skirt, and sky-high heels. All the brothers are blond, and the youngest two are twins. They all come out to shake my hand. I used to work security for their events, so I know them pretty well.
“What are you doing here, man?” Paul asks. “We heard you moved away.”
Katie stands completely star-struck, unable to utter a word.
“I was just showing my wife the city.” I introduce Katie and she finds her tongue long enough to say hello to them.
“So,” I say. I rub my hands together. “I was thinking about a tattoo.”
Katie smiles and rolls her eyes.
“Can you guys hook me up?” I already know they’re booked up for months in advance.
Logan Reed, the middle brother, the one who got the cochlear implant a few years ago, says, “I can do it.”
“Really?”
“My last appointment just cancelled.”
Katie grabs my arms. “Are you sure you want to do this?” she asks.
I raise my brows at her. “Unless you don’t want me to.”
Paul punches me on the arm. “Pussy-whipped mother—” Friday pinches him. Hard. “Sorry,” he mutters.
I wrap my arm around Katie. “It’s all right. I don’t mind. I live for her. If that means I’m *-whipped, then I’m damn delighted to be *-whipped.”
“Damn straight,” one of the twins says. I can never tell them apart.
“Come on back, so you can tell me what you want,” Logan says. “I’ll doodle something up.”
Logan is the best artist in the city, and he and Friday listen to what I want. I tell them the story about how Katie and I met when we were sixteen, how we didn’t see one another for a long while, and how we came back together. Then they put their heads together and start to draw.
When they’re done, they show me what they’ve come up with.
I smile and show them where I want it. “Right here.” I point to my shoulder. It will take up the whole area.
Logan nods, and he sets up his machine.
Friday sits and talks with Katie about the kids, and the other Reeds come and go, bullshitting all the while.
Finally, Logan lifts his machine. He points to the mirror on the wall. “Take a look.”
I stare at it, taking in the sweeping lines and meaningful symbols. “It’s perfect.”
Logan applies ointment and wraps it up. Then he looks at his watch. “My wife is coming by with the kids. I know she’d like to say hi.”
I haven’t seen Emily in a long time. I knew her back when everyone called her Kit, and she used to busk for spare change in the subway tunnels and the park. Now she plays guitar with one of the most popular bands in the country, Fallen from Zero, and her songs are played on the radio every day.
When Emily walks in the door, Logan’s face lights up like he’s seeing her for the first time. She’s stunning, with dirty-blond hair and a blue streak right behind her bangs that runs all the way down over her shoulder. She has a little blond-haired, blue-eyed girl with pigtails gripping her hand, and a baby with a blue cap on his head on her hip.
“You have two now?” I ask as I say hi to Emily.
“We’re trying to catch up with you,” Logan says as he gives me a playful slug on the arm.
I look over and find Katie clutching her stomach. “Hey, Jake,” she says.
“Hey, Katie,” I reply. “You okay?”
“I think it’s time,” she says. “And the last one proved they don’t just walk out.”
“You mean now?”
“Now, Jake,” she bites out around a grimace.
I reach for my wallet to pay for my tattoo, but Logan tells me this one’s on the house. “Are you sure?” I ask him.
“Positive.”
“Jake,” Katie warns.
“Oh, shit,” I say. “We need to go.”
“Unless you want to have it right here,” Katie says.
All the Reeds rush to help us out and get us into a cab. “Good luck to you, Jake.”
“Let us know how it goes.” And the door of the cab slams.