again. But he hadn’t, nor had he tried to make it anything more than it was: Two neighbors getting to know each other.
It had been… nice. Being able to play with Giuliana was the cherry on top of the sundae. She was just about the sweetest baby I’d ever held. Her animated face often sent Gordo and I into fits of laughter, and it felt good to be included in something so domestic and normal. Even if it stung sometimes, too.
Still, I was buzzing with anticipation as I sent a text to Mike telling him I had big news. But the first person I called?
Gordo.
I felt like a goddamn tattooing Zen master. I’d churned out five tattoos already, and it wasn’t even noon. They were good tattoos, too. Ones I was proud of, even if they were flash. All around me, the buzz of machines and chatter of voices heightened my energy.
The tattoo drive seemed to be doing well. Mike was in the corner with a table set up, handing out brochures and cookies to people who’d finished up getting their tattoos. He was a people person, managing to snag each passerby into a conversation that I knew would end in talk about the center. With the number of hands he was shaking, I was sure we’d be seeing increased donations continuing for months to come.
“Javiiiiiii,” Dane sang, lifting his head from his current client. “Hot Neighbor is here!”
I flushed. Dane knew Gordo now, as we’d hung out a few times as a group with Gordo and Christian. Only a few, though. There was only so much watching him swap spit with Christian that I could tolerate. “Shut it, D-dane.”
But I felt the smile on my face, large enough it hurt in the best kind of way. Trinity walked by and winked. “Another visitor, I see,” she said under her breath.
“I’ve had visitors all d-day,” I mumbled in protest as I watched Gordo go over to chat with Mike.
Using some antiseptic wash, I wiped off the tattoo I’d just finished. It was a skull, client’s request, but it looked badass with the green shading I’d used. After wrapping the fresh tat in plastic wrap, I stripped my gloves and stood. My lower back was beginning to feel the long day, and I rubbed at it as I made my way over to my friend.
“Javi, this is unbelievable,” Gordo gushed. “There’s a line wrapping around the corner. I thought someone was going to punch me when they assumed I was cutting in line.”
“You’re okay, though?” I asked, looking to see if I could pick out the asshole who thought Gordo was worth hitting. That face was far too pretty for punches.
“Fine,” he laughed. “Thrilled to see this level of success. You’re a genius, you know?”
“Total genius,” Mike chimed in. “I’m already seeing all the improvements I’ll be able to make after today, and it's all thanks to you, Javi.”
Pride bloomed like a flower in me, radiant and full. I had done it, hadn’t I? With Reagan’s help, I think I managed to figure out a way that Andrew would be able to get some real help. And the center might even be able to look at hiring some support staff, instead of having to rely on volunteers. It felt surreal to know that something I took for granted, my ability to tattoo, could have such long-reaching effects.
“It’s almost lunch, are you hungry?” Gordo asked, standing close. For a moment I got caught off guard by his smell. He must have showered recently, and there was a freshness to his scent, like limes and cedar. I loved it. “My brother has Giuliana for the day and I don’t have work for a little while, so I’m all yours.”
My heart fluttered at that phrasing.
“I’ve got another tattoo and can’t really go,” I said, though I was dreaming of take-out and an afternoon spent with Gordo. My stomach rumbled loud enough that Mike laughed and Gordo’s eyebrow arched with emphatic precision.
“So I’ll bring you some food,” Gordo said, chuckling.
“You d-don’t need to,” I replied, my cheeks prickling with warmth.
“It’s not a big deal,” Gordo insisted. “I came to see you and to make sure you had food. You can’t let me leave with only half of my duties fulfilled.”
The bane of being friends with such a sexy man is that a mind, unbidden, can turn anything into an innuendo or fantasy. A flash of how I’d rather be fulfilled by Gordo danced quickly across