sat up, eager to do something that wasn’t sitting and worrying myself into a worst-case scenario.
“Javi, man, I gotta say...that back piece is fucking amazing. You’re going to be getting calls for guest spots, celebrity tattoos, show offers like you won’t believe.”
I managed a weak smile. “Thanks.”
“It has to be our highlighted piece, which means I’ll need to interview you to go along with it. You’re handsome but with a doe-eyed vulnerability, which makes you perfect eye candy for the camera. And with this piece? You’ll be the face of Get Ink’d.”
I suddenly needed a lot of water. My mouth was parched while my palms and armpits dampened. “I d...d-don’t think that’s a g-g-good idea.”
Jason waved me off. It got under my skin, but I’d gotten the impression in the short time I’d spent with him that he wasn’t someone who heard “no” often.
“You’ll be fine. A stutter just makes you all the more adorable. We’ll shoot in fifteen. Do you want makeup?”
“No—”
“Great,” he said, and left, practically sprinting from me. I had been gearing up to say no, I can’t do it. Not no, I don’t need makeup.
Frantically, I turned to Gordo. Who was laughing at me.
“It’s not f-funny!”
“The ‘adorable’ comment wasn’t funny—Jason is a patronizing dick. But, love, the only person who thinks poorly of your stutter is you. With good reason, mind you—I would kick everyone’s ass who ever made fun of you if I could. But now? We don’t notice it. And when we do, we love you because of it, not in spite. It’s a part of you, Javi, and I wish you’d stop looking at it as a reason for people to reject you.”
He reached out and smoothed some of my hair back. “I d-don’t know if I c-can,” I said quietly, feeling like a small animal in a snare.
“Do whatever you need to, Javi. I’ll support you no matter what. But I think you should go for it—I think you deserve at least that much.” Gordo kissed me then, and it was as if I could feel his belief in me flowing through the kiss. It was cool like spring water, but with the force of a raging river.
“I’ll try,” I said when we broke off. I could feel the flush in my cheeks.
Soon I was seated in a chair near Jason. He showed me where to look when answering questions and promised me there would be nothing surprising. “And Javi, we can edit out things you hate, okay?” he said in a reassuring tone.
It helped knowing I could backtrack if my confidence fell through, but I could still feel my palms sweating.
Someone behind a camera said “Rolling in three, two...one.”
“You’d have to be living in a hole to not know the tattoo shop, Get Ink’d. Recently the star of a viral video that now has over a million hits, this shop is known not just for its outstanding artwork, but also for its generosity and big heart. They used a flash-tattoo fundraiser to help support a local youth center, which I’ve discovered was wildly successful.”
Jason looked to me and smiled, his white teeth gleaming in the studio lights that shone on us.
“This is Javi, the man behind the fundraiser. He’s also an incredibly talented tattoo artist specializing in intricate grayscale designs as well as wildly imaginative full-color fantasy pieces.” Jason nodded to me again, before motioning to my client off camera. “Let’s see the back piece you just finished.”
My client walked out without his shirt and in a thong that I would totally rib him for later. But I sensed the “oohhh” factor in the people filming. If they had it, I knew this would be a hit with the audience. I sat a little straighter in my chair.
“Now, Javi, tell me about this piece.”
Taking a deep breath, I made an effort to relax the fists my hands had made. “The client wanted a four horsemen b-back piece. He also has d-daughters, so I tweaked it in honor of them. You c-can see how the horses are sleeker, still strong b-but not hyper-masculine. Obviously I changed the gender of the horsemen—now horsewomen. B-but I wanted to keep them from being t-too sexy.”
Jason nodded. “You accomplished that. I mean, they are definitely easy on the eyes, but this isn’t a pin-up piece. You can really feel the power coming out of it. It is so dynamic. Well done. How long have you worked here?”
“A little over eleven years. I apprenticed with Reagan, the