Celebration by Ella Ardent Read Free Book Online Page B

grinned. “It’s kind of addictive.”
    Joanna smiled, guessing that it was the tattoo artist Zeke who was the source of Louise’s addiction. She’d certainly been talking about him non-stop. “Pleasure and pain,” she said, understanding perfectly.
    “Something like that.” Louise picked at the adhesive. “Stupid bandage. Ow!”
    Louise was notoriously impatient with these kinds of things, so Joanna stepped into the bathroom to stop her from making a mess. “Don’t tear your skin!”
    “I just have to get it off.”
    Joanna spoke sternly. “Let me.”
    “What am I going to do without you around?”
    “Find another adult?”
    “You won’t be that easy to replace.”
    “I’ll miss you, too.” Joanna leaned close to look. “It’s just stuck a bit on this corner. It looks like a bit of blood from a scratch, not the tattoo itself.”
    “Good.” Louise bent her head and waited.
    Joanna eased the adhesive from Louise’s skin, then lifted the dressing away. The skin on the back of her shoulder was still swollen, but even so, Joanna was amazed by the tattoo that was revealed. “Wow.”
    “You like it?”
    Joanna glanced up, realizing that Louise was watching her in the mirror. “It’s beautiful.”
    “My own mermaid.” Louise smiled. “Because I’m a water sign, you know?”
    “I know.”
    Louise turned around, then peered over her shoulder to try to see the tattoo. Joanna gave her a hand mirror instead. “I think Zeke did an awesome job. He wants to do more shading on the fish scales of her tail, but he said that was enough for one night.”
    “It’s beautiful. You never showed me the other one, you know.”
    “Oh, because I thought you’d laugh at me.” Louise, to Joanna’s surprise, was blushing.
    “Now I’m really curious.”
    “Promise not to laugh.”
    Joanna crossed her heart and held up her fingers in a scout’s promise. Louise blushed a little more, then unfastened her jeans and pushed them down over her hips as she turned around. “See?”
    Joanna didn’t laugh: she stared in awe. A feather graced the skin on the other side of Louise’s spine, its curve flowing down her back. It was a peacock feather, the eye at the top and script alongside it.
    Property of The Plume.
    “But I didn’t think you were,” Joanna said.
    Louise laughed. “No, I had to negotiate for that. Once I saw the tattoo design, though, I knew I needed to have one myself.”
    “The design?” Joanna met Louise’s gaze in the mirror. “You mean that other people have this tattoo?”
    “Oh yeah. Zeke’s doing a huge business in this particular commemorative. I wouldn’t be surprised if every single person who used to be a member has gotten one.” Louise’s smile turned mischievous. “And maybe a few more, like me, who just had dreams of joining.”
    “A commemorative,” Joanna repeated.
    “That’s what they call it when you get a tattoo to commemorate something.” Louise rolled her eyes. “You’re the writer, Joanna. I would have expected you to figure that out all by yourself.”
    “It’s not that. It’s that people want to commemorate the Plume.”
    “Well, why not? It was awesome, like a dream in real life.”
    “A place where fantasies came true,” Joanna mused. “Does Rex know about this?”
    Louise shrugged. “Not that I know of, but I’m not at the shop all the time.”
    “Really? I thought you were Zeke’s fan girl.”
    Louise laughed again. “Well, he doesn’t answer to me, and I don’t want him to take me for granted.” She sobered. “Why? I thought you and Rex were done.”
    “We were. We are. I just wondered how he’s doing.” Joanna gestured, unable to explain her feelings. “I mean, he built the Plume. It must have been hard for him to see it destroyed.”
    “And him blamed for it.” Louise considered Joanna. “What are you thinking?”
    “I’m thinking he’d be glad to know about this, that’s all.”
    “Looks like you’re glad to know about it,