Blue Persuasion Read Online Free PDF Page A

showing off Cat’s work either.
    I think he wanted me to see him. “Holy Toledo!” I exclaimed.
    A flying golden eagle, on the diagonal, spread from his right shoulder down across his coppery, wide back to his left hip where his jeans cut off the rest of the design. I could imagine that the bird’s left wing crossed the top of his butt cheek and covered the side of his left thigh. It was an amazing work of art.
    Another tattoo covered his left deltoid. Cat had tattooed it in such a way that it looked like a colored drawing. The bust of a Native American woman with a feather headdress and long braids abutted a Viking facing in the other direction with a metal helmet, face guard, and a long, full beard.
    I forced myself to walk away and dragged Cat with me. “Damn, Cat. I had no idea how talented you are. That’s some amazing art.”
    “It’s what I love.”
    “Thank you is the appropriate response. I thought I was the one who had issues with compliments.”
    “I’ve never gotten used to receiving them. A foreign concept in my house growing up.”
    I touched her arm and said, “I understand.”
    She stepped behind the counter and put the cleanser, instructions, and some of her business cards in a bag.
    “So what’s the damage?” I asked. When I paid for the tattoo, I added a healthy tip and turned over the slip so she wouldn’t see it until after I left. Waving, I took the bag and walked out of the shop without looking back.
    ♥♥♥♥♥
    Once inside my apartment, I pulled off the cloth tape surrounding the saran wrap Cat had laid over the tattoo. I removed my sports bra and other clothes and collapsed on my bed with my cell phone in hand, careful not to lie on my right side. I texted Bond.
     
    Me: I’m home and about to take a nap. The tat is incredible and can’t wait for you to see it.
     
    I figured he was still sleeping and after setting my alarm, I fell out, too.
    As soon as I awoke, I felt the throb on my shoulder. I downed two over-the-counter pain meds and showered. I couldn’t let the flow of the water hit my back, so I had to lean forward to rinse my hair. After drying off, I read some of my positive affirmations as I applied blue eyeliner. When I believe in myself, so do others. I attract only healthy relationships. Happiness is my choice. I didn’t know if it helped, but my women’s group counselor seemed to think so.
    In my drawer full of bras, I found one that allowed the straps to crisscross in the back. It didn’t pull me in tight enough or offer the support I preferred, however, it would have to do.
    As always, I dressed in jeans and a black Tap 42 T-shirt for my bartending job. Fortunately, they let me choose the work shirt I liked best. Most of the women working in Tap 42 favored the shirt with a plunging neckline. Instead, I wore the women’s less revealing shirt or the men’s short-sleeved button-up. I went with the baggier of the two so it wouldn’t press against my sore shoulder.
    I much preferred bartending to waiting tables, but unless I wanted to show off my assets at other types of establishments, I had to work my way up to full-time at Tap 42. Gratefully, I had two night shifts a week, which allowed me to work less at The Chart House.
    The bar/restaurant had a long, wide bar down the main space. Wood strips of various colors and lengths covered the far wall. It gave the surface an interesting look and texture. The forty-two beers, each with its own tap, hung centered on the back wall of the bar. The busy Saturday nights left no place for dwelling on life issues. However, I started my shift at five o’clock while the place sat mostly empty.
    Rick, my Saturday evening regular, sat at the far end stool. I had heard he’d been recently divorced. The forty-something man didn’t speak much and never hit on me, making him one of my favorite customers.
    After stocking the bar for the busy night to come and checking all the taps, I proceeded to wipe down the expansive, shiny