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Chapter Fifteen
Hunter
Two nights after Thomas’s barbecue, I don’t walk into Skyn Ink via the front door. Instead, I try the rear door, which is fortunately unlocked. It feels a little weird just walking in like I own the place, but I’ve rarely let convention hold me back from going after what I want. Right now, I want to talk to Dani and for some reason, I feel like I need the upper hand. In some ways, I’ve felt that way from the moment we’ve met. She certainly threw me when she left the barbecue so abruptly. With any other woman, I’d let her keep her distance, yet I can’t seem to get enough of her.
There’s nobody in their work spaces, nobody piercing holes into flesh or drawing fantastical designs on skin. It’s quiet and eerie. Someone must be out front, I think to myself. The other option is that the shop is closed and somebody forgot to lock up.
I peel back the curtains that separate the work space from the lobby, and see Dani standing behind the counter with her head tilted down going over some kind of documents. I watch her intently, my eyes shifting from the curves of her hips to the punk-rock aesthetics of her pink highlights.
“You really shouldn’t sneak up on a woman,” she says suddenly. “How do you know we don’t keep a gun behind the counter?”
So much for having the upper hand. “Do you?”
She just turns and looks at me, crossing her arms over her chest. “What are you doing here?”
“I’m here to take you on a date.”
For a moment, she looks startled. And pleased? But then she seems to gather her armor.
“Maybe I’m busy.”
“Are you?”
“Depends on what you have in mind.”
“I was thinking dinner and a movie.”
She bursts out laughing.
“What?”
“That just doesn’t seem very Hunter Kiss-ish.”
“That’s not what I’m trying to be.”
“What do you mean?”
I shrug. “I don’t know. Just, it’s obvious you have some preconceived notions about Hunter Kiss. Just like I have them about you. I’m wondering if we can start fresh. Get to know each other without assumptions getting in the way. Dinner and a movie sounds like a pretty safe way to start, don’t you think?”
She stares at me, movement behind her eyes, and I’d love to know what she’s thinking, but I already put myself out there and don’t want to push my luck.
“Fine,” she finally huffs. “But I’m not watching a chick flick.”
* * *
She almost looks uncomfortable, her eyes shifting, searching the fine establishment that is Burger Shack, a retro throwback to diners of the long-forgotten past.
“Do you want to go somewhere else?” I question, sensing that maybe this wasn’t such a good idea. It seemed like the perfect date in my head, but maybe I’m wrong about her. Maybe she was expecting to be wined and dined.
“No.” She shakes her head. “I just… I’m a little surprised you’d come here.”
“Why?”
“Because it’s not fancy. It’s—”
“Hey, I love luxury, but I also love a simple burger, thin cut fries, an occasional Rocky Road Milkshake, and the ambience of chill music.”
“You keep on surprising me, Mr. Kiss.” She picks up the tall menu and looks it over, all the while hiding her face behind the plastic brochure. In seconds, she places the menu flat against the table. “I’m definitely getting the Guacamole Burger.”
