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I stopped and forced a smile. “Hey, Billie.”
“Do you think you can give me a hand for a minute?” She pointed to the shop window and a crooked poster hanging there. “I’ve been trying to get this sign straight for ten minutes. Every time I think it looks good, I come out to the street to double check, and the damn thing is lopsided. I’m beginning to think the window tilts when I’m not looking.”
“Sure. What can I do to help?”
“Just stand there at the curb and direct me if it needs to go up or down while I’m inside.”
“No problem.”
Billie went back into the tattoo parlor. She peeled the poster from the glass, stepped back, and hung it…completely lopsided. I smiled and thumbed up on the right side. She adjusted it until I gave her two thumbs up, then affixed it to the window before coming out to the street to join me again.
“Oh my God.” She chuckled. “That took two seconds, and it looks perfect. Thank you.”
“It’s definitely one of those things you need distance to see.”
She nodded. “What are you up to? My one o’clock just canceled, and I have a few hours before the kids come home, so I was going to go grab some lunch. Want to join me?”
I guess my face answered before I did. Billie smiled and held up two hands.
“No biggie if you’re busy. I forget not everyone has a schedule like I do, with random hours to kill during the day.”
I liked Billie, at least what little I knew about her, and what was I rushing back to the apartment for? To beat myself up over the mess I’d gotten into?
“Actually, I’d love to have lunch.”
Billie’s eyes sparkled. “Maybe a glass of wine, too. Let me just grab my purse.”
Fifteen minutes later, we were seated at a pub table in the bar area of a small Italian restaurant. The waiter came to take our drink order while handing us menus.
“I’ll have a glass of sauvignon blanc,” Billie said, then turned to me. “Unless you want to go wild and split a bottle. I’m not opposed to day drinking.”
“I’d love to, but I can’t.” Realizing how that sounded, I quickly covered. “I have an important meeting later.”
She turned back to the waiter. “Just a glass then. I’m woman enough to drink alone.”
I smiled. “I’ll have a water, please.”
“No problem. I’ll give you a few minutes to look at the menu.”
After he walked away, I stared down at the lunch specials, but my brain was so unfocused, I couldn’t read the printed words. I saw the letters, but it was like they were all blurry and jumbled. Luckily, Billie helped me out.
“The lasagna is really good here,” she said. “So is the eggplant rollatini. I don’t know what you’re in the mood for, but if you want, we can split two things.”
I shrugged. “Sure. The lasagna and eggplant sounds good.”
The waiter came back with our drinks. Billie sipped her wine with a smirk on her face. It made me wonder if Owen had told his crew. I hadn’t thought of that.
“So…I can’t help myself. I have to say something.”
Oh shit.“Okay…”
“I did Owen’s tattoo. He told me the meaning behind it. I’ve always found men getting tattoos in honor of their women to be so romantic, but I didn’t think I’d ever see the day.”
“That Owen got a tattoo?”
“No, that the boy would be lovesick enough for such a romantic gesture.”
Lovesick.
