Inked in the Steel City Series(5)
She nodded. “Originally, I’m from Chicago, though I haven’t lived there since I was about three.” That was when her father had left and her mother had begun the patternless string of relocations that would characterize Mina’s entire childhood. No matter where they’d gone, Mina’s mother had never found happiness, and Mina had lived in the shadow of her discontent, an afterthought in her mother’s constant search for something different. Ironically, she’d made the same poor decisions time after time, perhaps thinking that living in a different city meant she’d finally get different results. “What about you?”
He shrugged. “Been living here my whole life.”
“It’s not so bad here.” Pittsburg wasn’t too big or too small. It was just right, as far as she was concerned.
He nodded. “Not bad at all.”
The rich aroma of freshly brewed coffee wafted toward Mina on a sudden breeze, mouthwatering. Eric held the café door open for her, and the bite of the wind was replaced by perfectly warmed air and a dozen tempting scents. Her nervousness ebbed as her stomach rumbled lowly. She’d had a snack in the car on her way to the tattoo studio, but that seemed ages ago. The air was laced with the seductive scent of vanilla, and when her turn came to order, she chose a vanilla latte – a perennial favorite that seemed especially appealing on such a cool day.
“How about something to eat?” Eric asked.
Mina eyed the case of baked goods wistfully before shaking her head. “I really don’t have time.” Besides that, she didn’t have the cash to spare. Not if she was going to be able to afford Jess’s homecoming dress. Even the latte was a splurge, but she hadn’t been able to say no to Eric. The coffee would just have to hold her over until after she picked Jess up from school and made it home, where she’d cook dinner.
Her gaze wondered rebelliously toward the display again, and when she finally looked back to the register she saw that Eric had pulled several bills from his wallet.
“Oh no,” she hurried to say. “I can pay for mine.”
“Don’t worry about it.”
“No, really. You don’t have to do that.”
“I really don’t mind.” He handed the money to the cashier, who tucked it inside the drawer, which closed with a final click.
She should have felt awkward as she took her coffee and headed to a nearby table with Eric, but instead she found herself fighting a smile. Maybe this was a date after all. Her stomach knotted up as the possibility settled over her. Should she really be sitting in a coffee shop with a guy she barely knew – albeit a really hot one – when she had to pick Jess up in just half an hour?
She wrapped her hands around her coffee cup, soaking up its warmth. It would be OK. She’d leave in time to pick up Jess. She wouldn’t leave her waiting.
“So, about our new masterpiece,” Eric said, one corner of his mouth hinting at a smile as it turned up, enough to affect Mina as much as his use of the word ‘our’. “Why did you choose that design? If you don’t mind me asking.”
She dropped a hand below the table and began tracing lazy circles on the top of one thigh, biting the inside of her lip. “I guess I like the idea of being able to add beauty to my body, and I’ve always liked flowers.” She scoffed at herself inwardly. ‘Always liked flowers’? Everyone liked flowers. Any impression of intelligence she might have managed to give was probably evaporating faster than the steam rising from her coffee cup. “I mean, I enjoy growing them. I guess you could say I’m an amateur horticulturist. I was inspired by a photo of some flowering vines in one of my gardening books and my sister translated that into a tattoo design.”
He raised his dark brows, his look of surprise highlighting the size and gleam of his blue eyes. His dark lashes surrounded them like sooty halos, and the effect was downright heavenly. “Wow. So is that what your sister does – she’s an artist?”
Mina smiled. “Of sorts. She’s a student.”
“At Pitt?”
“No.” Mina shook her head. “A high school student.”
Eric’s eyebrows climbed another fraction of an inch. “That makes it even more impressive. I can’t believe a high schooler designed that tattoo.”
“She’s only fourteen.”
“Wow.” He raised his coffee to his full lips and drank, still looking impressed.
Mina repressed a sigh as she took her first sip of her latte. Some date she was. All she’d managed to do so far was to talk about her little sister. She probably sounded more like a middle-aged woman bragging about her daughter than a twenty-four year old. And yet, she couldn’t deny that Eric’s seemingly genuine interest fanned the flame of attraction that she’d held for him ever since she’d met him that first day in the shop. He seemed sweet, despite his pulse-quickening masculine build and the sexy tattoos that she imagined lurked beneath his shirt.