Inked in the Steel City Series(8)

“Adams,” the woman said, extending a hand. “Ms. Lee, I really am sorry about all of this.”



Mina nodded. “Thank you for bringing Jess to the emergency room. I’ll be dropping by the school personally tomorrow to speak with the principal. I’m not going to let something like this go.”



****



“Ready?”



“As long as you promise you’re not going to put pictures of my boobs all over the internet.”



Karen laughed. “Promise. Just tilt your chin down a teeny bit. That’s perfect. Now hold that pose…”



Mina sat stone-still on a stool in front of a white paper background in Karen’s small photography studio. It was barely the size of her apartment, but it worked. Fortunately, it was also very private. Mina glanced at the window to her left just to make sure that the blinds were completely closed. After all, she was sitting topless in the middle of the room and she felt awkward enough without anyone seeing her. Her side and back faced the camera, exposing her new tattoo, and her front was facing the background, her breasts covered modestly by her arm. Being photographed in nothing but her jeans still felt weird, but any sort of top would have covered her tattoo at least partially.



“These are turning out great.”



Mina lifted her chin, peering over her shoulder at Karen, who was studying her camera’s screen. “Are we done?”



Karen laughed, as if Mina’s question had been a joke. “We’re just getting started.”



“How many ways are there to photograph one tattoo?”



Karen ignored her question. “You said you have to be out of here by a quarter ‘till three, right?”



Mina nodded. She didn’t have work today, but she still had to pick Jess up from school.



“OK. We’ll be done by then.”



Mina shifted on the stool. “That’s over an hour from now.”



Karen started snapping pictures again. “Look directly at me this time.”



“I thought these photos were just for Eric’s portfolio.” A shiver that had more to do with regret than the slight chill in the air raced down her spine as she thought of the sexy tattoo artist. “Does my face even need to be in any of them?” His blue eyes had been assaulting her memory at random intervals ever since she’d left him on the sidewalk two days before. Had he thought of her since then, or had she bored him to the point that he didn’t care that their date had been interrupted?



“I’m taking some extras.”



“Of course you are.” Karen never missed a chance to take full advantage of a willing – or at least semi-willing – model.



An hour later, Mina was dressed again and Karen was humming happily as she hooked her camera up to her laptop and began downloading the raw shots to her hard drive. “So today was Jess’s first day back at school?”



“Yeah. The doctor wrote her a note excusing her from school the next day, and I thought it would be best if she took advantage of it.”



Karen frowned. “Any word from the school on what they’re going to do to those girls?”



Mina bit the inside of her lip, stifling an impatient sigh. “The principal said he’d get back to me today.”



“But he hasn’t?”



“I’m planning on stopping by his office when I pick Jess up today, if he hasn’t called me by then.” She glanced at the clock on the computer screen. It was almost time for her to leave. “Speaking of which, I’d better go.”



“Don’t you want to see the pictures first?”



“Can you just e-mail me the best – whichever one you send to Eric? I’d like to see what he’ll be adding to his portfolio.”



“Sure. Good luck with the principal.”



Mina groaned. “I hate that he’s dragging his feet about this. How can he act like there’s anything to ‘investigate’ when those girls purposely hurt Jess out of jealousy?” It had taken some prying, but eventually Mina had gotten Jess to admit that the girls’ ringleader was a classmate of hers who reputedly wanted to attend the homecoming dance with Jess’s date. It was almost more than Mina could believe. Jess was beautiful and vivacious, but most high school boys would lack the courage to ask a wheelchair bound girl to a dance. Mina hadn’t met Jess’s date yet, but he had to be sweet – surely not the kind of boy who would fall for a catty bitch who’d assault a girl who couldn’t walk.



“For what it’s worth, I hope those girls get expelled and shipped off to some sort of military school for delinquents. Somewhere frigid, where it snows all year.”