I feel bad for the pain I caused him, and he must note the expression on my face because he shoots me a stern look, much like how a father would when scolding their child. “Don’t you feel bad for me, young lady. It’s a blessing to be old, and every blessing is a little bittersweet.”
I still feel bad, but I nod and lean down to examine my tattoo. My thigh is bright red and irritated, amplifying the harsh lines.
Fuck You, in bold black letters, though mine looks a little neater than his. Regardless, they’re still uneven and wobbly, and I’m relieved about it. That’s why I love it so much.
“It’s perfect.”
“Imperfect,” he corrects, eyeing his work.
“Perfectly imperfect,” I compromise, smiling big at him. My cheeks hurt from how widely they’re being stretched, but just like every time that needle poked through my skin, the pain feels good. “All the best things are.”
He lights another cig and leans back like he doesn’t have a care in the world. Simon looks like he’s lived his life very thoroughly, and I want to know what led him to this bus stop, giving a strange girl a tattoo on a Tuesday afternoon.
“You’re right,” he concedes. “You’re also very strange.” I grin wider when he echoes my exact thoughts.
“So are you, Simon. So are you.” The look we share speaks volumes—we’re both content with being strange.
Right then, the bus pulls up, the engine rumbling loudly. When the doors hiss and then glide open, I stand up and offer my elbow to him, as if I’m escorting him to a ball.
He waves his hand, shooing me on.
“I prefer to walk. My old bones need the movement, or else they’ll lock up forever.”
My brows draw in. “Then why were you sitting at the bus stop?”
He shrugs. “I was passing by, and you looked like you needed a friend.”
Dropping my elbow, a weird piercing feeling stabs me in the chest. Disappointment.
I wanted to talk to Simon more. Ask him questions and learn more about the man behind the worn clothes and octopus ink.
He’s observant, too, once more noting the expression on my face. Or maybe I just wear my feelings on my sleeve too much.
“We’ll cross paths again, Sawyer. Life has a funny way of throwing people into your path when you’re meant to collide. It’s up to you to choose to make it permanent.”
“Permanence,” I mutter, tasting the foreign word on my tongue. “You’re already permanent, Simon, just as much as this tattoo.”
He smiles at me, a knowing twinkle in his eye.
“Then I’ll see you soon, won’t I?”
Feeling a tad better, I pick up my plastic bag, and the rustle of its contents reminds me of what else is in it. The small grin on my face slips. Simon will no longer distract me from my impending situation, and suddenly, I’m really dreading this ride alone.
“I hope so. Nice meeting you, Simon.”
And then I turn, my thigh burning as I make my way onto the bus. I put my coins in the slot and find a seat far in the back. The faux leather is hot and sticky against the backs of my thighs, but I hardly notice.
I face the window, getting one last glimpse of Simon waving at me before the bus takes off.
At least I didn’t have to go to a shop and use a credit card or take out any more money. I’m only giving myself a couple more days before it’s time to grab a drink.
Then, I’ll start over as someone else.
Not Sawyer Bennett, but someone who wishes they never met her.
Chapter 2
Sawyer
Jamie Harris.
I stare at the ID for a brief second before sliding it over to the bartender. He glances at the card, back to me, and then at the card again.
“You’re American,” he notes.
“Unfortunately,” is my answer.
“You don’t look twenty-nine,” he comments, before returning the card. That’s insulting because I’m only a year younger than what the ID says.
I force a smile. “I’m terribly sorry for not passing your standards on what a woman of twenty-nine years should look like. Thank my skincare routine. Can I have my drink now?”
The bartender rolls his eyes before moving away to make said drink. The second he steps away, I deflate. My chest is tight with anxiety, but I don’t dare let that show.
That’s my face on the ID, but not my name.
Jamie Harris is a successful business owner in Los Angeles, California, has a stellar credit score, and a credit card limit of a whopping fifty-thousand dollars.