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“Did you see?” Josh asked, as he barged into King of Games, balancing a stack of books and coffees for the both of them.
“See what?” Kat asked, taking the books from him.
“There’s someone moving into the storefront next door,” Josh said. Some new!”
“Do you think they’re gonna last longer than Brendan and their model car experience?” Kat asked, laughing. She started shelving the books. “And what coffee did you get me, this time? Because-“
“It’s not peppermint this time, promise,” Josh said. He hopped up on the counter, swinging his legs. “It’s not model cars this time, anyway. Or specifically gay teddy bears-“
“Hey, I thought Build A Twink was a fun,” Kat defended.
“Sure,” Josh said. “But it’s a bit hard to find an audience for.”
“And a medieval themed combo book and games store is easy to find an audience for?” Kat asked.
Josh laughed. “We pull in the nerds, and that’s what matters.”
“Hell yeah it is,” Kat replied. She finished shelving the books, and took her coffee from beside Josh on the counter. “Okay, see, this is good coffee.”
“I bring you the wrong thing one time-“ Josh started.
“One awful time,” Kat corrected.
“And you’ll never let me live it down,” Josh finished.
Kat laughed. “That’s what friends are for.”
“True,” Josh said. “Just like I’ll never let you live down the turkey-“
“We are not talking about that,” Kat said, quickly, cutting Josh off. “We swore never, ever to talked about that.”
“And yet you bring up the coffee,” Josh replied.
“We didn’t swear a blood oath about the coffee, Josh,” Kat said. “Blood oaths are sacred.”
“It was fake blood,” Josh pointed out.
“But not a fake oath,” Kat said.
Josh laughed. “Wait! You kept talking about the coffee thing-“
“Totally validly, I might add,” Kat said.
“And you stopped me from you telling who’s moving in next door,” Josh finished. “You’re gonna love this.”
“It’s a store to buy a new best friend?” Kat asked.
“Like you could find me in a store,” Josh said. “I’m one of a kind, baby.”
“You sure are,” Kat said. “I just don’t know if that’s a good thing or a bad thing, yet.”
“Definitely a good thing,” Josh replied. “I’m bringing you neighbourhood gossip.”
“You’re taking forever to bring me neighbourhood gossip,” Kat said.
Josh laughed. “It’s your fault!”
“Just tell me,” Kat begged.
“Okay, okay,” Josh said. “I saw them this morning, it was this girl unpacking by herself, with a U-Haul truck-“
“Are you drawing this out on purpose?” Kat asked.
“Yes,” Josh confirmed.
“Jerk,” Kat said. She threw a receipt paper at him. “Hurry up.”
“So there was this girl, totally your type-“ Josh continued.
Kat threw another receipt at him.
“And she’s holding all this freaky equipment, and I couldn’t figure out what it’s all for,” Josh continued.
“Is it to give you a brain transplant?” Kat teased.
“No,” Josh said, rolling his eyes. “It took me a second, and, okay, seeing the sign she was putting up- made of wood, by the way, retro as hell, but-“
“You’re drawing it out again,” Kat said.
“It’s called building up anticipation,” Josh said. “But fine, since you have no love for the art of storytelling-“
“I literally sell books, Josh,” Kat pointed out.
“And yet,” Josh said, waving his hand. “Anyway, since you’re so impatient, I realised all the equipment was for-“
Josh was cut off by the door opening, and their little bell jingling. In walked the- the most gorgeous woman ever, honestly, wearing a black hoodie and a backwards hat.
“Hi, and welcome to King of Games!” Josh said, as if he wasn’t sitting on the counter, covered in receipt paper.
“We also sell books,” Kat added. “It’s not really reflected in the name.”
“And we’re medieval themed,” Josh said. “But that is implied in the name. Kind of.”
“We took the king thing and ran with it,” Kat continued.
The beautiful woman laughed. “Hi. I’m Janice, I just opened up the store next door-“
“See, this is who I was telling you about,” Josh said. “I was right, wasn’t I?”
Kat elbowed him. “H- Hi, Janice. I’m Kat. That’s Josh.”
“What were you right about?” Janice asked.
“That he couldn’t figure out what your store is gonna be,” Kat said, sending a glare to Josh.
He mouthed ‘totally your type’ and sent her a smug grin.
“I figured it out eventually,” Josh corrected, after he was done gloating.
“And yet you never told me,” Kat said. She turned back to Janice. “What is it you do, then?”
“Do? A lot of things,” Janice said. “Paint, some metallurgy, wood carving-“
“Wood carving?” Kat asked.
Janice shrugged. “Enough about that. Those are just… hobbies.”
“And your shop?” Kat asked.
She ignored Josh, who was still grinning.
“I’m starting a tattoo shop,” Janice said, with a soft smile. “It’s new, obviously, but-“
“Can you tattoo me?” Kat blurted out.
Janice laughed. “I mean- I came here to advertise our opening sale thing, but I guess I didn’t need any sales techniques, huh?”
“I’ve been wanting a tattoo for a while,” Kat said. It wasn’t even entirely a lie. “And I like helping my neighbours.”
“And you’re-“ Josh started.
Kat elbowed him again.
“You- you look like you’re good at it,” Josh said, restarting. “You look… artistic?”
“Sure,” Janice said. “So- do you both want a tattoo, then?”
“Hell no,” Josh said. “Me and needles do not mix.”
“There was this one time, at the doctor’s office-“ Kat started.
“If you bring up the doctor’s office, I’ll bring up the turkey leg,” Josh fired back.
Janice laughed. “The turkey leg?”
“No, no, nope,” Kat said. “We are not- you should tell me more about your tattoo artistness. Artistry. Tattoos. Yeah.”
“How about you swing by my shop later?” Janice asked. “Either on your lunch break, or after this place closes?”
Kat squeaked.
“She’d love to,” Josh said. “And I’m sure she has plenty of ideas for this tattoo she’s always wanted-“
“Yep,” Kat said. “Yep yep yep yep yep.”
“Okay,” Janice said. She smiled. “I’ll see you later, then?”
“Yeah,” Kat said. “I’ll see you later.”
Janice left, and Kat couldn’t wipe the smile off her face. And then Josh started speaking again.
“I told you!” Josh called out. “I told you, she was totally your type! One hundred percent your type!”
“And you didn’t warn me well enough,” Kat said. “You didn’t even have the decency to tell me she was a tattoo artist!”
“I was trying,” Josh said.
“And yet you kept drawing it out,” Kat said. “And then she came in, and I totally made a fool of myself-“
“And she flirted with you,” Josh pointed out.
“And now I have to go back over there, by myself, and look at all her art that I’m sure is gorgeous-“ Kat said. “Ugh!”
“And that’s a bad thing?” Josh asked.
“Because I’m going to make a full out of myself,” Kat said. “Again. And she’s going to ask about the turkey leg-“
“The turkey leg story isn’t for until like, the third date, promise,” Josh said.
“Wait,” Kat said. “Is me going over to get a tattoo consult a date?”
“Maybe,” Josh said. “Especially if it’s just you and her, in a dimly lit tattoo studio- Steamy, right there.”
Kat laughed. “Shut up. God. I’m totally going to embarrass myself.”
“Josh be yourself, Kat,” Josh said. “It’ll go great.”
“Myself is a scatterbrained book seller who has awful experiences with turkey legs,” Kat said.
“And maybe she’s into that,” Josh pointed out. “She seemed into it before, anyway.”
“Did she really?” Kat asked. “Did she- did she seem- into me?”
“Totally,” Josh said. “Not as much as you were into her, but-“
“God,” Kat said. “I only just met her.”
“And you’re going to meet her again, on your lunch break, and it’s going to go awesome,” Josh said, confidently.
“Really?” Kat asked.
“Really,” Josh promised. “You’re amazing, Kat. And she’s gonna see that. She’s got that- that artist’s eye, or something.”
“Thanks, Josh,” Kat said, finally feeling calm.
“So,” Josh said. “What are you going to get a tattoo of, anyway?”
And all that calmness went away.
“Oh god,” Kat said. “I hadn’t even thought of that.”