Read Things Good Girls Don't Do for Free Online Page B

should know everything there is to know about a person, or close to it. And if you know everything and you still can’t take the leap, then you need to get out.”
    “What about love at first sight? Or people who fall in love and get married after six months? Do you really think they’re going to last?” she asked, starting to feel a little tipsy.
    “As long as they go into it with their eyes open, knowing the other person’s flaws and loving them anyway, who am I to judge?”
    Katie, feeling loose, asked, “What are your flaws?”
    “Why? You want to know if I’m your perfect match?” he asked, and Katie could hear the humor in his voice.
    She scoffed. “No, I was just curious.” Taking another gulp, she marveled as pain-free warmth spread through her limbs, and prodded, “So what are they?”
    More whirring behind her until he finally stopped and said, “I’m stubborn as hell.”
    Katie rolled her eyes, even though he couldn’t see her. “Most people are stubborn.”
    “You’re not. You give in to everybody.”
    His words stung. If he hadn’t been jabbing a needle in and out of her back, she would have gotten up and let him have it. Instead she snapped, “I do not! I just pick my battles.”
    “I’ve been here less than six months and I haven’t seen you really hold your ground on anything.”
    She turned her head enough to look over her shoulder and said, “I’ll have you know, I told Mrs. Andrews we were keeping your booth where it was, next to the kissing booth, and that was that.”
    He raised his eyebrow at her. “Where did she want me moved?”
    The angle was hurting her neck, so she turned her head forward again. “She didn’t want you to have one at all. Thinks tattoo parlors bring around a bad element.”
    Chase was quiet after that, only the sound of the tattoo gun echoing in the parlor. When the gun finally went silent, she felt him dabbing at her back. “All done.” Handing her a small mirror, he helped her stand up. “Here, can you see it?”
    Katie looked at her spanking new tattoo, and part of her was excited and exhilarated that she had done it. But the small, sober part of her brain screamed, What did you do, you idiot?
    “Just keep a piece of plastic wrap over it for the next three days until it heals,” he said.
    Katie heard his coolness and knew something was wrong by the look on his face, but couldn’t really recall what she had said to upset him. She set the whiskey bottle on the counter and the room was a bit hazy around the edges.
    Lightweight.
    Had it been the thing with Mrs. Andrews? Why would a guy like Chase care what some small-minded woman thought? Still, if that was it, she didn’t want him feeling bad, especially since she shouldn’t have said it in the first place.
    “Look, I’m really sorry for what I said. I shouldn’t have repeated that conversation,” she said.
    He picked up the tray and his eyes were glacial. With a tone just as cool, he said, “It’s nothing I haven’t heard before.”
    She crossed her arms over her chest and said quietly, “Those were her words, not mine. I don’t agree with her.”
    He gave her a little half smile. “I appreciate that. Not all people share your high opinion of me.”
    The whole conversation was awkward and uncomfortable, and she wanted out of it. “How much do I owe you?”
    “Don’t worry about it,” he said, turning his back to her as he went into the back.
    She stood there for a minute, not knowing what to do or say to make things better, before pulling out several bills from her purse and leaving them on the counter. She felt awful about hurting his feelings, but she had drunk too much whiskey too fast and wasn’t in control of any of her finer brain functions. Even if she could figure out the right thing to say, she couldn’t stop the irrational urge to giggle, and somehow she didn’t think that would make her apology sound very sincere. Better to wait until tomorrow, when she had all her wits