The Sexy Tattooist

by Joey Bush

  I nodded. I knew what that meant. Well, sort of: one of the girls I went to college with had a twin sister who needed a kidney transplant. She’d been on the waiting list for two years and had to do dialysis multiple times a day. It was certainly not an easy way to live.

  “Shit,” I said. I reached over and took his hand. I could only imagine how badly his mind was reeling over everything that he’d found out recently.

  “The waiting list could take years, though.” He paused. “I’m going to go in tomorrow for an evaluation to see if I’d be a good candidate for a living donation.”

  “Really?” I looked up at him as he nodded.

  “Yeah. No one asked me to, but I want to. Craig’s blood type isn’t compatible with Parker’s, they already know that. His mother will get tested, and so will his sister. But the two brothers are under eighteen, so they’re not eligible yet.”

  “That’s a really big deal,” I said. “That you’d even consider doing that for someone.”

  “I guess. But if I can help him out, I should. And I know my blood type: O positive.”

  “That’s the universal blood type, right?”

  “Yeah.”

  “You know, I’m not even sure what mine is.”

  “You’re not alone, there. A lot of people don’t know.”

  “So, if you’re the universal blood type, then you already know you’re a match?”

  “In that regard, yeah. But there’s other compatibility tests they have to do, and they make sure you’re in good physical shape and psychologically okay with it, too. But I think I am. We’ll have to wait and see.” He yawned. “Right now though, I am wiped out. And the only thing I could really think about was coming home and being able to get into bed with you.”

  41.

  Graham

  Just a few days after I found out that Parker was my brother, I got the news that everything checked out: I could donate a kidney to Parker if I wanted, and chances were good that his body would not reject it.

  I went over to see him at his father’s house. It was the first time I’d ever been there, and the first time I’d seen Parker since the day he was taken to the hospital. Craig’s house wasn’t that far from Chloe’s parents’ place, actually, and it was also similar in size, with its immaculate, green lawn and long, winding, sea-shell driveway.

  Parker was in the living room, sitting on the couch, scrolling on his phone when I walked in. He tossed the phone down and stood up when he saw me.

  “Hey,” he said, a bit of a sheepish smile crossing his face.

  “Don’t get up,” I said.

  He waved me off. “I’m feeling better. A little bit. Taking it easy.”

  “That’s good.”

  We both sat down on the couch. He did look like he was feeling a little better. “I still can’t believe this,” he said, shaking his head. “All these years we’ve been giving each other shit at the races and all along you were my brother. That’s fucking crazy.”

  “Yeah. It was unexpected.”

  “I’m glad we know, though!”

  “I might actually have to feel a little bad next time I beat you in a race.”

  Parker laughed, but only for a second. “I don’t know,” he said. “My days of racing might be numbered. Racing mountain bikes and dialysis aren’t two things that really go hand in hand.”

  “I don’t think you’ll have to spend much time doing dialysis,” I said.

  He gave me a confused look. “What do you mean?”

  “You can have one of my kidneys. We’re a match. I had the testing done and it looks like we’re compatible.”

  He opened his mouth but didn’t say anything right away.

  “And this is something I offered to do; your dad didn’t ask or anything.”

  “Holy shit. I ... I don’t even know what to say.” He shook his head slowly. “That’s completely not what I was expecting to hear from you. I don’t even know if I should accept it. I mean ... shit. You don’t even know me.”

  “Of course you should accept it,” I said. “This way, you won’t have any excuse next time we race against each other and I beat you.”

  He grinned. “Yeah, I don’t see that happening ever again. You just got lucky that time, seeing as, you know, one of my vital organs wasn’t functioning properly.”

  I returned his grin. “We’ll just have to see about that.”

  *****

  I hung out with Parker a while longer. After I left, I went for a little drive, which took me past Lorraine’s. It was Monday, right around lunch time. I pulled into the parking lot and saw my mother’s car. I figured I’d go in, say hello, see how she was doing. She was walking out though, as I was getting out of the truck. I held up a hand and waved.

  “Hi, Mom,” I said.

  “Well, you’re about the last person I expected to see here. I just finished eating! I would’ve waited if I knew that you were going to be around.”

  “I was just driving by and thought I’d stop. I know you’re always here for lunch on Mondays.”

  “That’s nice of you. Let’s sit over here for a minute.” She gestured to one of the wooden benches under the blue and white awning. “So,” she said. “Anything new with you?”

  “You know, the usual. Working, hanging out with Chloe ... oh, and I met my father.”

  She blinked. “You what?”

  “I actually met my father. Interacted with him.”

  “So, your father has acknowledged you.” My mother didn’t look particularly pleased about this, though I couldn’t say I was expecting her to.

  “He has,” I said. “He’s actually not a bad guy. Would you like to know why it was we had this interaction?”

  “I suppose.” She was trying to look uninterested, but I could tell that she was dying to know.

  “He has a son. Two sons, actually, and a daughter. So my half-brothers and sister.”

  “I think I knew that.”

  “Well, one of those sons, Parker, is actually someone I’ve known for a while now, because we race bikes against each other. Funny, isn’t it? I’ve been competing against this guy for years now and I had no idea that we were actually related.”

  “Your life is sounding more and more like a soap opera.”

  “Anyway. Parker needs a kidney transplant.”

  My mother widened her eyes. “Your father didn’t ask you to donate one of your organs, did he?”

  “No; I offered. I happen to be a match, too, so I’m going to do it.”

  “Really.”

  “Yeah. Otherwise he could be on the waiting list for years.”

  “No one else in his family was a match? I find that hard to believe.”

  “His sister was a match, but it’s more than just finding someone with the same blood type. There was another test they did and his blood cells attacked hers. It’s called cross-matching, and even if you have the same blood type and the cross-match is positive, you can’t be a donor. For that person, anyway. It just won’t work.”

  “I see.” My mother nodded slowly. “The timing seems a little convenient, wouldn’t you say?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Well, your father spends your entire life not talking to you, but now that his son needs a kidney transplant, he’s suddenly appeared in your life.”

  “It’s just the way it happened. I wouldn’t have known about any of this if I hadn’t happened to be with Chloe and her mother at the yacht club that day. I guess there’s a possibility that maybe Parker and I would’ve gotten talking at some point and he would’ve mentioned who his father was, but ... no. Dad had no idea that I’d be a match. And he didn’t ask me; I offered.”

  “Then you’re a far better person than I am, I guess. I don’t know if I could do that for someone who had decided to ignore me for my entire life.”

  “It’s not for him, though. It’s for Parker. He’s my brother.”

  “Half-brother.”

  “Whatever. He’s someone that I�
��ve known now for a while, even though I didn’t know we were actually related. That’s kind of crazy! It’s a trip.”

  “Life is crazy, isn’t it,” she said. She shrugged. “If you’ve made this decision on your own and your father isn’t trying to pressure you into it, then I’d have to say it’s a pretty admirable thing you’re doing.” She patted my knee. “I guess I shouldn’t be surprised, because I always knew you were that kind of person.” I waited for her to say that I had gotten that characteristic from her, but she didn’t. “I’m proud of you,” is what she said.

  “Thanks, Mom. Also, I wanted to tell you that Chloe’s art opening is tomorrow.”

  “Is it?”

  “Yes. It’s at Harborside Art Gallery. It starts at six o’clock.”

  “Is this an invitation?”

  “I think it’d be nice if you went and showed your support. I know she’d be happy to see you.”

  “Well, I’m actually working.”

  “Okay. I wasn’t sure if you would be or not, but I wanted to let you know that it was happening.”

  My mother smiled. “I appreciate it. You know, I think I might try and see if I can get the night off.”

  *****

  That night, Chloe was a bunch of nerves. I left work early because she called and I could hear that she was kind of freaking out. I stopped and got a pizza on the way home, but she was only able to pick at it, despite saying how hungry she was.

  “I just keep thinking that I’m not really seeing the sculpture, and since it’s my own. I mean, I’m seeing it one way but really, it’s not as good as I think it is.”

  “You’ve just got to take a deep breath,” I said. I slid her plate of pizza closer to her. “And maybe eat something. You said you were really hungry.”

  “I know, I thought I was. But now I’m not. I really just want tomorrow to be over with.”

  “It’s fine to feel nervous, Chloe, but I bet it’s going to go a lot better than you think. You’re kind of psyching yourself out over it.”

  She ripped the crust off the pizza and nibbled at it. “And want to know something else? Claudia asked me if I wanted to keep the sculpture, or if I wanted to sell it,” she said. “I hadn’t even considered that.”

  “Yeah? What’d you decide?”

  “Well ... she said unless it was something I had one hundred percent decided on keeping, then I should at least put a price tag on it. I told her I had absolutely no idea what to charge for something like that. So she told me that she could give me a starting price, if I wanted. And she did.” Chloe’s eyes widened. “It was way more than I could ever consider charging for a piece!”

  “But I thought you said it came out great. I thought you were really happy with it.”

  “I am. I still couldn’t imagine charging that much, though. I would feel ... I don’t know. I would feel weird, I guess. Like a fraud or something.”

  “You’re not a fraud, though. And if someone wants to buy your sculpture, for whatever price you set it at, they should be able to.”

  “That’s what Claudia was saying.”

  “She’s right. I, for one, cannot wait to see how it turned out.”

  “I do appreciate your vote of confidence, even if you’re probably obligated to tell me that it’s good, even though it’s not. Can we talk about something else? How’d it go with Parker?”

  “Good. We hung out for a while and that was cool and we’ll be setting up the appointment for the surgery soon. But I wanted to wait until after your opening. The recovery period for me shouldn’t be that long.”

  “It’s such a great thing you’re doing for him. You’re a good egg, you know that?”

  42.

  Chloe

  The night of the art opening, I wore the blue dress again. Tara came over and brought a cream-colored headband she thought I should wear, and she also did my makeup, using her own because I really didn’t have anything aside from some tinted lip gloss.

  “Keep your eyes closed,” she said. I let my eyes fall shut and felt her brush something across each of my eyelids. “You know, for an artist, I’d think you’d be better at doing your own makeup. So, is Todd still planning on going to this thing?”

  “Last I heard he was.”

  “What’s he like?”

  “He’s the guy that was there the first night we went into the shop,” I said, opening my eyes. “Remember?”

  She frowned. “Sort of? No, I can’t really picture his face.”

  “He’s handsome. Short, dark-blond hair, blue eyes. A little shorter than Graham, more of a slender build. Graham said he was looking forward to meeting you.” I took a deep breath, trying to calm my nerves. “I feel like I’m going to puke.”

  “Don’t do that,” Tara said. “You look too stunning to spend even a second leaning over a toilet bowl. You’re going to be fine. I’m so excited to see how your sculpture turned out! And you look absolutely beautiful. You really do. And your boyfriend is going to be right there with you, and we’re all going to have a good time, I promise. You don’t have to be nervous!”

  I took several more deep breaths, trying to slow my racing heartbeat. I knew I should be excited about tonight, but I felt so nervous that at this moment, the only thing I wanted was for it to be over.

  *****

  I’d had work featured in shows before, but it had always been through the school. Not that a school show didn’t count, but in a way, it didn’t entirely. And this opening, it really felt like an event. Like it was something that people had been invited to, that they’d marked on their calendars, that they went out and bought a new outfit for. There were waiters going around with trays of hors d’oeuvres and flutes of champagne, there was a DJ set up in the far corner, spinning a jazz/electronica hybrid, and the place was full of well dressed, good-looking people, some of whom I recognized, but most I did not.

  I also felt nervous about my parents, and whether or not they’d be here. Rather, I knew my mother would go, but I didn’t know if my father would or not. Even if he did, what would he say? I was almost beginning to think it might be better if he just skipped it, because I didn’t know what he would think about the sculpture. It had come out better than I’d been expecting it to, but I knew that didn’t necessarily mean anything in regards to how my father would see it.

  The sculpture was set up right in the middle of the main room, on a display cube pedestal underneath a spotlight. I had stayed with the nautical theme, it being Cape Cod and all, but instead of a mermaid, I sculpted two separate things: a giant squid and a sperm whale, traditionally great enemies, but in my piece, I made it look as if the two were embracing, with the sperm whale gently twisting around the giant squid’s body, and the squid’s arms caressing the whale’s sides. The two, long tentacles I had formed into a heart.

  “Wow,” Graham said. He walked right over to it and stood there for several minutes, just looking. “Chloe. This is incredible.” He saw the price sticker on the cube. “And no,” he said, lowering his voice, “don’t think for a second that this isn’t worth what you’re asking. Twice that much, if you want my opinion.”

  “Thank you for saying that,” I said. I tried to see the sculpture with an impartial eye, but it was near impossible.

  “Is this yours?” a voice asked from behind me. I turned and saw Janice approaching, an impressed look on her face.

  I nodded. “This is it.”

  “I love it!” she exclaimed. “Now this is the kind of art that I’m talking about! It’s not some weird paint spatters on a canvas—this is real art. Chloe, I am so impressed!” She gave me a hug, and then gave one to Graham. “You’ve got a real artist here!”

  “I know,” he said with a smile.

  We spent some time walking around, looking at the other pieces, mingling with the crowd. We made our way over to the buffet table and I got a plate and put some grapes and cheese on it.

  “I still don’t see my mom or dad,” I whispered.

  “I’m sure they’
ll be here,” Graham said. “It’s still early.” He sounded confident, but I saw a flash of uncertainty go across his face.

  Time did pass quickly, though. People kept coming up and congratulating me on the sculpture, or wanting to know what my inspiration was. Who were my influences? Also, what was I working on next? Did I work in other mediums? Did I do commissions? Where was my next show going to be? Graham took a step back and let me answer the questions, though I could see him out of the corner of my eye with a grin on his face.

  And then—there were my parents. Both of them, walking through the door.

  My mother reached me first. “Oh, it’s amazing, Chloe,” she said as she hugged me. “I’m so proud of you. It’s absolutely wonderful.” She let go and stepped back, looking first at my father then at me.

  “Hi, Dad,” I said, not quite able to read the expression on his face. He wasn’t smiling, but rather looking with concentration at the sculpture, as though he were really trying to figure it out.

  “That’s quite something,” he finally said. “It’s impressive that someone could render something so life-like out of clay.” And then he looked at me. “Hi, Chloe.” He came over and hugged me, and I hugged him back.

  “Thanks so much for being here,” I said. “I wasn’t sure if you guys were going to show up or not.”

  “You did a good job,” he said. “I can tell that you really put some time and effort into this.” He looked over my shoulder at Graham. “Hi there, Graham,” he said.

  They shook hands. “It’s really something, isn’t it?” Graham said. The four of us stood there, looking at the sculpture.

  “I like the symbolism,” my mother said. “I like that you’ve got two creatures that are generally considered enemies, yet here they are, in love.”

  “Well, I don’t know if they’re in love,” my father said. He cleared his throat. “Regardless, it’s impressive work.”

  I could tell by his tone that he wasn’t just saying it, that he actually was impressed with what I had done. And that made me feel better than any of the other compliments I’d received so far.

  “That really means a lot to me, Dad.” There was an ache in my throat and I tried to swallow it away, not wanting to cry.