Super Dark (Super Dark Trilogy) by Tanith Morse

I said, tilting my ankle so that he got a good view of the butterfly.
    Then I rolled up my sleeve and showed him the heart on my shoulder.
    “Very nice,” he said, smiling warmly.
    I realized at that moment that I wanted Lee to like me— really like me—and the thought took me by surprise. I wasn’t used to seeking praise or fishing for compliments from men, but at that moment, I was desperately happy that my tattoos had met with Lee’s approval.
    The waiter returned with a silver tray of tea, pastries, and condiments, and set them on the table with the finesse of a magician. Afterward, he uncorked a bottle of wine and filled Lee’s glass halfway for him to taste. When Lee nodded his approval, the waiter filled the rest of the glass.
    Then he reached over to fill my glass, but I cupped my hand over it and said, “No, thank you. I’m fine.”
    “Are you sure?” Lee asked.
    “Yes, I’m sure,” I grinned. “I’m still recovering from Friday.”
    The waiter smiled politely, placed the wine bottle in the center of the table, wished us bon appétit , and left.
    For the next few minutes we ate in silence, concentrating on our plates. The pastries were delicious and I fought the urge to calculate how long it would take to burn off the calories. After all, it was a special treat that I wouldn’t be repeating any time soon.
    Finally, Lee broke the silence. “So what are you planning to do after you finish school?”
    “I guess it depends how well I do in my exams,” I said matter-of-factly.
    “Do you live with your parents?”
    “Just my mum.”
    “And your dad?”
    “My parents are divorced. Dad moved back to Ireland.”
    “Oh,” he said simply. “How do you feel about that? Do you miss your dad?”
    “What is this, twenty questions?” I quipped.
    “No,” he chuckled. “It’s just that I want to know more about you. Is there anything wrong with that?”
    “No, I guess not,” I replied, “but it feels kind of one-sided. After all, I know nothing about you, either, so I’ve got some questions of my own.”
    He put down his knife and fork. “Okay, shoot.”
    I glanced around, then said softly, “Okay. For one thing, you still haven’t answered my original question.”
    “Which was?”
    “Why do you wear a ring over your tattoo?”
    “Oh,” he said, laughing. “Is it really such a big deal?”
    “No,” I admitted, “but it sounds like you don’t want to answer.”
    “Okay, it’s simple,” he said, leaning back in his chair. “My dad bought this ring for my birthday, and since I don’t really like jewelry, sometimes I wear it and sometimes I don’t. When I do wear it, it fits best on my middle finger, which just happens to be the same finger as my tattoo.”
    “Oh,” I said, somewhat disappointed.
    He smiled again. “I’m sorry. Were you expecting something more exotic?”
    I shrugged. “I just thought maybe you were part of a secret society or something.”
    “Secret society?”
    “Yeah, you know, like the gangster tattoos they have in prison. I heard some people wear them inside for protection.”
    Lee raised his eyebrows in surprise. “You thought I was in prison?”
    Flustered, I quickly replied, “No, of course not.”
    Lee laughed again. “Sorry, Sam. I wish my life was that interesting, but sadly, I’ve never been in prison.”
    I felt my cheeks reddening. If I was trying to impress him, I wasn’t doing a very good job. I took a gulp of tea, then changed the subject.
    “Have you spoken to Becky lately?”
    “No, have you?”
    I shook my head. “I was surprised she wasn’t with you at the party on Friday.”
    “Why? We never planned to go together.”
    “I thought the two of you were—”
    “An item?” Lee said, laughing heartily. “Whatever gave you that idea?”
    “Well, it’s just that you seemed very—”
    “Look, Sam. Becky’s a nice girl, but we’re just friends.”
    I nodded thoughtfully. There were so many questions. I wanted to know what he