She chuckled remembering our conversation in the park. “Thanks… for saying that.”
“Helen… look. I’m not going to downplay it, I can understand that it is a big-… no, a really-really… big deal to you, you’ve made that very clear. But to me, the bigger deal now is seeing you suffering. I wish there was something I could do, to… help you… to… I dunno… to heal this… wound. Tell me if there’s anything I can do to make it easier for you. Anything.”
She raised her hand again with just the short pinky sticking out upwards, making the same funny ‘sad-kid’ face.
“Does it hurt?”
She replied with a ‘so-so’ head gesture and shrug. “Now… we… have a deal which… includes my nails.”
“You can’t be serious!”
“I am.”
“Helen, do you… honestly… believe that I am… here… and now… just because we got to know each other on the pretext of a deal? I don’t know about you but I am no longer thinking about… being… here with you under the assumption or premise of that… deal.”
“Then why are you here?”
“Because… I… care. About you.”
“‘Care’?” She obviously wanted something more… committed than what I just said.
“Helen, you can’t expect me to say ‘I love you’ if I’m not… ready for it …yet. But I can say that for the past week, since I’ve known you, I feel… more… alive than I’ve felt in a long time. And I’m more and more looking forward to spending time with you. And pleasing and… pleasuring… you. Why else would I be here?”
“To… maybeee… see if I’m going to cut the rest off?”
I looked down, confessing to this part of my… motivations.
“Yeeeah… Look. I admit to being curious in that sense, but I still stand by what I said earlier. Nails or no nails, you are the nail-ob-…, no, the… fat and nail-obsessed and clean-freak… girl that… I care about. Put me to the test if you want, but… don’t cut them off just because of a… dare. Honestly I wish you’d continue growing them as they are. Have you considered fixing or repairing the broken one?”
“No, no, no… I know that it’s… possible… but I’d know that it’s… not… a… perfect streak. That it’s… repaired.”
“But… you know?… some of the world’s greatest art master-pieces have been restored and repaired. Some of them – more than a few times. And they’re still just as awe-inspiring to those passionate about them.”
“Yes, but the artists that created them are not around anymore to be asked how they feel about it!” she got worked up again, but then paused and calmed down. “It… just wouldn’t be the same.”
“Of course, but… how would it make you feel having it… restored, by comparison to how you feel right now, having it missing altogether? I’m convinced that it cannot be ‘the same’, but one of these two ways should feel better than the other, I should think?”
She was thinking. “I’ve never tried it. I’m scared that it will damage my nail.”
“Well… I think it comes down to the… abilities and knowledge of the one doing it. And luckily, your boyfriend knows exactly what it takes and how to do it.”
“What boyf-…?” she stopped abruptly looking at me and a smile brightened up her expression. “Really?”
“Yes.”
“Do you really mean that?”
“Yeah… I paid for nail-tech school with the first wages from my first job.”
“I meant… the… boyfriend… part.”
“Oh, that?… Well… yeah… I mean… I thought… unless… you… don’t… want… to…”
“No, no-… I mean… yes, you know I wanted that all along.” She was replying to my awkwardness with her own awkwardness. “I still do. And I almost… had it. But…” she raised her pinky towards me and made the sad kid face again.
I moved closer to her, reached for her feet and placed them in my lap. I looked down and started caressing one of them, feeling the tips of her toes and the growth of her toenails through her socks.
“If you think that I’m going to quit on you just because you’ve broken a nail, then let me tell you something. In your own words, ‘I’m not that kind of person.'” I paused, looked at her and held her eyes. I then looked down and resumed my caresses on her feet. “Helen, I’ve done nails to each and every… girlfriend I’ve had. You’re the first to be so… passionate about it. And… yes. Your… passion… reciprocates mine.”
“So… you’re… also… a nail-tech?”
“Well… I have done the training… I can show you my qualification credentials if you want to.”
She was looking at me with an incredulous smile. For a few seconds she didn’t say anything
“And it won’t damage my nail?”
“No. I promise-… well… it’s been a while, but I’ve done it enough times to be certain that you won’t be disappointed. And I’m not talking about tea-bag paper and super-glue. I mean serious professional nail-tech stuff. There will be a bit of… build-up around the area where the joining of the… parts is made. But nothing that will stand out. It will be… very discreet. Well-… that is if you want it like that. Alternatively, you could build more… reinforcement on that part and put some… ‘bling’ on it and make it look like a… decoration or… some… nail-jewelry, which will hide the… break underneath it at the same time.”
A few more seconds of silence passed. She was obviously considering it, but just like a kid afraid of something new she was looking for reassurance.
“And you have everything you need to do it?”
“Erm… not really, no. I gave up all the nail tech stuff I had during my last move, I thought those days were gone for me. But I’m sure I can order everything online. I should be able to have everything I need in a few days. The sore should have healed by then.”
“You’re…” she was still somewhat shocked and did not finish her sentence. “Who are you?”
“I’m just a… guy… who cares. About you.”
“…And about my nails.”
I rolled my eyes. “Fine, I… do! But… do you really need to make it obvious that I’m a nail freak every chance you get? I mean… you know that already-…”
Her laugh cut me off. But I felt good that I managed to get her out of the desperation that engulfed her.
“I can’t help it, I… like it so much that I need to say it. But, yes, I guess it can be… annoying. Sorry.”
I kept stroking her feet over her socks and she started flexing her toes trying to grab my hand with them. I played with her for a few moments and then I resumed.
“So think about it. Let me know if you want me to fix your pinky so I can start looking online for what I-… for what we need. But… come on, there’s no need to give up the rest of them, is there? It’s not the first time this happened, right?”
“No it’s not, but… look at it, it’s… hideous!” She brought her hand up again for me to see. I was starting to melt, even with the missing pinky. “I’d rather go out naked than with… this! I would… otherwise… level them off. But now… I don’t know… I feel like I owe you not to cut off the rest.”
“Owe… me? Helen, what the hell are you talking about?” I snapped out of the trance I was sliding into.
“I feel like… I’ve let you down, like… I need to somehow make it up to you.”