Oil & Ink

Chapter 24: The Results Are In

Kat ran over to Charlie. "Oh my gosh!" she said. "I feel like they talked to you for so long!"

"Is that a good thing?" Charlie asked.

"I mean... I think so," Kat said. "If they hated it, don't you think they would just take one look at it and start walking away?"

"Hmm, yeah," Charlie said. "Good point."

Sara bit her lip. "Don't jinx it," Sara said.

"No, no," Kat said. "I won't."

"There's nothing left to do about it now," Charlie said. "It's out of my hands."

"Literally," Kat said, holding up her hands. She assumed Charlie's hands were as cramped and as tired as hers were. It was the one drawback of being a tattoo artist — constantly sore hands — and it was a concern every tattooist got as the years passed. The older you got, the harder it was on the hands.

Charlie laughed and wiggled his fingers.

***

An hour later, a buzzer sounded. Amanda and Kat jumped up and down.

"Oh my gosh," Kat said. "They're going to announce!"

Everyone abandoned their booths and crowded to the center of the shop where the host and the panel of judges was standing, yet again.

"Good afternoon, everyone!" she said into the microphone. "We have finally reached the moment in the competition you've all been waiting for!"

The crowd roared and clapped.

"Before we get to the results," she started. "I just want to make it clear that our judges were blown away by what they saw today."

Another round of applause came from the crowd. The judges clapped and nodded.

"You all should be so, so proud of yourselves," she said. "Let's give a big round of applause to all the tattoo artists that entered their work, and also for all of our amazing judges!"

Charlie, Amanda, Cody, Sara and Kat just kept continuously clapping and cheering. Charlie felt relieved that this was almost completely over. He was also happy that he was not the one driving the first shift. No matter what the results were, he needed a nap.

The hostess handed the microphone over to Tim.

"Thank you," he said. "We want to call up a group of finalists to the stage, and then we will go from there. Please hold all applause until the last name is called."

It was silent in the shop as he looked down at his clipboard and flipped the first page over.

"Would the following artists please come to the front," he said. "Jack Baylor... Stacey Sway... Lorelye Andler..."

Charlie was starting to sweat. He didn't know how many finalists would be called. He suddenly realized he wasn't okay with just the experience.

Steve continued. "Kat Ceder..." he said.

Kat slapped her hand over her mouth, her eyes wide. Sara and Amanda balled up their fists and smiled. Kat composed herself and made her way to the front where the other three tattooists were standing in a line.

Steve looked down at his clipboard. "And the last finalist this year is," he said, and swallowed. "Charlie Hodge."

What? Charlie was stunned. Cody slapped him on the back.

"Charlie!" Sara said. "Go! Go up there!"

The crowd roared for all of the artists.

Charlie looked around and slowly made his way to the front. Kat was jumping up and down and threw her arms around his neck once he got to the line.