The Mantis

I told the lady that I liked her ‘Mantis’ tattoo on her arm. 

She blushed and thanked me. 

I asked her if there was any symbolism behind it. (You should never ask a lady if there is any symbolism behind their tattoos. Trust me.)

She stuttered and avoided my eyes, as she explained to me that she liked the artist and wanted to support him. 

But then she said, still stuttering, that she liked ‘The Mantis’ because they eat their male partners after sex. 

I said, “Ooooohhhhh, that’s neat. That’s interesting . . . Er, that’s cool.”

She chuckled awkwardly while looking at her shoes. 

And I awkwardly walked away, not knowing what to say. 

I remembered today that it is never okay to ask a lady about her tattoos. 

CH 10/28/25