I make it to work just in time to get things ready before my first client walks through the door.
“Hey, Laura, how was your night?”
“Good, I guess. Dick came in and left with his buddies. Said they were going to play pool. Whatever. I wish he would move out already and let me get on with my life. He can’t have it both ways.”
“He was named Dick for a reason. You should have realized that at the time, that he would be one too. Did he come back home?” I ask.
“About seven this morning, and I probably shouldn’t have married him, but it’s not because of his small penis either,” she says smiling.
“It’s time for him to hit the road,” I tell her as I laugh out loud.
“I’m going to tell him when I get back home that he has one month. I am so done with this shit,” Laura says.
“I have to get shit set up for my first client. Are you busy today?” I ask.
“I have only six coming in today with my last one coming in at eleven, so I’ll clean up before l leave for the day,” states Laura.
“I have three until ten o’clock. I can do some walk-ins if you need me too. Then, I’m going to catch up on paperwork until about noon. I’ll be out of here until Tuesday,” I say.
As I head toward the back, Laura sits her first client down for her wash and set. I go and get things together and have it all ready for when Gwen walks in the door. She is a regular client and always comes in for a color and cut every six weeks. We talk as I start. She is one of my favorites. I do what I like with her hair. She likes to switch things up. I usually let her know ahead of time of what I’m planning.
As the morning wears on, I see people walking up and down the sidewalk of our community of Henderson, Kentucky. It’s about the size of forty-six thousand people in the county. Not large but not small either. The streets are lined with wooden planters that are filled each year with different flowers by the town committee.
I can see the shop owners sweeping up outside their doors before the Saturday morning shoppers descend. Laura turns on the radio and we hear the morning announcer talking about the ‘Authors and Dancers Against Cancer’ event coming up in two weeks. He says that they are having raffle baskets and about eighty authors on hand for Saturday’s event. All types of dancers will have a recital on the Friday night before the signing.
I think to myself that I may go to the recital. It sounds like a great cause, even if I did kind of laugh at Mom last night on the phone. I am a smut-reading, closet junkie. If my mom only knew.
I finish up my morning clients and head to the back to get the weekly supply paperwork done so I can re-order for the next week. I grab my clipboard and start humming as familiar tunes come on the radio.
Next thing I know, I hear Laura letting me know she’s all done and locking up for the day.
I get my things put together then head back and I review the order supply one more time and then hit submit. They will be delivered early Tuesday morning. The shop is always closed on Sundays and open by appointment only on Mondays.
As I walk out the door, I stop and take in the beautiful day. Warm sunny blue skies without a cloud in sight. I decide to pick up a few plants on my way home for the planters on my front porch. I hop into my Honda and down the road I go. I stop by the local nursery and pick up twelve plants.
It’s three o’clock and I just got done planting my flowers on the porch. I grab a quick ham and cheese sandwich and love on Sassy a little. I jump in the shower and get cleaned up for my outing with Debbie to the tattoo parlor. I have always wanted a lot of tattoos and know what I want. I’ve had my drawings for the last six years. I keep them in my purse so if I ever get the guts, I’m ready. That’s not happened yet. I grab some jeans and pull out one of my favorite tees. It’s one with some prickly cactuses on the front saying, “I am ready for some hugs.” I am pulling on my shoes as Debbie knocks on the door.
“Come in, Debbie.”
“Hey Katarina,” she says as she smirks.
I look at her with a raised eyebrow. “You know one of these days you’re going to call me that and I’m going to kick your ass.”
“That’s your name,” she says laughing.
“Like I said, Deborah,” drawing her name out slow, “one of these days.”
We both laugh as I go to let Sassy in. Sassy eyes Debbie and she is all over her. Running around in circles and yapping like a magpie. I finally get her settled down and out the door we go as I shut and lock it.
“Are you driving, or am I?” I ask her.
“I am,” she says.
“Okay, let’s go,” I tell her.
I notice as we walk out to her Jeep that she already as her top and doors off. We climb in and head down the road going toward one of the newest tattoo parlors in town. It’s been there longer than my shop but it’s the newest one around in the surrounding counties. I have been past their shop just a few times. Scoping it out, hoping one of these days that I have the guts to stop, finally. As we’re going down the street, we talk about how our week has gone. Debbie stands about five foot nine and is stick straight with a few slight curves in just the right places. She has the most gorgeous green eyes I have ever seen with long red hair that she keeps piled on top of her head all the time. She weighs maybe one-forty sopping wet. She has a great sense of humor and she needs it coming from a family of all brothers, four to be exact. She is the youngest at twenty-five, like me. I love her parents like they’re my own as she does mine. Her brothers are my brothers, Sophia my sister is hers too.
“So, what kind of tattoo are you getting this time?” I ask her.
“Well, I’ll show you when we get there.”
“Okkkkay,” I respond.
As we get close to our destination, I notice she keeps glancing at me. I look at her and say, “What?”
“Nothing,” she responds.
She glances forward as she’s pulling into the parking slot right in front of the building. The parlor has a large sign out front that says in bold gold and black lettering Ink-Fusions.
The sign is hanging on an L-shaped overhang over the doorway. The window is large with big black scripted lettering ‘Permanent Facial Makeup, Tattoos and Piercings. Owner, Jax Rawlings, Hours Tuesday through Saturday, Eleven A.M. to Seven P.M. All other hours are by appointment only.’
The building is a medium-red colored brick, with a walkway between two buildings that runs to the back alley. As I take it all in, Debbie looks at me and says, “Did you bring your purse?”
“Well of course I brought it. I always carry my purse with me. You know that.” I look at her like she’s lost her mind.
“Good,” she says. “Let me see your drawings.”
“Why would I let you see my drawings? You’ve already seen them a million times,” I tell her.
“Ummmm, well, cause the appointment is yours, not mine,” she states, looking at me with a grin on her face.
“What in the ever-loving hell are you talking about Debbie? You better hope and pray you’re joking.”
“No, I am not. You have wanted one for the last six years and I paid for you to get your first one today. You have about five minutes before your appointment and I’m here to make sure you go through with it,” she says with a serious look on her face.
“I am going to string you up and drag you down the road behind your own Jeep,” I say with a mean glint in my eyes.
She has absolutely lost her ever-loving mind. There is no way I’m getting a tattoo today.
She looks at me with a determined look on her face and tells me, “Oh yes you are, it’s no different from when you made an appointment for me to have my hoochie koochie clitty pierced last year.”
I knew that was going to come back and bite me in the ass one day. Well fuck me running, I think.
“Let’s go, Deborah Sue,” I tell her with a sly grin on my face.
Chapter Two
We are almost to the door when this lady with long black hair pulle
d back in a French braid comes down the sidewalk from two doors down carrying what looks to be four cups of coffee. The one is in a clear plastic glass and it looks like a frappe with whipped cream.
I should have made Debbie stop so I could pick up a frappe with whipped crème too. I may have her go get me one if I am doing this today. As we hold open the door, she looks at me and smiles and says, “Thank you.” Her hair is full and shiny. I wish mine looked like that. I walk to the counter, as the same lady sets the coffee down and I am asked if I have an appointment. I look at her and tell her, “I suppose, that’s what I’ve been led to believe, anyway.”
She looks at me with her eyebrows raised and Debbie says, “She does. Name is Ria Comis, she has an appointment for four-thirty.” She looks at me, then Debbie. I could hear the wheels in her head turning.
“My name is Samantha,” she says. “I have some forms I need you to fill out, Ria. Did you bring in your design like you said you would when you made your appointment?” she asks me.
“I didn’t make the appointment, but yes I do have some designs,” I state.
“Designs? You have more than one?” she asks.
“I do. I’m not sure which one I would like first,” I tell her.
“That’s okay, go ahead and fill out your paperwork and I’ll let Jax know you’re here, Ria,” she states.
She picks up the drinks she brought in and heads toward the back. I can hear music as well as several machines going. People normally just call them tattoo guns. Small talk can be heard in the background as I fill out my form. Debbie has already gone and copped a squat in one of the chairs with a big grin on her face. I just look at her, give her that evil smile and she turns her head. She knows that evil look of mine and payback is a bitch. I turn around and see Samantha coming back up front. She looks in the seating area and tells some young girl that she can come back. Samantha asks her if she brought the earrings that she wanted put in with her or did she need to look at what was available. The girl told her she had some.
Samantha looks at me and tells me that Jax is just about done and will be with me in just a minute. She heads back to the rear with the young girl and I hear them talking in low voices. As I glance around, I notice a bunch of photos on the wall with lots of people and tattoos. I spot a photo of a man in one, and I swear I can feel my panties get wet.
As I walk closer to the photo, I swear my heart picks up and my mouth starts to water. OMG… My dream man... My beefcake honey pie dream man. Look at them muscles, all them tattoos, nice thick beard—thick enough to grab onto as I ride his face. He has a piercing in his nose too.
I wonder if he has one down south too. What I wouldn’t give to find out. As I am standing here in this daze, I finally hear this voice behind me asking if I’m okay.
As I am staring at the photo I say, “Why wouldn’t I be alright? This is the best I’ve felt in a long time. Why do you ask?”
“Well, Ria, you were moaning like you were in pain and you have what looks like drool coming down the side of your face.”
“You don’t have epilepsy, do you?” he asks.
“No,” I say, still staring at the picture.
As I slowly turn from the photo, I look up and there he stands.
“My dream man,” I’m thinking. He looks at me with a faint smirk on his face.
“Dream man? Tell me more,” he says. I stand there and my jaw drops down.
“Please tell me I didn’t say that out loud,” I state.
“Ummmm, you did,” he says, with this indescribable look on his face.
I take my hand and slap the palm of it against my face.
“I am so embarrassed,” I tell him.
“Don’t be,” he says with a smile on his face.
His voice just made me cream my panties more. All I can do is stare at him. After a minute of just staring at his mesmerizing sparkling brown eyes, he asks me if I’m ready.
“Ready, for what?” I ask.
He smiles at me and says come on let’s go. I’m thinking, I will go wherever you want. I turn and look at Debbie and she has a big ass grin on her face. I smile back, in a dazed state. I should have come here a long time ago.
I sit in his chair and he asks if I have any idea of what I want. I pull out my sketches and give them to him. He sees the picture of some tribal designs I like. Pictures of a big cross. The last is a picture of a miniature dragon that I have wanted since the beginning. I had drawn it while I was in college. I want it placed on my side from rear to front rib. It does need some female aspects put with it to make it more feminine.
He stares at the dragon, then looks at me.
“I like this,” he says. “Do you know where you want this?”
“I want it placed on my side from my rear hip up through my side ending on my ribs in the front. I want something with it to make it more feminine though. I just never figured out what would make it that way,” I say as I look him in the eyes.
“Trust me?” he says, and I nod yes. “Let me go work on it for a few minutes and I’ll come back.” I nod my head. Still too dazed to say much of anything else, I look around his workspace and see more designs hanging on the walls with tacks. I also see a lot of bottles with color, spray bottles and rolls of paper towels. Everything looks so clean, white, and sterile. A Sharps container sits in the corner on the cabinet. A black chair is large enough to sit a four-hundred-pound person and it lays down as well as reclines. Pictures are lined along the wall, one that looks like his parents, I see a strong family resemblance. He’s in it, so it must be his sister and brother too.
As I sit here, I can hear others working and wonder how many are here. I can’t believe Debbie did this. She must have planned this a while back.
Jax comes back in and shows me the picture. The drawing I did is the same, but he’s added a few vines with flowers and gems intermixed in the design. I gasp.
“This is beautiful,” I state. This is exactly what I want.
“So, do you want this one?” he asks.
“Do bears shit in the woods?” I state. My face turns a little red. I can’t help it. This shit just comes out of my mouth so naturally, I forget sometimes to curb my smartass remarks.
His laugh makes a booming sound. I see the twinkle in his eyes as well as the smile on his face and I just fall that much faster. My daddy always told me I would fall fast and hard.
Jax takes the transfer paper and has me lie on my side. He gets his supplies for my tattoo all set up, cleans my skin and then applies the transfer to my skin. I get up to make sure it’s where I want it and if I like it. I love it and I’m so excited.
I lie there as he begins, and he tells me what he’s doing, as well as explains kind of what I am going to feel. I feel the pinch of the needle as it runs across my skin. At first it hurts like little stings from a bee and then I really don’t feel much of anything. I lay there and daydream, coming out of it when he asks me if I’m okay. He told me it would take two to three sessions to get it finished. I’m there about forty minutes when I drift off to sleep. An hour and a half later, he shakes me awake.
“Hey, beautiful, it’s time to wake up,” he says, with a smile on his face. He tells me that there aren’t many people that will zone out the way I did through this process and fall asleep. I look at him and smile. He tells me to look in the mirror before he wraps me up. It looks really good. He gets me cleaned up with anti-bacterial soap, applies ointment on it, and then wraps it in clear handi-wrap type material. He gives me the instructions on how to take care of it. He takes my hand squeezing it and walks me to the front. Samantha is up there talking to Debbie, and I hear Debbie tell her that she wants another piercing. Where? I have no idea. She is already riddled with them. Samantha tells her anytime, just call.
He tells Samantha to schedule a new appointment for me, while his eyes never leave mine. I look at Jax and smile. He leans down and whispers in my ear that he’ll talk to me later, turns and heads to the back. I’m at a loss of words
right about now. I don’t know what to say or think. I watch him go and mutter, “Kauto”.
“There she goes talking in Greek,” Debbie says with a big grin. “What did you just say?”
I reply, “Hot.”
I turn back around, and Samantha and Debbie are grinning like loons.
“What?” I ask with a smile.
Samantha shakes her head and states, “Nothing. Just nothing. He looks like he’s into you is all, and it’s good to see.” I turn and glare at Debbie and ask her the same thing. She holds both hands up and says, “Not a thing.”
I let her know I need another appointment for Friday evening or sometime Saturday.
I make my appointment, and Debbie and I head out the door. Debbie looks at me and asks me if I’m okay.
“Well that depends on what you mean by okay. My side is a little sore, I’ve made a mess in my panties and I didn’t even get a kiss. Sure, he had his hands all over my body, but not where I wanted. My God, Debbie, he is hot, I mean steamy hot… This has been the best day,” I tell her as I moan out loud.
“Really?” she asks me with wonder in her voice.
“Yes, really,” I reply with a small grin.
Debbie laughs, and we get in her Jeep. I keep staring at the building as we back out. She asks me if I want to grab a bite to eat, so we head to a local restaurant for dinner.
Later in the evening, I recall my conversation with Debbie. She had been there before for piercings and had seen Jax. She knew what my dream man looked like from my description and decided to put things in action. I guess we’ll wait and see what happens, because I am ready to go back.
I shower and get ready for bed. I mess with my baby, Sassy. I love that dog. She is so full of mischief just like her momma. I can’t wait to see Jax next Saturday. He got a lot accomplished today. Maybe only one more session and it should be done, but I’m hoping for two. If not, I guess I’ll be getting a lot of tattoos done.
Jax Page 2
