Out of The Box Awakening

by Theriot, Jennifer

  “Did you ever report it to the police?”

  “No. I couldn’t prove anything—it was his word against mine. Since he did have a key, it technically wasn’t a break-in. I did have the locks changed after that. I didn’t have insurance, of course, so it took me awhile to get another laptop. My friend gave me her old TV. I could never replace the jewelry he took, but I can’t think about it. There’s nothing I can do now.

  “Anyway, when that all blew over, I finally convinced Tony that we needed to stop seeing each other and that the relationship had to end. I told him that my education had to take priority and that he should just move on. He followed me around for a while, but eventually he came around less and less, until eventually I never saw him again.

  “I swear, I hadn’t heard from him in over six months when he called me that night at Todd’s. I thought to change the locks, but never thought about changing my cell phone number. Anyway, when I answered the call and heard his voice, I just wanted to die. All the bad memories of my past had suddenly resurfaced, and it really scared me. I’ve finally met someone who is a good person and here this misfit finds me again. Part of me says I should probably just tell Tommy that I’m damaged goods and that he shouldn’t get involved with me. I don’t want any harm to come to him, Olivia. He’s too good a guy to waste his time on me. But the other part of me says don’t do that.”

  “Emily, first off, you need to realize that you weren’t the problem in that relationship. The sooner you realize that, the better off you’ll be. I do think you need to be honest with Tommy, though. Talk to him about this. He deserves to know, and I’m confident he’ll understand. Obviously, he cares for you, or he wouldn’t have beaten the crap out of Tony! And I hope you realize that I’m talking to you like a mother. I’m giving you the same advice that I would give to my own daughter.”

  “I know that, and thanks, Olivia, I feel really close to you and you are so easy to talk to. I trust what you’re saying, and I haven’t had someone like you to talk to in ages. I tend to keep everything inside me and try to work things out on my own. I haven’t told anyone about the crap I went through with Tony, and it sure feels good to get it off my chest. Do you think I should end it with Tommy though before it goes any further? He honestly doesn’t deserve this, he’s too good a guy to get involved with someone like me.”

  “Emily, look, I can’t tell you what to do, but I think in your heart you really care for Tommy, and I think he cares for you. Don’t let your past spoil your future. Believe me, I’m living proof of that.”

  I tell her briefly what has gone on in my life over the past four months, how Alan moved me here with the intent to start over, how he had found someone else, and how Ash and I were thrown together.

  “Life takes unexpected turns, Emily. Curve balls are thrown your way. I can tell you that having the right man in your life makes all the difference in the world. I would never in a million years have thought I would meet or deserve a man like Ash, but I have. He loves me in spite of all the baggage I carry, and is the best thing that’s come into my life, with the exception of my kids. The reality is, relationships take a lot of work on both ends and everyone has their own set of problems. Just give it time, take it one day at a time and let it happen.”

  “Olivia thanks for your friendship. It means so much! I feel so much better after our talk.”

  About that time Tommy calls and tells her he’s on his way to pick her up.

  “See?” I put my arm around her. “Someone sure cares about you! Embrace it, my love!” I give her a motherly kiss on the cheek.

  In a few minutes, Tommy pulls up and she gets in the car. I watch as he kisses her hand and I just know that this is where she needs to be.

  “Dinner sometime this week, Olivia?” he asks.

  “Would love to, Tommy! Y’all have fun!” I blow them both a kiss and head home to my own Harper man.

  I tell Ash about my little talk with Emily and how she thinks she should end their relationship because of her past.

  “She thinks she’s damaged goods and doesn’t want Tommy involved in a potentially dangerous situation. I feel so bad for her. She’s convinced that because of her past, she doesn’t deserve Tommy. She’s such a good kid, Ash, and I think Tommy really likes her, don’t you?”

  “Actually, he does. We had a father son discussion the other day and he ‘fessed up that he really cares for her and that she makes him happy. I honestly haven’t seen him this wild about a young lady since…well, since high school, actually. In high school he dated a girl, and they were pretty serious, but once she went off to college it fizzled out. They tried the long distance thing, but she found someone at school, and the long distance relationship took its toll. It took him a long time to come back around. He was really hurt and was also going through the stress of Anne’s sickness. To tell you the truth, it broke my heart to see him so hurt, but I was going through heartache myself, seeing Anne so sick. I just wish I could have been there to support him, but unfortunately, had my own cross to bear. But, Olivia, you’ve got to let Tommy and Emily work through this on their own—together. If this relationship is meant to be, they’ll get through this, believe me. Unfortunately, we can’t interfere. You’ve introduced them and that’s all you can do. They’ll patch things up.”

  “I just wish she wouldn’t think this is all her fault. It’s not her fault that she got involved with someone like Tony. Speaking of Tony, do you think he’ll stay in jail long? Surely no one will bail him out?”

  “Well, Dominic said he’d let me know if that happens. Since he doesn’t have a prior record, I honestly don’t know. The fact that he tested positive for drugs and broke into her apartment doesn’t sit well for him, but you just never know. It really all depends on the judge and we can only hope the judge won’t be lenient.”

  “It’s all up to the judge? What about the fact that I have a video of him on my phone in the parking lot with his arm on Emily? Doesn’t that count?”

  “I doubt it, but we’ll just have to see. At least Tommy won’t be charged. Tony did, after all, break in. There was evidence that the lock was compromised, so he didn’t have a key to get in. I still can’t believe how bad Tommy messed him up. I’m really glad I didn’t let you come with me, Olivia. There was blood all over the place. I know Tommy broke his nose, and Todd said he thought the kid had lost a few teeth. Hard to believe Tommy did that to him.”

  “So, when you got there, was Tony tied up?”

  “Yep. The guys brought rope. I told them to make sure he was tied up good and couldn’t get loose until Dominic and the police got there. Brady was the one who tied him up. They had to keep Todd away from him, as well as Tommy. Geez! Those two still wanted to go at him, even though he was down for the count. Poor Todd, after all he went through last week, he was chomping at the bit to take out his aggression on someone!”

  “Speaking of Todd, how is he doing? When will he hear about what his Grammy left him?”

  “Well, he’s positive she left him the house. I suspect she had a pretty large bank account and that he was the sole beneficiary.”

  The phone rings. Coincidentally, it’s Todd. Ash answers and talks to him briefly, mostly just chitchat.

  “Yeeessss, she’s here. Umm-hmm…Okay I’ll hand you over to her. Oh, by the way, you sure are talking to my gal a lot lately. Anything I need to know about that? Hehe, just kidding. Here she is.” He gives me the phone.

  “Hello?”

  “Hey, Olivia, did I get you at a bad time?”

  “Wellllll, yeah.something like that.”

  “Oh crap! I get the something like that again. Really? So, are you and Mr. H. busy? Damn! Sorry!”

  “Gotcha!” I laugh. “Just kidding. What’s up?”

  “Just wanted to remind you about Sunday night. Going to Scott’s studio around 8:00 p.m. Wanna meet me there? Or I could pick you up, either way. The place is called Rebelution Full Body Art.”

  “Okay, yeah sure! But are you reall
y sure you want me to tag along? Hang on.”

  I tell Ash about Sunday, and ask if he minds if I tag along with Todd.

  “A tattoo parlor—you? Geez! What made you want to go to a place like that?”

  I tell him about Todd’s new tattoo and how he had asked me to go with him, since I’d never been to a tattoo parlor.

  “So, Ash, you could come with us too if you want to.”

  Ash says he thinks he’ll sit this one out, but doesn’t mind at all if I go.

  “I’d really rather you go with Todd, though, and not drive yourself. You getting one too?” Ash laughs.

  Todd hears our conversation, and cuts in, saying, ” Tell him you are! Come on—get the butterfly!”

  I tell Todd to stop with the butterfly talk.

  “Look, Olivia, I can swing by and get you if you want, it’s not a problem. Since the studio is in the city, it’d probably best if I come for you.”

  “Okay. Then it’s a date. Are Tommy and Emily coming, too?”

  “No—you’re not gonna friggin’ believe what they’re doing Sunday night. Fuckin’ ice skating! Isn’t that high school? Just kidding! But they really are going ice skating.”

  “Well, that sounds like fun. So, I’ll see you Sunday when? Around seven?”

  “For sure! I’ll be there to pick up my date!”

  Ash and I talk about tattoos. I casually ask if he has one that I haven’t noticed, or if he ever had one. He tells me that lots of guys in the service had them, but his mother made him promise not to get one, and he lived up to his promise.

  “So, do you like tattoos?” I ask.

  “On other people, but not myself. Why?”

  I tell him that Todd thinks I should get a butterfly tattoo. “Hmmmm, very interesting. It’s certainly your body and I wouldn’t mind it as long as it was in a private place, if you’re asking my opinion. Why, are you seriously thinking of getting one?”

  “Well, the thought did cross my mind. Just a little bitty one…and by a private place, you mean like my backside?”

  “Yes, Olivia, like on your deliciously sexy little butt! But can I just ask you one thing without you getting bent out of shape?”

  “Of course!”

  “Just don’t jump into this without thinking it through. It’s permanent, you know. Don’t let Todd talk you into something you’re not ready to do, just because he thinks it’s a good idea. You know, just make your own decision. Whatever you decide is fine with me, hon. Just no body piercings, okay?”

  “You can rest assured I would never even think about a piercing. Promise me you won’t get one either. Deal?”

  “Double-deal, Olivia! One Bert in the family is enough!”

  “Ewwww! I can’t even imagine!”

  Sunday night arrives, and I’m pretty excited to see a tattoo parlor and watch Todd get his tattoo. He ‘s right on time and he’s driving a beautiful vintage white Mustang. I had no idea he had a car. I just hadn’t given any thought to what he would drive, if he did. Ash comes out and tells us goodbye and for us to behave. “So, you get to ride in Todd’s baby! He doesn’t let just anyone ride in it, I hope you know… You guys behave. Todd, take care of my gal, and Olivia, if it gets to be too late and you want me to come get you, just let me know. This isn’t an hour-long process, you know. It’ll take awhile.”

  I kiss Ash goodbye and tell him that I’m fine. I have a new book I’m reading, so can always pull it up on my phone and read.

  I take a moment to admire the Mustang. “Wow! What a beautiful car! This is so cool!”

  “Yeah, it’s my other gal. My dad, grandpa, and I restored it in my Grampy’s garage—piece by piece. You like? It’s a ’65 Shelby GT 350.”

  “Incredible. What’s something like this worth?”

  “Well, it’s one of only a few hundred produced that year, so I’d venture to guess, if I were to sell her—which I’m not—about two hundred grand.”

  “Geez! You don’t drive this every day, do you?”

  “Oh, hell, no! I could though. She’s got a 289hp engine and she can kick ass!”

  “So, let’s see, you play guitar, drums, keyboard, work on cars…anything else?”

  “Well, I skateboard. Does that count?”

  “You guys all amaze me. You can all do so much. I have no musical talent, and I guess if I was to say, cooking would be about all I can do really well.”

  “Golf? You don’t play golf? Or ride horses? I thought all people who live in Texas play golf and ride horses.”

  “Nope to either. I wouldn’t mind learning how to play golf, though, but I don’t think I have the patience and attention skills for that. Do you play?”

  “No golf for me…I would never be allowed into a golf course, because I sure as hell would never wear those queery kinda clothes.” He laughed aloud. “Can you picture me in a pair of golfing shorts and a golf shirt—oh, and those faggy golf shoes? Laugh my ass off!”

  “Yeah, you’re probably right, definitely not golf course material.” I giggle, sharing his joke.

  We finally pull up into the parking lot of Rebelution Full Body Art. It’s in an old brick building with neon lights in the window. We walk in and Scott greets us. He’s a very tall, muscular guy with a shaved head and lots and lots of tattoos. Well, duh! He has on a sleeveless T-shirt, and I can tell he works out a lot.

  “Todd, My man. How’s it going? Good to see you. Been way too long, buddy! And who’s the lady friend?”

  “This is my girlfriend, Olivia.”

  “Hey, Olivia, I’m Scott. Nice to meet you.” He shakes my hand.

  “Seriously, she’s not my girlfriend,” Todd says. “She belongs to Tommy’s dad. She’s never been to a tattoo parlor, so I asked her to come with me. I told her you were the best in the business, and the only man who inks me.”

  “Well, thanks for the compliment. So how is Tommy? He needs to come in—I’ve got some new things I think he’d like.”

  “Tommy’s good. He’s got a woman now. She’s pretty ok, and we all like her. Matter of fact, Olivia did the hookup and brokered that deal. They were supposed to come tonight, but she’s got him going ice skating…fuckin’ice skating, can you believe it?”

  We walk around the studio and it is really nice. Contemporary décor with dark chocolate brown walls and high ceilings with ductwork exposed. It is pretty dimly lit and actually pretty neat. Not what I expected at all. I pictured a seedy, sketchy hole in the wall. Heavy metal music is playing, but I’m not surprised. There are big screens all over the place showing videos of tattoo applications, piercings, and concerts. I am mesmerized watching how this art takes place. It’s pretty neat.

  A dark-haired gal comes up to Scott and gives him a pat on the butt. She has lots of tattoos and piercings, but is very pretty.

  “Olivia, this is Scott’s girlfriend Angelica. Angelica, this is Olivia. Olivia belongs to Tommy’s dad.”

  “Oh, hey! Nice to meet you, Olivia. Welcome to Rebelution. So, are we doing you tonight as well?”

  “Oh, heavens, no! I’m here only as a spectator.”

  Todd butts in ,“But she is thinking about getting one. She wants a little butterfly. I told her I think one on her ass would be badass fine. Don’t you think so, Angelica?”

  “Absolutely. I can do it for you if you want. Not now, but if you do decide, give us a call and we can definitely fix you up.”

  “Well, if and when I do, you’ve got a deal!”

  I think that if I do, I would probably rather Angelica do it. I mean after all, a guy working on my butt? Ewwww!

  We go into a little private room away from the main customers. “This is Scott’s private room. It’s the VIP section.” Scott and Todd are talking about the tattoo. Scott gets out a beautiful drawing and sits down next to Todd. “So, here she is. You want any changes, or are we good to go with this?”

  “It’s fucking perfect man! Let’s do it!”

  The drawing is beautiful and colorful, Vines, flowers and a Celtic cross
in greens, oranges and turquoise. It’s a beautiful tribute to Grammy. He’s even incorporated her initials into the design. “It’s going on my chest and over above my heart.”

  How sweet.

  Scott is ready to begin. He has a bandana around his head and is wearing latex gloves. Todd looks totally relaxed. He’s been through this many times.

  And so they start. They talk about the band, and Todd tells Scott that he needs to bring Angelica and come watch them play.

  “Olivia comes to watch us with Tommy’s dad. You and Angelica should come next weekend. It’ll be fun. Olivia loves to party!”

  Scott tells him that if Andy and Will, his managers, are up for taking a long shift, that they may just come.

  “We just never know how busy it’ll be, so Angelica and I both being gone at the same time doesn’t happen too much.”

  I ask Scott how long they are open.

  “As long as we have customers, we’re pretty much open. The bulk of our business is at night, so this is pretty much our life. We have an apartment in the back, so if we need to stay later than usual, we just crash here.”

  After about three hours, Scott says he’s almost done. I’ve been watching and can’t believe this. He is fast and very steady. This guy is so talented.

  Todd tells me that it’s all about the artist. “I trust this guy with my life, man. You holding up okay? Ready to leave?”

  “Oh, absolutely not! Will you be okay to take me home?”

  “Olivia, this isn’t my first rodeo—I’ve done this many times before. I may crash at your house though…we’ll see.”

  Angelica comes in to see how we’re doing.

  “Can I get you a beer or a glass of wine Olivia?”

  “Oh—wine? Yes. That sounds great!”

  “White or red? I have both.”

  “White, please. Thanks!”

  I enjoy my glass of wine and start reading my book. Todd, quick to notice, teases me. “So, whatcha reading Olivia? One of those mommy porn books? What’s that one all the girls are reading now?”

  “No, Mister Dirty Mind. It’s not!” I say.

  I hear three little bings, and realize I have a text from Ash. I totally forgot about him.