"Nothing boss, she just won't leave." Nathan said, playing the victim card.
Her lips parted, but nothing fell from them. Wiping the couple of tears, Estelle sniffled as the new man looked over to her.
His eyes narrowed at the sight of the small girl, and Estelle shuffled between her feet nervously. He looked older, maybe late twenties, early thirties.
"You can go home for the night, Nathan." The new guys voice was smooth. Not matching his rough exterior.
"But Daxton-" Nathan tried, but new guy, Daxton waved him off.
Once the doors to the store were shut behind Estelle's short frame. Daxton looked at her, causing a soft blush for no reason other than he was looking at her.
Get it together Estelle.
"What do you need?" Daxton asked and watched as Estelle stood taller.
"I n-need a t-tattoo, but if you're c-closing-" She started, but his sultry voice cut her off before Estelle could continue.
"Are you eighteen? You look a little young to be getting a tattoo." Daxton asked while preparing the ink, and gun.
"Y-Yes." The girl stuttered out, her eyes filling with tears again. What if he wouldn't give me a tattoo either?
"Please-" Estelle started again when he didn't answer.
"Sit down for me, right here." Daxton said to the small girl slowly, and pointed to the big chair beside him. Nervously Estelle moved towards the chair, sucking a deep breath she sat down.
"What did you want, hm?" His voice was smooth and strangely calming.
Estelle swallowed as she played with her fingers, pulling at the broken skin around almost all her nails. Picking and making them worse, in the process.
"Just a h-heart, a s-small one." She said quietly as Daxton sketched a couple small hearts on a sheet of pristine white paper.
"I'm sorry about Nathan, the guy in the front, he is an idiot, but one hell of an artist. He shouldn't have yelled at you, sweetheart." Daxton explained while pulling a pair of black gloves on.
Estelle blushed a warm rosy tint at the endearment. Sweetheart, he seemed old school. Maybe he called a lot of people that.
"It's o-okay." Estelle picked a little more at her fingers, hoping he'd drop that topic.
"It's not."
Estelle didn't argue with him, his tone was assertive.
"Where do you want the tattoo?" Daxton asked as he readied the tattoo gun.
Estelle couldn't help the red that encased her body, paralyzing her voice. Making Estelle unable to tell him.
Pointing to the top of her chest, Daxton nodded. He didn't say anything else. Making Estelle feel much better about this tattoo. Mama would like it, she had a few tattoos of her own.
"Okay, lean back for me, sweetheart. There you go, that's better." He explained as she followed his directions. Shaking a little from the nerves.
"It's okay, this might hurt a little bit. I promise it wont take too long." Daxton said as the buzzing of the tattoo gun filled the silenced of the shop.
Estelle winced, but it was okay. The tears that fell weren't just because of the pain, it was the feeling of proudness. She had made her mama proud, in a sense.
"It's almost done, you're doing great." He wiped at the small tattoo outline and went back to work, filling in the heart now.
Closing her eyes, Estelle took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down.
"What's your name, sweetheart?" His voice was lighter.
Was he trying to make small talk? While he was tattooing me! Estelle wondered.
"Estelle B-Bentley." She answered quickly. The buzzing sound was dying as he wiped at the finished tattoo. Though as if he was in deep thought his eyebrows furrowed together.
"I think I tattooed someone with that last name before, Emery Bentley. Are you related to her?"
All she could do was nod, eyes filling up with those salty tears again.
"How old are you?"
Another question?
"I'm nineteen, y-you?" Estelle continued the question game they seemed to be playing.
"Twenty-seven." He replied, Estelle smiled remembering she had guessed around that age. Her thoughts being cut off by his voice.
"All done, take a look." Daxton handed her the mirror as he stood and discarded the gloves and disinfected the rest of the equipment.
Estelle's soft brown eyes traced the small heart that was now engraved permanently into her chest.
"I l-love it! Thank y-you, thank you, thank you!" Estelle grinned at him. Daxton stopped moving a second and watched as the girl stood up.
"I'm glad you like it." He smirked and stood up walking towards me, placing a wrap on it that would stay for a few days.
"How m-much do I owe y-you? She started to pull out money.
"No." Her hands immediately stopped reaching and Daxton continued.
"It's on me, sweetheart." Daxton assured and Estelle smiled at him. She would bring him coffee tomorrow and he wouldn't be able to resist!
"Okay, T-Thank you." Estelle smiled again, the first time she had felt anything more than sadness today.
"No problem, Estelle. Do you have a jacket with you?" Daxton asked as he reached over to shut the computer at the front desk off.
"This i-is my j-jacket-" Estelle started.
"It's too thin, you'll get sick. Here take mine, you better get going it's getting too dark. How far is your place?" Daxton handed her his thick, dark Carhart jacket.
"It's just down t-the street, a-and thank y-you Daxy." She didn't mean for that nickname to slip up, but Daxton didn't seem to mind.
"Be careful, sweetheart. Make sure to keep that wrap on that pretty tattoo for at least a day. I'll see you around." Daxton said his goodbye and Estelle waved shyly to him once she got to the door.
"I will! S-See you around." She smiled and left through the same door she had came through, bawling her eyes out earlier that night.
Estelle smiled and made her way down the street to her mom's old apartment.
It would be okay, mama.
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