BlackHeart

Chapter 7

        BlackHeart Ink has a very clean look because of its whitewash color scheme that I like a lot. It's trendy, yet the vintage seating in the front area gives it class and unique style. Sitting on one sofa was a woman skimming through a look book of tattoo ideas. She didn't acknowledge me when I entered, but beyond the half walls were the tattoo artists. 

Including Tatum who was the only person I recognized. "Good afternoon" I called out, walking past the front to the tattoo chairs. Some are visible, others are in private rooms. 

        Tatum muttered to the guy in his chair, placing the tattoo gun down, and removing his black gloves to walk over to me. "Hey Mia, good to see you again," he came and gave my shoulder a friendly squeeze. "I'm gonna have you at the counter for now. Poppy doesn't have any clients, so she'll walk you through things. I'll grab her from the back," he told me before walking off. 

He's in a fitted white tee, so his ink is very noticeable today. He's a trendy guy with his long top haircut and nose piercing. He's not drop dead gorgeous like Dom, but he's definitely attractive. It appears everyone who works here is.

        I had caught glances with another tattoo artist, though he was currently working on someone. "Hey! I'm Alden. I'll introduce myself in a little bit" he told me. He seemed to be tattooing inside this girl's ring finger, though I couldn't see the design. I waved but left him to his work. 

When Poppy came out of the backroom, she was in a crop tank which showed a ton of her tattoos. Ones on her arm sleeves and her neck tattoo I saw yesterday. I don't know how she pulls that off, but she really does. "Hey girlie," she waved me to the counter, with its register and look books on the end. She pulled a laptop out and placed it in front of us. 

        "Okay, super hot outfit, first of all" she smiled and checked me out. When I thanked her she turned and pulled something up on the computer screen. "This is the system we use for session bookings. You'll see the different artists, and when you pull them up you'll see their schedules and availability," she got right to explaining. "Each of us have tattoo specialties aside from our general knowledge. So, let's say someone doesn't request a specific artist and just wants something done by anyone...if it's something like abstract tattoos that's my brother's specialty. You'll more likely book him for that type of work. Get me?" She checked in. I nodded along.

"Can I jot down a note with your specialties, so I remember? I'm not entirely familiar with the different kinds" I told her honestly. "Totally," she bent to a drawer and pulled out a little pocket sized notebook and pen. 

        "We all do transition and neo traditional styles. Tatum is abstract like I said, and realism. I also do abstract, but I do stencil work too. You'll meet Phoenix, she does a lot of illustrative tattoos. Alden does line contour work/ line sketching and sketch style. Cam does portrait and Japanese style best. Am I overwhelming you?" She laughed when she saw me jot things down at a mile a minute. 

"Nope, I worked in fashion and details are my specialty. I had to always do a ton of stuff at once, so I'm good at it" I waved her off. She seemed impressed. "Fashion, huh? I can see that" she looked me up and down. 

        The first to be available was Cam who I assumed was a guy just by the name, but was actually a girl. She was beautiful. Round faced with light freckles, modest lips and a cute low bridge nose. She told me she was Vietnamese. She wasn't overly done up with tattoos like Poppy. She did have two arm sleeves with only black shaded tattoos, unlike Poppy's colorful ones. Her hair was medium length and tousled over her face like she ran her fingers through it to move it back. "I'm Cam, I heard about you already. Welcome to the family" she smiled.