10:59 a.m.
"I'm here," Ellise whispered while riding in the back of a cab. She made it to L.A. hours before checking in at her hotel. Right now she was on her way to meet none other than Shay Bredimus.
Shay Bredimus is a popular painter and tattoo artist in downtown L.A. He got recognized for his fine art approach & he is equally skilled working in color or black and grey.
Ellise came in contact with him two weeks prior to this day. She had told him that she was a painter herself and that she would like to meet with him to discuss his artwork for her journal that she was starting to write titled, "Different Art Forms."
She looked over at the small tattoo shop with beaming red lights on its overhead as the cab came to a stop.
"That will be 20.82 ma'am," the man in the front said as he reached his hand back into the window.
"Of course," Ellise said as she pulled out a twenty and two singles handing it to the man.
She stepped out of the cab shutting the door behind her feeling the warm Cali air hitting her cheeks. She smiled as she held her purse close to her as she started walking towards the entrance of the small shop.
She made her way inside looking around at all the different types of artwork that was posted on the wall. She continued on walking towards the back room hearing what seemed to be a guy groaning in agony.
"It hurts! It hurts!" he yelled, "stop please!"
Ellise made a questioning look as she walked passed the room seeing Shay work on a young man with a bunch of tattoos. She got a good look at him noticing the tattoos all over his body.
"Ellise?" Shay smiled as she stood up in his seat giving the man that was laying on the small leather bed a cloth.
"Yea it's me," she smiled as she walked in the room a little bit.
The guy shot his eyes over up at Ellise before smiling widely. He sat up on the bed acting as if his face didn't hurt anymore from the needle that was poking into his upper eyebrow.
"I'm sorry for this," Shay started, "I was just finishing up his tattoo and he's being difficult," he smiled walking over to her taking his gloves off to shake her hand.
"I'm not," the guy on the bed smiled, "I'm Diego by the way."
Ellise waved her hand as he eyed her up and down making her a bit uncomfortable. She leaned against the doorframe as Shay spoke to her in his husky voice.
"It is a pleasure to meet you, I didn't realize what time it was. Is it okay if i finish him up then we could do the interview? It won't take long."
"Of course," Ellise said smiling.
"Here take a seat," Shay said as he pulled out a chair from the corner of the room bringing it towards her, leaning it up against the wall.
"Thank you," she said as she watched him go back over to Diego getting ready to continue the tattoo.
"It doesn't hurt," Diego said smiling at Ellise as she laughed at him, "I heard you when i walked in, you were asking him to stop."
"I was not," Diego said trying to act tough as Shay started to poke him with the needle again.
"Whatever you say," Ellise smiles pulling out her phone.
The room stayed silent for a few minutes as Shay poked into the young man's forehead as he tried to hide his whimpers from the pain.
"So why're you hear?" Diego asked rudely as she looked up at him giving him a questioning look.
"I'm interviewing Shay for a journal that i'm writing about different types of art," Ellise said sitting up in her seat looking down at Diego. He smiled widely showing his dimples and she couldn't help but to stare at him.
"Nice, you from here?"
"No, Arizona, but i'm here visiting for a few days. Thinking about moving out here."
"You totally should," Diego said as he extended his hand out, "we did not have a proper hand shake yet," he winked.
Ellise leaned forward shaking Diego's hand as Shay finished off the tattoo wiping it down.
"You're all good man," Shay said cleaning down the bed as Diego stood up.
He walked out of the room to the gigantic mirror just outside the door moving his hair aside to get a good view.
"I love it!" Diego yelled as he walked back into the room.
Shay finished wiping down the bed as he walked over to Diego hugging him, "glad you like it."
"XANARCHYY." Diego mumbled as he put his beanie back over his head.
He looked back over at Ellise as she sat there with her legs crossed scrolling through her phone. She looked up at him as she felt his gaze starring at her intently.
"Yes?" she asked as she set her phone down in her lap looking at Diego.
"Can i um," he started nervously, "I have to head out to the studio, can i get your number?"
Ellise felt taken back and didn't know whether or not she should give him her number. She didn't know the guy and he had LOTS of tattoos. It wasn't her thing since she was raised in such a Catholic family. She wasn't use to being around people with such different personalities.
"I don't know about that," she said scratching her head.
"I don't bite," Diego said, "I was just wanting to know if you wanted to hang out sometime since you're going to be in L.A for a few days."
"Get out," Shay said laughed as he pushed the back of his shoulder hoping to get him to leave.
"So is that a yes?" Diego asked smiling giving Ellise the puppy dog look immediately after.
She couldn't help but say yes to him. Something was telling her to give him her number and that she would regret it if she didn't.
"Yes," Ellise said standing up trying to look around her for a pen and piece of paper.
"Here," Diego said handing her a Sharpie, "Write it on my arm."
"Are you sure?" Ellise asked worriedly.
"Positive."
Ellise wrote her number down on his arm before handing the marker back to him. He wrapped his arms around her shoulders hugging her lightly before disappearing out of the parlor.
She face immediately turned red as she looked up at Shay laughing at her, "you're ready," he asked.
"Yea," she said as she followed Shay out into the open space of the tattoo parlor.
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not edited ! new story !
