Synonym

Chapter 30

We stopped in front of a nice looking building that didn't look anything like your stereo typical tattoo shop. Instead, the window boarders were white and the space was bright and cheery. It was very clean and simple looking, which I took as a good sign. Owen had clearly pointed me in the right direction.

"You're getting a tattoo?" Emma asked, her black eyebrows practically shooting off her pale face.

I smirked and opened the door, holding it for Emma as she stepped in first. "You bet your ass."

The woman at the front desk didn't have any visible tattoos and she was dressed like a professional receptionist. I had been here once before to talk to the artist that was doing my tattoo. "Hi Alyssa." I greeted the blonde woman cheerfully.

She smiled back at me and looked at her computer. "Here for Miranda? She's right back in her room." This place had lots of room to it. If you had an appointment, tattoo artists usually had their own the rooms. If you were a walk in, you got your tattoo in the main area in front of the shop.

My sneakers padded against the floor and Emma's boots clunked softly behind me on the wooden floor. I walked the familiar route, past the main area and down the hallway to the right.

Miranda was a platinum blonde Asian woman in her late 20's with full sleeves of traditional tattoos done by another artist at this shop. She was already in the room when Emma and I walked in, fiddling with one of the tattoo machines. She looked up and smiled at me as I walked in with Emma at my back.

"Hey. I'm Miranda. You are?" She asked Emma.

"Emma. Nice to meet you."

"You can have a seat right there." Miranda nodded her head at a black plastic chair next to the table. Emma nodded slightly and took a seat. She was shy when it came to new people. "Sylvia, let's get that shirt off and we can get the template on."

I pulled my shirt off without hesitation, handing the red fabric to Emma. I hadn't warn a bra because of the placement of my tattoo. Instead I wore pasties like Miranda requested. I would have taken Owen with me, but I'm not sure my boyfriend would have appreciated that. Finn was a territorial boyfriend and unlike the risqué ads that I would do with Nike, he would claim seeing it in person in a non 'professional' setting isn't acceptable. I don't blame him though.

My top half was basically naked.

The reason I asked Owen's advice on where to go was because of my blood transfusion. I needed to find a place where safety and cleanliness was the first priority. Tattoos aren't recommended for people with transfusions for the first year, but they are totally okay if the shop is up to state standards. Or in this case, DC standards.

I had done my research and Miranda was aware of my transfusion so everything should go smoothly.

Once the stencil was on, I studied my body in a full length mirror next to where Emma sat. I loved the way the design looked on my body. "You like?" I asked Emma, studying her face to ensure I got her honest opinion. I could tell when she was lying; her brows always furrowed and she flushed slightly.

"Yeah. I love it. Its hella sexy. Finn will be into that." She replied honestly. That was a relief and it boosted my confidence.

Miranda and I decided to start on the outside of the sternum because it was in a more painful area. It was a watercolor seagull. It was shaped similarly to Rihanna's sternum tattoo, but for a bird. It was made of various shades of blue, white, and a little bit of grey. 'Watercolor' was more of the style of lines as opposed to the colors, because they were solid on my skin instead of the actual watercolor look you see all over the internet. The curve of the wings emphasized the shape of my breasts and that's why I loved it so much. I had always wanted a sternum tattoo.