"How fucking much?"
"Two thousand."
"Two thousand! For one fucking peach? Why? Did the Queen shit it out of her ass?"
"It's by some famous artist, Louis. He has a gallery in LA and his fruit is rare."
"Who is the artist?"
"Goldman..."
"He can't be that famous, I have never heard of him, and his fruit is not rare it's just that no one has bought them because no one is stupid enough to spend that much of crystal fucking fruit."
"I bought it."
"Oh, my apologies - you are the one person stupid enough."
"I am healing."
Louis goes quiet on the other end of the line. It's been three months since the wedding and Louis had to go back to LA - back to his life and his job. But, they have remained close and talk every day. Their co-dependent relationship demands it. Lux has even gone as far as contemplating moving back to LA. But, she is trying to remain the badass bitch she is, and she is for the most part until she thinks about Austin and then she falls apart again like a little bitch.
It's different this time. The last time she could latch onto her anger and with hate fueling her actions it was much easier to get on with life. But, there is no anger or hate this time, only the acknowledgment that she fucked up and has to live with it. So sadness is the feeling she sits in and frankly, it pisses her off so hopefully over the next ten years she can turn it back into anger.
Austin has not attempted to reach out to her and Demi says he seems happy and busy so Lux has to deal with the fact that she has no more chances left with him. She tries to convince herself that he has no more chances left with her either and she is happy - but, that is a bald-faced lie. She won't reach out to him though, he wants nothing to do with her and she has too much fucking pride. This is her life now - fucking great.
She has missed two family gatherings and you best believe that her mom was on her ass about her not showing up, but Demi let slip that Austin was attending and she just felt he needed more time so she was trying to give him that. She promised her mom she would come for Christmas and Demi is staying tight-lipped about the plans and who is coming but it's seven months away. That's a problem for another day. She is going to LA next month for a week to visit, but she made Demi and her mother swear to no family gatherings - they are like vaulters and will call every fucking person remotely related to them for a BBQ. She is not keen on seeing Shawn because he has Austin's DNA - but again, that's a problem for another day.
Right now she is trying to focus her shit on something else and that just so happens to be collecting the rest of the fruit that match the apple and the banana she got from Austin. The peach is the cheapest at two thousand, there is a pineapple for ten thousand and a bunch of grapes for twelve thousand. The apple had been four thousand and the banana was nine thousand. All because some asshole had slapped his name on it and called it art. But she wants them so fuck it.
"Fine, who am I to judge? I just canceled my ex's hair appointment that she had booked months ago. I feel great about it."
"You still fucking with her?"
"I get bored."
"Is that why you sent me a picture of a flame thrower?"
"Yes, and...just so we are on the same page - still a no on the flame thrower?"
"Yes. Wait...yes. No flame thrower."
"Well, what if I get it and let you play with it when you get here?"
"Ok...No...stop trying to mind fuck me! No flame thrower!"
"Fine."
Lux cuts the call and looks down at her client who is looking at her with a worried face. "What?" she asks, going back to his tattoo. "Nothing, I was just wondering about the decisions you are making in your life," he says. "You are making me tattoo a gorilla on your chest..." Lux says raising her eyebrows at him. "For the last time that is my mother," her client says. "You sure? Have you ever done a DNA test?" Lux asks. Her client rolls his eyes and then looks at the picture he brought for reference. "Well...she does go for a wax twice a month. She has a lot of hair," he says. "She has a lot of hair because she is a gorilla," Lux deadpans. It takes another hour before she is finished with her client who is very happy with his gorilla and then books another appointment for another tattoo.
"Hey, Lux, there is a guy out here asking for you. He is very instant. Says he can't leave till you hear him out," Lucy says. It's not uncommon that she gets people popping into her shop and trying to convince her to do a quick tattoo for them. Lux is done for the day and her waiting list is two years long. She does not do impulsive walk-ins, but all she was going to do was go home and wallow in self-pity so why not hear what the man has to say? She gets up and goes to the front of the shop, stopping in her tracks when she sees the man. He looks beaten down, like life has sucker punched him. She knows this tattoo will have a lot of emotion behind it and she hates these types of tattoos - someone always ends up crying or asking for a hug. "Hi," she greets the man. "Hi. You Lux Lenox?" the guy asks. "Yup," Lux confirms. "Ok, great. I'm Jeremy. My friend says you are the best tattoo artist in the city. Well, he said world...but I think he embellished," Jeremy says, fuck, he has a heavy cloud hanging over him.
"Who is your friend?"
"Austin Post. He showed me some of the pieces you did on him and said you were still in training when you did them."
"What can I do for you, Jeremy?"
"Um..." Jeremy hums patting his pockets then pulls out a photograph and lays it down on the front counter with shaky hands. "Think you can do a tattoo of this photograph for me?" he asks sliding it over to Lux and taking a step back as if he is afraid of what's on the photograph. Lux takes the photograph and looks at it. It's of a beautiful woman.
"I can do it."
"Today?"
"My calendar is booked two years in advance. I have a long waiting list."
"Yeah...figures. Austin did say you were the best," Jeremy says softly, taking the photo back carefully. "I can give you good referrals if you don't want to wait that long," Lux suggests. "No...I'll wait. It needs to be perfect and Austin said that you would be very careful, I trust his word...I just..." Jeremy says, his words drifting off as he zones out while looking at the photograph. "Who is that?" Lux asks, Amelia elbows her in her ribs. "Filter, Lux," she hisses in a whisper. "It's ok...this is just so typical..." Jeremy says, laughing softly and shaking his head. He has lost his mind, he is making little sense.
"You have lost me, Jem," Lux says. Jeremy has been through some shit, she can see it. "Sorry, my head is..." he says waving his hand in the air. "This is Ivey... the love of my life, my only reason, the one that got away - whatever you want to call it. We had been going in circles for years, never getting it right but always coming back to each other. She died in a car accident two months ago while we were on a break. My only regret in life was not making her stay, not making shit right when we had a chance...I can't do anything now. Austin has been my boy, man has not left my side," Jeremy says softly.
Lux looks past him and around her waiting room. He is alone. "You are alone now," she points out, Amelia elbows her again. "I mean without Austin," Lux adds. "Yeah. He could not come today, said he had shit to do and I have to get on with life at some point I suppose," Jeremy says. "Can I book that appointment?" he adds.
"I have no more clients and the shop closes in an hour. That tattoo will take me a good seven hours. If you are happy to camp here tonight I will start with it now."
"Really? Yes. Thank you," Jeremy says, it looks like he is going to hug Lux so she turns and walks back into her studio room. She makes Jeremy sit in the corner while she cleans up and gets her room ready.
"Color or black?" she asks. "Umm...I don't know, what do you think?" Jeremy asks. "Colors can make portraits look cartoonish. Blacks will give you a sketched look - it's cleaner work. I suggest black and I will shade that pink streak in her hair," Lux says.
"Yes. I like that."
"Get on my bench. Where do you want it?"
"On my side, just below my left peck," Jeremy says taking off his shirt and then lying down. Lux mixes her inks and then preps Jeremy's skin. They don't speak for the whole seven hours - Jeremy in his feels and Lux's head fucking with her. Sounds like Jeremy and Ivey were playing games like she and Austin are. They have wasted ten years and now she expects another ten years to go by before she smiles at Austin - what if there is no Austin to smile at? What would her biggest regret be then?
It's after midnight when Lux does her final stroke then sits back and looks at it - it's one of her best pieces to date. She has been very careful. "I am done, you can check it out in that mirror," Lux says pointing to the mirror in the corner of her room. Jeremy slides off her table and inspects it. "Geez. This is fucking amazing. It's better than the photo...how did you...fucking hell. Thank you, Lux," Jeremy says as he stares at the tattoo. Lux gives him a tight nod and starts cleaning up.
"I know this piece is amazing but would you mind not putting it up in the clubs? I would like to keep it private. It's very personal," Jeremy says suddenly. "What club?" Lux mumbles as she concentrates. "All of them," Jeremy says turning to look at her. Lux stops and looks back at him. "What are you talking about?" she asks, confused.
"All Austin's clubs..."
"You have lost me."
"His clubs. All of them. Your tattoos are the art - they are everywhere. If someone comes in and shows they have a tattoo by you they get free drinks - it's a thing. You didn't know?" Jeremy asks now looking confused.
"Since when?"
"Since always. It's one of the unique things about his clubs. I thought you guys had a partnership given the way he promotes your business...there are business cards..."
"Business cards?"
"Business cards..."
"You need to leave, it's late and I want to lock up," Lux says grabbing her coat and bag. "Oh yes, sorry, thank you for doing this Lux. You have no idea what it means," Jeremy says as she ushers him out her shop door and locks up. "I know what it means and you are welcome," Lux says.
"I want to give you a hug, squeeze all my adoration into you but I have been warned you scratch...and bite."
"Words are enough, goodbye," Lux says and walks off. "Hey! I didn't pay you! I need to pay you!" Jeremy shouts after her. "Consider it a hug," Lux shouts over her shoulder as she continues to walk.
Lux is on a mission - she is going to Austin's nightclub.