CHAPTER SEVEN
THE LUCKY ONES
—
"Keep it wrapped for the next twenty-four or fourty-eight hours," Luke, the gorgeous guy that just finished tattooing me, instructed as he pulled the black latex gloves off of his hands; instantly reaching over for his champion type ring. "If there's any problem or you need a clean up, or something come back and I'll take a look, yeah?"
Dumbfoundly nodding my head, I took in every word that he spoke. I didn't really want to leave yet, so the next words that spilled from my mouth surprised even me, "Do you guys do piercings too?"
For a split second his eyes widen and his eyebrows lifted up, but just as quickly they went back to normal. "Actually yeah," he nodded. "You want one? I can do it for you."
And just as surprising I nodded. Sure, at point I didn't want to screw around and get bunch of them, but honestly I wasn't hundred percent that I did want them. "Where were you thinking of having it? And is there any preference when it comes to the jewelry?" Luke asked as he led the way to a different room. "We offer silver, yellow gold, rose gold, you can also get them with different colored crystals. Whatever your heart desires actually."
"Well I was thinking about sticking to silver, it looks the best with my skin tone," I rambled on, my eyes strained on the back of his neck, where from behind the color a tattoo was peaking out. "And for now I guess we could just stick to adding few more piercings to my ears? I'm really feeling few that go up the lobe on my right ear and maybe cuffs on both ears, and then the bar piercing on my left ear?"
"Yeah, we can do that," he smiled, turning around. Stepping aside, he let me walk inside the room first. It was similar to the one where he was tattooing me, except this one didn't have the tattoo gun and machine, but instead had a trey with needles, sensitizing solution and glass and wood cases with different jewelry. "Pick whichever jewelry you want for each piercing," Luke spoke from behind me, my finger jus barely touching the wood frame on the case.
All of them looked beautiful and shiny under the glass, but only five of the accessories caught my eye. Memorizing each and everyone of them, I slightly turned towards Luke who was patiently waiting on me. Getting the memo that I had made my choice, he fetched a key from a small hook on the wall and walking over to me, he unlocked the case, pulling the plush, satin converted holder drawer outwards.
"So which ones are the lucky ones?"
—
Admiring Luke's piercing work in the large mirror, I did feel great about getting them. Who knew that such spontaneous idea could make you feel this amazing? I truly did love the piercing. Honestly why didn't I get them done sooner?
"You like them, yeah?" Luke questioned after he had discarded the needle he had used to pierce my ears and had cleaned up the station. Nodding my head, I looked at him through the mirror, still very much admiring the newly added metal in both of my ears. Clearing his throat, he reached behind his neck with one hand, "Could I perhaps ask for your number? I mean it's cool if you don't want to give it, I'll understand."
Furrowing my brows, I spun around so I could actually look at him, "Pardon?"
Shaking his head, he waved his hand in the air in a dismissive way and turned towards the door. "Hey!" I called out, "Why do you want my number?"
"I just wanted to see if you would want to hang out sometime," he replied, once again looking at me but his hand was still on the door handle. "Not at the shop, but around town. Maybe catch a movie or something," he shrugged.
"That would be cool. You got any paper and a pen?"
"Maddy has them at the front desk, c'mon." Following him out of the room, I let him lead the way down the corridor and towards the front of the shop. "The tattoos and the piercings are on me," he smiled over his shoulder.
"Wait, I can't let you do that. That would be unfair of me. At least let me pay for the jewelry."
"Don't worry, it's not unfair of you and I insist." Displease did pass my face, but Luke was unbothered by it. "Yo Maddy can you give me a piece of paper and a pen?" Luke called out to the red head as he approached the front desk. "And her stuff is on me, including the jewelry."
Crossing my arms in front of my chest, I sent daggers in his direction. Maddy didn't look too much fazed by Luke's words, however her eyes did dart between me and him quickly numerous times and a mischievous smile spread across her face as she placed down a neon yellow colored sticky note and a ballpoint pen on the raised counter.
Writing out my number on the piece of the paper, I folded it in half and gave it to Luke. Thanking Maddy for handing over my things, I pulled on my jacket and pulled my hair out from behind the collar. After putting my bag on my shoulder, I turned to leave; Luke pressing against the side of the front desk.
"Oh by the way, my name is Nicole," I called out, a playful smile on my face as he never even ought to ask me for my name and which I also didn't put down under my phone number on the sticky note. Letting the door shut behind me, I didn't look inside the parlor through the large windows as I walked back towards the malls entrance, ready to get home and have some of that cake that I baked before leaving.
As I walked through the mall, I let my eyes wonder over each of the window displays that the countless stores had. My stomach grumbled as the smell of burgers and fries came in my range, and that's also when I spotted him. He was just good ten feet away from where I was, his posture slightly slouched as he was slightly moving side to side while he was talking to two other guys and a girl. The girl wasn't the one that I saw him with at the club and a part of me did wonder if he's screwing with her too.
Why do I even care who he's screwing at this point? We're broken up — we're not a couple anymore.
Snapping out of it, I went to turn away before Jason spotted me but it was too late, Jason had already noticed me. Telling something to the group of three, he started walking in my direction.
"Nicole!" Jason's voice rang in my ears and unwillingly the warmth and all those happy memories surfaced in my mind, it didn't even matter that just few days ago I was telling him to leave me alone.
But as I looked at him, I couldn't get that last phone call out of my head. And whatever good mood I was in, was now gone.
"Jason," my tone was cold and clipped. "What do you want? Pretty sure everything that was needed to said was said back at the club."
It didn't take a lot to figure out that Jason was intoxicated. He was a heavy drinker, so few drinks only got him tipsy at best, but you could still smell the strong alcohol smell on him. And that would also explain the swinging back and forth when he was standing still.
"I miss you," he hiccuped.
"Oh, so you miss me now?" I raised a brow. "You should've missed me when you left the house. But no, you fucked every bitch that came your way."
"You can't suddenly come back, say few sweet words and expect me to go back to you," I would be lying if I said that I didn't see sorrow mask his face and eyes. "It doesn't work like that, Jason. I'm sorry."
"You're really not gonna listen to what I have to–" hiccup "–say?" Jason asked from behind me as I was already turned around and taken a step away from him.
A part of me wanted to look back at Jason, but I didn't have the strength to do that so for a brief minute or two I just stood there. I could feel Jason's blue eyes burning holes in the back of my head as he too didn't make a move or say anything else. To people walking around us, we probably seemed weird — just standing there.
Swallowing the lump of saliva that had gather in my mouth, I finally mastered up the courage and let my feet take me in a straight line out of the mall and towards my cherry red colored Ford Mondeo. Once inside the car, I dropped my bag once again on the passengers seat and pushed the key inside of the slot and turning it, started the engine.
Just as a I fastened my seatbelt, I caught sight of Jason as he stumbled outside of the mall. His bloodshot eyes, wondering around the lot — most notably in search of me. Shaking my head, I put the stick shift in gear and pressing the gas pedal, pulled out of the parking space I was occupying.
One thing that I didn't realize until it was too late, was that in order to get out of the parking lot it required for you to drive by the malls entrance doors. In this case drive by Jason. And just as I did so, I could feel his gaze yet again on me, burning another hole in the side of me.
But this time I wasn't brave enough and I didn't look at him.