I locked my car until I heard it beep and slipped the keys into my back pocket. I pulled the door open and a bell chimed above me as I entered the shop. It was bigger than I anticipated from seeing the outside and pictures on Instagram. There wasn't anyone at the counter, so I peered around to one of the cubicles and a man looked up at me.
"Oh, hey, sorry," he placed his tattoo gun down and told his client to 'hang on just a second' before standing up and greeting me properly.
"How's it going?" he asked nodding his head.
"Good, I was wondering if you had any space for a walk-in?" I asked.
"Uh, yeah, yeah. Just wait at the counter, I'll get someone to help you."
I nodded and thanked him before walking over to the counter. I leaned on the glass as I glanced at the photos that were framed on the wall behind the counter.
I heard him yell someone's name at the back of the store and a few moments later saw her approaching the counter. She was wearing some jeans and a sweater that shrugged off her shoulder. I noticed a scar below her collar bone, but she pulled some of her brown curls in front of her to cover it almost subconsciously. She stepped behind the counter and flashed a smile at me.
"Hey, how's it going?" she asked, her brown eyes looking intently at me.
"Good," I smiled, taken by her bubbly personality.
"So, whatcha looking for?"
I pulled out my phone from my pocket and placed it on the counter when I had the picture up.
"Skyline, wrapped around my bicep," I explained.
I watched as she glanced at the photo and scanned my upper body. I flexed my biceps when her gaze landed on my arm with the space for the tattoo.
"Size?" she asked, her eyes meeting mine.
"Uh," I paused, raising my brows and smirking watching as her eyes widened, "about this--" I measured about two inches with my thumb and finger and placed it on my arm above my elbow.
She looked like she was blushing at my joke but she responded, "Okay, let me see who's available next."
"Okay," I smiled standing up from the counter.
I watched as she walked from behind the counter and looked me up and down. I'm sure she thought she was being discreet, but I noticed how her gaze lingered on my piercings.
How did someone so innocent end up working at a tattoo shop?
She was gone for less than a minute before returning with a smile.
"So, it looks like we've got someone who can sort you out. If you wanna come back in about 15 or 20, Ale can draw up a stencil."
"Yeah, cool," I smiled, excited to finally be completing my sleeve.
I picked up my phone from the counter and she instructed me to email her the photo.
"Got it," I said taking the business card from her hand, "thanks."
I turned around and walked back outside. I ran my hands through my hair as I contemplated what to do for twenty minutes. I pulled my sunglasses out and put them on my face before taking a look around. I noticed some empty tables in front of the cafe next door so I took a seat and pulled out my phone. I scrolled through Instagram then pulled up the security cameras at the coffee shop. I trusted my employees, but I liked checking in to make sure things were going okay while I wasn't there. This was one the first days that I had taken off since opening it. I chuckled as I saw Caroline trip and drop a tray of baked goods.
I swear that girl has cost me more money from the amount of food and drink she's spilled than it takes to pay her.
The rest of the shop looked good with a decent amount of customers inside, mostly students studying. I closed the app and pulled up my bank account to make sure I had transferred enough money out of savings to pay for my tattoo today. I sighed, checking the time and realizing I still had ten minutes to kill. I decided to open Instagram again and searched for the tattoo shop: Oscuro Ink.
I scrolled through the photos until I found one from about a year ago that featured the girl that had helped me at the counter. Her hair was a little shorter, and she smiled as she held up a giant sign that read 'Happy Father's Day!'. The caption was talking about how the shop was offering discounts for Father's Day and someone was tagged in the photo. It wasn't her, but a man named Giorgio Oscuro.
Was that her dad?
Unfortunately, his account was private so I couldn't see anything that might indicate who she was. I rolled my eyes to myself at my behavior and realized that it was time to head back inside the shop.
The door chimed above my head alerting the girl at the counter of my presence.
"Hey," I smiled as I took off my sunglasses and hung them on the front of my shirt.
"Hi, let me see if Ale is ready for you," she replied, her gaze lingering on my chest.
A young man approached me from the back of the shop and held out his hand, "Hey man, I'm Ale."
"Michael," I smiled, shaking his hand.
He looked like the girl's brother, they both had chocolate brown eyes and wavy brown hair.
"Cool, so I've got your stencil if you just want to step over here I can put it on in the mirror and you can check for placement," Ale said as he held up the stencil.
I could see in the reflection of the mirror that the girl was watching as I pulled up my sleeve and Ale held it against my skin.
"How's that look for you?"
"Uh—" I paused, twisting to get a closer look in the mirror, "Yeah, yeah. It's perfect."
"Okay cool, if you head on over here I can get you all set up."
I nodded and followed him to one of the empty chairs which he reclined in the right position.
"I don't think I've got to do a tattoo on someone who barely had any space left," he commented as he taped up the sleeve of my shirt, "Damn, or someone as fit as you."
I threw my head back in laughter, aware that he was flirting with me, but in a somewhat joking manner.
"Well, I'm flattered," I said, "but I bet you say that to all your attractive male clients."
He chuckled and shook his head, "Well, what's a single guy to do? Gotta shoot my shot."
He handed me a clipboard with some forms to fill out and I pulled out my driver's license for him. When that was finished he pulled on some gloves and wiped down the area with alcohol.
"So, how long you been waiting to get this one done?" he asked, making conversation as he positioned my arm.
"Oh, uh, it's been a long time coming. Tattoos are addicting but expensive."
"I know what you mean," he nodded, "Okay, here it goes," he said as the gun started to buzz.
It was a shock as it first touched my skin, but I quickly got used to the feeling.
I saw someone approaching from the corner of my eye and turned my head to see a girl with long hair strutting over to us. Damn, they've all got to be related right?
"Hey Ale," she said smiling at me, "whatcha working on?"
"Oh," Ale said slowly as he focused on what he was doing, "just doing a piece for Michael here."
"Hi, Michael," she said, smiling flirtatiously at me.
"Hi, how's it going?" I asked smiling back politely.
"Great," she said, looking over her shoulder at the girl at the counter.
"So, Michael," she said looking down at me glancing at my shirt.
I realized that my lower abs were exposed from the position I was in and smiled to myself. She's very obvious.
"You guys can call me Mikey," I said.
"Mikey," she repeated, "I'm Siena, and that's--" she smiled as she looked again at the girl at the counter, "that's Bea."
I nodded and Ale suddenly spoke up, "Stop flirting with strangers, Si."
She broke into laughter, tossing her hair over her shoulder and touched my free arm, "Don't listen to him. I'm not trying to flirt with you."
I chuckled, trying best not to move my arm and ruin the tattoo.
"So," she said, dropping her act and speaking more genuinely, "what brings you all the way from SD?"
"What?" I asked confused.
"Your license," she says glancing at the clipboard on the countertop beside her, "it says you're from LA."
"Oh, yeah, I haven't changed my address yet with DMV," I explained, "I moved down here to San Diego a couple months back."
"Oh cool, did you move for work or..." Siena asked me, pulling up an empty chair so that she could sit beside us.
"Yeah, for work. I opened a coffee shop in downtown," I said, scrunching up my face as Ale started to work on a more sensitive spot.
"What? No way! You look too young to run your own business--" Siena exclaimed, bouncing in her chair.
"Damn, hot and ambitious. Are you sure you're not into guys?" Ale asked me, looking up from what he was doing.
I laughed, clutching my side, "Wow, so many compliments. You're not helping my ego," I joked, "And no, sorry, only women."
"Wait, so what's it called?" Siena asked.
"Uh, The Hideout," I nodded, returning to a serious demeanor so that Ale could get back to work.
Some time passed as Ale continued to work and the conversation shifted to things to do in San Diego. I hadn't had too much time to really explore the area.
I saw Bea approaching, with a young girl on her hip. The little girl looked to be about five or six and I wondered if that could be her daughter. They looked so similar. She tapped Siena on the shoulder and she finished her sentence before turning and sticking her tongue out at the young girl.
"What's up?"
"Cat wants to go get some gelato down the street, so I'll be back. Can you watch the front?" she asked. I noticed that she was glancing at me so I smiled.
"Sure," Siena nodded, standing up from her chair.
"You want anything?" Bea asked.
"No, I'm good, thanks," she responded, making another face at Cat who stuck her tongue out at her.
"Ale?" Bea asked as she turned in his direction.
"Um—no. I'm good," he shrugged.
"Okay," she said. Her gaze lingered on me for a moment and I decided to mess with her again. I liked it when she blushed.
"I'd love one," I said confidently.
"Oh," she paused, taken aback by my response, "Okay. Um, what do you want?"
"Hmm. Surprise me," I said, flashing her a playful smile.
Her face was flushed as she turned to leave. She was so easy to tease. I wanted to know more about her, but I knew that she was probably way out of my league. She looked too kind and innocent to be with someone as fucked up as me.