“This place is amazing.”There is art covering almost every wall and door. This is my first time in a tattoo shop, and I wasn’t sure what to expect. All the ones I’ve seen on TV are dingy and kind of creepy. Life in Ink is really nice. The lobby area is open with rooms off to the sides for each of the artists. I could sit in here and people watch all day.
“Are you surprised?” Randall whispers in my ear.
“Yeah,” I turn to look at the paintings by the front window. “I was expecting something dark and not quite so inviting.”
He laughs, and I can’t tell if he’s laughing with me or at me. “This definitely isn’t one of those shady shops. People come here from all over to get inked by Charleigh and the others. She kind of made a name for herself when she first started.”
“I can see that.” There are a lot of people here with various conversations going on at the same time. If this is any indication of the wait time, I’m going to be here a while. Hopefully Randall doesn’t have to go into work early tomorrow. It’s most likely going to be a late night, and I don’t want to be the reason he is exhausted. Not when he also has to deal with his dad’s crap. Anger boils in me at the thought of how his dad treats him, but I’m going to try to keep it from consuming me. Randall asked me to drop it, and I will… For now.
“Let’s go see Sophie,” he nods toward the girl behind the only desk in the area. “She’ll be able to see if Charleigh is free or not.”
A small twinge of jealousy hits me when he says her name so casually. As if they are very familiar with each other. I have no claims on him. We’re just friends, and I’m the one who’s been so adamant that things stay that way. Besides, of course they know each other, they share mutual friends. I plaster a fake smile on my face, “Sure thing.”
He places his hand on the small of my back and leads me toward the reception area. Warmth spreads through me at the tiny touch. This definitely isn’t how someone would act if they were interested in someone else. At least, I don’t think it is. I don’t have the best experience when it comes to guys. Maybe I should give Randall a shot, and try the whole relationship thing with him. That’s what he’s been working for, and I’d have to be a fool not to see it. He goes out of his way to make time for me and to make me laugh. What more could a girl ask for? It’s something I’ll have to really think about.
“Hey, Soph,” Randall leans on the tall desktop. “Is Charleigh around? My friend Amelia wants to get a tattoo.” I cringe when he saysfriend. People who want to be just friends don’t react so negatively to words like that. The realization that I like him as more than a friend hits me hard.
“Yeah,” she says. She’s not looking at Randall as she says it, though. She’s staring at the room in the back corner of the shop. A guy with tattoos covering his arm can be partially seen in the doorway. His head is bent over someone, and I assume that means he’s another artist here. I’ve never met him. Guess I don’t need to worry about her having any sort of feelings for Randall. “She cleared a few hours for you. She’s in there waiting for her. Do I need to show Amelia the way?”
“No, I’ve got it.” He turns toward the left side of the shop, but stops. “You should just ask him out. Seeing you stare after him like a lost puppy is painful.”
“One day,” she sighs. She picks up the earbud dangling around her neck and puts it in her ear. She looks just as lost as I feel most days.
“Charleigh’s room is over here,” Randall grabs my hand and pulls me along with him. “I swear that girl is never going to make a move.”
“Maybe she’s scared.”
“Possibly,” he shrugs.
He might be scared, too. That could be why he’s been okay with the friendship label we have. I don’t have time to analyze this because we step through the doorway to Charleigh’s work area. The room is silent. Charleigh, and Jake, are staring at us with their mouths wide open. “Um, hi,” I wave.
Charleigh is the first to school her features. A wide smile replacing the look she had only moments ago. “Hey,” she says excitedly. The pitch a tad too high. “Are you ready to get your first tattoo?”
“Yep.” Why are they acting so weird?
Jake’s mouth is still gaping. Charleigh puts her hand under his chin and lifts it until his lips are pressed together. “Close your mouth. It’s starting to be creepy.”
He shakes his head back and forth a couple of times. “Sorry.” Waving his hands between us, he asks, “When did this happen?”
Randall snorts, “What? Are you my dad or something?”
“Noooo. I just didn’t expect to see you here with Amelia.” He’s scratching his head in confusion.
“We’refriends. And, she asked me to come with her.” He’s still holding my hand, and I’m getting irritated at his constant use of the word friends. Is it really that necessary to put so much emphasis on it?
“Do you know what you want?” Charleigh butts into their conversation. “I blocked out a few hours in case we needed to come up with a design for you since it’s going to be on your body permanently.”
“I know the word I want, but not the design around it.” My palm is beginning to sweat, and thankfully Randall doesn’t seem to mind because he keeps it firmly grasped in his own.
Charleigh wraps her arms around Jake and places a quick kiss on his cheek. “Thank you for dinner. I’ll be home later.”
“I can hang around if you want me to.” He doesn’t want to leave because he’s trying to figure out if Randall is telling him the truth about us. I can see it in the way he keeps glancing between the both of us.
She glances at me for my opinion, and I shake my head subtly. “That’s okay. We’ll be fine. Besides, you have to get up early to go get Layla.”
“Oh. Um, okay. I’ll see you when you get home.” His shoulders sag in defeat. There will be no juicy gossip for him.
While they say their goodbyes, I study Charleigh’s work area. She has cute quote frames and other touches hanging on the walls. There are also art pieces that resemble a lot of the work decorating the waiting area.