Part 43 (1/2)

”That's fine with me.” I'm squeeing on the inside, but trying to keep my composure on the outside.

”Good. See you tomorrow then.”

”Thank you so much, Ms. Azume.”

”It's just Tina.”

”Thanks, Tina.”

”I have a client coming tomorrow,” she says as I'm about to leave. ”It's a work in progress. I'll be doing some filling in, going over some outlining. It's quite expansive on the lower half of his body. He will be nude from the waist-down. I expect you to study me as I administer the tattoo. Will that be a problem?”

”I can handle that,” I say.

”He can be a bit... rude. I'll try and control him, but really, I don't think I'll be very successful.”

”What do you mean 'rude'?”

”I mean,” she says. ”That sometimes women find him difficult. I expect, since you'll be at my side and watching me, he'll make a crude joke or two.”

I swallow. ”I can handle it.”

She considers me for a moment, but then smiles. ”Okay, then,” she says. ”Seven-thirty tomorrow morning. Here's a key, open up the shutters, and let yourself in. There's no alarm.” She waves her hand. ”Nothing to steal, and I'd rather not pay the fee. Once you're in here, I want you to walk around, get a feel for the table, the chair, everything. Otherwise, simply amuse yourself without touching anything, and wait for me to arrive. Understood, Penelope?”

”Yes!” I say, taking the set of keys. Despite Tina's somewhat harsh tone, I'm over the moon. If I wasn't so hung-over, I'd be bouncing on my toes right now.

When I get outside, I try to shake the trembling out of my hands, and I bite on my finger so as not to scream.

I can't believe I'm going to be apprenticing for my favorite artist!

Everything is just going so perfectly so far.

I just took the first step toward my dream career. How many people can honestly say that?

Chapter Twelve.

”Well, well, well...”

I whip around, recognizing the voice, and see Pierce strutting into the shop.

”Oh my G.o.d,” I groan to myself. This was the client who was going to be half-nude? This was the guy Tina said women found difficult?

Tina looks between me and him, and then frowns. She opens her mouth to say something, but then stops herself.

”You're apprenticing for Tina?” he asks. ”Looks like I just found my new favorite tattoo artist.”

”Evidently,” I say, forcing a polite smile. It's my first day a I need to impress Tina, but obviously Pierce isn't going to make it easy at all. But he's not going to rattle me, no matter how hard he tries. And I know he's going to try.

”Come on Pierce,” Tina says. ”Let's go into the back.”

I follow behind him and he follows behind Tina. He turns around and winks at me. I shoot him a glare. He'd better not mess this up for me!

He goes to the chair that's in its reclined position, and hops onto it, and immediately begins undoing his belt.

It all comes back to me: The unfinished tattoo! Oh G.o.d, why did it have to be him?

He pulls his trousers and boxers down in one go to his knees. I instantly snap my eyes away, but I do not fail to miss his neatly trimmed pubic hair. Also... he's... really big.

”Looking won't kill you,” he says, and I feel my face burning.

”Pierce,” Tina warns, her voice stern.

I force myself to look, focus on the half-finished tattoo. Tentacles from a jellyfish coil around his thigh a I had caught a glimpse of that at the fight, but couldn't make them out as they were mostly covered by his shorts. The body of the sea creature was only outlined, and still needed to be filled in and shaded. That bit lay across his Adonis belt and hip bone.

The body of the jellyfish looks strange. It is a banana-shaped hollow bubble with what looks like the outline of a dorsal fin.

He lies back and puts his arms above his head and grips on to the edge of the reclined chair. He actually looks really s.e.xy with his arms up like that. He's smirking at me.

Tina takes a seat at his side, and starts to prepare the tattoo machine. She fills it with black ink, and explains to Pierce that she's going to do shadows first, to make the jellyfish appear more real, make it pop.

And I'm just standing, trying my best not to stare at his c.o.c.k.

”I want her to fill it in,” Pierce says, nodding his head at me.

I look from him to Tina, and then back at him. ”I-”

”She can't,” Tina says. ”This is her first day apprenticing. I am not even confident of her skills. I have never seen her administer a-”

”Well, nothing like a bit of hands-on experience to sharpen the skills, am I right?” he says in a c.o.c.ky way. He's so smug that I just want to punch him on the nose. ”Unless she thinks she's not up to scratch.”

”She's not up to scratch,” Tina says.

”I have the skills to do it,” I say, eyeing them both with some hostility. ”But Tina's right. It would be inappropriate.”

I look away from him, from his groin, and focus on the vials of ink and the tattoo machine sitting on the tray by Tina.

”Never seen a c.o.c.k before?” Pierce asks. ”Don't worry, it won't bite.”

My face grows even hotter. But he's right. This is the first time I've seen a man's p.e.n.i.s in real life.

”Hey!” Tina barks. ”You will respect her, or you will leave.”

I turn to face them, and give him a glare, flas.h.i.+ng my eyebrows. But he doesn't seem checked.

”Don't worry, I'm only playing. But I know what the real reason is.”