My lips curl into a smile. This is her first piece of ink, and it's a big fucking tattoo—a teddy bear with its arms hanging off, stuffing spilling from its guts, its eye missing, its nose askew.
I don't ask what it means. I never do. Tattoos are personal. People talk when they want someone to listen.
Mostly.
Some people don't say shit, even when they're desperate for someone to listen.
Besides, there might not be a backstory. It might be as simple as a love of teddy bears.
It's better to skip assumptions.
I place the needle over her skin, work the angle until it's just right. My eyes meet hers through the mirror. "You ready?"
She grits her teeth as she nods.
I turn the gun on and draw the last line down her shoulder, all the way to the middle of her upper arm.
She's done.
I pull the gun away, set it down. "That's it."
Her shoulders slip from her ears as she sighs. She shifts her torso so she can see the reflection.
Her eyes are saucers.
Her smile is spread over her cheeks.
"Oh my God! It's perfect." She jumps out of the chair and throws her arms around me.
I'm not used to this. I should be. Getting ink releases all sorts of endorphins. Adrenaline. Dopamine. I'm a badass, I can't believe I did that vibes. It's easy for people to mistake the rush of a tattoo for the rush of lust.
Or she thinks I'm hot.
I'm well aware of my effect on women.
It hasn't done me any good in a while. Not since I gave up on finding someone who would push Kaylee out of my head.
Shit. There goes my clear mind. When I'm in the chair, my hands on my tattoo gun, I slip into this trance. There's nothing in my head but the work. Not my doubts, not my desires, not my parents' voices. Hell, I'm not even thinking about the client. Or about our owner.
It's all about the ink itself.
It's nirvana.
I'm leaving a mark on someone's skin. Something that will last forever.
It's the best job in the world.
Worth almost any amount of bullshit.
"Sit back down. I need to clean you up." My voice drops to that demanding tone. The one I use when women are naked. Or about to get naked.
Not the kind of shit I do at work.
She doesn't mind the Dom voice. She plants in her seat, staring at the reflection of her tattoo with a goofy smile on her face.
Her enthusiasm is infectious.
And she's cute. Light hair. Bright eyes. Ample tits. The kind of girl I used to take home every other night.