Page 20 of Tease
Kailey’s voice is soft, drizzled in concern. “You’ve always been just as beautiful, Beth. Before that piercing and after it.” She grabs my hand, placing a kiss to the top of it, lightly squeezing it before letting go.
“Buttons” by The Pussycat Dolls is playing through my stereo, inadvertently ending that conversation. The tone was starting to get a little too serious for this outing.
Even though I’m the big sister, the older one, Kailey is who I personally look up to. She’s a workaholic, smart, beautiful inside and out, and people have always flocked to her. When that fucker Brandon cheated on her, I wanted to cut his brake lines while he was sleeping. With tears streaming down her face, Kailey was the one to talk me out of it. We spent that next week being inseparable. I called out from work. Every night, we would drive to vacant haunted houses in our town or surrounding towns. During the daytime hours, we spent our time giving one another facials or pedicures. All of this while listening to “Irreplaceable” by Beyonce on a constant loop.
After putting the car into park, I look over at Kailey, and her excitement is palpable. “Are you ready for the best birthday present ever?!”
“Hell yes!!!” Her door flies open, and once her feet hit the pavement, she runs towards the entrance of Let It Bloom.
Once I step out of the car, I notice an older gentleman sitting on the sidewalk, holding up a sign. Turning my head more to get a better look, I quietly read the sign out loud, “Homeless vet, need money for food please.” My heart sinks. Poor guy. I slowly pull out my wallet from my purse while walking toward where he’s sitting. Grabbing two twenties, I hand him both, telling him to get some hot food in his belly.
He whispers, “Thank you so much, lady, God bless you.”
I’m running to catch up with Kailey, and I barely catch up to her in time as she pushes in the door to the small tattoo shop. A dainty chime sounds as we both walk in. Randy, the owner, walks toward us, and gives me a tight bear hug. He’s about the same height as me, has the whitest smile I’ve ever seen, and the most beautiful rich mahogany skin.
Instantly, our noses are hit with the scent of cherry incense. The floor is shiny, with black and white checkered squares, surrounded by black walls covered with random strings of lights,and pieces of art designed by their tattoo artists. There are multiple stations set up for tattooing or piercing. A tattoo gun to our right is currently buzzing, and the lady receiving the tattoo is grimacing while squeezing the table’s edge.
“Long time no see, beautiful!”
“Yeah, Randy, I guess it has been a minute. Today’s my little sister’s birthday. She’s officially twenty-one and picking us out matching tats.”
“Oh, is that right? Happy Birthday! Jordan will hook y’all up. I’m on my way out.” Before he leaves, Randy turns around, yelling to another guy in the back, who I assume is Jordan. “Give them the friends’ discount!” Then, he’s gone.
A long-haired burly man is walking toward us. “Jordan, I presume?” My hand is held out to shake his.
Grabbing my hand in his softly, he uses his other thumb and points to his chest. “Yep, that’s me. What are you ladies wanting done today?”
“Kailey?” I turn around, noticing she’s already browsing books on a table to my left.
“Can we have a few minutes to look in these books for some ideas, please?” Looking at her in more depth, I realize she’s already halfway through one.
“Sure thing. I’ll start setting my stuff up. Whoever’s going first, just plop down in my chair when you’re ready.”
Kailey is holding a book while walking toward me.
“Beth, what do you think about sunflower tattoos?”
Smiling at her, I grab her shoulders. “I mean, I do notice you wear a lot of stuff that has sunflowers on it…”
“Sunflowers represent happiness and joy along with loyalty, adoration, and love. All these descriptions come to mind when I think about us together.” The book is open to the end, her finger pointing to a beautiful, unique sunflower.
“Ohhh, I like it! Where are you wanting them to go?”
Looking in the tall stand-up mirror next to us, Kailey slides her hair over to her left shoulder, showcasing the right side of her neck. “Why don’t we be unique and get them behind our ears? I could do the right side, and you could do the left. So when we stand side by side, the sunflowers are facing each other, always and forever.”
I faintly touch behind my left ear, trailing my finger down my neck. “Well, I’m not going to lie, I’ve heard this specific area on the body is pretty painful to get artwork.”
Turning around, she takes the book, and as she walks toward Jordan, she yells over her shoulder, “Good thing you’re going first!”
After twenty minutes, Jordan has both tattoos sketched up and put on the thermographic transfer paper. Since I’m first, I do as he said and plop my body down into his chair, letting him know it’s time to get started. I roll my body to lay on my right side, so the left side of my neck is on display for him.
Once the tattoo gun presses down against my neck, my hand instantly grabs the arm rest tightly. “Shit, this stings, Kailey.”
Her reply is quick, never missing a beat. “Oh, stop being a baby. You’re the big sister. You have to act like it doesn’t hurt so I’ll still want to get it done next.” She’s laughing so hard that tears fill her eyes.
I squeeze her palm into mine. She squeezes back instantly. “Yeah, yeah, happy birthday, little sister. Who knew the neck was so fucking sensitive?!”
“Mmm… I bet Joey will kiss it and make it all better for you later.”
