Page 9 of Ink

And who am I to hold someone back when they’re trying to spread their wings?

So, it’s safe to say I never got that nose piercing or got that blue streak. In fact, I have nothing pierced. Not even my ears. And the only hair color my dad deemed acceptable was bleaching my hair to the most ugly shade of blonde. Which is what I unfortunately still have on. It’s just extremely grown out.

Which brings me to now sitting behind the reception desk, trying not to make it blatantly obvious that I’m staring at the girl with teal hair, sitting in the lobby waiting to get her belly button done.

Again.

It blew my mind that you could get it pierced twice.

It’s people like her, though, that should be working here. She fits right in and obviously knows her stuff, since she educated me on the whole thing. She’s everything teenage me wished she could be but knew it was never an option.

It could be though, now, couldn’t it?

I mean, what’s really stopping me?

There’s no one here to judge me anymore or flat out tell me I can’t do it.

Except Ink.

I felt a little piece of my heart shatter when he said I looked uptight and would scare people away. He delivered the final blow by saying no one is going to want to put effort into me. I know that all too well.

It’s not my fault I’m shy, and honestly, the thrift store didn’t exactly have a huge selection of receptionist-at-a-tattoo-shop clothes. Although, now I’m thinking jeans and a graphic tee would’ve done the trick.

On the inside, I’m not dressed like this. Inside, I have my hair dyed, the nose piercing I’ve always wanted. Inside, I’m carefree and don’t have to watch over my back.

Inside, I’m not running.

I trapped myself in a vicious cycle of suppressing my wants and desires to meet my family’s standards—and for what? All it ever got me was my own version of hell that I had to crawl out of. I still don’t feel close to the top. I’m hanging at the top of the hole, still trying to pull myself fully out.

It hurts too, because physically, Ink is my dream guy. A dream guy that I would never have the guts to approach in real life.

I mean, the man is so attractive he rendered me speechless.

More than I already am.

His hair that’s just long enough for me to run my fingers through had me longing to do just that. It looks like it would be the softest thing I’ve ever touched. His neatly trim beard that his tattoos lead up to gives him this scary edge that makes you want to find out just how bad he can be.

I wouldn’t know what to do with a man like that, but that doesn’t stop the fantasy of me climbing him like a tree.

I wonder if his tattoos cover every inch of skin his clothes conceal.

And that voice.

Gosh, that voice.

Too bad he’s a big fat jerk.

I’ll never tell him outright that he hurt my feelings, but there will be signs. I wasn’t trying to eavesdrop, but he wasn’t exactly being quiet about it either.

One thing I’ve learned since I decided I was done living in hell is that you don’t need to forgive and you definitely don’t need to forget. It’s okay to just move on and forget that someone ever existed.

That’s going to be a little hard to do with Ink, considering he’s my boss, but I figure I can keep the interactions between us short.

“Bailey?” Tommy calls out to the girl with the nose piercing and colored hair. “I’m ready for you.”

I met Tommy shortly after Ink left me to myself. He’s the shop’s piercer and the nicest person I’ve met here. He didn’t bat an eye when he walked in for the day and saw me, the uptight woman in khaki pants, sitting behind the desk.

“I’ll show you when I’m done, girl. You’re going to want one too.” Bailey smiles as she walks past. I say nothing as I give her a small smile in return, knowing she’s probably right.