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“LJ,your next appointment is here. I’ll get them prepped.”
“Thanks, Ethan.”
I didn’t turn my head but mumbled out my gratitude as I focused on the client in front of me. I was filling in the piece I’d been working on for a couple of weeks now, and today was the last part.
“You’ve gotten pretty busy. How long have you been at Equinox Ink now?”
“Oh, um, about two months, I think. It’s all kind of blended together. I started in August, so whatever month it is now,” I laughed dryly.
“Well, it’s October, so yeah, two months,” he chuckled. “You’re good. I’m glad I found you when I did. I’m digging this full sleeve. I’m gonna have to get you to do my leg next. I’m still debating what I want.”
“Yeah, no problem. Just let Ethan know and he can get you scheduled,” I said distractedly, looking over the arm. “Well, I think that’s it.”
Turning off the gun, I looked back at the full image. It was one of the most intricate pieces I’d ever done and had taken me a couple of sessions to do. It was full of flowers, moons, and trees with a panther hidden in it. The colors popped, and the eyes glared back at me. I looked up, smiling at the man, pleased with myself.
“Thanks so much for trusting me with this beautiful piece.”
“It’s no problem, sugga. How about I take you out for dinner as a thank you?”
Shutting down my face, I adopted the expression I’ve worn since I got into Nashville. Fake kindness.
“Bless your heart,” I gushed, “that’s so kind of you to offer, but I’m afraid I’m a taken woman.”
Smiling, I got up, stretching my legs and arms from the cramped position I’d been sitting in for the past hour. No one ever mentioned the weird, uncomfortable maneuvers you did while tattooing someone.
“I’ll send Trudy over to double check my work and then Ethan will wrap it up for you. Thanks again, hun.”
Quickly, I left the area, needing to get some air. What was it about guys, that the moment I wasn’t interested in any sort of dating, they all started asking me out? I was beginning to think it was men who wanted to date the unattainable ones and not women. Popping into the break room, I grabbed a bottle out of the fridge, the cold water cooling my throat as it went down.
“You okay?”
Nodding, I kept drinking the water, not caring if any of it slipped out. The panic eased some as the water rushed down, and I pulled it back, wiping my mouth with the back of my hand.
“Yeah, I’m good,” I answered, not turning to acknowledge whoever was behind me. I headed back out to my next client, a smile plastered on my face.
Day in and day out, I did the same dance. Sassy, but polite with a smile on my face, and my accent exaggerated, I pushed through to the next day. I’d learned really quick I could get away with almost anything if I said it ‘southern’ enough. Most tourists wanted that true Nashville experience, after all.
After a few nights in a motel, my dad was able to find me a place after he’d called around and found out an old buddy of his had a place to rent over a tattoo shop. It was perfect timing as I’d been one night away from caving after itchy sheets, crappy water pressure, and cockroaches and heading back to Bowling Green with my tail tucked between my legs. Thankfully, it turned out to be the lucky break I needed and helped me prove to myself I could do this.
Once I was settled, I couldn’t help but peek into the shop below, curious about the place. It wasn’t as nice as Emblazed Tats, but it had some oddly strange similarities with the designs and layout. After a few days of poking about, Ethan started talking to me. He’d just taken over as manager for the store and once I’d shown him my designs, he agreed to give me an interview.
Within a few days, I had a willing subject to tattoo and an abbreviated apprenticeship under Trudy. Ethan and her agreed since I’d already worked in a shop for three years, I didn’t need the normal apprenticeship of learning the ropes before I started, so they dumped me in headfirst. When walk-ins came in and they were willing to try a beginner for a lower cost, I got to practice. The shop had a good Instagram following, posting all their tats, and before long, I was designing and tattooing on a regular basis. I’d even started being requested by name. It felt nice to be validated in my efforts and that I was potentially good at something.
Overall, Nashville was good to me. Despite my heartbreak and missing my family, I was making it on my own for the first time in my life. No best friend, no parents, or an overbearing boss to tell me what to do. Each day, I made my own decisions, and I was doing something I’d wanted to do forever, no longer letting fear hold me back.
Granted it was lonely at times, but relationships hadn’t ever done me any favors. I’d accepted I wasn’t the type of girl to get a ‘happily ever after’, and as hard as it was to stop the wishful thinking and hoping, in the end, it was better this way. If I didn’t wish for something, it couldn’t be taken away from me.
Book boyfriends would have to suffice. I hadn’t blogged since leaving, shutting down my site to avoid reading all the messages, but my kindle account got a hefty workout. And while I devoured my new favorite genre of reverse harem romances, I knew my life wasn’t meant to be that way.
Checking my watch, I sighed, and greeted my next client as I headed into my cubby space. This was my life now. Tattoos and Books.
I tried to convince myself I was happy with it.
* * *
“Givea round of applause for our next singer, the one and only, LJ Star.”
Smiling, I gripped the microphone, nerves constantly overtaking me every time I stepped onto the stage. I still got incredibly bad stage fright, but it was something I pushed myself to do, needing the outlet. I’d also found I craved the adrenaline of singing, so despite almost passing out from nerves each week, I showed up at this bar and sang. The band began playing behind me, and I found myself relaxing more and more as I sank into the music, the rhythm a balm to my heart.
