chapter six

 

 

The sound of shoes tapping against the floor followed by his every movement welcomed me while he made his way toward my direction, closing the gap between the two of us and I stood there motionless with eyes stuck to him.

 

To say that I was surprised was an understatement at the sudden appearance of him in the room. I mean-

 

I never imagined him as one of the tattoo artists here besides Nicolas.

 

Rosa never mentioned this before? I shake my head at the thought. It's not like I care and it's none of my business but- okay.

 

Why am I so surprised now?

 

I examined him from head to toe, although aware of his eyes watching me, my mouth was kept shut. His legs moved fast towards me and within a span of a second, his tall figure stood in front of me.

 

I've been coming here several times over the past month and the only person I know around here is Dominic and Nicolas, of course, besides their other friends.

 

Even though they all seem nice, I just don't want to get involved.

 

These guys seem dangerous.

 

I remember the first time coming here was indescribable. One day I was really into having a tattoo and one of my friends from the club suggested me the shop around this area but she never mentioned which one of them.

 

There are many shops around this area but for some reason, none seems to be open.

 

So I decided to take a stroll around the area one day and the only shop that lit among this area and all the shops was this one, the name itself had already caught my attention.

 

The neon light emitting matching with the gloomy atmosphere.

 

And that's how I found myself coming here more often over the past month.

 

____

 

 

"What are you doing here? " he sounded almost amazed when he asked. His eyes widen slightly at the sight of me but I stay motionless and unanswered.

 

Seeing me unmoving with my mouth shut, his right lip lifted into a small smirk before he did something that surprised me a little.

 

"Angela..." he takes my hand in his before pulling me with him away from where I stood.

 

Hand gestured for me to take a seat on the adjustable chair before he walked around to where all the tattoo tools were placed.

 

Even after he left my hands, the feeling radiated from his warm hands, could still be felt on my skin.

 

I quickly pushed the feeling away, rubbing my hands together.

 

I make my way around the adjustable chair before sitting on it without uttering anything. It feels too awkward for me to say anything at the moment.

 

While I chose to stay quiet, he decided to ask me the question that I wanted to avoid coming from him but he thought otherwise.

 

"So... tattoo?" my mouth remained unopen and I smiled sheepishly at his question, my mind is out of words to say anything.

 

His eyes pierced into mine once I lifted my head.

 

I am aware of what's on his mind at the moment but I chose to ignore it and disconnect our eye contact to roamed my eyes anywhere but him.

 

"I would like to do it on my nape" direct to the point, I didn't give him room to question me anymore instead, trying to get him to do the work.

 

He stood there observing me a little more when I started to take my sweater off me which left me in my white tank top.

 

Crossing his hand over his chest, I noticed his lips lifted to the side again but now he was smirking widely, almost showing me his teeth before he let out a slight breath through his mouth.

 

"Is not it obvious?" he raised one eyebrow and I shrugged at the question asked.

 

"I will just cover it with my hair" he chuckled a little, probably thinking of me as someone stupid.

 

Right now, I just don't care and I know how my mother will go berserk once knowing me having a tattoo without her concern and how Rosa will- well she will get angry, of course.

 

"You are interesting" he muttered softly and began to adjust the chair to position it more comfortably before moving behind me.

 

His remark made me blush for no reason and I quickly turned my head away from his sight. Hiding the redness that begins to sip through my cheeks.

 

I tie my shoulder-length hair into a bun and let a few strands of my hair fall upon my cheeks.

 

His warm hand touches my behind ears and my body jerks forwards. Head whirled around to look at him and then I remembered.

 

My hand touches the same place he touched just a few seconds ago, the tattoo engraved there is display in front of him.

 

"Do you have an obsession with butterflies?" for the hundred times today, his question left me with no words again. I looked away, embarrassed before I looked at him back.

 

"I just.... love a butterfly?" I replied with a little uncertainty and he smiled before he back facing me again, preparing for the tattoo tools without saying any more words and I stared at his arm unaware.

 

I saw a small number engraved on his both elbows but I didn't bother to ask him and continued to keep silent while observing him some more.

 

"Are you sure you want this design?" his voice stopped my actions and his head whirled to have a better look at me.

 

Confirming it with me and when I nodded in confirmation he turned his head back to continue preparing for the tools.

 

"Vince!" the door barge open suddenly, without a hint of knocking nor a sound of alerting us that someone was here.

 

My head spins backward and appears a new face I'm not familiar with, walking inside the room without a care in the world when he shouted Vincenzo's name.

 

"Oh! I'm sorry I didn't know you have a customer" he grins playfully at the sight of me before he makes his way towards the unbothered Vincenzo and grabs a few things placed on top of the table.

 

I observed the two from my seat when I saw the man who had just entered the room peek to look at the paper and surprised decorated his face when he noticed it.

 

His eyebrows raised in questioning and a little amusement when his eyes fell upon the design before moving back and forth to gaze at Vincenzo.

 

His eyes never stop glancing at the busy-looking man preparing for the tools before he shifts his gaze up to me.

 

As if understanding what was happening which I clearly don't understand the interaction between the two.

 

One look from Vincenzo, the unknown man patted Vincenzo back before he makes his way out of the room not before throwing me a wink which I didn't care to respond to, and just send him out of the room with my curious eyes trailing over his figure.

 

My body shrugged a little in surprise when a hand was placed on my shoulder but quickly recovered from it.

 

"Relax your body" my body slumped to the front before adjusting my shoulder into a more comfortable position and his hands touched my nape, moving strands of my hair aside.

 

The process starts with him wiping the area of my nape with what I know was antiseptic before a thin layer of ointment is applied to my skin afterward and we waited for a few minutes.

 

I stayed motionless when he started to outline the design on my skin.

 

His presence itself makes my body shiver as he did the work quietly.

 

Low and soft music was played as background music and I focused on the music instead of the intimidating man standing behind me.

 

He started to hum to the rhythm of the song when the beats hit a certain point and I smiled at the small gesture.

 

"Do you know..." he moves to place the drawing tools on the table beside him and grab a tattoo machine. The sterile needles attached to the machine touched my skin and I flinched.

 

"Relax Angela" his hand touches my shoulder in a gesture of comfort before chuckles escape his mouth softly.

 

After waiting for a few minutes the needles again were placed on my skin and I clasped my fist together.

 

"Take a deep breath and relax Angela, I will be gentle" I do as told, taking a deep breath before relaxing my body muscles and then I feel it.

 

The needles pierced into my skin and I hissed a little, adjusting to the pain on my nape.

 

After a few more minutes of getting into the process, my body began to relax in my seat as he does the work carefully.

 

"Do you know..." again he repeated the same thing that he said a moment ago and I hummed indicating him to continue.

 

"I'm afraid you will not like the design... later" his words left me in confusion and my mind was blank.

 

However, the way he said that was as if it was normal for me to know that now instead of telling me beforehand.

 

He stops the machine on my skin and I quickly trying to recover from the pain.

 

When he didn't say anything, my mouth open to ask him what was playing on my mind.

 

"Why- What do you mean?" his lips lifted upwards into a smile.

 

"You don't want to know" my frown deeper, "tell me," I said in a curious tone.

 

"It was mine" his reply came fast and he didn't hesitate when he answered that.

 

"Yours?" my eyebrows yet again creased in confusion.

 

I know that I thought as I remember what Dominic said back then.

 

"I know that" my voice came out plainly and again, he chuckles softly.

 

"Why wouldn't I like the design?" I took the initiative to continue the conversation as he decided to ignore me.

 

He threw a glance at me while he was busy handling the tools before his hands once again came in contact with my skin, straightening my body to continue the process.

 

"why not" slowly he replied which again, left me in even deeper confusion.

 

"you know how picky I am right?" by now I don't know how did I keep up with the conversion knowing that I was in pain from the needles piercing through my skin and the soreness of my neck.

 

And I don't know why I asked him that. Now I feel so stupid.

 

He let the silence linger around us before the answer came.

 

"Of course" and then the room turns completely silent again with no words coming from either of us.

 

A few more hours passed and finally, he was done, letting me relax my sore neck muscles from sitting straight for a long time.

 

"It's done" my hand went to rub my front neck slightly before I let my hand fall on my collarbone. Neck a little tense from the bowing position.

 

He holds a mirror in front of me and I turn my body to the side, looking at the new tattoo on my skin and I smile in contentment.

 

"So pretty" I gape at the tattoo with admiration before my eyes gaze up to look at Vincenzo only to find him looking- okay no, staring hard at it, and if stare could kill, my skin would be burned by his stare.

 

The door again, barges open and Nicolas stops on his track as he eyes the two of us. He too now was dressed in the same pair of jumpsuits just like Vincenzo.

 

"Woah" moving closer in our direction, he joins us admiring the piece of art engraved on my skin before his face changes into excitement.

 

I was beyond confused when I saw the expression contorted on Nicolas's face, just like the other guy before this.

 

"Vince?" Nicolas asked the guy beside him before of course he too, looked at me and I shrugged my shoulders. Telling him my obvious confusion.

 

"I thought you don't want to do this one?"

 

"Yes, I don't want to..." he pauses before he glances at me for a split-second and turns towards the younger guy.

 

"But it's okay I change my mind" he looks calm while the other guy threw the man an amusement gaze.

 

A loud slap echoed around the room and my head snapped to look at the two men. My heart almost dropped expecting something worse to happen but instead, I saw Nicolas bending down while laughing his butt off at something I'm not aware of.

 

Vincenzo rolled his eyes at the younger man who was laughing at him before making his way out of the room leaving me with Nicolas.

 

I stared at Nicolas strangely and somewhat demanded an answer for what he was laughing at when he suddenly straightened his body from bending while grinning at me.

 

"What?" I asked in slight irritation and he moved closer toward me, his lips never stop grinning.

 

His legs move fast and withing a second his mouth beside my ear before he whispers something that I wouldn't have expected at all.

 

"You have the same tattoo as him now" and this time, my stomach feels like having a butterfly flying inside it.