Chapter Text
“So what do you want?”
“Huh?”
“What is it you want, kitten? Lip piercing? Nose piercing? Tongue? Belly? NIpple? Something more intimate?”
I tore my eyes away from the exotic beauty before me, feeling my face go red not at just the idea of that kind of piercing, but at the idea of her of all people doing it.
Dark, smooth caramel skin. Full lips with one of those piercings, fuck, what were they called, right at her chin. Honey brown eyes decorated with smoky makeup. Ears wearing heavy gold earrings. A tank top sliced in the middle to show off “assets” that would have anyone wanting to touch. Dark jeans that showed off those damn… amazing curves…
“I haven’t got all day, sweet. Have you picked yet?”
I snapped my eyes back up to her face. God, her face was gorgeous, even with it staring right through me. And that slightly accented voice made me shiver.
I tried to focus on the music that was playing in the background instead. What was it? Some kind of ethnic music? Maybe from wherever she was from. Maybe-
“Have-“
“Ear piercing,” I blurted out finally, readjusting my messenger bag. “Just a sic ear piercing, nothing fancy.” She leaned forward and I sucked in my breath, afraid that she would catch on that I had garlic pizza for lunch. “I-I’ve never had one. Figured I might as well, college starting and all that.”
I was a bubbling, fumbling idiot. And with good reason!
I had just cut off hair I had been growing for almost all my life, so short that it almost borderlined boyish. I had spent all summer getting into shape. I was a stranger in my own skin. Even the clothes were new.
I was no longer Marian Hawke- high school senior weighing nearly two and a half times my healthy weight, with glasses grandfathers would wear and knitted cat sweaters that their wives made.
No, I was no Marian Hawke- college freshman, who could climb a flight of stairs without needing an inhaler and had expensive glasses that any hipster would approve of.
“Virgin.”
I snapped back to attention, gaping. “W-what?”
How did she-
“Piercing virgin. Fresh and innocent, like a blank canvas. You’ve got good ears to get a few if you’d want to. Good face too.”
I wasn’t sure if this was a compliment or a sales pitch, so I took it as a compliment. Enjoy the little things while they happened.
“Maybe, yeah.”
She flashed me a dazzling smile and handed me a clipboard. “Fill that out and I’ll be with you in a moment.”
“Y-Yeah.”
What was I, a broken record? Capable of two words a sentence?
Did that even make up a proper sentence…
I turned and fumbled for a seat.
“And kitten?”
“Yeah?”
“Relax. I don’t bite, not without it being an extra charge.”
I don’t know why, but that kind of did relax me.
I filled out the information, and I was led into the back through a beaded curtain. There were a few chairs for tattoos, but no other customers.
Of course. What sane person would come in right at opening in the middle of the day for a piercing on a Tuesday?
Oh yeah, me, who had been near obsessed since I walked by the shop last spring when visiting the campus. I had even gone in to get a business card, and even then, Isabela (I learned her name from their website and from the multiple silent phone calls I had attempted), had been there.
I bet she didn’t recognize me.
Fuck, of course she wouldn’t, I didn’t even recognize me.
A ragged blonde with a half ponytail was asleep in one of the chairs without a care. Isabela smacked at him and slammed the release on the chair, jerking him awake.
“Anders, go watch the front. I’ve got a virgin here.”
He gave me a head-to-toe look, rubbing at his stubbly chin. His hands were tattooed. One had “JUST” and the other “ICE”. Did he just like ice?
“Do me a favor and if she’s a screamer like the last one, close the door. I still can’t get out that shrill from my ears. Christ, it was just one too,” he mumbled as he shuffled to the front. “Red heads are always screamers, girlfriend howling in laughter the whole time.”
Panic suddenly swept over me as I remembered that there was that little thing called pain in this whole process.
“It doesn’t hurt that much, does it?”
“Only if you don’t wriggle around and let me do it right.”
God, this all sounded so much filthier then it should have been.
There were little rooms in the back with what looked like old beds doctors would have for check ups. I was instructed to sit and did so, clutching my bag against my chest. Even though it had been over a month since I had dropped all that weight, it didn’t change the fact that I felt like I had a roll of logs bulging out of my shirt.
I watched her move fluidly in the small room. Plain earrings. Disinfectant. Gloves. The needle.
Oh why oh why oh why didn’t I just go to the mall and get it done and over with in a few seconds with one of those ear piercing guns?
Oh that’s right, because I had an obsession with a woman who looked like she got plenty of attention from a bunch of gorgeous people because what was that saying, that gorgeous people mate with gorgeous people and-
Oh God, I watched her pull on that rubber glove like she was pulling on underwear. I have no idea how that was even remotely seductive, but it made me shiver again.
“So you said you were just starting college?”
Good. Words. That’s what the space needed. Words. Words to keep me from staring and salivating like a dog looking at the most perfect mate across the dog park. Did dogs even do that? Or was that just in the romantic movies?
“Uh, yeah, over at Kirkwall.”
She moved over to me and tilted my head to the side, brushing away my hair.
I felt her fingers even through the gloves and my eyes fluttered close. If this was as good as it ever got, I’d be happy to have that feeling forever snapped in my head.
“I go there too. This is just a part time thing, for books and stuff. What are you majoring in?”
Her voice was so sweet and I felt like I could sleep just listening to it. I wanted to find out where her accent was from, but then again, it felt like it was more mysterious not to know.
“Haven’t… really decided on that yet.” I felt something dab on my ear, something cold. “My mom wants me to take up business or something, get the family store back together.”
“Not really into it?”
“Not really.” I wanted to open my eyes and look at her. I could feel her words and her breath so close to me, that I could even smell a spicy cinnamon breath mint there.
Did she always suck on those? I bet it would taste amazing on her tongue and…
I felt my face go red again, and resisted turning away. “And, uh, you? What are you majoring in?”
“Auto mechanics. Getting all that general education bull shit out of the way before I go off to a trade school in case it doesn’t work out.”
“Sounds fun.”
She turned my head to the other side, brushing my hair again. I could feel long fingernails under the gloves, but not those talons some women had.
“S-So you… like cars?”
I was sweating. Could she tell? I clutched the bag tighter.
Isabela chuckled and I felt that cool dab on my ear again. “Love them, kitten. That purr from the motor, the feel of power at your foot. There’s just something about that feeling of being able to go anywhere and everywhere to do whatever you want.”
“Kind of sounds like pirates.”
She chuckled again. “When you think about it that way, sure. The booty part sounds about right too.”
I felt a surge of confidence swell up inside of me. I made her laugh, oh God, I made her laugh.
Or maybe she was just being polite.
No, I had made her laugh. I had made the core obsession of my nights laugh at my lame attempt at jokes that dealt with comparisons.
The confidence quickly began to cool when I felt her move back, and I peeked an eye open. She was taking off the gloves.
“Wait,” she stopped, “what about the piercing?”
“All done, sweet.”
My hand flew up to an ear, wincing slightly.
But there it was, my first piercing and I hadn’t even felt a thing.
“You’re amazing.”
I like you.
Isabela scoffed and tossed the trash into a nearby bin. “Oh if you were the first person to tell me that, but I’m flattered you think that.”
She gave me a wink.
Did she just…
Yes, oh God, she actually winked at me. Did she wink at other people or was I that special customer who got the winks?
Got the winks, was that even a kink?
Self, stop it, you’re not Dr. Seuss.
“If I remember correctly, today is the orientation for all of you fresh faces, so you should probably get to it.”
I attempted to slide off the table gracefully and cool while pulling on my bag, but ended up slipping and tripping at the same time and went crashing down, only to catch myself with my elbows on the end.
She rose an eyebrow and I nervously gave her a smile, probably making me out to look like a freakish clown.
God, she probably just thinks I’m a clown. That’s it, I’ve ruined all chances. Good bye, sweet gorgeous lady of the tattoo store who pierced my virgin ears, I will never reappear before you and just dream of your cinnamon breath. I am not worthy.
“Y-Yeah, that… yeah, orientation, yeah.”
I grabbed the strap of my bag and clutched it tightly as I tried to bolt for the doorway, head lowered as I felt my ears beginning to turn red.
Game over, Marian, game over.
I stopped midway though, with my hand on the doorknob. Carefully, I looked over at her and attempted another smile. “Uh, thanks. For the piercing, not making it hurt.”
Isabela smiled and leaned against the table where I had just sat.
She’s feeling my warm spot.
“If you ever want another one, I’m always working. Just set up an appointment. You were pretty good for a virgin.”
I nodded, feeling the words sort of fade away before quickly dashing out.
It felt like my heart would beat right out of my chest like a monster baby ripping out of someone’s stomach.
And it was the best feeling.