Dylan slouched on the chair behind the counter with a sigh. He ought to stop going out on work nights, opening up the tattoo and piercing shop in the morning weighted on him as it never did when he was well rested and fresh of mind.
Then again, how could he say no to that absolute babe who had been smirking at him the whole time at the pub. He smirked, playfully twirling a pen between his fingers. What was her name again? Not that it mattered, he had no intention of seeing her again, but you know... just for the record.
He had just recalled she might be called Scarlet, at least that was what she said, when the bell at the entrance rang, the door being pushed open.
Two girls came in, strutting towards the counter, neither of them seemed the type to enter a tattoo and piercing shop on purpose.
"Can I help you girls? Are you lost?" he smirked.
The one walking in the front made a bitchy face and snorted. "No, of course not. I want a piercing."
Dylan scanned her. Brand new clothes, shiny jewelry, expensive sunglasses, high heels and Gucci purse. Rich, spoiled girl.
"Do you now? Are you eighteen? If you are not I'm going to need your parents..."
"I'm eighteen, just turned yesterday, my parents won't know a words of this." She grinned, placing her ID and a 50 dollars bill on the counter. Dylan raised his eyebrows. He took the ID and carefully avoided the money, once he was sure it wasn't fake, he'd seen enough of those to recognize one, he handed it back to her. "It's fine by me. As long as you're eighteen I won't call anyone, the only thing I'll charge you for is the piercing."
He shot a look at her friend behind her. She seemed to come from a different world entirely. Dirty blonde hair brushed back, held in place by a simple hairpin, light flower dress flowing around her knees, lower heels made of tangled rope as well as her purse, which she clasped with both hands, looking at it.
"How about you?" Dylan asked, and she had to be prompted to respond by her friend's elbows hitting her rib cage.
"Hum... I... I just want my ears pierced." She whispered.
Dylan chuckled. "You could have gone to the mall for that."
"She's here to make me company, I'm going for something more... private." The other girl smirked.
Dylan relented and sighed. "Alright you girls fill out these forms for consent." He handed the papers to them and slouched back on the chair.
The first to give it back was the blondie. Her neat handwriting had 'rich-daddy-princess-church-girl' written all over. She shot him a curious glance, and Dylan noticed she was watching his tattooed arm.
"Like what you see?" he teased her on purpose.
She flushed scarlet, but surprised him by asking. "Is that a phoenix?"
He nodded. "It is."
"I read it's a symbol for starting a new life from scratch, at least for lots of people."
Dylan was impressed. He did get it when he finally came out of his drug addiction. It still reminded of the bad times, but also of how good it was to be clean again. "You're right" he shot a glance at the paper she handed him. "Maeve." He smiled. "Beautiful name."
She blushed again.
Dylan heard her friend scoff. "So can I get my piercing now?"
"Sure." He glanced at her name too. "Allison. Where did you say you want it?"
"I didn't say." She smirked, maybe hoping he'd ask her again, but he was in no mood for playing games with a spoiled eighteen-year-old. She ended up telling him after a long pause. "My clit."
A grin surfaced on Dylan's lip. He expected something like that, a gesture of rebellion from a spoiled, rich brat who just turned of age.
"Sure you do." He got out a book. "So this is a catalogue, look at the pictures and tell me what you'd like." He handed her the scrap book of his previous works.
"I can do your ears in the meantime if you want, Miss..." he looked for Maeve's last name."
"Just Maeve, please, Miss Fairchild is my older sister." She had a genuine smile, and, Dylan couldn't help but notice, a killer body underneath that flowery dress. He shook his head. He would have sure liked to tap that. But of course she'd never go for it.
Dylan internally smirked; he bet she'd never gone beyond a kiss, it could be so much fun...
"Maeve then. Want to do your ears?"
"Sure."
He made a gesture and she followed him, leaving her friend looking horrified at the pictures she had before her eyes, her courage fading away.
As soon as they entered the back room she spoke. "Could you tell Allison it hurts a lot? The piercing I mean."
He turned, stunned. "It doesn't really. Heals pretty fast too."
"I know, I did some research, but her parents are going to kill her, and she's going to regret it. Could you tell her it hurts? She'll back out, I'm sure." She smiled, guilty of her little scheme.
Dylan chuckled. "It really isn't my business... but sure, if she's not so sure a bit of pain would scare her, she shouldn't do it."
Maeve smiled. "Thank you..."
"Dylan."
"Just Dylan?"
"Just Maeve?" he shot back, grinning.
She laughed. "Fair enough." She sat on the chair he pointed her.
"It was kind of you to come here with your friend, and to watch over her." He smiled as he readied the needle.
"She always gets in trouble." She said as if it explained everything.
"I was like her." He chuckled.
"Really?" she reclined her head and bit her lower lip, studying him. "Mmm... maybe I can see that." She blushed. "Sorry, I get ahead of myself."
"It's fine." He smiled. "I really was a trouble maker, at your age." Damn this girl... she was going to make him forget he had a job to keep if she kept biting that lip...
"Which was... how much time ago?"
"About five years." The needle and earring were ready. "You ready? These are basic earrings, you can change them once it has completely healed. I'd say a month, just to be sure, but could be less."
She nodded. "Go on." She seemed at ease, not like back in the shop with her friend overpowering her.
The shots were quick, he handed her some ice to put on it to cool down the area. She didn't make a sound.
"Great, you didn't even flinch, most people at least swear at their first piercing, even if it is on the earlobes." He helped her up, just so to have an excuse to touch her skin. Warm. Smooth. Damn.
"Oh that wasn't my first piercing." She chuckled handing him the money.
"You got another piercing before your ears?" he didn't expect that. "Where?"
She blushed. "Not even Allison knows."
"I wish I could say I didn't mean to pry but... I did." He smirked, intrigued.
She giggled. "It's fine, just don't tell anyone." She walked past him and whispered in his ear. "I got a nipple ring." And blushing, she walked back to the shop, where her friend was waiting for her.
Ok, he had to see that, no matter the consequences, he wanted this girl.
