Second Time Around

Hey guys. This is a new little series. Special thanks to Honeybree and an anonymous person for the suggestion. You might recognize some of the characters in this. So let's see if they can get it right this time :) –LilMami

"Sammy, I swear your whole body's gonna be inked up by the time you turn 30. You're gonna look like a fucking roadmap," Mia said as they walked toward the small, neon-lit building.

"Not completely inked, but I'm not stopping 'til I get my sleeve finished," Samantha smiled looking down at the heavy ink on her arm.

"Ugh," Mia snorted. "It's so unattractive and unladylike."

"God Mia. Will you just shut the hell up? The only reason you're here is because you begged me to let you come."

"Well the only reason I wanted to come was so I can see C.J., so don't get too excited."

"Wow, some cousin you are. You didn't come to support me. You came to hit on the tattoo artist."

"We have chemistry."

"Right. He flirts with every girl that comes here."

"You silly, silly girl. If only you knew," Mia laughed and stumbled as she attempted to walk across the dark gravel lot in her heels. "Shit."

Samantha laughed whole-heartedly.

"That's what you get skank. Tryin' to look cute."

"Whatever. Don't be jealous that I got a man and you don't," Mia teased as she sprinted for the parlor door, opened it, and stuck her tongue out at Samantha.

Samantha shook her head and entered the small brick building. She saw Mia leaned over the counter giving C.J. the google eyes as they talked. Samantha bumped Mia out of the way to write her information down on the sign-in sheet. She stuffed her hands into the pockets of her black skinny jeans and walked over to scan the posters on the wall.

"You finally decided to get a tat?" C.J. smiled at Mia.

"Umm....not quite yet," she said shyly. "I'm here with Sammy. She's come to get drawn on some more."

Samantha looked up at Mia and gave her the finger and the sweetest smile.

"Save that finger for later on tonight. You're gonna need it, Sammy," she joked.

"Or I could just look in your underwear drawer and get that jumbo dil--"

"Ladies," C.J. laughed putting his hands up. Mia gave Samantha an evil "I'm going to kill you when we get home" look.

"I wanna get some more of my sleeve done. And I might want something on my ribs," Samantha said excitedly.

"Damn Sammy. Why didn't you come by earlier? I gotta jet. I got shit to tend to, baby."

"Man, C.J. I came prepared and everything," she whined pulling on her white beater.

"You can still get it. Sketch can do it for you," he said gesturing to the artist on the stool. His back was to them, and Samantha gave a stank look.

C.J. snorted. "He's new here, but he's a beast at this shit. I can promise you that."

"But I want you to do it," she pouted, stomping her feet in a small frenzy.

"Sammy, baby," he sighed. "Okay look. My man Sketch can work on the rib tattoo, and when I come back I'll work on your sleeve. Deal?" He was such a charmer. But not as much as she was.

"I want a discount," she smiled brightly.

C.J. laughed softly. "This girl," he said more to himself. "Anything for Baby Girl."

She smiled proudly, and Mia snorted.

"What about me?" she asked.

"What about you, Mia?"

"She gets a discount, so what about me? What do I get?"

"You don't do tattoos."

"I know. What else you offering?"

CJ scanned Mia up and down. He turned his black fitted cap backwards and smiled. "You let me know what it is you want and I'll be sure you get it."

Samantha watched their exchange and faked a gag.

"Why don't y'all just fuck right here and get it over with?" she said walking back over to the posters.

"How 'bout I go talk to my man over here so he can hook you up with some sick ink," C.J. suggested.

C.J. was cute. His hazel eyes went well with his light brown skin. She would have tried to hook up with him, but Mia had called dibbs the first time she'd laid eyes on him. Now Samantha saw him as an older brother figure since she had no real siblings of her own.

"You do that."

C.J. smiled and walked over to the other tattoo artist.

Nothing really stood out to her. Samantha looked through what they had and still couldn't figure out what she wanted. She sighed loudly and looked over at Mia who was sitting in a blue chair skimming through a magazine.

"What should I get Mia?"

"The hell out of here. You have enough tattoos already."

"Thanks for all your help. Remind me to show you my appreciation to your face when we get outside."

Samantha heard a chuckle and looked over to see the guy C.J. had referred to as 'Sketch' still working on a tattoo. She sighed and plopped down in the chair next to Mia.

"Get something that means something. Like Uncle Devon's name or birthday or something."

As soon as those words left her mouth, she instantly regretted it.

"No," Samantha said sadly, quickly getting up from the seat and going over to the counter.

"Shit," Mia said following Samantha. "I'm sorry," she said rubbing Samantha's back, trying to comfort her.

"Nah it's okay. I'm okay."

"No. I shouldn't have said that. I'm a dumbass sometimes. You know that."

"Yea. I know," she laughed. "It still hurts, you know? I'm okay though. I'm good."

"Umm...I'm ready if you are," a voice interrupted.

Samantha looked up and into the lightest and brightest pair of blue eyes she'd ever seen in this lifetime. She stared into his eerily familiar eyes a little longer than she'd intended. He stared at her with a grin she couldn't place. Something like the "I know something you don't know" look.

"Uhh, okay," she stammered.

"Right this way," he said cheerfully walking over to the chair.

Samantha looked at Mia and gave her a weary look. She grabbed her hand and pulled her over to the chair with her.

She lay on the chair and stared at the back of his cropped blond head as he washed his hands and put on gloves. When Sketch turned back around, he noticed Samantha's wide-eyed facial expression and laughed.

"Don't worry. I know what I'm doing."

"It's not that," she said when she finally came back from her stupor. "It's just you... Never mind."

He smiled again and stared at her. It really creeped her out. Something about him was eerie.

"Do you have an idea about what you want?"

"Umm...kinda. I want my ribs done. I just don't know what I want."

"Let me check out the landscape," he said lifting up her shirt. His eyes scanned her toned belly and the tattoo peeking from her pants. He took in the small stones of her belly ring before looking up at her face.

"How 'bout a dragon?" he asked smiling again.

"She has a huge black dragon on her thigh," Mia chimed.

Samantha watched him closely as he looked over at Mia uncaringly then back at her still giving that "I know something you don't know" smile.

"Somehow that doesn't surprise me."

"What do you mean?" Samantha said nervously. She usually wasn't this antsy, but something about this guy didn't sit well with her.

"Nothing. I just meant that it doesn't surprise me. I'm sure you have lots of tattoos, Sam."

Sam? No one called her Sam. It was always either Samantha or Sammy. Never Sam. But he said it with such normalcy. Like it was something he always did. Like he knew her.

"Yea..." she said slowly.

"How 'bout a quote?"

"She always says this thing. Uhh... live today. Learn from tomorrow or something," Mia advised.

Samantha sighed. "It's learn from yesterday, live for today, hope--"

"For tomorrow," he finished. "Yea, that's a good one. I could make that look nice on you," he said going into his thinking mode.

"Really?"

"Hell yeah. I can decorate it with something that symbolizes life. Like butterflies and flowers or something."

"Nice," Sam said excitedly. "C.J. said you're a fucking beast at this."

"Well not a beast, but I'm pretty decent."

"Stop being modest," Mia said. "If he said you're good, you're good."

"I'm okay," he laughed.

"You'd better be better than okay if you're fucking with my skin," Samantha joked.

"Well in that case, I'm the shit."

Samantha laughed loudly.

"Let's hope so."

********************

Samantha looked into the full-length mirror in amazement. It was beautiful. The quote was written in cursive, each part on a different line. A butterfly sat on the last "Y" in "yesterday" and flowers sprouted all about. She loved it.

"Damn. I think I have a new favorite artist," Samantha smiled. "And you freestyled most of it."

"I told you I was the shit," he joked.

"I'm impressed. In pain, but impressed none-the-less."

"Thanks. And I'm sure you know the deal by now. Ointment three times a day. Don't rub it. Don't kiss it. Don't buy it flowers. Blah blah blah," he joked.

Samantha laughed. He was funny. Cute too. Something about him seemed so familiar. She just couldn't put her finger on it.

"How much do I owe you?"

"Ah, don't worry about it," he said rubbing the back of his neck. "It was my pleasure."

"No. You have to let me give you something for all of this. How's 50 bucks sound?"

"I can't take that. Icantake you out though," he said confidently.

"For all this? Hell, I'll even pay," she laughed.

"Deal. Here's my card."

He walked over behind the counter and fished around for his card before handing it to her. She took it and put it in her back pocket.

"You want my number?" she asked as he walked back over to the counter, looking at the sign-in sheet.

"Nah. I'll know it's you," he smiled at her.

"Okay. Well thanks again."

"No problem. I'll be waiting for that phone call too."

Samantha smiled as she grabbed Mia's hand and was out the door.

****************

Samantha slipped out of her jeans and took off her shirt. She loved the newest ink edition on her body and couldn't wait to show it off. She thought about the card in her pocket, dug through the pockets and found it. She stared at it for a while, letting the name sink in. His name was so familiar.

Tanner "Sketch" James.