Riki and Cassandra Ch. 01

Cass related all this even as she worked meticulously on the intricate outline to which she had added many details. Beginning with the stem of the large hibiscus midway down Riki's arm and working her way up to the open flower on the top of her shoulder with the hummingbird feasting on its nectar, Cass worked intently. As she was nearing completion of the outline, she realized it was nearly 7:30, so she asked Riki if she was getting hungry. She said if Riki wanted to, they could take a quick dinner break and then come back and get to work on the color. And, if Riki didn't have anything planned for the next morning, they would work that night until they were finished and then relax with a bottle of wine.

This offer excited Riki so much, because she had nothing planned for the whole weekend. And the prospect of spending more time that evening with Cass appealed to her very much, so she told Cass that she was in her hands, literally. Cass began to clean the remaining ink from Riki's outlined arm and shoulder, and when she finished she went to get the silk blouse, telling Riki with a big smile on her face that she would have to go braless for a while. Before she put on her blouse, Riki went to look at the outline in the mirror. The big smile on her face was proof that she was pleased with the progress of her tattoo so far, and she told Cass just that.

They decided to share in their mutual love of sushi since there was a really good Japanese restaurant just down the block, and they could be in and out quickly. Having decided what to eat, they made their way down the street to the restaurant. They were both hungry, but they decided to forego the sake since there was still work to be done on Riki's new tattoo and they had agreed to share a bottle of wine later to celebrate the tattoo and their new friendship.

They each had a sushi platter and over dinner they continued getting to know one another better. Riki was amazed that she was feeling so comfortable with Cass, amazed that this new aspect of her sexuality had opened up for her as a possibility, and she was so anticipating where this night was leading her. It was all new territory, but for whatever reasons she was comfortable and unafraid. She told herself that if she could go so far as to get a large tattoo, why couldn't she also have a lesbian relationship.

The sushi was fresh and wonderful, and they topped it off by indulging in a dessert of green tea ice cream. All in all, it had been a wonderful dinner, a wonderful day, but now the time had come for them to return to the shop so Cass could add the color to Riki's new tattoo.

As they strolled down the sidewalk back to the shop, the two girls walked slowly, enjoying the cool evening air, but even more so enjoying each other's company. They were walking close to each other and soon their hands brushed. When that happened, they turned to look at each other and Cass reached for Riki's hand and they continued their journey with their fingers enmeshed, oblivious to anyone who might see them holding hands. The short journey continued in silence, each girl's thoughts focused on what lay ahead for them that evening.

Back inside the shop, they made their way quickly to the work area, and Cass began to assemble her inks and the needles from the sterilizer for her to do the color work. Riki, meanwhile, took off her blouse hung it on the hanger, then went over and sat in the chair, eagerly awaiting the next stage of her tattoo.

As Cass began to add the inks to Riki's skin, she explained the colors she was going to use. She thought the hibiscus should be a peachy apricot color which would go well with Riki's own skin tone and would contrast well with the green foliage and the iridescent green and purple and red of the hummingbird. Riki loved the idea of the hibiscus color much better than the pink hue that she had originally thought about. And so, Cass began the process of shading the outline, filling in the colors on the flower and the very intricate work on the hummingbird. It took the better part of three hours before she was finally satisfied that she had achieved total perfection. As she cleansed the excess ink from the finished tattoo, she saw the first stage of her new canvas, a piece of art that she hoped would be a long time in the making, the beginning of a new relationship.

To be continued