Tattoo of Love Ch. 09

A pair of four inch pumps expanded her already tall stature, and as she bent down to hug her daughter, Julia's nostrils were invaded by the strong scent of an expensive designer perfume. As they engaged in a half-hearted hug, Julia could see her step-father watching her with intent eyes. She knew he was trying to lock gazes with her, but she refused, choosing instead to keep her orbs firmly locked upon a point beyond him.

As Julia was released from the embrace, her eyes curiously roved across her mother's features. It'd been awhile since they'd last seen each other, and she wanted to see if she looked any different from their last encounter. Seeing no changes except for a few golden brown highlights in her sleek bob, she offered her a weak smile.

"Well it's nice to know you're still alive," said her mother. Always prone to overdoing everything in life, she wore makeup which overpowered, rather than enhanced the beautiful features she had.

"You can stop exaggerating mom, because you knew I was perfectly okay."

"Of course I didn't, how would I?"

"Well it's not like you ever come to visit me, and we hardly ever talk on the phone, so I just find it a bit strange that you're suddenly worried about my safety."

She placed a hand on her hips. "We may not have the closest relationship in the world, but that doesn't change the fact that I love you. You're my *daughter,* Julia. Remember?"

"Of course, how could I have forgotten?" She quipped.

Ignoring her daughter's sarcastic remark, she grabbed one of her curly locks and judgmentally asked, "So when are you going to straighten your hair?"

"What's wrong with wearing it curly?"

"Nothing's wrong with it, I just think you'd look far better with it straightened out. It's almost past shoulder length, so just imagine how much longer it would be if you got it pressed."

"I might get it straightened one day, but for now I prefer it curly."

"You were blessed with long hair. Don't you want to take advantage of that and show off its length?"

"Mom, just drop it, okay? I like it just the way it is."

As her mother released the curl from her fingers, it sprung back to its original shape. "Alright, have it your way. But if you ever change your mind, let me know. I found a fantastic salon in the city that does a great press n curl."

Deciding to add his input, Dave offered his step-daughter a leering gaze. "I think her hair is gorgeous. Leave her alone, Vivian, and let her wear it the way she wants."

Pretending not to hear her husband's comment, her mother asked, "Well aren't you going to invite us up to your apartment?"

"Yes, of course. Follow me." Her voice was filled with reluctance.

As they made their way toward the stairs, she heard her mother question her.

"Aren't you going to say hello to Dave? He was concerned about you, as well."

Turning her gaze upon her stepfather, she found herself staring into the mirrored sunglasses which covered his eyes.

"Hello," she curtly said.

He nodded his head in response. "It's good to see you, Julia. How are you?"

Although his orbs were concealed by the glasses, she knew just where his gaze was aimed. Taking a quick glance downward, she was dismayed to find that she'd failed to clasp the top two buttons of her sweater.

"I'm fine." Her fingers worked hastily to fasten the buttons.

As they reached the top of the steps, she unlocked the door and ushered them in, gesturing towards the couch so they could have a seat.

"I have to be at work in an hour, so I don't have a whole lot of time to hang out."

"Don't worry, we won't stay too long," said Vivian.

Noting the change of tone in her mother's voice Julia asked, "Can I get you two anything to drink?"

"You got any beer?" Dave asked.

"Nope, but I have some juice and soda."

"No thanks, i'll pass."

"What about you, mom?"

"No thank you."

Setting her purse upon the coffee table, Julia took a seat in an armchair and turned her gaze upon her mother.

"So, what's up?"

Crossing her arms in front of her busty chest, Vivian asked, "What's going on with you and Sage? Why didn't you allow her to stay here?"

"Oh, so that's what this visit is all about. I know there had to be a catch, because you'd never drive all the way out here just to see me."

"Stop trying to change the subject and just answer my question."

Taken aback by the sharpness of her mother's tone, she said, "I did let her stay here. She crashed here for five days."

"Sage told me she needed to stay here for at least a week longer, but you kicked her out."

"I sure did."

"Why did you do that?"

"She let a guy sleep over here without my permission. They kept me up all night with their activities, and then when I woke up in the morning, he was still here. I found him in my kitchen butt ass naked, and she was nowhere to be found. Is that a good enough explanation for you?"

"So that's it? That's why you kicked her out?"

"What do you mean, that's it?" She asked in astonishment. "Didn't you hear what I just told you?"

"I heard it, but I still don't see why that gave you an excuse to boot her out. She's out your sister, and you should have allowed her to stay here for as long as she needed. That's what family does for each other."

"Listen, I tried to be nice but she took advantage of the situation. She refused to respect my space."

"It's not your job to police her. She's a grown woman, just the same as you are."

"Which is exactly why she should have known better."

"You're her sister, not her mother. It's not your job to judge her, and considering how wild and out of control you used to be, you really don't have much room to talk."

Julia eyes rolled in response. "Okay, that was like eight years ago, so you really need to leave that in the past."

Disregarding her daughter's statement, she continued on. "You hardly spent any nights at home, and the times you did, I seem to recall you sneaking all sorts of guys into your bedroom.

"Excuse me? Sage was the one who did that, not me."

"What about the huge party you threw, when you knew that Dave and I would be out of town? Remember how we came home early and busted you with that guy in your room?"

Knowing that her mother was seeking a reaction, Julia bit her tongue and remained silent.

"If I hadn't gotten home when I did, who knows what would have happened." She shook her head at the memory.

"All we did was make out," she firmly said. "I wouldn't have allowed it to go any further."

An expression of disbelief crossed Vivian's face. "Yeah, right. I guess that's why his pants were around his ankles."

Furrowing her brows in annoyance she said, "Okay, what the heck does this have to do with anything? We were talking about Sage, and suddenly we jumped to something which happened when I was a *teenager*."

"I'm reminding you that you aren't perfect yourself, so that maybe you can stop judging your sister."

"I'm not judging her, I just didn't appreciate her bringing someone in here without my permission."

"Sage tells me he was your ex-boyfriend. She thinks the real reason you kicked her out was because you were jealous."

She released a snort. "Yeah, that's exactly it. I was so jealous of her hooking up with my scummy ex-boyfriend."

"Well I think you over-reacted, and you should apologize."

A stunned expression crossed her face as she asked, "Why? She was in the wrong, not me."

"She was very hurt by you kicking her out."

"Well she disrespected my living space."

"Come on, Julia. Sage is your sister."

"That doesn't mean I have to put up with her mess."

Releasing a sigh of exasperation, her mother said, "Alright, so don't apologize. I think it's pretty screwed up of you to just throw her out on the street, though."

"Oh stop exaggerating, mother. She has plenty of places to go, including your house."

"You're missing the point. You're supposed to be there for family, no matter what."

Her voice rose in pitch. "I can't believe you're taking her side once again. You've always treated her better than you treat me."

Fixing her daughter with an angry look, she said, "That is *so* untrue."

"No it isn't. Ever since you married Dave, it seems as if Sage has been your favorite. She's not even your daughter by blood, and you *still* favor her over me."

"That's completely ridiculous. I've never favored her over you. It just seemed that way, because we had more in common."

"Yeah, like makeup and expensive clothes and designer bags. You guys bonded over all of those things, and in the process, I got left behind."

"So that's my fault, is it?"

"I'm your real daughter. You're supposed to put me first."

"This sibling rivalry between you and Sage should have ended years ago." Vivian waved a hand dismissively at her. "Move on and let it go, Julia. Jealousy doesn't look good on you."

Feeling her heart sink from her mother's words, she stood up from the armchair and coldly stated, "I have to show up for work soon, so if you don't mind, i'd like to get ready."

Rising up from the couch, Dave and Vivian made their way toward the door. As Julia opened it, Vivian gave her a light kiss on the cheek and then said, "Call your sister and apologize, okay? Let her know that you're sorry."

"Goodbye, mom," were the only words that Julia offered.

As Dave passed by her, he said, "Take care, Julia, and make sure you keep a close eye on those buttons." He lifted his sunglasses up so he could give her a lewd wink, and then lowered them once again.

Filled with disgust from his reference to her unintentional exposing of cleavage, she uttered an unfriendly goodbye and then shut the door behind them, happily ridding them from her presence.

* * * *

Having reached the end of an eventful day at the bakery, Julia unlocked the door to her apartment and flipped on the light, tossing her keys on a table where she kept the mail. After kicking off her shoes and shrugging out of her coat, she headed straight for the kitchen and poured a glass of wine. Worn out from her busy day at work, she decided against preparing a meal and headed straight for her bedroom, carrying the glass of wine along with her.

Once she'd stripped out of her clothing, she changed into a strappy tank top and a pair of drawstring shorts. Settling herself on the bed, she reclined against a pillow and leisurely sipped her wine. Julia grabbed her cell phone from the nightstand, and as she glanced at the display screen, she found herself hoping that Nolan would call.

Two days had passed since her mother had come to visit, and it still seemed as if he was upset over her not wanting to introduce him. She hadn't meant to hurt her lover, but she'd seen no other way to protect the relationship that she'd fostered with him.

She'd tried contacting him multiple times since then, but each call had resulted in the voicemail picking up. Understanding that he needed space, she'd given up trying to reach him, but now that a few days had passed, she decided to make another go at rekindling their relationship.

It was her hope that he still considered them as a couple, but even if he did, it was obvious that the closeness they shared was on a steady decline. As she held the phone in her hand, she contemplated giving him a ring, but guessing that he wouldn't answer, she chose instead to send him a text. Once she'd formulated the short message, she took a moment to read it over before sending it along its way.

~Hey sweetie, how's it going? Give me a call when you get a free chance, okay?

I miss you.

x Julia~

After hitting the message send button, she set the phone down and took another sip of her wine. As she contemplated their relationship, she realized just how terrible he must have felt when she'd refused him the chance to meet her mom.

She had, after all met his own mother, and a few of his cousins as well. She could tell from his interactions with relatives that Nolan was closely tied to his family, and this made Julia even more uncertain about the future of them as a couple.

It seemed that Sage's unwelcome visit had caused a chain of events in Julia's life, and with her and Nolan's relationship on the rocks, she deeply wished that her step-sister had never come to stay with her. Yet as much as she'd like to fault Sage for the events which had conspired, she knew that the blame didn't lie entirely upon her.

With Nolan being so close to his family, he would have eventually wished to be introduced to Julia's mom. So either way, she would have had to deal with the whole 'introducing him to mom' dilemma. It seemed that her step-sister's recent presence had only sped things along, causing her to face the issue at an expedited speed.

*Damned if I do, damned if I don't.*

As the saying entered her mind, she realized that this whole issue with her mom was pretty much a no-win situation. So either way she cut it, her relationship with him would surely be altered in some unpleasant way.

Setting the glass of wine down, she rolled over onto her stomach and lay her head against the pillow. As her eyes landed upon the space in the bed next to her, she caught sight of a strand of hair. She instantly recognized it as one of his, and picked it up to examine it closer.

Holding it between two fingers, she stretched out its wave pattern, and then allowed it to return to its original shape. Instilled with memories of what it was like to run her fingers through his locks, she couldn't help but recall the passionate night they'd shared here in her bed.

Closing her eyelids to reminisce, she lost herself in visions of their erotic coupling. She vividly recalled the way his features had twisted in ecstasy from the feel of her body, and she pleasantly remembered how his sweat covered body had felt against her own.

Feeling a rise of excitement within her, Julia undid the drawstring on her shorts. Sliding her hand beneath the fabric, she allowed her fingers to delve between her legs. She was surprised to find that her vaginal lips were already wet with need, and as she immersed herself in the fantasy of her lover, she spread her legs and let her digits go to work.

The sound of a chime ringing through the air abruptly pulled Julia from her fantasies, and as she rolled over to grab her mobile, she felt her heart beat wildly in her chest. Sliding the display screen of her phone up, she expected to see a text from Nolan, but her hopes were promptly smashed when she saw Mimi's name instead. The nature of the message, however, caused her disappointment to quickly transform into worry.

~Please come over ASAP. It's super important!!~

Rising up out of bed, Julia hurriedly got undressed and put on some street clothes, then grabbed her keys and headed for the door. She didn't know what was going on with Mimi, but figured it must be pretty pressing if she sent a message like that. Still on edge from the capricious day she'd been having, Julia hoped with every fiber of her being that nothing too serious was happening with her best friend. Filled with apprehension, Julia locked the door behind her and descended down the stairs, longing for the moment when this day would finally come to an end.

* * * *

"So what's the verdict?" Julia asked as Mimi emerged from the bathroom.

Plopping down onto the sofa, she tossed the capped pregnancy stick to her friend. Glancing at the little window on the test, Julia saw a pink plus sign in the display window. Rendered speechless by the results, she took a glance at Mimi and saw that she was cradling her head in her hands.

"I can't believe i'm pregnant," she groaned. "If I'd just gotten the shot I never would have had to worry about missing one of those damn pills."

Swinging a leg up onto the couch, Julia positioned her body so that she was facing her friend.

"If you don't mind me asking, who's the father?"

"Daniel."

"The waiter from your cousins wedding?"

"Yes."

Unsure of what else she should say, Julia simply said, "Oh." A moment of silence passed between them. "So what are you going to do?"

Mimi lifted her head up from her hands. "What else can I do, except have the baby? That's the only choice for me."

Grabbing hold of the pregnancy stick, she cast a miserable stare upon it, as if hoping that it'd magically changed to a more favorable result. Shaking her head in disappointment, she tossed it onto the coffee table and released an exasperated sigh.

"I'm going to have a kid. Can you imagine that?" Her eyes stared off into the distance as if she were imagining herself in the role of motherhood.

"No, I can't imagine it all. It's going to be such a trip seeing you with a big ol' pregnant belly."

"Having a large belly will be the least of my worries. The morning sickness, backaches and mood swings with only add to the joy of impending motherhood."

Hoping to ease her friend's mind, Julia placed her palm against Mimi's shoulder and gave it a gentle rub. "You know you can count on me to help you out in any way you need, right? That means i'll be available to give you belly rubs, make late night trips to the store when you get cravings for weird foods, and I *might* even be willing to throw in a foot rub or two."

Her lips curled into a weak smile. "Thank you for supporting me. You really are a great friend."

"Hey, no need to thank me. That's what I'm here for."

Grabbing her by the hand, Mimi gave her palm a little squeeze and said, "I'm sure Daniel will be thrilled when I tell him that he's got another kid on the way."

"So he's already a dad?"

"Yep, he's got a five year old daughter, and is currently going through a nasty custody battle with his ex-girlfriend."

"Wow, sounds like he's already got his plate full."

"Pretty much. So now that he's knocked me up, it looks like i'll be having baby mama drama with this other chick, Debbie."

"Have you ever met her before?"

"Nope, and judging from the way that he describes her, she's not the type of girl that you'd want to meet in a dark alley."

"She sounds a bit rough around the edges."

"Rough is an understatement. According to Daniel, she's been in multiple fights with him, and their last altercation ended with him having to take a trip to the hospital. From the way that he describes her, she seems to be pretty unstable."

"So basically she's a psycho."

"Yep." Propping her feet onto the coffee table she rested her head against the back of the couch and stared up at the ceiling. Releasing a heavy breath she rhetorically asked, "What the hell have I gotten myself into?" They were both silent for a few moments and then Mimi began to speak once again. "You're a lucky girl, Julia."

"Am I?"

"You sure are. You have a wonderful man in your life, someone who absolutely adores you."

As Mimi spoke the words, her thoughts instantly turned to Nolan, remembering the way they'd parted during their last time together.

"You've got yourself a good one, girl. Men like him can be really hard to come by, so whatever you do, make sure you hold onto him."

A small twinge of sadness rose up inside of Julia as she thought about the current state of her relationship with Nolan. She wanted nothing more than to keep him in her life, but she wasn't so sure how one could hold onto something, when it seemed fated to slip away.

* * * *

Searching through the library's steel bookshelf, Julia glanced from title to title, looking at each spine until she found what she was looking for. Grabbing the tall book off of the shelf, she cracked open the hard cover and had a look inside. The musty scent of it filled her nostrils as she flipped through the pages, and as her eyes landed upon a map, she thoughtfully studied it.

Featuring all of the islands of the South Pacific, it gave it her an idea of where Nolan would be traveling. Julia was curious about the types of places he would be visiting, and she was especially interested in learning more about Samoa. She spent a few minutes glancing at the glossy photos, but since she was on her lunch hour from work, she didn't have nearly enough time to properly immerse herself in the reading material.