Baggage & Buttons (14 page)

‘I intend to hang onto him Lexi, starting with this,
which seems a seriously stupid idea now we’re here,’ I said, as I looked up at
the sign over the door which read ‘Inked Up Tattoo’s’. We walked in and a guy
came out with a beanie hat on, piercings poking out of his lips, spears in his
ears and complete tattooed sleeves up his arms. He voice was really soft and
kind, which was so not what I was expecting from his visual.

‘So you have something in mind?’

‘Yes, it’s a really small one.’ I sketched out what I
wanted and handed it to him.

‘Well that’s not going to take long. Where are you
wanting it?’

‘On the front of my left hip, low down.’

‘Ok give me a few to set up,’ he said as he
disappeared into the back room.

‘Shit Lexi, I’m really nervous. I can’t believe I’m
having a tattoo done when you don’t even have one. I’ve gone completely crazy
this last couple of weeks.’

‘You have, but isn’t it fun?’ she grinned.

‘Why haven’t you got one? You’re always having
outrageous haircuts and colours and your piercings are growing, why not a
tatt?’

‘When I have one it’ll be something I’ve thought long
and hard about, something that I can live with. All of this stuff is removable,
re-growable or re-dyeable,’ she said, as she indicated her head and face with
her hand.

‘That’s why I’m happy to do this. It’s small and can
be filled in if it ever needs to be.’

‘So what is it? Why won’t you tell me?’

‘I’ll tell you when I can show you,’ I smiled.

‘Tease,’ she grumbled.

‘Ok Mia, tattoo table’s all set up, follow me through,
I’m ready for you now.’

‘Good luck mate.’ Lexi gave me the thumbs up and I
walked into the back room, where he’d laid out a portable bed which was covered
in paper towel and cling film.

‘Nervous?’

‘A little,’ I smiled.

‘You’ll be fine, it’ll be over before you know it.’ He
talked me through the process, applied a traced copy to my skin to check I was
happy with the position and I watched as he pulled fresh needles out of a
packet and put on some gloves, that was reassuring. ‘Ok I’m going to start the
machine to get you used to the noise, then I’ll do a small line first and make
sure you’re happy before I carry on. I promise we’ll be done in minutes.’

The noise made me jerk, thank god he did that first,
jumping while he was tattooing me definitely wouldn’t be a good move. I felt
his fingers holding my hip steady and took a deep breath. I felt the needle
touch my skin and waited for a searing pain and was surprised that it felt more
like a light scratch.

‘Huh.’

‘Ok?’

‘Yes it’s better than I thought.’

‘Good I’ll get on then,’ he smiled. I was amazed, the
noise was worse than the actual tattoo itself, there again I was having a tiny
one done, maybe all that colouring in was the worst part. ‘Ok.’

‘Yes, I’m doing fine thank you.’

‘I meant ok, I’m done.’

‘Seriously?’ I bolted upright.

‘Yes,’ he laughed, as he wiped some alcohol rub over
it and handed me a mirror to look.

‘O my god I
love
it, it’s so cute and the lines
are so sharp, thanks so much.’

‘You’re welcome. Right I’m going to tape some cling
film on it. Kept it on for 12 hours and then you can remove it. Wash it
regularly with warm water and soap, pat dry, no rubbing and gently apply
Bepanthen cream as often as possible.’

‘Bepanthen cream?’

‘Yes, it’s nappy rash cream. You can get it from any
chemist. As often as you can.’

I smiled and paid him and went out to see Lexi.

‘So?’

‘I love it, I think he’ll love it as well.’

‘He better, it’s fucking permanent Mia. So when can I
see it?’

‘When we get home, I’m not peeling my trousers and
knickers down here for you.’

‘You’re such a tease,’ she sighed.

‘You’re excited at the thought of me lowering my
knickers?!’

‘
No
, I meant for not letting me see the tatt, I
love you and all but so
not
turned on at the thought of you stripping
for me.’

‘I feel slightly insulted now Lex.’ I bumped her
shoulder and she grinned at me as we headed out. ‘So what’s our plan for tonight?’

‘You still want to go out?’ she asked, looking
surprised.

‘Yes of course, it’s girls’ night. I’m not going to be
one of those girls who dumps her best friend to spend every waking hour with
her boyfriend.’

‘You’d better not.’

‘He does want to meet me later though if that’s ok?’

‘As long as we have some time out together I’m cool
with that.’

‘You’re cool with everything Lex, cool should be your
middle name. Right, according to my research on the area there’s a beauty
therapist around here somewhere. I need to nip in and sort a wax appointment
and I’d love a facial, it’s been too long. Can I book you in as well? On me for
all the shit you’ve been through this week?’

‘Don’t be stupid, you don’t need to pay.’

‘I insist Lexi.’

‘Well if you insist I’m not going to argue with you.’ She
flashed me a smile of gratitude. I knew how difficult it was for her
financially, she wasn’t lucky enough to have parents supporting her through
Uni, so I did what I could to help her out, including letting her live rent and
bill free and paying for most of our take outs and nights out.

‘I need some nappy rash cream as well.’

‘What?
Baby play
? Seriously?’ she exclaimed, wrinkling
her nose up in disgust. ‘I’d
never
have put Gabe down for that.’

‘O gross Lexi, no,’ I laughed, shoving her.

‘Then what do you need nappy cream for?’

‘This specific brand of cream is apparently very
moisturising and has antiseptic properties for my tattoo.’

‘Thank god, I was getting a whole visual there that I
really
didn’t want.’

‘You and me both,’ I said with a shudder, praying that
would never come up in one of Gabe’s fantasy role play lists. Maybe we needed
to discuss what he did like, so I was clear exactly where the boundaries lay.

As we walked we came across a small square and the
beauty place was located in it, as well as a chemist, post office and a few
other small shops. I got us both booked in at two on Tuesday afternoon and I
went in search of my cream, as well as to pick up my new contraceptive pill
prescription, while Lexi headed to the newsagents for a paper and some gum.

‘This neighbourhood has some excellent shops and stuff,’
she said as she came out to find me waiting for her.

‘Gabe says we hit lucky here, but you should see where
he lives all leafy and private, it’s lovely.’

‘So what are your weekend plans with three times a
night boy?’

‘We want to go to the zoo tomorrow, will you come with
us?’

‘And be a third wheel? No way.’ She gave me a firm
shake of the head.

‘Please Lexi, he asked for you to join us, so you
won’t be in the way. He’s taking me out for a proper dinner date in the
evening, just the two of us, so we won’t ignore you or leave you alone.
Please
for me, there may be cute giant pandas. O you could wear your panda onesie.’

‘Fuck off, I love my onesie you sarcastic bitch,’ she
grinned. ‘Well as long as you’re sure you don’t mind, it might be nice to get
out and about for once. Where’s the zoo?’

‘No idea, Gabe was going to try find the nearest one
with giant pandas for me.’

‘Well how are we going to get there? I hate dirty
trains.’

‘Gabe has a car and he’s going to drive.’

‘He has a car? He kept that quiet. What is it?’

‘Lexi,’ I chastised, with a scowl.

‘What? You know me, I’m shallow, I like to know these
things. Bet it’s not some old clapped out piece of crap is it?’

‘No, it’s an Audi TT RS Coupe, it’s pretty sexy, just
like him. ’ I smiled remembering how good he looked in it this morning.

‘How the hell did he afford that at 19?’

‘An inheritance.’ I didn’t expand any further.

‘Cool, we better take some sick bags if we’re going
early and he’s going to be boy racing,’ she said as she browsed the front of
the paper as we walked.

‘He’s not reckless Lexi, I felt very safe in it with
him.’

‘Jesus Mia, look at the headline. A girl’s been
murdered and her body found on the edge of campus.’

‘
Really
? That’s awful. What else does it say?’
I tried to look at the headline as we walked.

‘Not a lot. Brunette aged 18, strangled and half naked
body left in bushes. She was found on Wednesday night.’

‘O god, poor girl. I really hope she didn’t suffer too
much. Her family must be devastated. Let’s hope it was a one off,’ I said as I
opened our lower door. As soon as we were upstairs Lexi followed me into my
bedroom.

‘Come on, let’s see the tatt.’

‘I’m supposed to keep it covered for the first twelve
hours.’

‘
Mia,
you know I can’t handle suspense. Just
let me have a peak, then you can cover it up. My mind’s boggling if you think
I’ll be shocked. I mean it’s
me,
have you ever known me be shocked at
anything?’

‘No.’

‘So show me,’ she begged. ‘I’m imagining that you’ve
had a life sized version of his cock put on there and it’s freaking me out.’

‘Ok,’ I giggled. I explained what it was first and why
I’d chosen it and burst out laughing when her mouth dropped open. ‘You just
said you couldn’t be shocked Clarke, you all mouth and no trousers are you?’

‘Fucking hell, well at least it’s not what I thought,
but what’s got into you lately?’ she exclaimed.

‘Taking a leaf out of your book Lexi and living it
large. Come on, seven years of friendship with you and you never thought your
craziness would rub off and I’d take the odd risk?’

‘Well there’s risk and risk, you know what I’m saying?
This is risk with a capital R.’ She grinned at me, looking impressed now she’d
got over the shock. ‘Come on stop stalling, whip down your knickers now you
know what I’m really interested in.’ I laughed again and shuffled my trousers
down and pulled my knickers and the cling film away from my body. ‘Wow, I never
thought I’d see the day. I like it, looks a bit red, does it hurt?’

‘It is starting to sting a little bit, but not
painful. Can I cover it up now?’

‘Sure, so when are you showing him?’

‘Tomorrow, when the cling film’s off.’

‘God even I’m excited to see how he reacts. Ok what
time’s History?’

‘Two o’clock. As we have a couple of hours, would you
mind if I go and have a sleep? I’m absolutely knackered and my back and stomach
are really hurting again.’

‘Not surprised the amount of sex and lack of sleep
you’re having lately. Go for it, I’m going to kick some xbox ass. I’ll wake you
up, that alarm’s enough to give you a heart attack. What time shall I get you?’

‘Well the bus is at one eighteen, so quarter to?’

‘Ok.’

‘Thanks Lex, see you later.’ I grabbed an empty water
bottle out of the kitchen recycling bin, filled it and took it to my bedroom
and watered my big display of red roses, taking a moment to breathe them in, they
still looked and smelled fabulous. I closed my roman blinds, stripped down to
my pants and climbed into my bed and sent Gabe a quick text.

Thanks again for a really lovely night Gabe and for my
bracelet. I love it. Mia x

I was in the middle of an amazing dream when I heard
Lexi calling my name and gently shaking my shoulder.

‘Mia, come on. Time to get up.’

I groaned and opened my eyes. ‘But I feel like I only
just dropped off.’

‘It’s been nearly two hours.’

‘I was in the middle of a lovely dream, I want to go
back to it,’ I grumbled.

‘Did it involve sex by any chance?’

‘Shit. Was I sleep talking again?’

‘Sleep shouting, I can never catch a bloody break. I’m
going to have to live in my earphones.’

‘Sorry.’

‘How are you feeling?’

‘Bit like you probably, my back’s killing me, my
stomach aches and I feel a bit nauseous, nothing new. Come on then, I’d better
get changed and sorted and wash down some pain killers.’

As soon as I was ready I grabbed my phone and saw a
text from Gabe, from a few hours earlier.

I had a great night too and glad you loved your
bracelet G xx

Lexi and I are going to hit Princes street first, so
let me know when you’re out tonight and I can let you know where to meet us.
Operation fix up is a go from my end, what about yours? See you later x