she was familiar with the design in question.
Snake had spent weeks designing it, and had bragged about the private sessions with the boss of the local outlaw biker gang.
She'd suspected that that was who she was dealing with.
Now she knew.
With every moment that passed, she feared what would happen if she fucked up, and if she didn’t.
He wasn’t happy with Snake’s work, she kept thinking.
When Jan walked in the room and saw the biker under Allie’s tattoo gun, their eyes met, and neither said a word.
“That’s all I can do today,” she said. “It needs a little more time to heal.”
The big man nodded.
“So, um, aftercare -” she started, and the big man cut her off, not unkindly.
“Girl, I’ve been getting tattoos since before you were born,” he said. “I don’t wanna hear your spiel.”
She nodded.
“No problem,” she said. “That’ll be… uhh..”
It occurred to her that perhaps she wasn’t supposed to charge this man.
He gestured to one of his men.
“Give her five bills,” he said.
Allie didn’t even look at the cash as they headed out, only at them.
“Thanks!” she said. “Thank you!”
They all nodded, heading out the door.
When she looked at the money in her hands, she realized that they’d given her five hundred dollars. An amazing amount of money for her.
She slipped the bills into her pocket, laughing with delight, and looked at Jan.
“Can I head out for the day?” she asked.
Jan rolled his eyes.
“Sure, sure, run away, leave me here to deal with ten thousand drunks wanting cheap flash.”
“You’re the best!” Allie said, and headed out.
“Yeah, yeah,” she heard Jan say to her back. “That’s what they all say.”
The redhead let herself in to the apartment, tip-toeing, but she was pretty sure that her father would be out. Neither hell nor high water usually stopped him from ingratiating himself into a rally and getting all the free booze he could drink.
She was wrong.
She came out from her room after she’d dropped off a notebook, and almost ran straight into him.
The sharp crack of his hand across her face showed her her mistake immediately.
Before she could say anything, before she could do anything in her own defense, her father had pulled his hand back and doled out a punch to her eye that made her see stars.
Allie hit the ground and stayed put, curling into a ball with her hands over her face.
A savage kick to her back and he walked off.
She didn’t stand up until she heard the door slam behind him as he left the apartment.
Fuck.
He hadn’t hit her like that in years, and she almost couldn’t believe that he did it now. She was so fucking sick of him and his bullshit.
Although… Last time he hit her that hard, she’d been totally broke, and still in high school.
She was eighteen, she had a job, she had five hundred bucks in her pocket. Sleeping on couches for a while couldn’t be worse than that.
A light touch to her face confirmed that she’d have a nasty black eye.
She was done.
She was done, and she was getting the hell out of there.
It didn’t take long to get all of her stuff together. Three sketchbooks, some clothing, and an old shoebox full of mementos - the only things she thought were worth taking after eighteen years.
She walked back into the empty tattoo parlor ten minutes later.
“I’m leaving,” she announced.
“You’d better,” said Jan.
She stared at him. “What do you mean?”
“Getting out of town is the best idea you’ve ever had,” he said.
“I… I was gonna ask if I could crash here for a few days until I found a place,” she said.
He shook his head.
“No way,” he said. “Snake found out that you charmed the boss, and he is fucking pissed. Why do you think everyone cleared out?
Snake had spent weeks designing it, and had bragged about the private sessions with the boss of the local outlaw biker gang.
She'd suspected that that was who she was dealing with.
Now she knew.
With every moment that passed, she feared what would happen if she fucked up, and if she didn’t.
He wasn’t happy with Snake’s work, she kept thinking.
When Jan walked in the room and saw the biker under Allie’s tattoo gun, their eyes met, and neither said a word.
“That’s all I can do today,” she said. “It needs a little more time to heal.”
The big man nodded.
“So, um, aftercare -” she started, and the big man cut her off, not unkindly.
“Girl, I’ve been getting tattoos since before you were born,” he said. “I don’t wanna hear your spiel.”
She nodded.
“No problem,” she said. “That’ll be… uhh..”
It occurred to her that perhaps she wasn’t supposed to charge this man.
He gestured to one of his men.
“Give her five bills,” he said.
Allie didn’t even look at the cash as they headed out, only at them.
“Thanks!” she said. “Thank you!”
They all nodded, heading out the door.
When she looked at the money in her hands, she realized that they’d given her five hundred dollars. An amazing amount of money for her.
She slipped the bills into her pocket, laughing with delight, and looked at Jan.
“Can I head out for the day?” she asked.
Jan rolled his eyes.
“Sure, sure, run away, leave me here to deal with ten thousand drunks wanting cheap flash.”
“You’re the best!” Allie said, and headed out.
“Yeah, yeah,” she heard Jan say to her back. “That’s what they all say.”
The redhead let herself in to the apartment, tip-toeing, but she was pretty sure that her father would be out. Neither hell nor high water usually stopped him from ingratiating himself into a rally and getting all the free booze he could drink.
She was wrong.
She came out from her room after she’d dropped off a notebook, and almost ran straight into him.
The sharp crack of his hand across her face showed her her mistake immediately.
Before she could say anything, before she could do anything in her own defense, her father had pulled his hand back and doled out a punch to her eye that made her see stars.
Allie hit the ground and stayed put, curling into a ball with her hands over her face.
A savage kick to her back and he walked off.
She didn’t stand up until she heard the door slam behind him as he left the apartment.
Fuck.
He hadn’t hit her like that in years, and she almost couldn’t believe that he did it now. She was so fucking sick of him and his bullshit.
Although… Last time he hit her that hard, she’d been totally broke, and still in high school.
She was eighteen, she had a job, she had five hundred bucks in her pocket. Sleeping on couches for a while couldn’t be worse than that.
A light touch to her face confirmed that she’d have a nasty black eye.
She was done.
She was done, and she was getting the hell out of there.
It didn’t take long to get all of her stuff together. Three sketchbooks, some clothing, and an old shoebox full of mementos - the only things she thought were worth taking after eighteen years.
She walked back into the empty tattoo parlor ten minutes later.
“I’m leaving,” she announced.
“You’d better,” said Jan.
She stared at him. “What do you mean?”
“Getting out of town is the best idea you’ve ever had,” he said.
“I… I was gonna ask if I could crash here for a few days until I found a place,” she said.
He shook his head.
“No way,” he said. “Snake found out that you charmed the boss, and he is fucking pissed. Why do you think everyone cleared out?
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