we’ll come back later.”
His girlfriend scowled at him over her shoulder. “But…”
Pandora crossed her arms under her breasts and gave them a hard glare. “That’s a good idea.”
The shop was eerily quiet as the group shuffled back out into the rain. The tattoo machines had stopped their hum and no one spoke until the doorbell silenced. All the joy and excitement he’d sailed into the shop on was gone.
“Dude, where the fuck did that come from?” Autumn elbowed Pandora, her eyes huge behind her glasses. “I thought you were going to jump all over her.”
She muttered something and turned toward him. Pandora had defended him. He still wasn’t used to the rabid fans who blamed him for any number of things he had no control over.
Kellie laughed, a loud, boisterous sound that broke the tension. “Pandora, I think you need to go hit the bags with me sometime.”
“No thanks.” She squeezed his hand and let him go. “I need a minute.”
She turned on her heel and marched down the hallway, disappearing around the bend. Autumn glanced at him.
“I’m going to check on her. Hang out here, okay?”
He nodded and turned in a circle, wanting to do something. This was not how he’d pictured this night going.
Chapter Seven
Sailor, Traditional, Americana or Sailor Jerry: Style of tattoos dating back from the turn of the century to the 1950s, traditionally inked on sailors. Done in ports like Amsterdam, San Francisco and Coney Island. Refers to both the style of drawing and subject matter such as ships, anchors, pin-ups and sparrows.
Pandora stood in the alley, the fragrance of rotting sandwich meat in the dumpster wafting toward her on a gentle breeze. The rain had stopped, but that meant humidity wrapped around her lungs like a wet blanket. Behind her, the back door to the shop clanged open.
“Hey.” Autumn’s voice was hesitant, subdued for her.
She pivoted and looked at her. “Any chance you have a cigarette?”
Autumn closed the door behind her and shoved her hands into her pockets. “We quit, remember?”
“Doesn’t mean you can’t indulge every now and then. God, I want a cigarette.”
“No, you don’t. You’re just angry. Those were some fucked-up people. Who says that crap to someone?”
She clenched her fists until she felt the bite of her nails on her palm. “He said people say shit like that to him all the time but I didn’t believe him. I wanted to punch that bitch so bad.”
Autumn chuckled. “That would have been sweet if you had. But we’d probably have to bail you out if that happened. I’m sure your boyfriend appreciated it though.”
Pandora bit her lip. “He’s not my boyfriend.”
“What? Pandora, be serious.”Autumn smacked her arm lightly.
“I am. We aren’t dating.”
“Well, why not?”
She looked away from Autumn. “You know how there are guys that will go out with you, and it might be fun, but you know it’s not going anywhere? It’s not going anywhere between us. We’re too different.”
Autumn didn’t say anything for a moment. “You never know if you don’t give it a try.”
Sighing, she looked back at Autumn, her pink hair gleaming from the light filtering around the back door. Her mother had loved her father, but it hadn’t been enough. He’d still left her, and wanted nothing to do with his daughter. “It’s not that easy.”
“Sure it is. You just open your heart and go for it.” Autumn shrugged. “You’re going to do whatever you’ve made up your mind to do, but I think you should give him a chance. He’s a good guy. You deserve someone like that. I need to go. You going to be okay?”
“Yeah, I’ll be fine.”
“Give me a hug.” Autumn walked forward and enfolded Pandora in her arms for a brief embrace before pulling away. “You coming in?”
“In a minute.”
“Don’t loiter too long or the dry cleaner lady’s going to call the cops on you.”
They both chuckled. Autumn wiggled her fingers and
His girlfriend scowled at him over her shoulder. “But…”
Pandora crossed her arms under her breasts and gave them a hard glare. “That’s a good idea.”
The shop was eerily quiet as the group shuffled back out into the rain. The tattoo machines had stopped their hum and no one spoke until the doorbell silenced. All the joy and excitement he’d sailed into the shop on was gone.
“Dude, where the fuck did that come from?” Autumn elbowed Pandora, her eyes huge behind her glasses. “I thought you were going to jump all over her.”
She muttered something and turned toward him. Pandora had defended him. He still wasn’t used to the rabid fans who blamed him for any number of things he had no control over.
Kellie laughed, a loud, boisterous sound that broke the tension. “Pandora, I think you need to go hit the bags with me sometime.”
“No thanks.” She squeezed his hand and let him go. “I need a minute.”
She turned on her heel and marched down the hallway, disappearing around the bend. Autumn glanced at him.
“I’m going to check on her. Hang out here, okay?”
He nodded and turned in a circle, wanting to do something. This was not how he’d pictured this night going.
Chapter Seven
Sailor, Traditional, Americana or Sailor Jerry: Style of tattoos dating back from the turn of the century to the 1950s, traditionally inked on sailors. Done in ports like Amsterdam, San Francisco and Coney Island. Refers to both the style of drawing and subject matter such as ships, anchors, pin-ups and sparrows.
Pandora stood in the alley, the fragrance of rotting sandwich meat in the dumpster wafting toward her on a gentle breeze. The rain had stopped, but that meant humidity wrapped around her lungs like a wet blanket. Behind her, the back door to the shop clanged open.
“Hey.” Autumn’s voice was hesitant, subdued for her.
She pivoted and looked at her. “Any chance you have a cigarette?”
Autumn closed the door behind her and shoved her hands into her pockets. “We quit, remember?”
“Doesn’t mean you can’t indulge every now and then. God, I want a cigarette.”
“No, you don’t. You’re just angry. Those were some fucked-up people. Who says that crap to someone?”
She clenched her fists until she felt the bite of her nails on her palm. “He said people say shit like that to him all the time but I didn’t believe him. I wanted to punch that bitch so bad.”
Autumn chuckled. “That would have been sweet if you had. But we’d probably have to bail you out if that happened. I’m sure your boyfriend appreciated it though.”
Pandora bit her lip. “He’s not my boyfriend.”
“What? Pandora, be serious.”Autumn smacked her arm lightly.
“I am. We aren’t dating.”
“Well, why not?”
She looked away from Autumn. “You know how there are guys that will go out with you, and it might be fun, but you know it’s not going anywhere? It’s not going anywhere between us. We’re too different.”
Autumn didn’t say anything for a moment. “You never know if you don’t give it a try.”
Sighing, she looked back at Autumn, her pink hair gleaming from the light filtering around the back door. Her mother had loved her father, but it hadn’t been enough. He’d still left her, and wanted nothing to do with his daughter. “It’s not that easy.”
“Sure it is. You just open your heart and go for it.” Autumn shrugged. “You’re going to do whatever you’ve made up your mind to do, but I think you should give him a chance. He’s a good guy. You deserve someone like that. I need to go. You going to be okay?”
“Yeah, I’ll be fine.”
“Give me a hug.” Autumn walked forward and enfolded Pandora in her arms for a brief embrace before pulling away. “You coming in?”
“In a minute.”
“Don’t loiter too long or the dry cleaner lady’s going to call the cops on you.”
They both chuckled. Autumn wiggled her fingers and
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