My Love Can't be Tattooed
Chapter 3
“Why the hell didn’t you tell me about this, Em?”
“Because I just didn’t. I knew you’d freak anyways.”
“Oh. So that’s why you never come to the strip clubs with us?” He said, laughing.
“Nick!”
“Sorry. Just trying to break the tension.” Emily just smiled at him, rolling her eyes.
“Sorry for making you come over at like ten and not even offering you coffee.”
“Don’t worry, Babe. I picked up Starbucks earlier.”
“Yea, whatever.” Emily pushed herself up off the couch and went to the kitchen, starting the coffee pot. She took a moment to relax herself. That’s what she always did when something like this happened. She called Nick and calmed down. Nick had always had that effect on her.
She didn’t like surprises. That past portion of her life could go away and never come back. Emily was quite ready to forget about it, and not delve into what might have been or what should have been. She wasn’t that kind of person. She continued on with what life gave her and didn’t think about the past very often. Emily liked her life how it was. Going to work when there was an appointment and coming home to her little apartment in Portland. She liked the checkered tile in her kitchen and the red drapes in her living room. She liked waking up to the smell of coffee and knowing that Nick would always be there for her if she needed anything. Honestly, he was like the girlfriend she’d never had. They’d grown up together, but went their separate ways in college, him just to Washington State and her off to NYU. She’d always known she’d be a tattoo artist. When she was little she used to creep down to the family owned tattoo parlor and look at the many books her mother had drawn as examples for people. Emily had majored in art, not surprising considering that she had always had the talent.
When the coffee had finished gurgling, she poured two cups, adding cream to one and carrying it over to Nick.
“Thanks, Em.” She nodded at him and set her mug on the table, then laying in his arms.
“You up for some CSI?” he asked, casually. Emily punched him in the arm.
“I’m going to bed, actually. Bright and early appointment tomorrow at the shop.”
“So I’m allowed to sleep on your couch, right?”
“Dumbass. No, you have to go home,” she said, sticking her tongue out and giggling. “Here, I’ll grab you a pillow.”
Emily pulled one off her bed and grabbed two blankets out of the hall closet.
“Here, make yourself at home,” she said, handing him the blankets.
“I always do, Em.” She just smiled and threw the pillow at him.
“Well I’m taking a shower. There’s pizza in the fridge. Just save a piece for breakfast for me.”
“Night Em.” Nick picked up the changer and turned the TV back on. Emily glared at him. “What?”
“Nothing.”
Emily turned on the shower and let the hot water rush over her. It relaxed her muscles and slowed her mind down.
Tomorrow was going to be a long day.
“Because I just didn’t. I knew you’d freak anyways.”
“Oh. So that’s why you never come to the strip clubs with us?” He said, laughing.
“Nick!”
“Sorry. Just trying to break the tension.” Emily just smiled at him, rolling her eyes.
“Sorry for making you come over at like ten and not even offering you coffee.”
“Don’t worry, Babe. I picked up Starbucks earlier.”
“Yea, whatever.” Emily pushed herself up off the couch and went to the kitchen, starting the coffee pot. She took a moment to relax herself. That’s what she always did when something like this happened. She called Nick and calmed down. Nick had always had that effect on her.
She didn’t like surprises. That past portion of her life could go away and never come back. Emily was quite ready to forget about it, and not delve into what might have been or what should have been. She wasn’t that kind of person. She continued on with what life gave her and didn’t think about the past very often. Emily liked her life how it was. Going to work when there was an appointment and coming home to her little apartment in Portland. She liked the checkered tile in her kitchen and the red drapes in her living room. She liked waking up to the smell of coffee and knowing that Nick would always be there for her if she needed anything. Honestly, he was like the girlfriend she’d never had. They’d grown up together, but went their separate ways in college, him just to Washington State and her off to NYU. She’d always known she’d be a tattoo artist. When she was little she used to creep down to the family owned tattoo parlor and look at the many books her mother had drawn as examples for people. Emily had majored in art, not surprising considering that she had always had the talent.
When the coffee had finished gurgling, she poured two cups, adding cream to one and carrying it over to Nick.
“Thanks, Em.” She nodded at him and set her mug on the table, then laying in his arms.
“You up for some CSI?” he asked, casually. Emily punched him in the arm.
“I’m going to bed, actually. Bright and early appointment tomorrow at the shop.”
“So I’m allowed to sleep on your couch, right?”
“Dumbass. No, you have to go home,” she said, sticking her tongue out and giggling. “Here, I’ll grab you a pillow.”
Emily pulled one off her bed and grabbed two blankets out of the hall closet.
“Here, make yourself at home,” she said, handing him the blankets.
“I always do, Em.” She just smiled and threw the pillow at him.
“Well I’m taking a shower. There’s pizza in the fridge. Just save a piece for breakfast for me.”
“Night Em.” Nick picked up the changer and turned the TV back on. Emily glared at him. “What?”
“Nothing.”
Emily turned on the shower and let the hot water rush over her. It relaxed her muscles and slowed her mind down.
Tomorrow was going to be a long day.
♠ ♠ ♠
Oh, Emily and Nick are not together. They're just really close friends...someone asked if they were so just clarifying that....yup!