Ready When You Are

Cheyenne ran a hand through her hand and stood in front of the bedroom mirror. She looked at the reflection, at Bam who was sleeping in bed. She sighed and pulled her long brown hair back into a pony tail. She neglected to have it cut like she had planned to do a while back, and so she considered just waiting until after the wedding to do anything drastic with it.

She stood in front of herself in a tank top and panties, staring hard at her reflected image. Her skin was still prominently tan, something she didn't like all too much because her history was made more clear. Everyone had their scars, she was was thankful that Bam never questioned her marked body. Bam's body was marked up from his own stupidity. Cheyenne's was marked up from lost love. A war that only God knew why she kept fighting.

Cheyenne grabbed her phone and sent a text to Kat. "By any chance do you have a friend up here that could hook me up with a tattoo like right now?"

She continued examining herself in the mirror, as if she could stare at the scars hard enough, as if they could just vanish when she finally let herself blink.

"Yeah, actually, I do. His name is John, here's his address, I'll let him know you're coming."

"Thanks a bunch!" Cheyenne glanced at the clock. It was 5 in the morning. She guessed it was true though, that inspiration could strike at any moment. She needed to do this now before she forgot, or let another plan become neglected.

Cheyenne stumbled into the closet and pulled out skinny jeans and a bra, putting them both on. She left her tank top on, pulling a sweatshirt over it so that it would be easier for her to get a tattoo.

She remembered the tattoos she told Bam she wanted, of the lyrics across her feet. She still wanted them, but decided it would be best to wait because this knew one she had in mind would mean much more at that time.

She slid into her UGGs. Yes, she thought they were ugly, but they were warm and comfortable and what she needed. She poured herself a mug of coffee to go and left the house quietly. The only ones that stayed there anymore were Dunn and Angie. And they were planning on getting their own place soon. But, people were constantly in and out, hanging around or visiting.

Cheyenne followed the GPS to the address Kat had provided her with. It was a surprisingly short drive, which made Cheyenne feel better.

She went into the building, it was a tattoo parlor. The sign read open, but she thought that was more or less done so she'd know it was okay for her to go inside. Who else in their right mind would go there this early.

"Hi, you must be Cheyenne." A younger looking man covered in tattoos smiled from behind the counter.

"Yes I am, you must be John."

"That I am. So you'd like a tattoo?" He asked "Why do early?" He chuckled.

She smiled. "Just felt like the right moment."

"Well do you know what you'd like?"

"Well, it's a phrase I've been thinking about a lot, because I'm actually trying to write a song, and this line keeps coming into my head so I'd really like to get it."

"Right them down for me and I'll find which letters they'd look best in."

She nodded and wrote down the words on the pad of paper he had given her. He smiled and looked up at her. "That'd be a great song."

"Thanks." She smiled and set her purse on the counter.

He typed it up and messed with the computer for a few minutes. "What about this one?" He turned the screen so that she could see it.

"That's perfect!" She smiled.

"Great." He smiled back. "Where would you like it?"

Cheyenne thought for a minutes and then gestured to the side of her rib cage that had not yet been tattooed.

"Sounds good. Just head back through that door and lay down on your side, get comfortable and I'll get this read for you."

"Thank you." She nodded and headed into the back room with her purse. She set her purse in an empty chair along with her removed hoodie. She pulled her tank top off and laid herself down on the tattoo parlor bed, her bare side up and her hoodie now balled up in her chest.

"Alright, do you want me to start it here?" John asked and drew an imaginary line on her side with his gloved finger.

"A little higher."

"Here?"

She nodded. "That should be good."

"Okay, I'm going to get started." He said after her gathered a few things, got her sterile and cleaned up and the tattoo ready, and also turned the TV on for her.

"Thank you." She smiled and stared at the TV intently as he began her tattoo.