Hallelujah
Chapter 1
It is Summer 2013 in Las Vegas Nevada. The temperature today is scorching 104 degrees, and climbing, it’s only 11:00 AM. I wipe a bead of sweat from the face as I open the door to my tattoo shop. Yes that’s right MY tattoo shop. I still get giddy and excited thinking about how it is MY tattoo shop. We opened up one year ago and are finally starting to become a big name here in Las Vegas.
I like to do all style of tattoos, but most of my clients see me for realism/portraits. I walk in the door and start turning on lights and setting things up for the day. I hear the familiar “ding” from the door opening and look over and see a very upset coworker/best friend. Her name is Cheyenne. She has medium teal colored hair, is about 5’10 and medium build.
Cheyenne sinks into on the tattoo chairs and continues balling. Covering her face. I rush up next to hear and lean down.
“Hey Cheyenne what’s up?!” I as concerned.
“He-He b-b-b-broke u-u-p with –m-m-m-m-eeeee!” she sobs. I feel my insides get hot.
“What?! Jordan broke up with YOU?! WHY?!” I get up and start pacing my hands in a fist.
“B-b-because I wasn’t taking the relationship as serious as him H-He said that he saw us getting married and having kids in like 5 years” She sobs. I stop and lean down next to her again.
“That doesn’t make any sense, you guys have only been dating what? 7 months?” I ask. She nods and lifts up her face. I look at her mascara stained face and grab a box of tissues.
“Hey fuck him! He wasn’t right for you any way. He will realize what he is missing out on soon enough.” I hand her a tissue and she smiles.
“Yeah…fuck him! I am a diamond in the rough” She says blowing her nose. “But the only thing is…I have concert tickets for tonight a show, h-h-he and I w-w-were supposed to go together” she starts sobbing again.
“What concert?” I ask hesitantly.
“Panic! At the disco and some Local band that’s opening up for them” she says controlling her breathing.
“oh” I say backing away from her a little bit.
“Come with me?!” She asks. I gulp and start to shake my head no.
“I can’t I have sooo many things to do after we close, accounting and all of that fun stuff.”I lie. “How about after we get some ice cream and enjoy a couple bottles of wine?” I hopefully ask.
Cheyenne looks at me with hopeful eyes and he face starts to scrunch up like she is going to start crying again and I cave
“Ok…ok I’ll go with you” I feel a tightening in my chest and my breathing rate increases.
“OMG! YOU’RE THEBEST FRIEND EVER!” Cheyenne squeels and then wraps her arms around me. I hesitantly hug her back.
“I know you say you can’t stand them. But I REALLY appreciate it” She says squeezing me then letting go. She wipes the tears from her eyes and sits back down in the chair.
“Why don’t you take the day off? You’re very emotionally unstable right now and I can’t have you tattooing like this” I say bluntly. Cheyenne looks up at me shocked.
“But I have 3 scheduled for today!” She whines and she starts to tear up again.
“Yes and they are all paying a hefty price for your work, I’d hate for it not to be 100%. I’ll have Dylan call all of them and explain what’s going on and reschedule” I softly say.
“Fine, I understand. I don’t think it would be my best 100% today…..I guess I’ll head home and meet you at 7? Doors open at 8…” She rubs her eyes one more time before standing up.
“Yes that sounds fine” I lie. I give her one more big hug and watch her as she walks out the door.
I spend the rest of the afternoon concentrating on my client and his tattoo. I tattooed a picture of his Chihuahua on his chest wearing a tutu, which surprisingly isn’t the oddest thing I’ve tattooed. Once he leaves I start to clean up my station when Dylan our reception/apprentice walks over. He is a heavy set gay guy with purple hair and amazing eyebrows.
“Man I would never take that meat head to get that tattoo!” He states. I let out a laugh.
“Yeah me either. I had a hard time not staring at his 6 pack….” I confess. Dylan lets out a giggle.
“Girl me too! Any who it’s ladies night at the bar down the street tonight, I could put my drag gear on and we could get our drink on!” He says wiggling his butt. I smile.
“As fantastic as that sounds I promised Cheyenne I would go to a concert with her.” I say sadly.
“Gee Don’t you sound so excited!” He says sarcastically . “Who’s playing?”
“Panic! At the Disco” I say with some anger in my voice.
“I thought you hated their music?” Dylan asks tilting his head to the side.
“I do. But Jordan Broke up with her…so I kinda have to “
“Jordan broke up with her?!.....think he’s looking?” Dylan questions biting his lip. I smack his arm.
“Shut up!” I say laughing. He laughs along with me.
“Alright girl, well if you want after you know where to find me!” He stands up straight and walks away. I grin and walk over to the autoclave to clean my gun and needles. I glance down at my watch and see it is 6:00pm. I frown and look in the mirror.
My fire truck red hair is down and reaches the middle of my back, my ocean blue/ grey eyes are covered in black eyeliner and “nude” eye shadow. I reach into my pocket and put on some red lipstick and smack my lips together. I then look at the rest of my outfit. A flowy black top, a pair of dark blue skinny jeans and of course red converse. I sigh.
“I guess this is as good as it is going to get….” I walk through the shop and close up and head to most likely one of the worst nights I’ve had in a while.
I like to do all style of tattoos, but most of my clients see me for realism/portraits. I walk in the door and start turning on lights and setting things up for the day. I hear the familiar “ding” from the door opening and look over and see a very upset coworker/best friend. Her name is Cheyenne. She has medium teal colored hair, is about 5’10 and medium build.
Cheyenne sinks into on the tattoo chairs and continues balling. Covering her face. I rush up next to hear and lean down.
“Hey Cheyenne what’s up?!” I as concerned.
“He-He b-b-b-broke u-u-p with –m-m-m-m-eeeee!” she sobs. I feel my insides get hot.
“What?! Jordan broke up with YOU?! WHY?!” I get up and start pacing my hands in a fist.
“B-b-because I wasn’t taking the relationship as serious as him H-He said that he saw us getting married and having kids in like 5 years” She sobs. I stop and lean down next to her again.
“That doesn’t make any sense, you guys have only been dating what? 7 months?” I ask. She nods and lifts up her face. I look at her mascara stained face and grab a box of tissues.
“Hey fuck him! He wasn’t right for you any way. He will realize what he is missing out on soon enough.” I hand her a tissue and she smiles.
“Yeah…fuck him! I am a diamond in the rough” She says blowing her nose. “But the only thing is…I have concert tickets for tonight a show, h-h-he and I w-w-were supposed to go together” she starts sobbing again.
“What concert?” I ask hesitantly.
“Panic! At the disco and some Local band that’s opening up for them” she says controlling her breathing.
“oh” I say backing away from her a little bit.
“Come with me?!” She asks. I gulp and start to shake my head no.
“I can’t I have sooo many things to do after we close, accounting and all of that fun stuff.”I lie. “How about after we get some ice cream and enjoy a couple bottles of wine?” I hopefully ask.
Cheyenne looks at me with hopeful eyes and he face starts to scrunch up like she is going to start crying again and I cave
“Ok…ok I’ll go with you” I feel a tightening in my chest and my breathing rate increases.
“OMG! YOU’RE THEBEST FRIEND EVER!” Cheyenne squeels and then wraps her arms around me. I hesitantly hug her back.
“I know you say you can’t stand them. But I REALLY appreciate it” She says squeezing me then letting go. She wipes the tears from her eyes and sits back down in the chair.
“Why don’t you take the day off? You’re very emotionally unstable right now and I can’t have you tattooing like this” I say bluntly. Cheyenne looks up at me shocked.
“But I have 3 scheduled for today!” She whines and she starts to tear up again.
“Yes and they are all paying a hefty price for your work, I’d hate for it not to be 100%. I’ll have Dylan call all of them and explain what’s going on and reschedule” I softly say.
“Fine, I understand. I don’t think it would be my best 100% today…..I guess I’ll head home and meet you at 7? Doors open at 8…” She rubs her eyes one more time before standing up.
“Yes that sounds fine” I lie. I give her one more big hug and watch her as she walks out the door.
I spend the rest of the afternoon concentrating on my client and his tattoo. I tattooed a picture of his Chihuahua on his chest wearing a tutu, which surprisingly isn’t the oddest thing I’ve tattooed. Once he leaves I start to clean up my station when Dylan our reception/apprentice walks over. He is a heavy set gay guy with purple hair and amazing eyebrows.
“Man I would never take that meat head to get that tattoo!” He states. I let out a laugh.
“Yeah me either. I had a hard time not staring at his 6 pack….” I confess. Dylan lets out a giggle.
“Girl me too! Any who it’s ladies night at the bar down the street tonight, I could put my drag gear on and we could get our drink on!” He says wiggling his butt. I smile.
“As fantastic as that sounds I promised Cheyenne I would go to a concert with her.” I say sadly.
“Gee Don’t you sound so excited!” He says sarcastically . “Who’s playing?”
“Panic! At the Disco” I say with some anger in my voice.
“I thought you hated their music?” Dylan asks tilting his head to the side.
“I do. But Jordan Broke up with her…so I kinda have to “
“Jordan broke up with her?!.....think he’s looking?” Dylan questions biting his lip. I smack his arm.
“Shut up!” I say laughing. He laughs along with me.
“Alright girl, well if you want after you know where to find me!” He stands up straight and walks away. I grin and walk over to the autoclave to clean my gun and needles. I glance down at my watch and see it is 6:00pm. I frown and look in the mirror.
My fire truck red hair is down and reaches the middle of my back, my ocean blue/ grey eyes are covered in black eyeliner and “nude” eye shadow. I reach into my pocket and put on some red lipstick and smack my lips together. I then look at the rest of my outfit. A flowy black top, a pair of dark blue skinny jeans and of course red converse. I sigh.
“I guess this is as good as it is going to get….” I walk through the shop and close up and head to most likely one of the worst nights I’ve had in a while.