Turn The Other Way

“A peanut.”

“A peanut?” I asked for confirmation.

“Yep. Like… right here…” the stubby customer said, pointing to their back. I think his name was Joey or something.

“May I ask, why a peanut?” I asked, taking out a piece of thin tracing paper. He’d brought in a picture of the peanut he wanted.

“In high school I was always called peanut, something my teammates always did.” I smiled and shook my head while I traced.

“What team were you on?”

“Football team.”

“Ah, okay. When I was in high school, the football players at my school always scared me.”

Joey laughed. “Why is that?”

“They were so much taller and bulkier than me, and then when I went to the games with my ex sometimes they’d always come out from right where we stood, and that gear they wore made them look more intimidating,” I answered with a laugh of my own. “Kay,” I told him, bringing the drawing up to him. “Look good?”

“Yeah, that looks great. Let’s get started.”

“Alrighty. Take off your shirt and we’ll get going.”

“Why tell him to take off his shirt, huh?”

I stopped and turned around, coming face to face with Eli.

“He’s back…” Joanie said. She was my new manager. And… of course I work in a tattoo shop. I laughed at her and turned my attention back to Joey, getting everything sat up.

“What’re you here for?” I asked Eli.

“Just wanted to see you,” he replied.

“What? No tattoo?” I joked.

“Nah. Not today. Running out of money.”

I laughed. “Wonder why?”

I put the stencil on Joey’s shoulder and told him to check it out in the mirror.

“Sorry, Eli, but I’m working right now. Maybe wanna just wait till I’m done?”

“Sure. How long?”

“Thirty, maybe forty five minutes.”

“Cool, see you then.”

I smiled appreciatively and then got to work on the peanut on this man’s shoulder.

After forty minutes of eyestrain, blood, ink and an annoying buzzing sound, the tattoo was complete. I cleaned it off with a solution and paper towel and told Joey to go look at it. Of course, he ‘Just loved it!!’ I put a grease type substance to keep the tattoo from getting too hard and then put a piece of saran wrap and taped it on.

“Try to keep this on for a couple hours,” I told Joey. “Put lotion on it a couple times a day too.”

“Thanks. I really like it,” Joey replied. I smiled.

“No problem.”

“Bye,” Joey said while walking towards the door.

“Bye,” I replied. Eli stood in my view and I looked up to his face. He was grinning, his emerald eyes shining. “Can I help you?” I asked.

“Yeah, I was just wondering something,” he said, that grin still shining.

“And that would be?”

“Well, there may not be much in London, but I know this place in Springfield that has some local bands play on Saturday nights.”

“Yeah?” I asked, urging him to go on.

“I was wondering since tomorrow their having a show, you’d like to go with me?” he asked hopefully.

“Does it cost to get in?”

“Yeah, but you don’t have to worry about it. I’ll be more than happy to pay for you.”

I laughed. “Thought you were running out of money?”

His face turned a shade of pink and he laughed, rubbing the back of his neck like Zacky sometimes did when he got nervous.

“Regardless, I’d like to take you out for dinner and a show.”

“Well… I guess I’m not doing anything tomorrow.”

“Awesome!” He smiled like mad and I couldn’t help but chuckle.

“What time would you pick me up?”

“Uh… it starts at eight thirty, so I’d say around five, for dinner.”

“Cool. I’ll see you then.”

I turned around and talked to the customer at the counter while Eli just kept smiling at me.

Harmless dating wouldn’t hurt. It couldn’t. I mean… it wasn’t like we were getting married or anything, you know?

This is the first step in getting over Matt.