by Louise Hall
When he eventually pulls away, I miss him immediately. “I’d better go.”
My heart’s pounding, “you don’t have to…”
Zev shakes his head, “I wish I could, Jane.” The fact that he doesn’t know my real name yet makes me realise that I’m not ready to take our relationship to the next level. He brushes his lips against mine one more time, “I don’t want to rush this.”
He takes a step back but keeps his hand wrapped around mine. “I really don’t want to go in there,” I admit.
His eyes darken, “I thought your brother was going to be home all night. You scared of the dark, hot stuff?”
“No, he is and I’m not. I’m just hoping that he’s alone, that’s all.”
“You’re worried you might walk in on your brother and Vada?” He takes out his phone. “Hey,” he says to the person on the other end of the line, “is the Smurf back yet? If she’s going to dye her hair that colour, I’m going to call her that. OK, cool. I’ll see you in a bit.”
“Maggie says Vada got back about an hour ago so it’s safe for you to go inside.”
The next morning, I’m in the kitchen making Mats his favourite kale smoothie because I know he’s going to be stressed about his test. “You had meat last night,” he grunts when he comes downstairs, “I can smell it.”
“Just because you’re vegan doesn’t mean I have to be. I don’t bring meat into the house out of respect for you but when I’m out of the house, what I eat is none of your business.”
“It’s my house,” Mats snaps. I know he’s grumpy because of his exam but it seems like it might be more than that.
“You can’t just run around doing whatever you want, Lola.” Wow, he must be in a bad mood if he’s calling me that.
“In case you’d forgotten, I can’t exactly run anywhere anymore,” I wiggle my foot. I thought he might find it funny but his scowl just deepens. “Sheesh, Mats, it was just a joke.”
He lifts his backpack up on to his shoulder, “I don’t want your friend coming over to the house anymore. I needed to study last night and she kept trying to distract me.”
My protective big sister instinct kicks in, “did she cross the line? Do you want me to say something to her? I can be really scary when I want to be.”
“No,” Mats is so embarrassed, the tips of his ears have turned pink. “She was just so forward.”
“She likes you,” I say softly.
“She kissed me.”
My Brainiac of a brother looks so flummoxed at the thought that Vada might fancy him that it’s kind of fun. Even though it’s super awkward because he’s my baby brother, I have to ask, “do you like her, Mats? Is that why you’re extra-grouchy this morning?”
“No, yes, ugh I don’t know. She’s smart and pretty and our kiss was… yeah, you don’t need to hear about that but she’s got crazy blue hair and I’m a nerd, it’s never going to work.”
“Hey, don’t put yourself down. You’re one of my favourite people on the entire planet, OK and I’ll have you know, I’m very discerning.” At least that draws a smile out of him. I hand him the smoothie, “go kick that test’s behind and we’ll talk more later.”
“Thanks, Mom,” Mats grins.
Before he leaves, I hear him mutter, “she drinks coffee.”
“That’s not a crime, Mats,” I call back.
LOLA
Emmy and I definitely annoy the heck out of each other. I know she thinks I’m Little Miss Prissy Knickers and next to her I feel like the whitest, most straight-laced girl on the entire planet but I love working at the Ink. Emmy, Zev and Shanks’ works might not be displayed on typical canvases but they are definitely art. When I’ve got a quiet moment at the front desk, I flick through their portfolios and marvel at their artistry and crazy skills with needles.
The Ink has a lot of repeat clients but I can tell that Haley, the timid redhead sat primly on the leather couch at the front of the store is a first-timer. She keeps glancing up at the clock and I can’t decide if she wants it to go faster or slower. I’m trying my best to engage her in light-hearted conversation when Zev comes out of one of the back rooms. He doesn’t have any appointments right now; Haley is booked in with Emmy.
He’s followed soon after by Emmy. “Haley, it’s great to meet you. I’m Emmy,” she smiles, keeping the fire-breathing dragon well hidden. “Why don’t you come through and we can have a chat about what you’d like to have done today?”
After Haley follows Emmy into one of the back rooms, I go back to the front desk. Zev comes and stands behind me. He’s just close enough that I can feel his body heat.
“You don’t have any ink yet, do you?”
“Nope.”
“What about piercings?”
I bust out laughing – I’m definitely one of the tamest people to ever walk through the doors of the Ink. “Just my ears.”
“But you’re curious, aren’t you?” Zev asks. His hands lightly skirt over my hips and I really like the almost possessive feeling.
“Maybe a little,” I admit. I’m surrounded by so much gorgeous ink every day that it’s hard not to think about what I’d have done and where if I ever plucked up the courage to get a tattoo.
I lean back against Zev, he rests his chin on my shoulder and puts the palm of his hand on my tummy over the top of my t-shirt and I feel so safe there.
“If you were choosing for me, what would you do?”
A groan rumbles from his chest all the way up his windpipe, “do you know?” He coughs to clear his throat, his fingers digging into my tummy just a little. “Do you know how many times I’ve thought about having you in my chair?”
I wriggle so I can face him. I don’t tell him that it’s probably only slightly less than the amount of times I’ve thought about it.
“What would you give me?”
His eyes trail lazily down my body. How can it be possible to feel hot and shivery all at the same time?
“I’d give you whatever you wanted, Jane. You should choose your first one.”
I gulp. I keep thinking about all of the things that have been done to my calf and foot that were outside of my control and I really like the idea of doing something for me. “I want you to do it.”
“What?”
“I want you to tattoo my foot.”
“You don’t have to do this, Jane.”
I wrap my arms around his neck and gently tug on his sexy lip ring. “I know but I want to.”
“When?”
“Tonight?”
He groans again, “your family is going to kill me for corrupting you like this.”
I laugh, “yeah, right. Both of my parents have got tattoos, Zev.”
I might be a first-timer but I’m definitely nothing like Haley, I know when I look at the clock on the far wall that I want it go at warp speed so I can live out my fantasy of being in Zev’s chair.
After the last client has left, I walk across to lock the front door and flip the sign to ‘Closed.” I’ve got like a gazillion butterflies fluttering about in my tummy. Gah, it’s like I’ve got a weird foot fetish from the way my hands are trembling. There’s nobody else here – Emmy and Shanks have already gone home but it’s not like Zev and I are going to do anything I wouldn’t feel comfortable with my entire family watching. He’s just going to tattoo my foot.
“Are you ready?” Zev asks and I realise that it’s not the tattoo that’s making me nervous, it’s him. I like him way too much.
“Yeah,” I pretend my voice didn’t come out all squeaky.
I follow him through to the back room and as much as I can with my gammy leg, hop up on to his chair. I already know what I want.
“It’s the symbol of where I was born,” I explain.
He frowns, “I didn’t know bees were a symbol of Seattle.”
Although my family live there now, neither Mats nor I were born in Seattle. “I was born in Manchester, England. My family only moved to Seattle when I was seven.”
&
nbsp; “That explains the accent then,” Zev nods as if it’s another puzzle piece slowly slotting into place. “I’ve always had a thing for British girls.” He winks.
I raise an eyebrow, “how many British girls do you know?”
“One’s more than enough.”
I bust out laughing, “you’re such a charmer.”
After he’s finished the tattoo, I try to sit up but I feel really woozy. “Zev, I don’t feel so good.”
When I stand up, I stumble and nearly fall. “It’s OK, I’ve got you.” Zev sits down on a low stool and cradles me in his arms. I feel like such a wuss because the tattoo he’s just given me isn’t even that big but I can’t deny that being wrapped up in his arms is really, really nice.
“Seriously, Jane?” Of course Emmy has to interrupt our perfect moment. “You’re supposed to be working not snuggling up to Zev.”
“Back off, Emmy,” Zev growls, “she’s not feeling good.”
“She’s got a job to do.”
I can tell without even looking that Zev is rolling his eyes at her. “It’s way after closing. Haven’t you got anything better to do with your night-off than come back here and spy on us?”
Emmy wrinkles her nose, “please, you two are really not that interesting to me. I left my cell-phone behind in my locker, that’s all.”
“Does she have a crush on you?” I ask Zev after she leaves, slamming the door behind her. “Is that why she’s got it in for me?”
Zev starts laughing, “she’s my cousin, Jane. She’s just angry with the world.”
“Wow,” I take a moment to let that shell of bombs sink in. “Your sister was right. Is there anybody in this part of Oahu that you’re not related to?”
Zev chuckles, “I’m sure there must be somebody. Let’s see… Pete from the market and Jessica at the bank are cousins on my mom’s side. Rusty is my dad’s brother and so his daughters, Emmy and Vada are also my cousins.”
“What?” My jaw doesn’t just drop to the floor, it starts tunnelling down towards the Earth’s core. How can sweet, funny Vada be related to the undisputed Queen of Snark, Emmy?
It’s Zev’s turn to be surprised, “I can’t believe you hadn’t already figured out that they’re sisters. You didn’t think that it was a coincidence that they both dye their hair crazy colours?”
“I thought it was a Hawaii thing. Oh my goodness, are you related to Shanks as well?”
“Not as far as I know.”
LOLA
I’ve got the morning off from the Ink so I grab my laptop and head to Vada’s coffee shop. I still can’t believe that she and Emmy are sisters. It’s a scarily small world here in this little corner of Oahu.
Vada is busy serving customers so I settle myself in at a table in the back. I’ve offered to help Rusty revamp the Ink’s website and although Mats is going to help me with the technical aspects, I’m still working on the design elements. I want to impress them all but particularly Emmy. She isn’t exactly happy that Zev and I are spending so much time together.
The closest competition to the Ink is Big Mike’s place nearer the touristy part of Oahu but although they’re both tattoo parlours, they aren’t exactly going after the same clientele. Big Mike’s is geared towards tourists and drunken dares. Their artists are good but they aren’t anywhere near as skilled as Zev, Shanks and Emmy.
I’m toying with a couple of ideas when Vada stops by. “Hey, stranger.”
“Hey,” I stand up to give her a hug.
She looks over my shoulder, “are you working on updating Dad’s website?”
“Yeah, I’m hoping if this goes well, I won’t have to worry about Emmy spitting in my coffee for at least a month.”
Vada laughs, “I know she comes across as a bit of a beeyotch sometimes but she’s really not that bad.”
Gah, one of the downfalls of everybody being related to everybody else in this town is that I sometimes forget that the person I’m talking to might be related by blood to the person I’m bitching about. I wouldn’t blame Vada for being upset – she might annoy the heck out of me but I’d knock somebody out if I heard them saying mean things about Sierra. “I’m sorry.”
She pats my shoulder, “It’s OK.”
“I don’t think she’s a beeyotch, I just wish there was some way I could get her to like me, that’s all. Ugh,” I put my head in my hands, “that sounds so pathetic, doesn’t it?”
“Not at all,” Vada pulls out the chair opposite me. “It’s actually not that difficult to get Emmy to warm up to you. Do you like dogs?”
I blink, “of course, what kind of idiot doesn’t like dogs?” As soon as I open my mouth, I hope I haven’t put my foot firmly in it again.
“If you’ve got some free time, you could always volunteer at the shelter. That would definitely get you in my sister’s good books.”
“I could literally kiss you,” I beam. It would be so much easier at the Ink if Emmy wasn’t constantly sniping at me plus if I’m going to be with Zev, I want his family to like me.
“I tell you what,” Vada smiles, “instead why don’t you tell me how I can get your handsome brother to agree to go on a date with me?”
I consider it for a moment, although on the surface they look like an unlikely couple, I actually think they’d be good together. Mats can be too serious sometimes and somebody free-spirited like Vada might force him to loosen up a little.
When I tell Zev my plan to get Emmy to warm up to me, he laughs, “you don’t have to do this for me, you know?”
I give him a playful shove, “you’ve got an ego the size of Texas, haven’t you? I don’t just want her to like me because she’s your cousin, I mean that’s part of it but we also work together, I want to do my bit to create a harmonious working environment at the Ink.”
Zev nearly falls off his chair laughing, “yeah, good luck with that, hot stuff.”
LOLA
I might technically be a grown-up but I’m also a big, old wuss when it comes to my parents so instead of fessing up to my mum that I’ve got a tattoo, I send her an e-mail instead and attach a photo of it so she can see how cute it is now that it’s started healing.
I don’t expect a reply straight away because of the time difference but a couple of minutes later just as I’m about to switch off my laptop, I get a Skype request from her.
“Hey, baby girl.” She’s in my dad’s office at home and I get another sharp pang of homesickness. She looks really happy to see me and I realise it’s been way too long since we last Skyped. I feel guilty because I’ve been so busy with the Ink and Zev.
I definitely have a different relationship with my mum than Mats and Sierra do because she was only eighteen when she got pregnant with me and so she always says that it’s like we grew up together. I respect her authority as my mum but she’s also one of my best friends.
“Hey,” I settle back against the pillows on my bed. “I didn’t think you’d be awake?”
“I couldn’t sleep so I thought I’d come downstairs and catch up on some e-mails for 33 Rocks.” Mum and her friend, Abby run a charity to raise awareness of prenatal depression.
“You’re not mad that I got a tattoo then?”
Mum laughs, “you’ll always be my baby girl but I’m aware that you’re an adult now, Lola. It would be kind of hypocritical of me to get angry with you for getting a tattoo when both your dad and I have got them. I think it’s beautiful. If I didn’t think that getting matching mother-daughter tattoos was kind of tacky, I’d be tempted to have one myself. Did you get it done at the Ink?”
I told my parents (by e-mail again) that I’d got a job at the Ink. I’m not sure that receptionist at a tattoo parlour was exactly what they’d envisaged for me when I was a little girl but my accident changed things for all of us and I think they’re actually relieved that I’m starting to build a new life here in Oahu.
We talk more about the Ink and I tell her about my efforts to revamp the website. I also want to revise the booki
ng system so it’s easier to keep track of what Zev, Emmy and Shanks have got coming up. I know they think that they are total badasses who can just push through any amount of tiredness or pain but tattooing is physically and mentally taxing and it can’t hurt to make sure that they have proper breaks between appointments. “Yeah, you’re definitely my daughter,” Mum chuckles because she’s well-known in our family for her excellent organisational skills.
“So Mats has got a date tomorrow night.” I grin when Mum looks just as shocked as I hoped she’d be.
“Mats, as in your brother, my only son, Mateo?”
“Yeah. Her name’s Vada Montgomery, her dad’s actually my boss at the Ink. She’s got blue hair and she makes the best coffee in Oahu.”
“But Mats doesn’t drink coffee,” Mum splutters.
“I know! They’re meeting here first. Do you want me to make a sneak attack and get her Social Security Number?”
Mum frowns, “what for?”
“You know so that Dad can do his whole crazy, overprotective parent thing?”
Mum still looks blankly at me so I roll my eyes, “come on, if Sierra or I even look at a boy, Dad’s putting in a call to that private investigator friend of his. Please don’t tell me that he’s not going to do the same for Mats just because he’s a boy and we’re girls?”
Mum’s silence tells me everything I need to know. “ugh, I can’t believe that you would let him get away with being so sexist. I’m sure you know everything there is to know about Zev and yet you’re not even going to Google Vada. She could be a serial killer, Mum? Don’t you care about Mats at all?”
Mum rolls her eyes at me, which just makes me more annoyed. “I think you’re overreacting a little bit, sweetheart. From what you’ve told me, Vada sounds like a lovely girl but if it makes you feel better, I’ll have your dad grills Mats all about her before his date tomorrow just like he did with you about Zev.”
“Don’t think I haven’t noticed that you haven’t denied that Dad called his P.I. friend about Zev.”
“I’m waiting until we get the full report back,” Mum quips and I really hope that she’s joking.