Tattoos & Unicorns

by Kayla Carson

When I walked towards the bathroom, I was blown away at the shear size of the shower. It had benches on the inside, and could easily fit four people. The garden tub beside it was just as impressive, and if I wasn't such a clean freak I probably would have found myself using it.

  The door between our rooms opened then, and Morgan walked through as if she owned the place.

  “Did I deliver, or what?” She asked, doing a little spin around the room.

  “It's pretty great.” I agreed.

  “Great? It's fucking perfect! This is the only suite with it's own personal hot tub!”

  “Of course it is.” I teased.

  She rolled her eyes. “What do you say we order some wine, and unwind?”

  I grabbed my phone from the bed where I'd tossed it, and checked the time. It was only noon, but if I was being honest I wasn't in the mood to do much of anything. I shrugged my shoulders, setting my phone back down.

  “Why the hell not. There's nothing wrong with a little day drinking.”

  Before I could say anything else on the matter, she dashed back through the door she'd just entered, slamming it for good measure. I shook my head, before grabbing one of my suitcases from the floor and placing it on the bed. I dug around a little, finding my favorite aqua colored bikini. I've had it for years, but it was so damn comfortable that I couldn't bring myself to part with it.

  After changing out of my clothes I tied my hair up into a messy bun on top of my head, and grabbed a towel from the bathroom. I was just about to head out onto the patio, when my phone pinged in my hand. I glanced at the screen, and saw that it was a text from Derek. I knew I shouldn't have given him my new number, but I was weak when it came to him.

  D: Baby girl, please just let me know you're safe.

  I stared at the screen for a while. Debating on whether or not I should answer. I bit my bottom lip in thought, before ultimately deciding that I should.

  R: We've made it to Virginia.

  D: Can I call you later?

  R: No.

  D: Please?

  Instead of responding, I powered my phone off and set it down on the bedside table. No more distractions. I opened the sliding door that led to the patio, to find Morgan already sitting in the hot tub. She had a sun hat, and an over sized pair of sunglasses on, and she waved me over enthusiastically.

  “This feels amazing.” She gushed, as she reached for her glass of wine. “The manager sent us a bottle on the house, and if we need more all we have to do is ask!”

  I set my towel down on one of the lounge chairs, and climbed up the small set of stairs that led into the hot tub. The temperature of the water was perfect, and when I sat down my body instantly relaxed. Morgan handed me a glass of wine, and I took a long sip before leaning my head back and closing my eyes.

  “We need to get one of these for our new place.” Morgan said, draining her glass.

  I laughed, opening my eyes to look at her. “Are you serious?”

  “Can you imagine coming home to something like this after a long day at the boutique?”

  “It's a luxury we can't afford just yet.”

  “Think about all the hotties we could invite back to our place?”

  “You mean all the hotties you could invite back to our place?”

  “Potato, Patahto.” She shrugged, pouring herself another glass of wine.

  The two of us sat, sipping wine, and enjoying the relaxing jets from the hot tub for the next two hours. The wine had gone to our heads, and we were laughing, and joking about everything under the sun. We somehow got on the subject of high school, and then all the poor dating decisions that Morgan had made. I was laughing so hard by the end of that conversation, that she had to splash water on me just to get me to stop.

  With our inhibitions lowered, our conversations became more, and more personal.

  “Did you love Derek?” I asked suddenly. “I mean, before we started dating?”

  “No.” She said, without emotion. “He was a nice guy, but he was too cookie cutter for me.”

  “Is that why you let me have him?”

  She rose a brow in confusion. “Let you have him?”

  I rolled my eyes. “He was the only one.”

  “Are you drunk?” She laughed.

  “I think so.” I giggled.

  “Derek loves you.”

  “Lovvvvved.” I slurred.

  She shook her head. “No. It's always been you.”

  “What do you mean?”

  She sighed. “He used me to get to you.”

  I laughed out loud this time. “You can't be serious.”

  “It's true!” She said, crossing her fingers. “Scout's honor!”

  “You were never a scout.” I said, crossing my arms over my chest.

  “It doesn't matter!” She snapped. “What does matter, is that Derek wanted you.”

  I shook my head. “You let me have him. Every other guy was always off limits-”

  “They weren't good enough for you.”

  “Apparently neither was Derek.” I said, before emptying my glass.

  “What's wrong, Ronnie? Really?”

  “Nothing.” I said, as a tear slid down my cheek.

  “Ronnie...” Morgan pressed.

  “I'll never be you, Morgan. I'll never be good enough.”

  She came over to sit beside me then, and put her arm around my shoulders. I laid my head on hers, and she let out a long sigh.

  “I envy you.” She said, softly.

  “Me?” I scoffed. “Why?”

  “When people look at me they only see a pretty face. It wouldn't matter if I cured cancer, or invented the next best thing since sliced bread. They'll only ever judge me by my looks.”

  “And what do people see when they look at me?” I asked.

  “A confident, intelligent woman. When people talk to you, they respect you. No one ever takes me seriously.”

  “I do.” I said lifting my head, and turning to face her. “No one can design like you, Morgan. You know exactly what looks good on which body type. You can look at a swatch of fabric, and turn it into something extraordinarily beautiful. I could never see the world in the same way that you do.”

  We were both crying now. The three bottles of wine making us over emotional. I had intended on telling her how hurt I was. That it bothered me when she constantly stole the spotlight, but now I started to wonder if she just simply needed it more than I did. I never imagined her feeling the same way that I did. I just assumed that she was treated differently because she was the pretty one. I guess we all have our own unique sense of insecurities.

  “This wasn't how I planned our first day here.” Morgan laughed, as she wiped a tear from her eye.

  “This is precisely why we should never get wine drunk.” I said, raising my empty glass in the air.

  Morgan lifted her glass as well, before awkwardly clanking it into mine.

  “To getting wine drunk!” She giggled.

  “To wine!” I giggled back.

  Morgan drifted back to the other side of the hot tub then, and placed her empty glass on the table just beside it. I handed off my own glass, and then I sunk down into the water until it reached my chin. I closed my eyes, and my thoughts instantly drifted to Derek. If Morgan didn't 'give' him to me, what did that mean? This whole time I thought that I was some kind of consolation prize. That he'd only chosen me because Morgan wasn't interested. Was I wrong? Did I push him into another woman's arms because of my own insecurities?

  I let myself fall all the way under then, submerging myself in the steamy water. As the warmth enveloped me, I slowly began to sober up. I was tired of feeling sorry for myself all the time. This trip was supposed to help me forget about Derek, but instead it was only making me miss him more.

  When I came up for air, Morgan began to climb out of the hot tub. I quickly followed suit, noting that my limbs felt like noodles, and my fingers had significantly pruned. I grabbed my towel from the chair I'd tossed it on, and quickly wrapp
ed it around myself. The air was humid, but I still felt a chill as the wind swept over my wet hair.

  “I know it's early, but I think I'm going to call it a night.” I said.

  “No worries. It's been a long day.”

  “Goodnight.” I said, before slipping back into my room and drawing the blinds over the door.

  I found a pair of pajamas in my suitcase, and carried them into the bathroom with me. After discarding my towel, and swimsuit I climbed into the shower and turned the water on as hot as I could stand it. As quickly as I could, I washed up and changed, using the provided hair dryer so that I wouldn't crawl into bed with wet hair.

  I suddenly had no energy to worry about the mess, so I left my towel and bathing suit on the bathroom floor. When I made it to my bed, I grabbed my phone from the table, and switched it back on. Ten missed calls. All from Derek. I set the phone down again, and tossed the large white comforter aside. It didn't matter that it was only three in the afternoon, I was drained.

  Maybe it was the drive, or the wine? Or a combination of both? Either way the only thing that I wanted to do was sleep. I climbed onto the bed, and pulled the blanket up, and over me snuggling into my pillow. I closed my eyes, and then I started to cry.

  “Dammit, Derek.” I sobbed to myself. “Why can't I just forget you?”

  FIVE

  I WASN'T NEW TO THE world of hangovers, but I certainly didn't like them. My head felt foggy, and when I sat up the pulsing in my temples only intensified. I groaned, as I drug myself into the bathroom. When I caught a glimpse of myself I couldn't help but laugh. My wavy hair was in tangles, and I had dark bags under my eyes. It looked like I'd gone a few rounds in a boxing ring, opposed to a few bottles of wine.

  Even though I'd showered before bed last night, I decided it wouldn't hurt to have a little refresher. The instant the hot spray hit my throbbing head I let out a sigh of relief. I stood there for a while, just letting the water ease the pain before eventually taking care of business. When I stepped out of the shower I felt a million times better than I had only moments ago.

  I towel dried my hair, and then found a comfortable pair of jean shorts, and my favorite olive green tee shirt. I paired it with my tennis shoes, and tossed my hair up into a pony tail. It was mid April, and it was supposed to be pretty warm today. Normally I wouldn't bother with makeup, but with the shape my face was in after last night's bender I put a little concealer under my eyes.

  Just as I finished applying my lip gloss, the door between our rooms opened revealing a very well put together Morgan. Of course she would look like she just stepped out of a magazine. The woman was blessed, there was no other explanation.

  “Good morning!” She said, in a cheerful tone.

  “Is it?” I asked, as I stepped out of the bathroom.

  “You look like hell, Ronnie.”

  “Which is exactly why I don't get wine drunk.” I said.

  “Should we go grab some breakfast before heading into town?”

  I glanced at the clock on the bedside table. “It's nearly noon.”

  “Brunch it is! Grab your purse.”

  I gave her a small salute, and she rolled her eyes before adjusting her own bag on her shoulder. After making sure I had my phone, and room key the two of us made our way out to the parking lot. Seeing the big blue ford parked outside brought a smile to my face. Even though I was missing my dad, a part of him was still here with me and it made me feel a little less homesick.

  Morgan climbed into the passenger seat, and began searching for restaurants on her phone. I sat, patiently waiting, tapping my hands on the steering wheel. Truth be told I couldn't care less about food right now, but I'd humor her just as I always did.

  “There's a place called Biscuitville. It says they serve breakfast, lunch, and brunch.”

  “Sounds perfect.” I said, starting the engine.

  We listened to the radio on our drive to the restaurant, neither of us having much to say to the other. Some truths were spoken last night, and I think we were both just trying to let them sink in. Biscuitville was only ten minutes from our hotel, and when we arrived the parking lot was nearly full. I managed to find a spot in the back though, and when we got out of the truck, the smell of fresh biscuits immediately filled my senses.

  Morgan was walking behind me, holding her phone in her hands.

  “It says here that they make fresh biscuits every fifteen minutes. They use locally milled flour, buttermilk, and shortening. They call it the biscuit window, how clever!”

  I laughed. “I never thought I'd see you so excited about something that wasn't fashion.”

  She placed her phone back in her purse, ignoring me as we walked into the busy restaurant. The smell was even better from here, and the sounds of talking, and laughter filled the room. A young waitress with flour on her apron, and even more on her cheek came rushing over to us in a tizzy.

  “Table for two?” She asked, trying to catch her breath.

  I nodded, and she glanced around the room. “We've got a table clearing up right now, it'll just be a minute.”

  “Take your time.” I said with a smile, and Morgan nudged me.

  “It's her job to find solutions. You shouldn't coddle the poor girl.”

  “I don't even know the girl.” I laughed. “I'm hardly coddling a waitress by being polite.”

  “She takes orders, and delivers food. How hard can it be?”

  “Hey! I was a waitress in high school, and it's a very demanding job. Not to mention the rude patrons, and non tippers.”

  “Alright, alright. Spare me the lecture.” She laughed.

  A few minutes later, the girl returned with two menus in her hand.

  “Right this way ladies.” She smiled.

  Morgan, and I followed her down the aisle way zigging, and zagging right along with her until we finally reached a table in the back corner of the room.

  “I hope this is alright. We're really swamped today.”

  “It's just fine.” I said, as I slipped into the booth.

  Morgan slid in across from me, and gave our waitress a small smile.

  “Could we have some coffee please?”

  “Of course. Here are your menus, and my name is Tanya if you need anything at all please don't hesitate to ask for me.”

  “Thank you, Tanya.” I said, before she rushed off towards the coffee cart.

  We began to look over our menus while we waited, and everything looked absolutely delicious. Since this place was known for their biscuits, I already knew that I was ordering something with them in it. The sandwiches looked good, but I've always been a sucker for biscuits, and gravy.

  “Do not order the biscuits, and gravy.” Morgan said, as if she could read my mind. “We're road tripping! Be a little unpredictable for once.”

  Tanya returned then, and poured us each a cup of coffee before placing a bowl of cream, and sugar packets in the center of the table.

  “Do you need more time?” She asked.

  “I'll have the grilled chicken, egg, and cheese English muffin. Lightly toasted, and could you please make sure that the cheese is melted. Oh, and the English muffin should be soft, not hard.” Morgan said.

  I bit the inside of my cheek as I watched Tanya scribble down the instructions. I'm sure she was used to this sort of thing, but I was still a bit annoyed by Morgan's behavior. Annoyed, but not surprised. She liked things very particular, it just so happened that when she asked for those particulars she didn't think about how she sounded.

  “And for you?” Tanya asked.

  “I'd like the bacon, egg, and cheese biscuit with a hash brown on the side.”

  “Will that be all?”

  Morgan nodded, and then handed Tanya our menus. I took the time to look around then, noting the decor on the walls. Even though this was considered a chain restaurant, it still had a very mom and pop kind of vibe. It wasn't long before Tanya returned with our food, and Morgan and I dug in. The biscuits were melt in your mouth go
od, and I nearly moaned on the first bite.

  After leaving Tanya a thirty dollar tip, we decided to head over to Gladiola Girls. I was itching to check out the record store, but I knew that Morgan was dying to get some retail therapy in even more. So when we were back in the truck, I asked her to look up the address.

  Fifteen minutes later we found ourselves in the Boonsboro shopping center. It reminded me of downtown Raleigh in a way with it's small shops, and paved sidewalks. There were food vendors on a few of the corners, and parallel parking directly on the streets. It was a quaint little square, and I was excited to explore it a bit more.

  We parked directly in front of the store, and when we stepped inside it was like walking into a fairy garden. Twinkling lights were strung up strategically throughout the store, and there were mannequins in brightly colored clothes. Jewelry was hanging on multiple surfaces, and not only were there antique pieces, but hand made pieces as well. It was a wonderful hodgepodge of old, and new, and I found myself immediately drawn to the scented candles.

  Morgan of course had already gotten lost in the racks of clothing that lined the walls. I smiled to myself, as I watched her in her element. I smelled candles, and tried on necklaces and scarves, all while she was loading her arms with treasures.

  “I'm off to the fitting rooms.” She said, from across the room.

  I waved her off, before putting a pair of vintage sunglasses on, and checking my reflection in the mirror.

  “They look great on you.” A male voice said, from somewhere behind me.

  I caught a brief glimpse of him, before turning around to face him. He was tall, at least six foot with dusty blonde hair, and deep blue eyes. He had tanned skin, but his freckles still managed to shine through somehow. I smiled awkwardly at him, and he shot me a wink.

  “Thank you.” I said, quietly.

  “Ronnie!” Morgan yelled, and I turned to face her as she came out of the dressing room in a vintage white and black polka dot bikini. “How cute is this!”

  “I wouldn't describe that bikini as cute.” The man beside me said.

  “Oh!” She blushed, and did a little twirl. “Mind helping me with the rest of my looks, sexy stranger?”