The bird cage was the size of a tube of lipstick in height, and the intricate details she'd managed to blend into it were dazzling. She'd left a few of the bars mangled, and broken as if the bird had escaped. Seeing it, even though it wasn't finished brought actual tears to my eyes. Having the symbol of how I felt in my soul etched onto my skin felt somehow cathartic.
“It's perfect.” I said, before turning to show Owen. “What do you think?”
“It doesn't matter what I think, Unicorn. As long as it makes you happy.”
I nodded my head, before returning to the chair. With my confirmation, Gia fired up her tattoo gun, and dipped it into the ink. I closed my eyes at first, steeling myself for the pain that I imagined would come next. I won't lie, it hurt. A lot. But, it wasn't unbearable. Owen reached for my hand, and I opened my eyes on contact.
He smiled down at me, and it gave me the courage to turn towards Gia. I watched as she worked, and admired her talent. She was focused, and it was clear that she'd been at this for a very long time. It was almost second nature to her. When she finished with the outline of the bird, she asked if I needed a break before shading it in. I told her just to keep going, and that's when the pain got a little more intense.
I squinted, as the needle stroked over my rib cage, and Owen gave my hand a small squeeze.
“Look at me.” He said.
I turned my head, and he winked at me.
“It's a good thing you're so distracting.” I teased.
“Me? You're the one laying here with your shirt off, getting a tattoo.”
I laughed. “Are you going to get one too?”
“You know what, I think I will.”
“Where will you put it?”
He laughed this time. “I've got some space left on my chest.”
“Of course you do.”
“Hey if you get to be topless, then so do I.”
“Stop making her laugh.” Gia warned. “We don't want a crooked bird cage.”
I turned back to her then, glancing down.
“You've already finished shading the bird in?” I asked.
“Distraction.” She smiled. “Works every time.”
I looked at Owen, and he winked again.
“You're sneaky, I'll give you that.” I said.
“Is that all I am though?”
“Are you fishing for a compliment, because I'm pretty sure you already know you're sex on legs.”
“Amen.” Gia mumbled from beside me, and I smiled.
“See. You don't need to fish.”
“What about my mind though?” He asked, arching a brow.
I laughed so hard then, that Gia had to stop. She gave Owen a hard stare, and it only made me laugh harder. The look on his face was priceless, and after apologizing to Gia, he promised to keep his mouth shut for the rest of my session.
Nearly two hours later, and I was finally finished. Gia showed me how to care for my new tattoo so that it could heal properly, and set me up with all the supplies I'd need. After paying her, and giving her a generous tip for her trouble, Owen asked if she had time for one more. She was reluctant at first, but eventually gave in.
This time, Owen was in the hot seat. He pulled his shirt off, and tossed it at me hitting me right square in the face.
“Hey!” I said with annoyance, as I laid it in my lap.
“Alright.” Gia said, as she put a new pair of gloves on. “What do you want?”
Owen looked at me with what appeared to be nervousness before turning to face Gia.
“I'd like a unicorn.”
THIRTEEN
THE SILENCE THAT OWEN, and I were sharing in the truck right now was deafening. When he asked Gia to give him a unicorn tattoo, a million different emotions ran through me. At first I was flattered, but then I wondered what it meant. You don't put something like that on your body just because, and he told me that every tattoo meant something to him. So, what exactly did I mean to him?
After five minutes, I cleared my throat. One of us needed to break the silence.
“Do you want to grab something to eat?” I asked, as we stopped at a red light.
“There's a bar around the corner I wanted to check out.” He said, pointing towards the next road up.
“When did you have time to look?” I teased.
“While you were showering this morning. I had plenty of time.” He teased back.
“Are you saying that I shower slow? Try living with Morgan, and sharing a bathroom.”
He pretended to cringe, and I swatted his arm.
“Eyes on the road, Unicorn.” He said. “Remember what happened last time?”
“Asshole.” I said, as I turned onto the street where the bar was located.
He laughed, ignoring my little dig.
“The bar looks pretty crowded.” He said, leaning up in his seat to get a better look.
“Brass balls saloon?” I asked, crinkling my nose as I found a parking spot near the back.
“Come on, it's a landmark!”
“A landmark?” I asked, arching a brow skeptically.
“It's been here since nineteen eighty.” He shrugged. “Plus, I bet the outside tables have a pretty good view when the sun sets.”
“Aww, you want to watch the sun set with me?” I teased.
“I'd like to watch it rise with you too.” He winked.
I bit my bottom lip, and he slid across the seat so that he was sitting in the middle. He looked at my lips, and licked his own before leaning towards me. Our lips met in a sweet, sensual kiss, that made my heart race with excitement. My stomach was doing little flip flops, and when I felt his hands on my waist I had to fight back a little squeal when his fingertips brushed against my tattoo.
“Sorry.” He said, quickly pulling away from me. “How does it feel? Are you doing alright?”
“It's not as bad as I thought it would be. It's a kind of burning sensation, like
