Dillon

 

Once we arrive at Carlotta’s and are seated, neither of us needing to look at the menu to know what it is we want to eat. We both have our preferred meal, and we are able to order quickly and dive into conversation. As I’m looking at her across the booth I can’t believe how magnificent of a creature she is. She’s not only one of the most beautiful women I’ve ever laid eyes on, but she’s funny, intelligent and makes me laugh. It’s been a really long time since someone has had the ability to make me lose myself and laugh the way I am right now.

Ever since I left that hellhole I grew up in, I’ve controlled everything that’s happened in my life. I didn’t join a frat house, didn’t party, my only goal in life was making sure I became nothing like my parents and I was determined to make something of myself to show them, that I didn’t need them, to get by in life. I haven’t even talked to either of them since the day I was finally able to walk out that front door for the last time in my life. I jumped on the first bus I could and never looked back. At first, I didn’t question who it was that was paying for my education, not caring who or why they chose me, I just knew I needed to not knock a gift horse in the mouth and seize the opportunity they had given me.

When I graduated in the top ten-percent of my class, and it came time to decide where I was to intern at, I chose the busiest hospital I could find. Not only did I graduate top of my class… I graduated early. I took every extra course I could add to my work load, including summer classes. What takes people six years to accomplish I did in four. It’s not because I was smarter than the rest of my peers in pre-med, it’s because I was more determined to show everyone that I was better than the aforementioned people that had a hand in raising me. Everyone in this town knows that my father beat my mother and myself, but no one other than Ariel’s parents ever tried to step in and do a damn thing about it.

My father being a police captain kept everyone at bay when I was young, and my mother was no better, always sticking up for him and denying what was happening when anyone approached her asking if she needed help to get away. She always chose him, never me or herself and I have no remorse for the life she’s imprisoned herself in. I begged her when I left to come with me, told her I’d help her, and we could start our life over. She accused me of being a selfish person for not caring enough about my own father and said she couldn’t abandon him the way I wanted us to. So, from that day forward I said fuck you, holding both middle fingers up, and went about building my own life.

“Whatcha thinking about so hard over there, Dillon?”

“Just about how hard I worked to get out of medical school, intern as quickly as I could and get back here to help those who did believe in me.”

“Wow, that’s a heavy load to have on your mind so early in the morning.”

“It is isn’t it? Let’s talk about something else, tell me about the shop and what it took to get your license to put living, breathing canvases on people.”

“Dad started teaching me early on, I knew very young that I wanted to do what he did. By the time I graduated, I had the courses behind me that I needed so I could start my apprenticeship.”

“What kind of courses did you have to take?” I ask genuinely curious.

“My father had a list of things I needed to do before he’d take me on. So during the summer of my sophomore and junior year I took courses in Art History and an educational class in tattooing. Every summer since I can remember, my sisters and I were in one form of an art class or another. Drawing, shading, technique, color schemes and so on. When I was eighteen I had completed the art classes and educational courses he’d wanted me to.”

“That’s a lot of years invested.”

“Weren’t yours?” she asks.

“Touché,” I tell her.

“He also made me and my sisters become certified nurses. He wanted us to learn about blood pathogens, bones in the body and arteries.”

“Let me get this straight, not only are you three tattoo artists, but you’re also…all three of you, certified nurses?”

“We are.”

“Wow! That’s impressive.” The smile that graces her face lets me know I said the right thing.

“Thank you.”

“You’re full of surprises, you know that?” From there I tell her about my schooling, how I studied hard and graduated early. Next thing I know I look at my watch and it’s five a.m. “I should get you home, I have a shift starting in six hours and I need to get some shut eye.”

“Same here…it’s my day to go to sit with Mom.” We leave the diner and I am happier than I can remember being in a very long time.

I grab her hand as I lead her to the car, once we hit the passenger side I don’t know what comes over me, but I push her back against the car and lean down for a kiss. It starts off with our mouths closed, but soon the urge hits and I swipe my tongue across her lips begging for entrance. She gasps and that’s the opening I needed. I push my tongue in her mouth and am satisfied when she doesn’t push me away. Instead she joins me in one of the most erotic kisses of my life. This woman was made for me.