Chapter 13

 

Hollywood

 

I WANTED HER dragon to be my best work of art to date, so I took my time with the details until I finally produced something I hoped would impress her. Unlike many other tattooists, I was usually pretty fast with my sketches. Some people took days. Some took hours. I normally finished the first draft in fifteen minutes and would then consult with the client to make any necessary changes. For Candi, I spent forty-five minutes, which was a lot more than usual, concentrating heavily on the details and shadowing. When I was finished, I held it up and her eyes widened.

“Wow,” she said, moving closer. “It’s incredible. I’ve never seen anything like it.”

Flattered, I smiled. “Thanks. Obviously, I still need to color it. I just wanted to know if there was anything you’d like me to change?”

“No. Nothing. I really love what you did with my brother’s name, too.”

Instead of just a dragon, I had the beast wrapped around a medieval sword with Andrew’s named etched down the front of the weapon. Even I had to admit, it looked pretty badass.

As we were discussing the sketch, Devon and Brass walked back into the parlor.

“Bye, babe,” he said, patting her ass again. “Text me when you’re ready to close the shop and I’ll return.”

“Okay,” she said.

Brass winked at Jimmy as he passed him by. “Sorry, man.” He said looking back. “She put me up to the challenge. I had to save face.”

“Dude, you don’t have to explain nothing to me. I understand,” he replied.

“You’re a good man, Jimmy,” he said before leaving the parlor.

Devon sat down and apologized again for leaving him stranded.

“No problem, Devon,” he said.

“Hollywood, did you finish the sketch?” Devon called out from her station.

“Yeah,” I replied.

She stood back up. “Sweet. Let me see.” She walked over and I showed her. Devon gasped. “Oh, my God, that’s fucking gorgeous. You outdo yourself every time, Hollywood.”

“Thanks.”

“I can’t wait to see the finished product. Are you going to leave it black and white or colored?” she asked Candi.

“Colored,” Candi replied and then told her which colors she’d chosen.

“That’s going to be breathtaking,” she replied.

I looked at the clock. It was nine-thirty. “It’s getting late and this thing is going to take hours. We’ll have to start on it tomorrow.”

Candi looked disappointed. “Darn. How long will it actually take?”

I shrugged. “Probably eight to ten hours. Plus, it depends on your pain threshold. Some people can only handle a couple hours at a time.”

She sighed. “I understand. So, when can we start it?”

“I’m free tomorrow afternoon. Around three? I wish we could do it earlier, but I have some shit I’ve got to do tomorrow.”

“It’s fine.”

“I’ll work on the coloring during my lunch break and should have it ready for your final approval by three.”

She nodded. “Okay. What kind of a price are we looking at?”

I told her and she whistled.

“It’s a good price,” Jimmy called out. “Considering the work he does. I paid two grand for my wife’s tattoo, and to be honest, I wish I’d have come here. You get what you pay for.”

“No, it’s fine,” she said. “I’ve just never gotten a tattoo and had no idea the cost.”

“We charge by the hour, and obviously, this one will take a while. I know it’s very detailed, but I want you to love it,” I told her.

“I do already.”

“Good. Tell you what,” I said, lowering my voice. “How about you have a drink with me at the bash we’re having and… I’ll give you my ‘friends-and-family’ discount?”