I loved my job. Granted, I had only worked here for three days so far, but it was an awesome three days.

Brandon was quite possibly one of the funniest people I had ever met, Parker was keeping his distance, and I had a major girl crush on Staci.

Staci was the only other tattoo artist in the shop, and she was by far the coolest chick I knew. Her hair was jet black and stick straight, and her creamy white skin was covered in bright, colorful tattoos.

She booked appointments nonstop, they all did actually, but she had a male clientele that didn’t stop, and I couldn’t blame them. She was gorgeous.

“You know it’s sacrilegious to work in a tattoo shop and not have a tattoo, right?” She was sitting next to me behind the desk, thumbing through a magazine while waiting for her next appointment to show.

“It is not.” I rolled my eyes. “It may be bad for business, but it’s not sacrilegious.”

“Why don’t you get one?” She set down her magazine and started looking over my skin as if she was looking for the perfect spot.

“I want to.” I added another appointment into Parker’s schedule. “It just makes me nervous.”

Staci laughed, in a full on unattractive snort-laugh that made me like her more.

“Don’t be a pussy, Liv.”

“I am not being a pussy,” I said the last word quietly which only made her laugh louder.

“What would you get?” She started looking around the walls at the artwork that was featured there for customers to choose from, but what I wanted wasn’t on those walls. It was in a portfolio under my desk.

I had looked at the drawing every single day that I had worked there, and every single day, I wanted it more and more.

“I wouldn’t get anything on the wall.”

Staci looked at me like I was a bit crazy and maybe I was. I pulled the portfolio out and pointed to the drawing that I couldn’t quit thinking about.

Wild at heart.

Staci whistled when she saw the drawing I was talking about before she put her feet up on the desk. “Good luck with that one.”

“Why?” Typically if a client had requested a tattoo, it was pulled out of the portfolio. I didn’t see anything that stated someone had claimed it.

“Because I’ve seen about a hundred people ask for that tattoo and the answer is always the same.”

“Which is?”

“Nope.” She clapped her hands theatrically, startling me a bit.

“Why?” I looked back down at the drawing. It was easily one of the best pieces of art I had ever seen.

“Because Parker won’t let go of it. Someone always asks and he always says no.”

“Well couldn’t you tattoo it on me?” I batted my eyelashes at her, and she rolled hers.

“That,” she pointed to my face, “doesn’t work on me, and no, I can’t. It’s Parker’s work. Only Parker can do it.”

I thought about her words before sliding the drawing back in place. I loved it. Absolutely loved it, but there was no way in hell I was letting Parker tattoo me. It wasn’t happening.

“Well then what good are you?” I teased, putting the portfolio back under the desk.

Staci’s eyes lit up and the grin that took over her face scared me a bit.

“What is that look for?” I motioned toward her face as she had mine only moments before.

“How much time do we have before my next appointment?”

I looked at the appointment book. “Twenty minutes or so, why?”

“We should pierce something.” She said it like most people don’t take a day or two to think these things out. There was no hesitation or doubt.

“What?” I screeched.

“I already told you not to be a pussy, Liv. Let’s do it!” She clapped her hands together like she just won the lottery, and I watched her like the crazy person she was.

“Your nose would be really cute.” She turned my face this way and that. “Or even your lip. Or we could always.” She held her hands over my chest and motioned like she was grabbing my tits.

“Wouldn’t that hurt?” I rubbed my breasts just thinking about the pain.

“Only for a minute or so, but it’s totally worth it.” She winked at me.

“Do you have yours pierced?” I whispered even though we were the only two in the shop. Brandon and Parker left about an hour ago to run a few errands.

“Of course. I also have my hood pierced, and let me just tell you, I love that baby.”

“Your vagina?” I shrieked.

“Yes. My vagina.” She patted me on my head like a puppy. “Do you ever get laid, Liv?”

Her question was innocent, but she didn’t realize how close to the truth she was because I wasn’t getting laid. Not regularly. Not even semi-regularly. She would die if she knew it had been over a year, but I wasn’t going to tell her that. Instead, I just shrugged my shoulders and let her question roll off me.

She shook her head as if the thought of not getting laid made her physically ill. “Okay. Let’s start with the nipples.”

My eyes widened. “Are you sure?”

“I’m positive. Live a little.” I wasn’t one for peer pressure, but I couldn’t deny that the idea of having my nipples pierced excited me.

“This stays between us.” I pointed my finger back and forth between us before Staci grabbed my hand and pulled me into her booth.

I watched her work, setting up her equipment, looking like a surgeon with all her sterile materials.

When it came time for me to take my top off, I only hesitated for a second. I was sitting in her chair naked from the waist up, and she was smiling at me like a loon.

“This is going to be perfect. You have a great set of tits.”

I laughed and had the urge to cover my chest.

“Do you talk to all your clients like this?”

Staci shrugged. “No. Not all my clients have great tits. Some come in here with tits to the floor and still want them pierced. Which is fine, to each their own, but it makes my day when I know someone down the road is really going to appreciate my work.”

“You’re insane.” I gripped the edge of the chair as she made her way toward me with a clamp that looked like it was used to torture people.

“Maybe, but I know a great set of tits when I see one.”

The metal bit down around my nipple, and I tensed, preparing myself for the pain.

“Will you stop talking about my tits?” I said through gritted teeth.

“Okay. Are you ever going to tell me about your history with Parker?”

Her question came out of left field and I wasn’t expecting it, but before I could contemplate how to answer her, pain seared through my breast and my only thought was that this bitch lied.

That fucking hurt.