Total pages in book: 67
Estimated words: 61746 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 309(@200wpm)___ 247(@250wpm)___ 206(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 61746 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 309(@200wpm)___ 247(@250wpm)___ 206(@300wpm)
Bryce gestured to his station with an eager look on his face.
“Ready to start?” he asked me.
My heart rate spiked when I realized that this was actually going to happen. I was actually getting a tattoo today. I expected to feel more fear, but Bryce’s encouraging smile calmed me.
“I’m ready.”
Chapter 4
Bryce
I was so glad I had a pretty light schedule today. When Taj introduced me to Madison and I saw that radiant smile of hers, it was like looking at the sun. But in a less painful way.
I could tell Taj wasn’t the happiest about directing her over to me, but losers weepers.
As I got my area set up and prepared to make a stencil of Taj’s sketch, Madison fidgeted a little as she sat on the edge of my table, crossing and uncrossing her legs as she glanced around.
“Are you okay?” I asked her.
Madison’s eyes widened like she didn’t realize she was externalizing her emotions as much as she thought she was.
“It’s my first time getting a tattoo,” she admitted. “I’m just a little nervous.”
I walked closer to her and placed my hand on the table a few inches away from her leg, leaning my weight against it a little.
“Don’t worry. I get a lot of first timers, and I can promise you they always say it’s not as bad as they thought it would be,” I assured her. Telling from her smooth, flawless skin that her tank top and shorts exposed, it was easy for me to tell that she hadn’t been tattooed before.
I was honored to be her first, and maybe I was a freak, but it made this whole situation pretty hot. No one had touched her or marked her the way I was about to.
Madison smiled a little and nodded, pushing her fingers through the subtle, long waves of her chestnut-colored hair. She had these blue eyes that were intense, but they didn’t seem cold or piercing. They looked inviting like gentle waves out in the ocean.
I got her stencil ready and was on the way back over when I crossed paths with my brother, who seemed to be milling around with a crossword puzzle book in his hand until his next client showed up.
“Hey, look who’s at my station,” I murmured as I subtly nodded in that direction.
Baker followed my gaze, his eyebrows lifting slightly.
“Wow, she’s cute,” he said.
“Yeah, she’s sweet too. Pretty nervous, though,” I replied, hoping that I could get her to relax a little more. The process would only be more uncomfortable if her nerves spiked.
“I could talk to her a little,” Baker offered, the side of his mouth turning up slightly.
I gave him a pointed look, but I didn’t stop him from following me back over to my station.
“Hey, Madison. This is my brother, Baker,” I introduced them.
Baker shook Madison’s hand as she looked back and forth between us.
“Oh, you’re brothers!” she said with slightly narrowed eyes as she observed our basic features. We had the same nose, eyes, and height, while everything else was different.
“Yeah, twins, actually,” I replied with a chuckle, nudging her knee playfully before showing her the stencil. “Now, where are we thinking about putting this?”
A sheepish look filled Madison’s face.
“I’m not sure. I was hoping you guys could give me some suggestions,” she said.
“That’s what we’re here for,” Baker replied before taking the stencil from me. He gestured to the space in front of me. “Let me take a better look at you.”
Madison hopped off the table and stayed still as Baker hovered the stencil over different parts of her body. Her eyes met mine for a brief second, and I couldn’t help but admire the pink glow of her cheeks. My gaze shifted away and followed Baker’s hands, taking in the sight of her petite figure and the delicate, graceful way she carried herself. Her hips had a slight angle to them as she stood still, putting her notable curves on display.
“You know, I think your forearm would be a good spot. It’s one of the least painful spots, and it’s a good area for the shape of the tattoo,” I spoke up as I gestured for Baker to place the stencil on her inner forearm as she rested her hand on her upper thigh.
Baker nodded in agreement.
“What do you think?” he asked her.
Madison inspected it for a second before nodding.
“I think that’d be nice,” she said.
“Alright, you can just lie back on the table, and I’ll situate your arm on an armrest,” I explained, figuring she would want all the details to put her mind at ease.
“So, what tattoos do you guys have?” Madison asked once she’d laid down and had her arm resting on an armrest I extended from the table. She gazed up at the ceiling, rubbing her scuffed white sneakers together nervously.