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)
I motioned for Baker to take her mind off things while I set up my ink.
“I’ve got quite a few on my chest, but you can see these small ones on my hand,” Baker said as he stood by Madison’s side, leaning over her slightly so that he could show her a few symbols that were tattooed near his knuckles and wrist.
Madison reached up and ran her forefinger over the black numbers ‘0327’ that were tattooed along the top of his thumb.
“What’s that stand for?” she asked.
Baker’s eyes immediately darted to mine as I scooted my rolling stool closer to her arm. I knew what it meant, but was he actually going to tell her the truth or lie about it like he did to so many other people?
“It stands for March 27th,” he explained in a slightly cautious voice.
“Oh, okay. Is that someone’s birthday? Or when someone…passed?” Madison asked, looking concerned by her last guess.
Baker rubbed the back of his neck before looking down at his tattoo.
“It’s… when I was released from prison. It’s a reminder to be mindful of what I do and to do what I can to be a better person,” he told her.
I paused with a surprised look on my face, wondering what coaxed him to tell a girl we just met something that was hard to bring up around family and friends.
Madison’s expression wavered a little, switching between shock and confusion and a hint of nervousness.
“Oh, I’ve never known anyone who’s been in prison before,” she admitted, seeming tenser than before as her heels pressed into the table. It was like she was positioning herself to jump up and run.
I could sense the nervousness radiating off her. She seemed like a controlled person, so she wouldn’t hang out with people who messed around and got in trouble. I couldn’t blame her for being wary, but I wanted her to know me for me. Not what I did in the past.
“Actually, we’re all ex-cons here. The owner, Marlo, came from a rough background, improved his life, and wanted to help people like us get integrated back into society doing something good and productive,” I spoke up, hoping that I could get her to relax.
Madison looked between us, her body going tense for a few seconds before relaxing. She glanced over at me.
“You can start,” she told me before looking back up at the ceiling. “Well, I think that’s very good of him. I think it’s great that all of you are here getting to do something you enjoy.”
I could feel Baker’s relief coming off him in waves, clashing with my own. I thought she would leave the shop at first, but she was totally cool.
“We like making people leave here with a smile on their face,” I replied as I hovered the tattoo machine over the stencil I carefully placed on her right forearm. “Alright, I’m about to start. It’ll be a little pinch, and then it’ll feel like a hot thumbtack is scraping your skin. That’s pretty much all there is to it.”
Madison nodded and automatically sucked in a breath.
Baker placed his hand over her wrist.
“Breathe. If you hold your breath, you’ll pass out,” he warned her.
Madison let out a nervous laugh.
“I told my friend that I was terrified of passing out,” she admitted.
I chuckled and started tattooing one of the main lines, going slow and precise but remaining light with the pressure.
Madison gripped Baker’s hand and squeezed her eyes shut for a few seconds before slowly opening them.
“Oh… it’s… not too bad,” she replied before grimacing slightly. “I mean, it kinda stings, but it’s bearable.”
“See? Not as bad as you thought,” I chuckled as I continued my work, resting my free hand on hers and feeling her fingers slightly wrap around mine. I wasn’t sure if she meant to do that or not, but it made my heart randomly skip.
Baker looked down at her.
“Bryce has a tattoo of a unicorn on his calf,” he said, distracting her from the rapid tapping of the needle against her skin.
Madison gasped a little.
“Really? If I had Chloe pick out a tattoo for me, she would probably choose a unicorn,” she said with a laugh.
“She has good taste,” I told her, shooting her a playful grin. Chloe must’ve been her daughter. Madison looked pretty young, so I assumed her daughter was still small.
“Why a unicorn?” Madison asked me.
“I’m a fantasy nerd. A lot of people get serious tattoos, but I wanted something that felt like me. Something crazy and mystical seemed like a good fit,” I explained as I moved onto another line. “You’re doing really good by the way.”
“I am?” Madison asked, sounding unsure. Since this was all new to her, she wouldn’t know the standards at a tattoo shop, and I had dealt with a lot of squirming first timers before. However, she remained perfectly still, only slightly turning her head to look between me and my brother.