AN: I'm BACK with another Jella story so this one is complete 17 chapters all about 3000 words a chapter. I hope y'all enjoy this story I may write another maybe not don't know yet. This is another I will post whenever let me know what you think as reviews usually make me post faster.
This is a mistake we should not be doing this but I want to. I want this and so as a free woman, I will do it.
"Rose, your dad will kill you if you get this tattoo you know that right," I tell her because while my parents won't be excited her dad will flip his shit.
"Who gives a damn if daddy likes it. He liked Royce and we see how great he was." Rose says as we walk into Red Rocker ink.
"Welcome to Red Rocker how may I help you ladies?" Says the tiny woman standing in front of the front desk moving around papers. Her arms are covered in ink and she has a barbell through her eyebrow.
"Yes, I would like to get a tattoo." Rose says walking up to the counter. The woman nods and walks to the computer. She does some typing and looks up at me.
"It looks like Jasper has some free time let me go talk to him. I am Alice can you guys have a seat I will be right back." She says walking toward the back where the doors are. About that time the bell over the door dings and a mountain of a man in a sweeping snow out of his hair.
"Damn it is cold out there why in the hell did I move to New York." Says the man not looking up. He pulls off his scarf and jacket hanging them in a closet when he turns he looks right at Rose and stops his eyes go wide and the deep dimples in his cheeks show themselves.
"Are you ladies here to get tattooed?" The big guy asks and I point at Rose because I can hear the tattoo gun and I think I am copping out.
"Yeah we want the same tattoo my friend Bella here already has a drawing." Rose says in a confident voice pointing over at me. She has her sexy smirk on and I have to not smile because if Rose wants him come hell or high water she will have him. She can be a shark.
"Alrighty then lets see the design I have no appointments for a few hours. I may be able to get you both in." He says winking at Rose and turning to me. I open my messenger bag and pull the drawing that I drew for an assignment that I had. It was a drawing that was to represent the person that meant the most to us. I drew entwining limbs and two hummingbirds sitting on them in the feathers are words woven in. Friend, loyal, gracious, humble, sister, The Hummingbirds are facing one another.
"Hey Emmett nice of you to come to work." A blond man with a southern drawl long hair and a beard says. Him and the big guy share what I like to say is a bro hug, aka half hug back pat thing.
"Alice tells me that Y'all are looking for tattoos. I have don't have anymore appointments for the day. Do you have a." He is cut off by Emmett handing him my drawing. He takes it and looks over it closely making me blush a little.
"That is a great drawing I am guessing you are Bella." Emmett says poking his hand in my direction. I take the proffered hand and realize quickly that he really is a giant.
"Thanks and I am Bella an art student at NYU." I say the drawing is complicated and it got me an A. This that I gave them is an enhanced photograph of the original because I framed the original and gave it to Rose as a Christmas present.
"Emmett is right this is a great drawing cool concept. Do you both want the same thing and where are you looking at putting it. I am Jasper by the way." He reaches out toward me and shake my hand. His skin is warm and he gives me butterflies.
"Rose and I would like one half of it each this is my half and the other is hers. I would the colors in blues a blended look like the photo." I say pointing to the bird on the left.
"I want it on my ribs on my left side." I point to ribcage and Jasper grimaces.
"I want the bird in purples and maybe a spot of red. Same place as Bella on my right side." Rose says.
"Okay, ladies if Y'all are good with it then Bella I will take you and Emmett take Rose and discuss these further and make a plan," Jasper says stepping back and gesturing for me to follow him.
"Have fun Bella I will see you in a few huh." She says with a kiss to my cheek and a wink. I nod because I am petrified honestly. Jasper sits me down in what looks like a dentists chair and goes to his scanner scans the photo in and sits down at his computer.
"You want this one right and a colored pencil texture in the color?" Jasper asks as he crops the photo at my nod and he nods as well.
"Is this your first tattoo?" He asks turning from the computer to the printer and pulls the bottom of his sweater up and over his head pulling the bottom of his shirt up in the process revealing tattooed skin on his stomach. My thighs clinch at the ink because come on tattoos are hot as fuck and as an artist myself I love them.
"Nope I have a poppy on my shoulder and a compass rose on my side." I say to him trying my damnedest not to stare. He is covered in ink one whole entire arm to his wrist is tattoos and his fingers are tattooed with the words hold fast. I can see a tattoo peaking out above his shirt collar even.
"Good because this particular place is painful and very hard to tattoo. Now that being said I can do it but the type of coloring you want the smooth saturation is hard in a place like this. So if we were to move it to a meatier place like the thigh that would give the colored pencil look that you're wanting." Jasper tells me and I appreciate his candor.
"Okay well let me talk to Rose this is her first and see if I can get her to change the placement," I tell him and he nods.
"I will draw this up want this branch and all as well as this size right?" Jasper says and I nod and head out the door toward the sound of Rose's voice she is currently laughing I knock lightly on the door and open it.
"Hey lady, Jasper said that the color would be better in a more meaty spot so what do you think about the outside of your thigh. It also won't hurt as bad there." I say and she looks at Emmett for confirmation and he nods as well.
"Okay that's fine Emmett said he can probably only finish the outline today but I will need to come back to do color." She tells me.
"Sounds like a plan if you need me I will be down the hall," I tell her looking at her smirking because her cheeks are flushed.
"I will take care of her don't worry," Emmett tells me patting her leg and I nod at him and head back to Jaspers room.
"Yeah I have a client now about 4 to 5 hours depending on how much pain she can take. She is hot maybe I should draw it out." He pauses on the phone then laughs out.
"You will not come by the shop to see her asshole." I knock on the wall letting him know I am there I feel kinda bad for eavesdropping however the knowledge that he thinks I am hot wipes that away quickly. I mouth sorry for him and grab my wallet out of my bag and point to the front he nods at me.
"Hey I need to sign the papers for Jasper but I am going to run down to 7/11 to get a drink and one for Rose," I tell Alice who grabs her wallet from her desk.
"Mind if I come with I am starving," Alice says and I smile at her and nod.
"That will be $7.15." I grab a ten and hand it to him. I ended up buying drinks, gum and peanut butter crackers for Rose just incase. He hands me my change.
"Do you work at New Moon?" Alice asks me on our walk back.
"I used too yeah but, I work uptown now at a friends gallery."
"I love that place we go all the time. I thought you looked familiar. " Alice says.
"Yeah I know the owner I worked there as an undergrad." I tell her my first 4 years at NYU I worked at a bar not far from campus as a waitress and fill in bartender. When a former grad student I knew opened an art gallery uptown he offered me a job and I took it. Walking back in to the shop I hear the hum of a tattoo machine and Jasper is standing at the desk. Alice hands him a soda and he hums in appreciation.
" I thought you skipped out on me." He says to me handing me the filled out paperwork.
"Not at all I have checked out your work online I was hoping you would be free today and if not I would have waited for an appointment. I don't run scared it's not in my nature." I look up and him and meet his eyes. He grins wide at me teeth and all.I look down and sign my name. I am shaking from head to toe I always feel this way before I get tattooed I love the art but hate the process of getting tattooed.
"Right this way my lady." Jasper says in a surprisingly good English accent holding his arm out toward his door. Luckily I have worn a dress today and it will be a cold walk home with no leggings but a dress will do.
"Okay well pants off and hop up." Jasper says patting his chair. His tray already has everything out on his table.
"Does that usually work for you? Take off you pants I mean it's not very original and you're an artist after all." I tell him kicking off my boots and pulling my pants off. I hear his breath hitch and I don't look up because I am not usually so brazen but the knowledge that he likes the way I look makes me this way.
"Not that I have never used it as a pick up but maybe I should try sometime." He says to me. The chair is leather and cold against my skin. I suck in a breath at the coldness on my legs.
"I know its cold but once we start tattooing you will warm up. Did you get yourself something with some sugar in it?" He asks grabbing the hand-drawn stencil that he took off my picture he is a fabulous artist he capture all of the small details that I put in it.
"Yup I did this isn't my first go around," I say to him pointing to the OJ that I have. He nods at me in reply and it's odd to have this comfort with someone I just met is odd.
"Thank you for bringing in an original piece of art I mean that as a tattoo artist in NYC I get a lot of generic shit." He says pushing my dress up to my hip and slaps his gloves on grabs the antiseptic.
"Where on your thigh do you think? Emmett is putting your friends on about here." He says and points to a place on my leg. I take and point to a place a little higher and he nods. He sprays that place and rubs it with a paper towel I jump a little because the antiseptic is cold. He puts the stencil over the place on my thigh and looks up at me confirming that its right and I nod. He presses it down slowly making sure that there are no wrinkles and runs his hand over it a few times. He leaves it on and rolls back to his tray and starts shaking blues.
"I am going to mix up some different blues to blend once I have the outline done. If you're doing well after the outline and you want to continue then we will." He says to me raising his eyebrow.
"I love shading so I will hold out for that." I say and he shuts his eyes for a second and smirks. I grab my phone and ear buds loud music is what I need because I don't like the sound of needle to skin.
"Lets get this show on the road then." He says reaching over and starts pulling on the stencil. He finishes and points to the mirror I hop up holding my dress up so I can see the stencil and I don't smudge it.
"Perfect Jasper." I can see what it is going to be and I can't wait. I get back up on the table with my orange juice in hand.
"I may fall asleep fair warning and my music is super loud so pinch me or something if your worried." I say and he nods at me hitting the paddle on the floor making the machine buzz. He dips it in the ink and hits it again I pop my ear buds in and turn on some hard german rock because I don't like the sound of needle to skin. Jasper puts his gloved hand on my thigh and gives me a thumbs up and I give him one back and lay my head back and close my eyes.
Tap, tap yanking earbud out my eyes pop open to Rose standing over me. I must have fallen asleep.
"How in the hell are you sleeping through that? You are a freak of nature." Rose is almost shrieking at me. She wore a tunic and jeans so she has a tunic on that covers her butt.
"My leggings are in my bag doll put them on you will freeze out there," I tell her she is flushed and sweating.
"Grab the 7/11 bag I bought you peanut butter crackers you look a little pale." She does both and turns to show me the outline of her tattoo and I give her two thumbs up. I look down and Jasper is ungloved and his hair isn't in his hat anymore and it just goes over his shoulders.
"Sorry I had to go use the bathroom and take my hat off it got too hot in here." He says and grabs a pony tail holder off his desk throwing it up in a low ponytail in a few practiced pulls.
"Sounds good can I go use the facilities as well?" I asked wrapping my ear bud cord around my phone.
"Yep if you are still okay we can start shading." He says standing and reaching for my hand I am holding my dress up away from my thigh I know better that to jump up after getting tattooed it's a good way to puke or pass out.
"Down the hall to the left last door on the right." He says let me go once I am upright.
"Thanks," I say and walk down the hall my leg is going to be so sore tomorrow the muscle is already tight.
"Are you going to be pissed if I go home?" Rose says when I come out of the bathroom.
"No love I know your tired I will be there in a while I am going to get all the shading done if I can tonight. I will see you when I get home." I lean forward and kiss her cheeks because she looks beat and its because she is coming off of the adrenaline rush from the tattoo. She nods and walks back toward the front.
"Did your girlfriend go home?" Jasper says when I reenter his room.
"Huh," I ask because I am a little confused.
"Did your girlfriend that just got tattooed go home? I heard the front bell ring." Jasper says looking at me like I have lost my mind.
"She is going home this was her first tattoo and it has wiped her out. She is a friend and a girl but not of the dating type although she is hot she doesn't have the right parts for me." I tell him grabbing the candy out of the bag that I got from 7/11.
"Do you like Reese's?" I ask him and tilt the bag in his direction. He smiles up and me and reaches in the bag.
"These are the best." He says and takes one. I nod in agreement because he is right,
"I mixed these up for you from dark to light these are custom mixed these for you but wrote them down so when we touch up I know." I look over his shoulder at the colors and man they are vivid the good thing about being as pale as I am is that color shows up beautifully on my skin. I look down at Jaspers arm that he has across the tattoo chair and he has a beautiful black and grey hawk on his forearm. I reach out and touch it without a second thought.
"It was done in Seychelles Greece on my first deployment." He says as I run my finger across the skin.
"Sorry I wasn't trying to invade your personal space. It is just such a beautiful tattoo." I tell him and go to step back he reached out and took my hand.
"I don't mind its nice for someone to touch me for a change. And I have been touching you for hours now so no reason to be shy about repaying the favor." He winks at the end and I smile at him.
"If you are ready then let's get this going I am excited to see what this finished product looks like."
I hop up on the chair and fold dress up to where my panties are. Jasper sprays the ink and I flinch when he rubs it with a towel.
"That part always sucks I have hundreds of hours and that towel still sucks," Jasper says taking a second swipe.
"I have to admit that I would not have pegged you for an art major or a tattoo lover really. But I have to say you have been one of the easiest clients I have ever had I have been at this almost 10 years." Jasper says starting up his machine and getting the darkest shade on his tray.
"I plugged my phone in so now you will get to talk to me. I am not your normal art major I guess a lot of people when I was an undergrad had a different look on life than I do weird hair odd clothes but I majored in art because I love it. I also love tattooing and its what my dissertation is about, tattooing and the evolution of the art.
"I am going to need you to get that published and for everyone to get to reading that so that those of us with ink and our culture isn't so looked at sideways. Have you ever been to a tattoo convention?" Jasper asks moving on with the shading I watch with rapt attention because shading is so cool to watch for me.
"I haven't been yet I want to go one day," I tell him trying to pay attention but I am enjoying watching his progress.
"We are going to one in Chicago in the spring, you should go they are a lot of fun and for your research, you know," Jasper says smiling at me.
"Yeah I think that would be fun." I say back to him and we continue talking through my shading. It is the most comfortable I have ever been with other person right off the bat. The feeling is odd but pleasant.