"Lydia," her employee Brandon stood there. "Some guy called and since you have a hole in your schedule, I told him to come right away."
"It's fine. Thanks for the heads up," she said.
Brandon returned to his own customer that was in the process of getting a full back tattoo of Ganesha. Brandon knew all the gods and religions so he had been the right one for the job. The tv crew was standing near by so they wouldn't miss a thing.
Tampa Ink. It had seemed like a good idea at the time she was approached by the tv station. An easy way to get her name out there and have her business grow even bigger. She regretted it often. They were in the way and more than once she had yelled at them when they overstepped their boundaries.
Baron moved towards the tattoo shop. He knew there was a tv crew connected with it. He watched the show every week. Not because of the tattoos but because of the owner. Lydia Scarlett. A stunning woman to him. Her hair was dyed black with orange stripes, she had curves, she had full sleeves tattoos and she had the most beautiful mint green eyes he had ever seen. Actually the only pair of mint green eyes he had ever seen. It was an usual shade of green when it came to eye colour and each weak they reached through the tv screen and right into his soul. He had to meet her. He could only hope the tv crew wasn't there or that they at least would let him be.
"I'll be right with you!" She called when she heard the door bell.
He could recognize that voice anywhere. So often he had closed his eyes and just listened to her, imagining her speaking softly to him or whispering dirty things in his ear. He smiled as the woman of his obsession came walking out and stopped with a surprised look when she saw him.
"Baron Corbin?" She asked surprised. "I'll be damned!"
She broke out into a wide smile and walked over to shake his hand. Her hand was small compared to his and her skin was soft, warm and inviting.
"I've seen you on tv," he said sheepishly.
"I've seen you too," she giggled. "So you're my mystery man."
"I spoke to a Brandon who said I could come right away," he said.
"It's all good," her smile grew wider.
He looked down and realized he was still holding her hand. They had stopped shaking hands but her hand was still inside his. It was a weird moment where it felt like they were the only two people in the world until they were interrupted by someone from the tv crew.
"Holy shit, it's Baron Corbin!" A male voice shouted.
"Not now, Steve!" Lydia sneered.
She turned her head with an angry look and her hand disappeared from Baron's. He looked in the same direction as her, only to see a man approaching. He could only assume it was the one named Steve.
"This is gonna be great for our ratings," Steve said.
"Who says he wants to be filmed?" She asked.
"Oh come on, he knows what it's like," Steve elbowed Baron playfully. "Right, Baron?"
"Don't ever fucking touch me!" Baron sneered.
"I think that's a no," she said.
"Come on," Steve looked at Baron again. "We gotta have you on camera, man. This place is gonna boom when people learn someone famous got inked up in here."
"No," Baron said.
"Come on, I promise we'll stand back a bit," Steve said.
"I said no!" Baron raised his voice.
Steve, who clearly didn't understand the full part of not touching someone after they asked him not to, reached for Baron's arm. Lydia stepped in between them fast so he caught nothing but a piece of her orange tank top.
"Stop harassing my customers or you can get the fuck out!" She scolded.
"You can't throw us out," Steve smirked. "You got a signed contract."
"It doesn't say you can harass my customers!" She said angrily.
"But it does say to film as much as possible," he said.
She turned to face Baron and her eyes spoke so much in that moment.
"Go out in the back and wait for me. I'll have a quick chat here," she said.
She pointed towards a small hallway and he walked in the direction her finger was pointing. She could have told him to walk to Australia for all he cared and he would have done it. There was just something about her that made it impossible for him to fight back. Not that he wanted to anyway. He walked out in the hallway and opened the black door at the end. There was an office in there and he sat down on the chair behind the desk and waited.
"Come on, Lydia, we gotta have him on the show," Steve said.
"Not like that. Do you have any people skills at all?" She asked.
"Sorry," he alomst seemed ashamed.
"Just continue filming Brandon and let me talk to Baron. Don't come out there and interfere. I'll figure something out," she said.
"You're the boss," he grinned.
She left Steve with the rest of his tv crew and walked out in her office. She took a deep breath before opening the door and entering. She couldn't help but giggle as she saw Baron sitting leaned back in her chair with his hands behind his neck as if he owned the place.
"Make yourself at home," she said.
"You got a nice place going here," he said.
"I like to think so too," she said.
She walked around the desk and leaned her ass against it while he continued to sit in her chair with an ingratiating, little smile on his face.
"Wipe that smile off your face," she laughed.
"I like how you stood up to him out there," he said. "I didn't come here to be filmed. I just want a tattoo."
"You could have chosen any other place in town," she said.
"I want a tattoo from you," he said.
"Why?" She asked.
"I've seen your work. You're incredible," he said.
"Thanks," she smiled.
She looked over her shoulder at the closed door before turning her eyes towards him again.
"The tv crew from hell isn't going away. Steve is out there thinking I'll talk you into it," she said.
"But?" He asked.
"Would you mind climbing out through the window?" She asked.
"Am I a 16 year old horny teenager breaking into my girlfriend's house?" He laughed.
"Technically you'll be breaking out and as tempting as it sounds, I'm not your girlfriend," she laughed too. "Just climb out through the window and escape the idiots out there. Come back tonight at 10.30."
"But you close at 10," he said.
"I wonder how many people will be left in the store at 10.30 then," she winked.
He broke out into a grin when he finally realized what she was saying. She would be the only one there and he would get to spend some time alone with her.
"Alright, I'll be back," he said.
"You better. I'm not keeping this place open for anyone," she said.
"I'm not anyone, little lady," he chuckled.
"Neither am I," she said.
"You sure aren't," he said.
He stood up and walked over to the window. He really felt like a teenager sneaking out on his parents as he climbed through it. He could hear her snicker as she watched him climb out and he just wanted to grab her hands and pull her out of the window with him. Anything to keep her near. 10.30 suddenly seemed so far away.
She waited until he was out of sight before leaving the office and walking back out in the store. Steve stood with a confused look on his face when he saw that she was alone. He looked over her shoulder, waiting for Baron to appear too.
"He left," she said.
"What?" He shouted.
"He didn't want to be filmed," she crossed her arms. "And when you get back to your boss, you can tell him I'm not resigning for another season. You got three weeks left here and then you're out."