Tattooed On You

XXXII: Tatooed on Me

"Just text me what you want for dinner, okay? I can go after work and pick something up." I'm turning into the street of Roxy's with a talking Mia in my right ear. When I'd left the house, she was already at work, so we didn't have a chance to discuss dinner for tonight.

Coop is working late, so it'll be just Mia and me. It's Friday, so I'm guessing we'll end up having take-out, just like old times. Only for some reason, it doesn't feel like that at all.

I've been staying at Mia and Coop's for four nights now, and I feel more out of place than ever. I've lived with them before, but I don't remember feeling like a burden back then. Now, I feel it, even though Mia and Cooper have been nothing but welcoming.

It's just so clear that they are completely used to living together, without me. The little routines Mia and I used to have, she now has with Cooper, and as a result, I have no routine at all. I feel like a guest, and God forbid, I miss my home.

My home. I knew I felt at home in that house with those three wankers, but I always thought that living with Mia was the best. Now, I see that it's not. Mia and Cooper belong here, without me, and I'm afraid that I belong in that house where I sleep on the top floor, and where they throw a party every week, and where you can find more diversity of birds than in an average zoo.

I've thought of going back so many times in the past few weeks. Even in the middle of the night, as I stared into the darkness, I thought about getting my ass out of bed and walking straight back. One time, I'd even packed my bag. But every time, I didn't go.

Because if I go back, I'll see Hero again, and unlike Morgz and Felix who have been texting me, Hero hasn't reached out at all. And secretly, I'd hoped -or even expected- he'd follow me straight out of that house the moment I left, or at least show up at Mia's house.

But he didn't. And since I didn't go back either, it's been four days since I last saw him. I'm not sure if it feels like yesterday or a year ago though. I'm confused.

But thankfully, work has been a great distraction. Tuesday was chaos. We had three last-minute clients, and I got two clients that wanted me to make sketches for them. Wednesday and Thursday were just as busy; I couldn't even have lunch, and on Thursday Densel and I worked overtime so we could do a mother-daughter tattoo.

"Jo, you there?" Mia cuts off my thoughts, and it makes me realize she's still waiting for an answer.

"Yeah, still here, sorry. I'll text you, but we can get some take-out. I can get it after work?" I ask while I open the door of the shop. Densel is already here; he's sitting behind his work bank, and he's preparing for his first client. "I have to go, Mia. I'm at work."

"Sure, take out is fine. Talk later, bimbo," Mia says before saying goodbye and hanging up the phone.

"Morning," Densel greets me when I've put my phone in my pocket. "Ready for another busy day?"

"Ready and excited." I smile and then walk to the laptop that's on the counter. It holds my schedule, and I look at it every morning to make sure my planning is still okay.

Scrolling down, I see that I start with an average piece on a woman's side. It's a dolphin, and I've already got the sketch done. After that, I'm doing a small tattoo on someone's hand. Then I have lunch planned, but that only happens if I keep it all on time. After lunch, I have a man that needs a touch-up of his colored tattoo. I know him; his name is Mike and he's got his whole back tattooed with various goldfish.

Yesterday, that was where my schedule ended, but now, I see that there's another client added. His name is Scott, and according to Densel's description, he wants a small tattoo.