The Tattooist

Chapter 6

Falcon's POV

"You've been eyeing that forsaken cup like its alien." Hades clapped his hand on my back, freeing me from the capturing staring contest I was having with the coffee in front of me. I followed Hades' retreading figure until it disappeared in his work section.

I bit the inside of my lip as I at last grabbed the cup, shrugging the double-barreled feeling away. After what happened Tuesday during the storm I retained myself from going to the diner again, despite my craving for coffee.

Once the snow stopped falling and the roads had been cleared out, I kept my promise and left the diner without another word. 

Carin has this strange aura around her. She was very guarded, much like myself, perhaps even more. And obviously for different reasons.

However the look she gave me, the fear in her eyes. It was something I could not stand. She obviously doesn't want me around her and I plan on respecting that choice. Honestly I don't even blame her.

I know I'm not a small and petite guy and I'm aware that having an ink covered body doesn't always give off a good impression, but despite those factors, not once had I formed any threat towards her. Not intentionally.

"Ah, I see you've discovered you're coffee." Emma chirped up, the last bits of my dazed thoughts drifting away as I watched her walk over, in her hands another cup of bitter, steaming dark liquid.

"You brought these?" I wondered after giving her a good morning.

"Might as well, imagine poor me being stuck with two coffee-deprived crank heads all day." She laughed. I shook my head in amusement and thanked her.

"You went to the diner down the street?" I nodded towards the diner's name that was printed out in green letters on the grey cup she held firmly between her hands.

"Yes, you've been there?" I shrugged, not bothering to fill her in on my last Tuesday afternoon's whereabouts.

"The coffee's not that great there." I grunted, making it my final word as I turned around and stalked off towards my work station. 

It was partly true, but I felt childish for saying it, knowing I was also searching for a motive to waive Ander's Diner, to avoid the waitress working there, to avoid Carin.

"Wait, have you seen Hades?" She wiggled the steaming cup in front of her, throwing me an expecting glance.

"He arrived shortly after me, he's probably working on his sketches."

I plopped down on my chair, not bothering the close my door, knowing that if I wanted privacy, I shouldn't have hired these two idiots.

"What the heck is this shit? Did you barf this out this morning and put it in a cup?" I could hear Hades spit out the coffee along with a stray of curses. I shook my head, so dramatic, the coffee wasn't that bad.

"It's just coffee, you could have just said thank you, jerk." Emma spat back. Sometimes I wonder how they managed to stay alive for this long without clawing each other's throats out.

"I don't want coffee from another coffee shop" Hades sounded like a whiney 10 year old, "I was very fond of the habit I made of going to Coffee & Taste."

"The only reason you go there is because of the hot chick that works there. Get over yourself."

"I'm not like that." He argued back with hesitation playing in his voice.

"And I came to work on a rainbow farting unicorn," I could hear the feisty sarcasm pouring into her British accent, "Besides if you are so desperate to have a sexy girl make your coffee then why don't you go and see for yourself, the waitress isn't too bad,  perhaps she will satisfy your taste as well."