A Rose by Any Other Name

Chapter 4

The elevator doors closed and I touched my face. It was obscenely warm.

Wow. I was blushing. 

I didn't even think that was possible for me. In a daze, I left the elevator then the building and just started walking.

The sun was setting, casting the sky in soft orange and blue with a smattering of dark clouds in the distance. The area I lived in wasn't nearly as run down as I thought it would be. I walked somewhat aimlessly, thinking about Mike.

Goddamn Mike.

Why was he so nice? Fucking asshole. I hated how he only seemed to be around because of some kind of guilty conscious. If he wanted to be around me it shouldn't be because he was making up for something.

Without realizing it I ended up on a busy street. The sound of cars, honking and noise made my heart race. I was sweating straight through my sweater. My shirt clung to my skin, my scarf feeling like a vice around my neck. I tried to loosen it with my hand but I was shaking too badly. Everything just felt so real. Too real. But I felt compelled to keep going. My feet just kept on pounding pavement.

There were a series of shops on the street I was walking on. I staggered inside one, leaning against the wall and trying to breathe.

"Are you okay?" A woman's voice pierced through my anxious fog and I turned.

She seemed...Edgy. Dark lipstick, defined brows, an eyebrow piercing, nose piercing, septum, lip piercing. Her skin was a deep brown and I almost flinched when I looked at her throat. She had a butterfly tattoo there, pale against the darkness of her skin. It was captivating, and then the wings fluttered, startling me. Why the fuck were all these tattoos moving?

The wings of the butterfly continued fluttering on her neck as we stared at each other.

"Uhm-" I started, pointing at her throat, "Is that normal?"

She laughed, tongue piercing bobbing briefly, "Yeah. C'mon Derrick you did my tattoo. It's been a while but you've got to remember?"

I looked at her, before touching my throat. I knew her? I did tattoos..?

I looked around the store I had randomly entered, realizing I was in a tattoo parlour. The walls were dark, but the lights and wooden flooring made it feel well lit but still vintage. There were a couple different booth like sections throughout the store. It was somewhat full with soft music playing from speakers I couldn't see. All the tattoo artists were focused on their clients. A hallway that could lead to some offices was at the far end.

Where I was standing looked like a reception area. Pictures on the walls of tattoos, and piercings. A couple binders were on top of the desk for sample tattoos, piercings and prices, along with a sign for prices. I nearly yelped at the numbers. This place was expensive as fuck.

"Derrick?" The woman said, blinking her dark eyes at me.

"God, Chrissa." I said, feeling exasperated, "No need to stare." I turned quickly looking for the damn water cooler. I filled up a paper cup, downing two draughts of water. It was only when I felt the coolness spreading down my throat that I realized I knew this woman.

"Chrissa." I said again, trying to see if the way the name felt on my tongue was familiar or not. I had blurted it out without thinking. Maybe I was remembering something. I slanted my eyes towards her, "How do I know you?"

She sighed, "Mike said to just treat stuff like normal and maybe you'd remember but I guess that's not gonna happen." She gave me an unexpected hug, words muffling against me.