Stones' Diary: Built for Pressura'

Chapter 8.) You Like That

The sky was grayish. The city was clothed in a thick, white blanket. The city workers were clearing the main roads and highways. While some people who needed to get to work were shoveling the driveway, Ary was in her office at Craft for the Soul, going through the timesheet, and double-checking how many tattoos she would be sketching today. When King asked if she would accept his offer in leaving the finance company and running the tattoo shop and doing things as she saw fit, she was honored.

She loved art. It was one of the best ways that she expressed herself and the fact that he allowed her to dip back into what she loved, she was grateful.

She could see how everyone had changed over the years, but King's growth was something that she admired. He had turned into a businessman overnight and did it so gracefully and had Lucky and Kairo working alongside the contractors with ease. Those two together were a force to be reckoned with but Ary loved their bond.

The bell chiming caught her attention and she glanced at the security camera just to see Jaheem walking through the shop after picking up his folder of clients he had scheduled for the day. Usually, they would close shop due to bad weather but the clients were eager about still coming in to get their ink. Craft for the Soul was the best tattoo shop on the east coast and everyone wanted to brag about where they got their work done, especially whenever their art was sketched by Ary.

"Morning Sunshine," Jaheem greeted Ary, standing in the doorway of her office. Sunshine was a nickname an older client gave Ary a year ago and everyone ran with it.

"Hey, Jah," she smiled, "We got a busy day today," she said.

"I see," he stared at the note she wrote him, "I'ma take my ass back there and eat before I set my station up, I brought in breakfast for everyone if you're hungry," he told her before walking away.

Jaheem was the assistant shop manager under Ary and also an artist and piercer. He was handpicked by Kairo believe it or not. King had interviewed hundreds of artists and apprentices but wanted to make sure that everyone agreed on the employees. Kairo and Lucky both agreed that Jaheem was a good fit but the adults figured they only felt that way because he reminded the pair of themselves. But Jaheem's work was extremely dope. He was twenty-eight, from Brooklyn, and came down to Virginia once he heard about the opening.

The bell chimed again and the shop instantly filled with the scent of mangoes. Ary laughed to herself knowing it was nobody but the bubbly Emori; the receptionist, appointment scheduler, and piercing artist. "Morning Sunshine!" she yelled from the front, helping herself to the breakfast wraps Jahem bought.

"Hey, Em!" Ary gathered her notebook and headed up to the front, "Good morning."

Not wanting to speak with a mouthful, Emori waved and walked around the desk, and powered on the computer. Emori was the youngest in the shop but had the livest spirit and pure heart. She loved tattoos. Was covered in them but doing them wasn't something she loved. Now piercings, she could do those in her sleep and with the work that she's done, King knew he made a smart move hiring her. She had people traveling from the west coast just to get a piercing from her.

"You always come through smelling like some fruit jawn," Jaheem spoke from the back.

Ary smirked when Emori blushed. The shop knew she had a crush on the Brooklyn native and it didn't help that he was brown skin and too damn fine for his own good. Deep waves, tattoos covering his neck, and chiseled arms. Emori had a serious crush on Jaheem but he never seemed interested in anything but ink and money.

"Waddup, peeps!" Eshe sang, walking through the door.

Ary had a hard time figuring out her name until Eshe explained that it was pronounced Asha. She was twenty-five, an apprentice artist studying under Indya- the head tattoo artist. It would have been Jaheem if he weren't the assistant manager under Ary. King always gave positions wisely, Eshe was loud, a damn good artist but Jaheem was more serious and meshed well with Ary's laidback demeanor.