Ink ➳ Camren

Chapter Two

All rights go to original author.

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Camila threw open the door to the fourth or fifth tattoo parlor she had visited that evening. Her journey had started at the second bar that she knew she and Harry had been to the night before and she just
started walking from there. She had never noticed just how many tattoo shops were in this neighborhood. I guess you don't really see things until you're looking for them.

As she entered the shop, the bell on the door jingled and she looked to the front desk for assistance. No one was there. The shop was empty except for the sounds of music playing over the speakers. Camila wasn't familiar with the artist, but she liked it instantly.

She scanned the walls, looking at all of the tattoo designs, photographs, even some news clippings about the shop, searching for anything that would jar her memory. As she focused on a photograph of a brightly colored and beautifully designed half-sleeve tattoo, which seemed familiar to her somehow, she heard a husky voice, ask her a question.

"May I help you?"

Camila spun around to face the direction from which the voice came and there standing before her, in the doorway that lead to the back of the shop, was a woman, arms crossed, leaning against the door jamb. She must have been watching me.

As Camila was about to speak, the woman took a step towards her and into the light of the shop front. She had the most brightly colored green eyes the brunette had ever seen. Her jet black hair was full and long, past her shoulders. She looked like a pin-up girl, one that would have been painted onto the side of a World War II fighter plane. She was beautiful and even though the color of her hair was obviously from a bottle, it didn't matter because it was brilliant and it looked amazing on the owner.

Camila opened and closed her mouth in an effort to speak, but nothing came out. As she stared at the raven girl she noticed a look of pure delight, excitement, and lust? spread across her face. The raven girl smiled at the brunette like she had been waiting all day to see her and she had finally gotten exactly what she wanted.

Camila was confused by the raven girl's reaction to her presence and decided to get to the point. "Hi. I was hoping you could help me. You see, I may have been in here last night to get this," Camila pulled up the sleeve of her sweater to illustrate, "but to be completely honest...I can't remember."

The smile dropped instantly from the raven girl's face upon hearing those words and she looked down at Camila's wrist to hide her face. The excitement it held just moments before was now replaced by utter disappointment and a slight flush of embarrassment.

Camila didn't catch the raven girl's change in expression. Instead, she was staring once again at the letter L that was branded on her wrist. If I could just remember.

The raven girl looked back at Camila, her face completely neutral and composed. "You don't remember anything?" There was a tone in her voice that couldn't be disguised. Camila shook her head. "Well you're in big fucking trouble then, aren't you?"

Camila took no heed to the raven girl's comment or tone of voice. Instead she just rambled on. "Yeah. This is the fifth place I've tried tonight. Never knew there were so many fucking tattoo parlours in this neighborhood." Camila folded her arms across her chest with a scowl.

The raven girl just looked at her, searching her eyes for something. Camila looked away after the intensity of the raven girl's stare became too much for her. "Well, is there someone else I could speak with, someone that worked here last night?"

"It was just me and the artist last night." The raven girl's answer was all Camila needed to hear to know that she hadn't found what she was looking for.