The Fling

82

Lita's tattoo parlor, aptly named Desert Ink, was in a strip mall on the western end of Palm Springs. When I'd looked up the location, I noticed that it was close to a diner, so Abigail and I made plans to get breakfast afterwards.

We woke up early and showered before grabbing some coffee and heading out. It was a fairly short drive, but neither of us talked much since we were sleepy. Last night we stayed up past midnight trying a tantric sex technique after hearing about it in a couples' seminar that afternoon. I was a bit surprised that the spa dove into a topic like that, but I also appreciated that they included sexual health along with the other aspects of personal well-being.

I pulled into a parking spot in the deserted lot. "We're here. You ready for this?"

Abigail chewed her lip. "I still don't know what I want."

"Just get some flowers. It's not like you'll hate that down the road."

"This is a really big deal, so I want to pick something personal and meaningful."

I took her hand in mine, "Are you thinking about a tattoo related to us? Is that why you're nervous?"

"It crossed my mind, but our future isn't exactly set in stone, so I could potentially be making the same mistake I did with my first tattoo."

I understood why she felt this way, though on my end, our future was decided. I had not told her this yet, because my plan was to wait until the trip was over. This was a really serious topic, and I wanted our week to be about lighter things. It stung slightly that she wasn't considering a tattoo that represented our relationship, since the one I was getting was all about her. It was my second tattoo for Abigail; the sun near my collarbone was a symbol of the light she'd brought back in my life following a very dark period.

"Let's go inside," I suggested. "Lita might have some artwork on display that feels right to you."

We entered the small shop and were greeted by a petite middle-aged woman. "Shawn and Abigail? Nice to meet you!"

"We really appreciate that you opened early for us," I told her.

"It's no problem at all. I only work part-time now that my husband is retired, so my schedule usually fills up three weeks in advance. I'm flattered that you want me to do some body art for you when you've got a dozen famous tattooists in Los Angeles to pick from."

"Palm Springs is special to us, so it's fitting we do it here, and besides, your reviews say you're the best," I explained.

Lita smiled. "Thank you. I'm assuming you checked out examples of my work online. I specialize in black, fine line, and micro art, but I can do other techniques."

"I need something covered. Is that in your wheelhouse?" Abigail queried.

"Absolutely, but if you've got something big to cover up, we might not have time. Let's go in back so I can see what I'm working with." She led us down a hall to a curtained-off space that was similar to a doctor's examination room. Abigail lifted her shirt and showed Lita the date on her ribcage. The older woman nodded. "That'll be a cinch. What did you have in mind?"

My girlfriend looked at me with anxious eyes before speaking, "I don't know. I've looked at lots of things, but none of them are speaking to me. Maybe I'll go second so that I can really focus on it. Now that I'm here, I'm sure I'll feel inspiration."

Lita turned to me, "That okay with you? Do you know what you want?" I sensed she was slightly irritated that she'd come in early when Abigail didn't have a design selected, and I couldn't really blame her.

"I'm cool going first, and yeah, I want a fine line palm tree on the bare area of my right pec."

Abigail's eyes opened wide with surprise. "Really? Are you sure?"