Long Weekend In Miami (It Can Turn Your World Around)

Love/Hate

After locking up the tattoo shop, Ami and Chris arrived at 'Love/Hate' a little before ten pm and the place was packed tight. The sound system was booming out some old skool R'n'B, but even above that you could hear the excited chatter and laughter of the customers.

'What the hell...?' said Chris as he and Ami pushed their way to their spot at the far end of the bar; where Garver, Darren and Talea, and Yoji and Bridgette were already sitting.

'S'up, guys,' Darren greeted them both. He nodded to Skip, one of the bartenders, for another round of beers.

'I don't think I've seen the place this busy since opening night,' Chris remarked.

'Clearly there's a lot of interest in Ami's girlfriend's band,' Darren said.

'She's not my girlfriend,' Ami replied, settling himself on the stool.

Darren grinned across at Garver. 'Yep, that's what she said, too.'

'You met her already?' Ami asked suddenly perking up.

'Garver introduced us when we got here,' said Darren. 'Nice girl.'

'Kinda crazy,' added Yoji. 'She offered me a job.' As well as being an apprentice at the shop, Yoji also played guitar in a friend's band.

'Sounds like Shayne,' Ami said with a knowing smile.

Yoji jerked his shoulders. 'Garver told her I play guitar and she seemed psyched about it. Asked if I wanted to jam with them later.'

'You gonna?' Ami asked.

'Nah.' Yoji shook his head. 'I like to play, but I told her my heart's in tattooing.'

'Wise man,' nodded Ami, picking up the beer Skip just slid his way.

'You need to have a word with her. Can't have her blowing in fresh from Bean City and poaching our staff like that,' Chris said to Ami.

'She lives in LA now,' Ami pointed out.

'Wherever,' Chris shrugged.

'Gotta love a girl who's high on life,' smiled Darren. 'She thinks highly of you, Ami.'

There'd been a time when life wasn't the only thing Shayne had been high on. Thank God that part of her life was done.

'And she knows I feel the same. And don't you knuckleheads make anything of it,' warned Ami.

They all just snickered and began to chat among themselves.

Taking a pull of beer, Ami's eyes scoped the room until they came to the stage and there she was. Left hip jutting out, one arm draped loosely behind her head, hitting out a beat with her fingers as she chatted to the drummer, head bobbing in time to the music. He smiled. Music ran through that girl's veins. She wore her long onyx black hair in two low ponytails and just visible below the waistband of the fitted white corset she was wearing was the angel tattoo.

He remembered the day she'd walked into the shop as if it were yesterday. He'd seen the girl come inside but hadn't paid much attention, thinking she was just browsing; but after five minutes she'd still been there and so he'd gone out front. She'd been looking at a display of his work on one of the walls and when he'd asked if she was looking to get a tattoo and she'd turned around, he'd been completely floored. She was young. Like 15, 16 young, but man, lock him up because she was hot.

Her hair now was the same color it had been then. Black like onyx, with just a slight wave. But it was her eyes that pulled him in; pale blueish green that reminded him of the Pacific Ocean on a clear day and even though they were the most beautiful eyes he'd ever seen, there was a lot of pain and confusion there. He hadn't been sure of her age and as if she'd been expecting it she'd produced an ID card - a damn good fake he now knew - that told him she was 18. He'd been so taken by her that he'd believed it. Had he known she was only 15...