Masterpiece [h.s]

one

Rain falls gently all over the city, small droplets cling to overhead awnings, car windows, the sidewalks, and everything that dares to cross its path. It's a soothing touch to the normally bustling city whose rush stops for no one, save for Mother Nature of course because she controls everything whether civilization likes it or not.

The streets squish with the remaining residue from the earlier downpour, the sidewalks are heavy with umbrellas and thick rain coats, and the sky is coated with dark billowy clouds, still pregnant with rain and threatening to explode within a moment's notice.

Carter leans against the brick wall of her shop, a cigarette between her lipstick stained lips and her crystal blue eyes roaming the less active streets for anything abnormal or interesting. Only the rain catches her eyes for a good ten minutes. Her original cigarette is long gone and she's lit another one out of habit. Really, it's unusual for her to smoke only one on any occasion.

She's far too busy admiring the low hum of the drenched city to notice the man that's deliberately making his way over to her shop, the faint neon sign that reads Indelible Creations capturing his immediate attention.

A cloud of smoke passes through her slightly puckered lips, her eyes landing on the figure of a lanky man with his hands shoved awkwardly in his pockets, debating on whether or not he wants to take another step and enter the tattoo shop.

The corners of Carter's lips lift slightly as she notices his hesitation, "We don't bite. Although, the burn of the needle surely does. Are you looking to get a new masterpiece?"

The man hesitates, his right hand rising to run through his mess of curly hair, "Yeah, actually. Dunno what I want though, that's the problem."

Carter snubs her cigarette on the brick wall and properly disposes it in one of the fancy disposers that she installed a few months prior. "In that case, how about you step inside and take a look at our books to get your mind working and your inspiration flowing."

The man nods, a tilted smile to his unusually plump lips. "Sounds good, yeah. I'm Harry, by the way."

He sticks out his hand with a friendly smile, which Carter returns professionally as she shakes his hand, "Carter."

She drops his hand and steps inside the familiar atmosphere of her shop, her smile instantly switching to a genuine one as surveys the home away from home that she's created.

"Okay, so, the only artists here today are myself, Jeremy, Alex, and Pandora. However, Alex is booked all day, so you can go to anyone but him. Our books are on the table over there and I'll come back over in a couple of minutes after you've had some time to delve into our artwork and to imagine something that you'll like. Just ring the bell on the counter if I don't come over here quickly enough. Please, help yourself to anything in the fridge or on the table, it's all complimentary."

Carter leaves him at the front of the shop and heads back to her chair to tighten up her machines and to make sure that everything is as it should be. She does this often so that she knows that there's nothing wrong, but it's become a bit of a habit over the years and she just can't seem to let it go.

Pandora makes her way over and rests her head on her arms on top of the medium sized wall that separates her booth from Carter's. "Who's the hot guy up front? I'd like to have him in my chair, hot damn."

Carter laughs briefly, her eyes lifting from her machine and meeting Pandora's, "Settle down, Pandora. He's a human being, not a sex toy. His name's Harry. I'm not too sure what he wants, but he definitely wants something. I told him that he can pick his artist, but if you'd like to try and win him over, please, be my guest. But no sleeping with customers in the shop, do that at your own place."