Loving the Game

* Tattoos of Trust *

         • Deshawn's POV •

I pulled up in front of The Ink Garage, one of the top five tattoo shops in the city.
"Get out," I told Bri.
She looked at me as if I had lost my mind," Here?"
I nodded. "Why?" She questioned.
"You asked what could you do didn't ya?" I asked opening the drivers door and getting out. I walked around to open the door for Brianne. She still had a dumbfounded look spread across her face, but she got out the car.
As we began to walk up the side walk to the door of the parlor she tugged on my arm.
"I've never, ever gotten a tattoo before," she explained.
"I know that," I smirked.
"I wasn't really planning on getting one today either."
I smiled at her as I opened the glass door,"There's a first time for everything."
Bri looked as if she wanted to slap that smile off my face. I closed the door once we both were inside.
Everyone greeted me as soon as I walked in. I knew most of everyone in there getting a tattoo or working there.
Bri seemed to be the only one looking out of place. "Hey Deshawn," Mo the receptionist greeted while twirling her red weave with one finger.
"Wassup?" I asked coming to the desk bringing Bri along with me.
"You know, just chilling," Mo laughed as if she had said the funniest thing ever. Brianne looked at her with her eyes squinted. Mo had liked me ever since we were in high school together, but she was nowhere near my type. I wasn't into the ratchets.
"Haven't seen you in a hot minute. You want another tat?"
I shook my head," Nah, ma over here getting her first one."
I said pointing at Bri as she gave me a look.
"Oh this your little sister ain't it? She done got so grown!" Mo said popping the gum in her mouth.
"No, I'm his girlfriend,"Bri said possessively as she rubbed her hands along my face and chest. It was a turn on for me when my girl was stingy and possessive over me.
Mo frowned up,"Oh. Well...y'all cute."
"Look at this," a familiar voice boomed.
I turned around to see Taj standing in the door way to the back where they gave the tattoos. He had on a plain white T and some basketball shorts on and a pair of black latex gloves. I laughed," Aye nigga."
"What's up?"
I stepped to the side and pointed at Brianne who had been standing behind me. "Need a tat for my girl," I told Taj. He nodded," Come on back here."
Taj was the only person I had ever allowed to ink up my body. Every tattoo I had was his artwork. He was great at it, but Taj was too intelligent to waste his talent on just tattooing forever. That's why I suggested for him to go back to school and become a lawyer. Something he wanted to do deep down on the inside anyways.
Taj closed the door and sat down on a small roller stool. He instructed Bri to sit down on the cushioned seat and for me to sit in the waiting chair in the corner of the room.
"So you're the famous Brianne King huh?" Taj asked her.
Bri nodded,"Yes, but I don't know about famous."
"Well this nigga just speak on ya a lot," Taj laughed but I wasn't. I didn't really want him to say all that, but I will have my turn for pay back.
"He does?" Bri asked looking back at me.
"Mmmhh," T-Rock answered.
"Um, Bri this is Taj aka T-Rock. My best friend since like the first grade. We grew up together. He's got real dope artwork," I introduced.
"Yeah my shits raw," Taj bragged," all his ink is my work."
Bri nodded overlooking the tattoos on my body that were visible with clothes on.
"You do a decent job then," Brianne told him.
"Thank you," Taj replied," so is there anything you got in mind? You know where you want it?"
Bri shook her head giving me the side eye,"I didn't really have getting a tattoo on my agenda for today..."
Taj laughed," Can I suggest something for you?"
Bri nodded.
"Tattoos are permanent. So if you get something, make it something you won't regret. Make it meaningful. In other words don't tat that nigga name," he laughed pointing at me. Bri laughed at his joke as well.
"You real playful," I took him, unamused.
"What do you have?" She asked Taj.
Taj lifted up his short sleeve to reveal one of his many tattoos. It read: Laiyah, in pretty cursive and bold lettering.
"This here is the name of my oldest sister. She was murdered when she was 18, I was like 12."
Bri looked as if she wanted to cry for him.
"Then this is...her," he said pointing beneath the name on his bicep. He had a picture of her tatted on his arm as well.
"I got several as you can see but this one here is also meaningful," he said pointing to his rib cage. It was a lion head. "A lion stands for a lot: leader, warrior, ambitious, King of the jungle also is the zodiac sign for a Leo, which I am. So it means many things for me."

          • Brianne's POV •

"Ok, what do you think I should get?" I asked Deshawn after Taj showed me some of his. D shrugged," Since getting my name is out..."he joked," I don't know...I don't want to suggest something you don't permanently want to have."
I contemplated for a good minute to something finally crossed my mind. Queen Nefertiti. At the beginning of the year in Poetic Arts class we had to research kings and queens in history and write a poem about them. She was my research. She was an Egyptian Queen, that most people don't know was actually black, in the mid-1300s BCE. Her name meant a beautiful woman has come. As the most beautiful Egyptian queen, she is an iconic Egyptian symbol due to her beauty, power, and intelligence. Even though during her husbands rule she mysteriously disappeared which is still a unsolved as to why, but of course there are theories.

"Can you do a small Queen Nefertiti on my back right under my right shoulder. I don't want it big either. I want it to be no bigger than the length of my finger," I said holding my index up.
Taj nodded," See now ya talking. I actually got a rough draft of that. All I got to do is apply it on ya and ink it up."
"Ok," I replied as he got up to get the sketch from his book full of designs.
He asked me to take my arm out my shirt so he could have clear access to my shoulder. Deshawn watched my everyone move carefully as I did so.
"You sure about this?" He asked me leaning forward only inches away from my face. Taj was putting the design on my back so he could trace it with the ink.
"Cause you don't necessarily have to do this," D reminded.
"Yeah, I'm sure," I wasn't going to punk even if I really wasn't sure. I always wanted to get a tattoo but I was too scared to go on my own to get one. I guess I just needed a messed up situation like this to push me to do so.
"Alright let's get started," Taj said dipping the end of the needle into the black ink.
Without asking, Deshawn reached over and grabbed my hand. He planted a kiss on the center of it then looked me in my eyes. "Just in case it hurts," he explained. The sound of the needle began to buzz as it finally began to make its mark on my back. I flinched at the stinging pain. I had to bite on my lip and squeeze Deshawn's had to keep from yelling out loud.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Done," Taj finally said turning off the needle and rubbing more alcohol on the tattoo. I let out a sigh of relief. "You did good baby," Deshawn smirked kissing me once more but on the lips this time.
"How you feel shorty?" Taj asked.
"I feel...better. Much better."
They both laughed.
"Doesn't that mean I'll be seeing you again?"
"It's a big possibility," I nodded.
"Good," Taj replied," more money for me. I'll charge ya $35 though. Since D, you my brother for life and you... Your my sis now."
Deshawn pulled out a $50 and gave it Taj. "Don't worry bout the change man. You know how we get it down," Deshawn said to Taj giving him a dab.
Once Taj walked out, I asked Deshawn," Are we good now?"
He laughed with his hands in his pockets,"Oh, we been good. We was good when you apologized back at the house actually. I just wanted to see how far you were willing to go with this. Surprisingly, despite my expectations, you did go through with it. I liked seeing you suffer."