Ink

Blessing and a Curse

Sitting in a booth at the restaurant, Josh and I were discussing what we thought of the tattoos. I was curious to see what his take on it was.

"Do you think the tattoos make people get into relationships whether or not they're ready?" I asked.

"That's the thing about being in a relationship, isn't it? There are only two outcomes. Either you're going to be with this person for the rest of your life or it isn't going to work out. It's a bit worrying, really," he said.

The more I thought about it, the more questions I started to have. "Do you think people have met the love of their life once and then never saw them again? Or if their soulmate dies? What happens after? If they fall in love with someone else, don't you think seeing the tattoo would just be a painful reminder of what once was, or what could have been?"

"I don't think you ever truly stop loving someone entirely. I think that no matter what happens, you'll always have a little part of them in your heart."

     I thought about this for a second. "Today at the park I saw a little girl trip. A little boy helped her, and their first words to each other showed up on their skin. What if they never see each other again? Can soulmates never have even loved each other?"

     Josh took a bite of his food with a thoughtful look on his face. He seemed to be contemplating his answer.

     "That's why sometimes I think these tattoos are a blessing and a curse. Blessing because it makes it easier to find who you're meant to be with. A curse because there always is that looming fear that something will happen and it will just be a bad memory. However, I do think that soulmates will find each other if they're truly meant to be together," he responded.

I nodded. I really liked his view on the concept.

"We should change the subject. Seems a bit heavy for the first date," I laughed.

"Okay. Tell me about yourself," he replied with a small smile.

"There's not much to say honestly. I'm twenty-five, am a manager at an office, and play a few instruments although I'm mediocre at best," I said with a shrug.

"What kinds of instruments?" He asked curiously.

"I play the piano, the ukulele and know the basics of the guitar," I replied.

"Oh my gosh," he said as he started to laugh, "you're like the female version of my best friend!"

I raised my eyebrows slightly. "The guy you were with at the coffee shop?"

"No, that's Jack. My best friend's name is Tyler," he said with a huge grin.

The look on his face was absolutely adorable. He positively lit up at the mention of his best friend.

"Best friend huh," I teased, "are you sure that tattoo isn't about him? Have I got some competition?"

"Oh be quiet, it was invisible until I met you," he laughed as he playfully swatted my hand.

     I giggled and returned to eating my food. "Now it's your turn, tell me a bit about yourself."

     "Well, playing drums is basically my life. Tyler and I actually have a band," he said shyly.

     "Really? No way!" I exclaimed excitedly. "You definitely have to let me hear you guys play sometime."

     "Sure, we actually have practice every Saturday," he said, smiling that adorable smile of his.

"Can't wait!" I said happily. "I can't go this weekend, but I'll definitely be there for the next one."

Josh looked worried for a fraction of a second.

"I don't want you to get the wrong idea though, it's not like we have tons of fans..." he trailed off.

"Josh, I heard you at the music store. You sound amazing. I'm sure Tyler is great too. Relax," I tried to assure him.

Josh seemed to ease up a bit. "A few of our friends always go to our practice so you'll get to meet them."

"What are they like?" I asked curiously.

"Well there's Brendon, Dallon, Pete, and Patrick. They're the ones that show up every time. You'll know Brendon by his forehead," he said with a laugh.

"His forehead?" I laughed.

"You could land a plane on that thing," Josh answered with a grin. "Dallon can flip between being a total jokester to a protective dad in like two seconds. Patrick is usually the quieter, more serious one. Pete is kind of crazy in the best sense of the word. He's up for anything."

"What's Tyler like?"

Josh stopped for a second and seemed to think.

     "Tyler is really deep. He's been through a lot, and he expresses himself in the most profound way possible. All of our songs are written by him and they all have intricate details and meaning. He's an amazing writer and person overall," he said with a smile.

     "Aww, I totally ship you guys," I teased.

     Josh merely shook his head and smiled, tongue poking out the slightest bit.

     "I can't wait to meet him and hear these songs," I said with genuine sincerity.

     "I can't wait either."

     We left the restaurant shortly after and headed for the apartments. Once we got there, we exchanged phone numbers.

     "Today was nice," Josh said as he walked me to my door. I told him he didn't have to, but he insisted.

     "It was. Maybe we can do it again sometime?" I asked hopefully.

     "Of course we can," he laughed.

     We got to my door and I unlocked it. I turned to Josh and hugged him.

    "Thanks for everything," I said softly.

     He surprised me by kissing me on the cheek lightly.

     "No problem. Goodnight, Sam," he said and walked away.

     I went inside my apartment and exhaled deeply. A grin formed on my face. I couldn't wait to tell Jennifer.

As I was writing this I realized that most people have groups of friends, whereas I can count all my close friends on one hand. Is that weird?