Cupcakes and Tattoos

Chapter 1

"Oh fuck no!"

"Cal, calm do-"

"No, no, no!"

"Callie!"

"Cristina, it's pink! Pink! What kind of crazy person does that?"

"The perky kind, that's who. Oh my god, it is actually giving me a headache looking at it. I may need to go home sick today, Boss Lady. Bambi can handle my one appointment today. He can do some stupid stars on a foot, right?"

"Absolutely not! This is going to ruin my business. Fuckfuckfuckityfuck!"

"What? How?"

"I'm badass! My shop is badass! People come here want to be badass! THAT is NOT badass!"

"For the millionth time, Cal, people who say they are badass are not badass. You're only badass if you don't know it. It's a way of life. You used to be badass, but all you have been lately is boring, mopey, sniveling..."

"Shut up, Cristina! Just shut up."

Callie Torres and Cristina Yang stood across the street facing the tattoo shop Callie and her best friend, Mark Sloan, owned. Somehow they had missed what had been happening next door to her shop before stumbling over to the cafe for some coffee. The massive hangovers they both were fighting probably didn't help. Callie's shop was a simple old red two story brick building with black accents around the windows and door. The business was downstairs and Callie lived in the apartment upstairs. The only only thing they really had gone all out on was the gorgeous wrought iron sign sporting the name, Evangeline's Tattoos and Piercings. The shop used to sit next door to an old run down restaurant that had been closed down and boarded up since before they opened up 6 years ago. Five months ago the boards came down and construction started. The old restaurant was being completely remodeled and before today, was looking amazing. Even though she had no idea what kind of business was going in, Callie had been excited to get a new neighbor. Anyone who put that much time, work, and money into their new business had to be successful. She was hoping to maybe team up and bring more business to her shop, not that they really needed the help. Now, with this new paint job, she's not so sure. They stood in silence for a while as they watched a few men putting up the new sign above the door. They couldn't see the sign yet, so both were curious to see what this new business was about.

"Hey ladies. What are you two doing out here? You have been gone for over half an hour," Mark asked, walking up behind the women. Their apprentice/shop bitch, George O'Malley, and their piercer, Meredith Grey, were close behind him. He turned to take in fully what they were gaping at. "Oh... That shade of pink does not go with that shade of red. Talk about clashing. Big no-no," he observed. Wait, did I say that out loud?

Callie slapped him on the shoulder and gave him an incredulous look. "Mark! What are we going to do? There has to be a law about this or something! Fix it! It is probably a woman who did that. Go over there and do whatever it is you do to get women to sleep with you and get her to change the color."

"Don't worry Torres, I bet it won't even last a year."

"Sloan, a business owner who makes bad decisions like painting their building with Pepto-Bismol will not last more than six months," Cristina paused. "I will take that bet."

"A year and a half," Meredith wagered.

"I think it will be successful," George said optimistically.

"Guys..." Callie wasn't usually someone who spoke poorly about others, especially people she knew nothing about. She looked back at the god awful pink building just as the men pulled off the cover of the sign. All five of their jaws dropped open "I give it 4 months." Callie said as she shook Cristina and Mark's hands.