The Art of Ink

Chapter Seven - Brakes

Mo went into work at 12pm Monday happy that he a good start on the phoenix.  He brought his big sketch book with him on the train, clutching it tight like it was a precious thing in his arms. 

    The had four bookings today, a little unicorn for an eighteen year old girl who wore a lot of pink, I mean a lot.  Every tattoo artist out there knew that the little tattoos may not be their favourite, but they were fast money for the store.  Everyone started somewhere, and they had a lot of return clients who wanted more.  Secondly he had a tribal tiger on a woman's shoulder blade, third was a large Koi outline for a male customer and lastly some guy wanting his own graffiti art on his forearm.

    His day and evening was rammed.

    Da Wei Usalev caught him between clients at about seven.

    "Guan Shan, come to the office."  The man's quiet voice was sometimes hard to hear over the noise of the tattoo guns.

    "Okay."  Feeling like he was back at high school again, Momo walked towards the back, Usalev was really tall so Mo had to jog to keep up with him.

    When they reached the office, his boss shooed him inside and shut the door.

    "I want to have a word with you about your new client."  Usalev perched his ass on his office desk, crossing his muscled tattooed arms.

    "Okay."

    "He contacted me today to say he's coming in tonight to see you, it will be after we've closed.  Just you two, can I trust you to lock up the store?  I can't stay because I have to drop the takings off at the bank.  You cool with being on your own?"  The man arched an eyebrow at his employee.

    Mo nodded, feeling a shiver of excitement run up his back at the thought of seeing He Tian again.  "Why is he coming so early?  I barely got his phoenix finished this morning."

    "Maybe he just wants to go over the details again, try not to ask too many questions they don't like that."  Well that sounded ominous coming from the big half Russian guy.

    "Is that it?  Any more words of wisdom apart from try not to piss him off with too many questions?"  Too late he already did that yesterday.

    "Don't fuck up."  Usalev at behind the desk and opened his laptop.  By the look of his busy face, Mo was dismissed.

    "Thanks boss."  Mo shook his head at the vague reply.

    There was a knock at door.

    "Sorry boss, Guan Shan your 6.30pm is here."  It was Zhun Yong Ong, he had his large black framed glasses on today, they just had plain glass for lenses, but the guy liked them, said they made him look handsome which they did.  The guy was pretty in a geeky way.

    "Okay be right there."  Mo turned to leave, pleased his last client was here.

    "Here."  Usalev tossed the store keys to him.

    Mo caught them and put them in his pocket.  Shit why was he apprehensive?

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    By 9.30pm they had all finished with clients, Mo was cleaning, everybody was cleaning.  The other two tattooists went to their lockers to collect their bags.

    "Hey little Mo you not leaving with us?  We always get the train together?"  This  was from Zheng Heng Chen, she had stolen Yong Ong's glasses and had them perched on the bridge of her small nose.  Chen's boyfriend was in some semi famous rock band, which made it hard for them to see each other, but Mo could tell they were in love.  They weren't married, but had been dating for ten years already.