“Do you think there’s any real sex appeal receiving a tattoo? Liz wondered out loud.
Maria chuckled. “I don’t know, Liz. Maybe you should ask Max…” Liz blushed.
(Chapter 5)
‘Liz was gazing down at his arm outlining the tattoos with her small, dainty fingers. Closing his eyes, he groaned. What was her fascination with tattoos?’
(Chapter 6)
Chapter 15 / Part 2
The Viper Room…
Waiting for Isabel and her entourage to arrive with Liz, Max penciled Liz in as his final appointment of the night informing the other two tattoo artists they would need to cover the walk-ins. Never in all his years as a tattoo artist did anyone ever end up in the Viper Room during a game of ‘Truth or Dare’.
What was so important that Liz was hiding?
Within minutes, the entourage walked in with Liz who looked like a nervous wreck. He couldn’t help but smile. “I wasn’t expecting to see you again until after the party…” She frowned. Wanting Liz to feel at ease, he tried a different approach. “This is going to take a while, so why don’t the rest of you head back upstairs…” Kenya raised an eyebrow. Knowing bits and pieces from Liz’s past, he could understand Kenya’s uneasiness. “I’ll walk her back upstairs when she’s done,” Max promised ushering the ladies to the door.
Grabbing his sketch book and pencil from his workstation, Max led Liz into a back room to another work station. “This room is used when we tattoo areas normally covered by clothing such as backs, stomachs, etc.” he explained hoping to make Liz feel a bit more comfortable. Sitting down across from each other at a small rectangular table, Max opened his sketch book. “I know this was unexpected, but have you ever considered getting a tattoo?”
“I have but never did because of my theater and dancing career… I didn’t want the hassle of having to cover one up with make-up.”
“That makes sense. Having to cover up tattoos for whatever reason can be a hassle.” Lining up his colored pencils, he continued. “Have you ever given any thought about what kind of tattoo you wanted?”
“I’ve always thought it would be cool to get a rose tattoo or a tattoo of the Janus Masks (theater masks)…”
Pencil in hand, Max began to sketch. Within minutes he held up a rough sketch of the Janus Masks. “Something like this?”
“It’s nice, but I was also thinking a tattoo of some sort of design pattern would be cool too.”
Reaching up, Max grabbed a book of tattoo designs from a shelf. Flipping through a few pages, he showed her a few different designs. “These are mostly tribal tattoos, but the designs are stunning…” Rolling up the sleeve of his short sleeved shirt, he showed her a few of his on his arm. “See. This one here is a symbol of strength and endurance,” he pointed at his upper arm. “The one below it symbolizes peace and harmony. And the one below that symbolizes balance… They’re a combination of tribal designs and pictures.” Closing the tattoo design book, he put it aside.
“I have an idea…” Pencil in hand, Max began to sketch what appeared to be the Janus Masks with a long stemmed rose behind it with a leafy design as a background. “How about something like this… It incorporates both the rose and the Janus Masks, yet it has a design pattern.”
“This is such a tough decision… I can’t decide. I like all three. What would you suggest?”
“That depends. Where would you like the tattoo?”
Liz was getting flustered. “I don’t know… But, if I’m doing this, it’s going to have to be in a place that’s easy to cover up if necessary.”
Pencil in hand, Max opened another book and flipping the pages to a diagram of the human body began pointing out sections. “A popular tattoo spot for women tends to be the lower back, upper back by the shoulder, thigh, and ankle. Personally, the lower back is best for a design tattoo. Thigh, ankle, and upper back are best for a picture.”
“God, I don’t know…”
Max thought for a minute.
How far would Liz go? “You can always get more than one you know. But, remember tattoos are permanent.”
“Yeah, I know…” Liz thought for a moment.
I’m retired from the theater. Why not live a little? Maria and Kenya did after all say I need to spice up my life. “What the hell. Why not go for all three…”
“Okay, but are you sure about this?”
“I am.”
“Great…” Grabbing a book of tattoo pictures, Max opened it to a page of rose designs. “These are the designs I have for roses… Although most women prefer red or pink, the rose can be whatever color you want…”
Liz thought for a minute and pointed to a rose design she liked. “Light pink… Upper back by the shoulder.”
“That’s good spot. How big did you want it?”
“About one to two inches…”
“Okay. What about the Janus Masks?”
“About two to three inches… White and red on the outer thigh.”
Pencil in hand, Max jotted down some notes. “How does white for the comical and red for the tragedy sound?”
“Sounds good…” She paused. “And as for the design pattern, lower back along my waist line… But you pick the colors.”
“Okay…” Adding some last minute notes in his sketch book, Max explained to Liz the procedure step by step. “I’m going to start with the rose tattoo and work my way down. I don’t mean to make you feel uncomfortable, but I’m going to need you to remove your shirt and jeans and to lie on the table on your stomach…” Turning away, Max began organizing his tools (needles, ink, gloves, tattoo machine) while waiting for Liz.
Nervously, Liz reached for the hem of her shirt.
Breathe. I can do this. Tugging the shirt over her head, she set it on a nearby chair. Sitting on her shirt, she pulled down her jeans setting them on top of her shirt on the chair forgetting what underwear she put on that morning. Then it dawned on her.
Omigod… She was wearing a silk emerald green G-string with matching bra. Embarrassed, she blushed.
Why am I so embarrassed? This is Vegas. Max has probably sees women in various stages of undress daily.
Climbing up onto the table, she laid down on her stomach. “Okay, I’m ready…”
Setting his tools by the table, Max couldn’t help but notice Liz lying there; her long, silky brown tresses cascading over her smooth white skin with little scraps of emerald green silk covering her intimate parts. Pulling up a chair, he groaned.
God, grant me self-control.
Carefully pushing Liz’s hair to the side, Max picked up a cleansing wipe from the tray, softly gliding it across her smooth skin wiping the right side by her shoulder in a slow, circular motion. “You need to relax, Liz… There’s nobody here but you and me…”
“I can’t…”
“Sure you can…” Setting the cleaning wipe on the tray, Max gently rubbed her back. “Close your eyes and breathe…” Repositioning his hands on her shoulders, he began to gently massage them. “Feel good?”
Who is he kidding? It feels heavenly… “Mmmm…” She moaned softly.
Slowly, he worked his way down her back massaging her muscles as he went. Softening his touch, his fingers glided across her bare back in intricate circular patterns. “The pain is minimal… Nobody here but you and me,” he reminded her.
************************************
Releasing his hands from her smooth, bare skin Max put his gloves on before aligning the rose template on her upper back. “Is the right side okay?”
“That’s fine…”
“Okay… Now, I’m going to need you to lie still. You’re going to feel a slight prick…” Max explained starting up the tattoo machine. Leaning lean, he positioned the machine starting on the outline. At the first touch, she winced. “It’s okay… Everything’s going to be fine,” he soothed her.
Max asked Liz how her day was. Excited, Liz told him about her experience at the Bartending School. “Because I was licensed in New York, all I have to do is read the materials and take the exam which consists of two parts… The first consisting of answering questions, the second consisting of a hands on demonstration of my skills mixing drinks. According to the academic advisor, it should only take one to two month’s tops. Isn’t that great?”
“That’s great… Isabel will be happy to hear that. In the meantime, if you want to practice mixing drinks talk to Serena…”
“Thanks for the idea. I’ll talk to her tomorrow…”
Max began filling in the rose with pink ink. “So, what brought you here tonight? I thought you were hanging out with the ladies.”
“We were…”
“I know you were. But now you’re here in the Viper Room with me. How come you’re here while everyone else is upstairs?”
Liz sighed. “Isabel suggested we play ‘Truth or Dare’…”
Max chuckled. “And you obviously picked dare…” Switching to the green ink, he began filling in the stem and leaves. “So, what was the question?”
“Um… That’s personal.”
“Oh, come on. It couldn’t have been that bad…”
“It was,” Liz assured him.
Max smiled. “I guess I’ll have to ask Isabel then.”
Oh, no. “They wanted to know who my first crush was,” Liz blurted out.
Max raised an eyebrow. “That’s it? That’s what brought you here? Wouldn’t it have been easier for you just to tell them?” Max couldn’t believe what he was hearing.
Why didn’t she just tell the ladies who she had a crush on? What was the big deal?
Liz blushed. “Yes, that’s why I’m here and no it wouldn’t have been easier for me to tell them.”
Turning off the tattoo machine, Max reached for the ointment. Delicately rubbing ointment over her rose tattoo, be bandaged it with a strip of gauze. “You’ll need to rub ointment on your tattoos and keep them bandaged for about two weeks to give the skin time to heal and to prevent the ink from bleeding onto fabrics.” Disposing of the needles, he opened a new pack. “You handled that well… Ready for the second one?”
“I am.”
“I’m going to save the largest one for last, so I’m going to need you to lie on your side.”
Liz rolled over onto her side so she was facing Max giving him an eyeful. “Is it okay if I prop my head up with my arm?”
Max groaned inwardly. Liz was beautiful… No, not beautiful; perfect with flawless skin, deep hazel eyes, lush lips and a well-proportioned body. “That’s fine as long as you can do so without flinching for about an hour.” Sliding across the floor on his stool, Max reached for a cleansing wipe and began gently wiping her thigh clean in a slow circular pattern.
Tossing the cleansing cloth into the garbage can, Max reached for the Janus Mask template and positioned it on her thigh. “You’re going to feel another prick on your skin but once I start, you should be fine,” he stated. Leaning over her toned legs, he started the tattoo machine.
Filling in the colors of the masks, Max asked Liz about the video she was watching with their friends earlier. “What was that video you were watching earlier when I came upstairs for my sketch book? It looked pretty interesting.”
Embarrassed, Liz blushed. “Um… It was a video containing various segments from the different theater productions I starred in."
She was afraid to ask, but was curious. "Which part did you see?”
Max blushed. Turning off the tattoo machine, Max reached for the ointment; rubbing it over her second tattoo. “You were doing some kind of chair routine…” Reaching for the gauze, he bandaged the tattoo. Returning the package of gauze to the tray, Max looked Liz in the eye. “From what I saw, you were amazing.”
“Um… Thank you. But, those days are over.” Liz rolled back over onto her stomach.
Switching the needles on the tattoo machine, Max checked his ink supply. “Then why were you attempting to do a hand stand on a chair in the living room?”
“Everyone was curious to see if I could still do it after the accident I had at the theater.”
Accident at the theater my ass. Reaching for a cleansing wipe, Max leaned over her silken skin; gently rubbing the cloth over her lower back in intricate circles. Reaching her G-string, he groaned.
God, grant me self-control. “You might feel a bit more pain with this one because it’s larger and near the spine,” Max warned tossing the cleansing cloth into the garbage can. Reaching for the template, he aligned the design template across her lower back. Turning the tattoo machine back on, Max leaned over her perfectly toned slender body and started the outline.
For the next two hours, Max and Liz talked about everything from her career as a theater actress and professional dancer and Max’s part-time job as a tattooist to personal interests, music and movies. Liz offered to show Max some of her home videos from the theater and shared some of her fears of living in Las Vegas. Max assured her she had nothing to worry about and explained how everyone looked after one another. “We’re like a family of sorts…”
Two hours later, Max added the finishing touches. Reaching for the tube of ointment, he rubbed it all over her tattoo. Returning the ointment to the tray, he grabbed large pieces of gauze; piecing them together over her tattoo and bandaging her up.
Taking her hand, Max helped Liz off the table. “Why don’t you get dressed while I clean up and put the supplies away?”
As Max turned around to put his supplies away, Liz reached for her clothes; quickly getting dressed. Sitting on a chair by the small, square table she waited for Max. “Ready when you are.”
********************************
Leading Liz back into the tattoo parlor, Max informed the other tattoo artists he was leaving for the evening.
Following Max into the main lobby, Liz took it all in… The place buzzed with activity as people mingled by Deuces Wild and the El Flamingo. She could hear the faint sound of techno music in the distance. “It’s something, isn’t it?”
Liz smiled. The Safe House was his ‘baby’… His dream came true. “It sure is… It’s amazing.”
It was late. Several of the businesses would be closing soon. “It’s late… We should get going." Walking through the bustling crowd of people, Max led Liz over to a glass elevator. Taking his key card from his wallet, he inserted it into a slot and pressed the ‘P2’ button. “You’ll need to have your keys and cards on you at all times… The key card is for the elevator and the penthouse door in case you ever get locked out.”
Arriving on the seventh floor, Max let Liz step out first. Unlocking the penthouse door, the pair stepped into the dark foyer. A bright light shown from the living room… It was the TV. Liz’s guests were all asleep lounging around the room. “Looks like they tried to wait up for you…” Max whispered leading Liz down the darkened hallway towards their bedrooms.
Stopping by her door, Liz smiled. “It does. Looks like I’ll be playing 20 Questions tomorrow…”
“I’d give them a hard time if I were you. It’ll drive Isabel and Maria nuts.”
“Well, I’m going to bed. Thanks for taking time out of your schedule.”
“It was nothing. Good night, Liz.”
Standing on her tip toes, she leaned up giving Max a quick peck on the cheek. “Good night, Max.” Watching Max disappear into his room, she entered her own and crawled into bed. And within minutes, she drifted off to sleep.