“You, me, and Meg. We have plans. Since you have apparently dropped the ball on Meg’s bachelorette party, I’ve got it handled. Get dressed; we’ll be there in twenty minutes. And don’t bother with makeup!”
“What? I can’t be ready that quickly! And you know I don’t go anywhere with at least some bronzer.”
The click of the call ending is my only response. Those girls better have coffee for me. I have a feeling I’ll need the caffeine for whatever shenanigans they have planned.
Fifteen minutes later, I’m dressed and waiting outside for this mysterious rendezvous I know nothing about. And who has a bachelorette party in the morning? They should know by now I’m not a fan of surprises. Again, those girls better come loaded with a latte or something or there’ll be hell to pay. An uncaffeinated Sally isnota happy Sally. My mood is not getting better since they are now late, and I’ve forgone makeup.
Just as my foot starts to tap in irritation and I check my cell for the millionth time, Barbara Jeanne pulls into the circular driveway with a tired and harried looking Meg slouched in the passenger seat of her Benz, wearing Drew’s favorite ball cap pulled low over her eyes.
She gets out and climbs in the back so I can sit in the passenger seat. I slide in and cross my arms over my chest, while shooting a glare first at my cousin, then at my friend. “What’s the big idealadies? First you wake me up on a Sunday, then you’re late picking me up for whatever the hell it is we’re doing. Please tell me you have coffee for me.”
“Don’t get your panties in a wad, missy. Yes, we have coffee for you. And we made sure they put milk in it. We’re bitches, not animals. We know you need your caffeine IV or you turn into a raving lunatic,” Meg shoots back, passing a steaming travel mug up front. “Don’t feel so put out. I got the same call as you, only I wasn’t still asleep. Neither was Drew, by the way. We were waking up together in the best of ways, when Barbie doll here decided to shit all over my morning. This better be fucking good or I’ll rip your hair out, girl.”
Barbara Jeanne counters right back at her, “Meg, of course it’s going to be good. Sorry to interrupt your morning nookie with your man, but this is totally going to be worth it. You can get it on with Drew whenever you feel like it, but this is special girl time, Miss Bride-to-be.” I’m glad I was able to get them to kiss and make up after their near catfight over Drew.
I refrain from intervening this time, instead choosing to tune their bickering out and enjoy my coffee. Ten minutes later, Barbara Jeanne stops the car outside a small house that looks like it’s been converted into some type of business. Curious, I look out the window just as a neon sign spelling out Tattoosblinks on, followed a moment later by one that reads Piercings.
“Uh, what are we doing here?” I’m just a little nervous.
“I made all of us an appointment!” Barbara Jeanne is bouncing in her seat excitedly, clapping her hands. “We’re getting piercings!”
“Say what now? What makes you think we’re getting something pierced today?”
Barbara Jeanne fires back without missing a beat. “Oh, come on! It’s no different than wearing earrings, it’s just not in your ears. I figured we could all get our noses pierced, like friendship bracelets, but in nose ring form.”
Meg calmly leans up and looks at me, lifting an eyebrow in question. “I’m good with this, you?”
The weight of peer pressure wears me down. I’ve never thought about doing anything like this before. While I can appreciate the beauty of piercings and tattoos on other people, it’s not something I ever thought of doing myself. I briefly wonder what Nolan would think.
Barbara Jeanne is not letting up. “Come on! We need to do something more than just go shopping or whatever. Clothes are great and all, I mean come on, youknowI love clothes, but we’re sisters now. Sisters do stuff like this together. Just think how cute it’s going to look.”
My head swivels back and forth between the girls, noting their earnest expressions. In three seconds flat, Meg agreed to do it, no debate, no second guessing. Just all in. For the better part of a year now, fear has ruled my life. Am I going to keep letting it? No way. “Let’s do this.”
We enter the house-turned-tattoo parlor together, nerves and excitement making my hands shake slightly. The interior is bright and clean, with a medicinal disinfectant smell hovering in the air. Framed art showing tattoos and intricate drawings covers the walls. All the misconceptions I had of tattoo parlors disappear out the window. This place isn’t dark or scary at all. In the back I can see two black leather chairs, looking like something from a dentist’s office, one on each side of the room. Each station is set up with lights, rows of colorful bottles of ink, and other paraphernalia I don’t recognize.
We don’t head in that direction though, we follow Barbara Jeanne into a smaller section toward the front of what used to be the living room. Two heavy, black drapes are pulled back on hooks, and a long, padded table sits in the middle of the room. Near the table is a silver cart covered with a blue cloth like I’ve seen in hospitals, and a tall toolbox. Otherwise, the room is empty of furniture. The walls in this room are also covered in art, but instead of drawings, there are photographs of bodies with piercings. All are in black and white, each one beautiful in composition and pose.
A man stands with his back to us, jeans riding low, tattoos showing all over his arms where his black tee shirt doesn’t cover them. He’s setting out supplies in a methodical manner. A small glass bowl half full of what looks like betadine has several long cotton swabs soaking. I watch as he retrieves a handful of small, plastic-wrapped packages from a drawer and lines them up.
“Hey, Nate!” Barbara Jeanne says loudly from where we stand in the doorway.
He spins around, greeting us with a wide smile. “Barbie! Great to see you. I was surprised when you called and booked me for three piercings, but I see what you meant now. Three people, not three holes for you.” He comes forward, holding out his hand for Meg and me to shake. “I’m Nate. Barbie and I went to high school together. What can I do for you ladies today?”
“We all want our noses pierced,” Barbara Jeanne answers, still practically jumping up and down with excitement. This girl is like the energizer bunny. She never winds down. Meg looks around the room with a curious expression, while I stand back and observe.
“Fantastic. Do any of you have any other piercings? Besides your ears, I mean. Or tattoos?”
We all shake our heads in the negative.
“All right, I have a form you’ll each need to fill out and sign. It’s a standard release. Also, you can choose your nose stud and decide which side you want it on.” Nate holds out a clip board, which Meg takes, before turning back to the rolling toolbox and pulling out a drawer full of neatly organized rows of sealed plastic baggies. “Most of my studs are plain silver with a ball on the end, but I have one or two diamond studs in here and a couple gold ones.”
“I’ll take a white gold one, preferably with a gemstone,” I say, knowing immediately I want something that’s going to match the rest of my jewelry.
Nodding, Nate returns to his search while we complete the forms, filling in our addresses and checking off boxes of disclaimers and aftercare instructions.
“Whoever is first, come have a seat on the table and we’ll get started,” Nate calls out, as he pulls on black latex gloves.
Meg moves forward and sits at the table. Nate cleans her nose, first with alcohol, then with brown betadine solution. “This will tickle a bit,” he warns before sticking a swab gently up her nose, cleaning the inside as well. He lets the betadine dry slightly, then marks a dot on the right side of her nose with a small marker, cleans it again carefully with alcohol, and gives her a mirror to check it.
