Page 42 of Suleem and Yahzi
Rebel: I got you, sis. I’ve had mine for years but Arris is in the building on the 3rd floor. He’s pretty much the only person who does them now. The rose has to be approved because hoes were doing too much with claiming DP when DP didn’t claim them. They were talking about it yesterday at the block party. Arris has the spot at the end of the hall near the elevator.
Me: Okay thank you. I might check him out.
Rebel: Girl, don’t waste that lie. You know you’re about to hang up with me and go right down there
Me: Maybe
Rebel: Send me a picture.
Me: If I get one…
I locked my phone and headed back inside. Suleem left this morning after waking me to see if I wanted to go to the shop with him. With the look I delivered, he kissed my temple and left me alone and I didn’t wake up until a few hours later. Now was the perfect time to get this tattoo. My goal was to surprise him if I could get Arris to do it for me. I was sure they had some type of approval process because there was no way they were justout here inking every woman who wanted a rose with DP on the petals.
When I was in the bedroom, I dragged on a pair of shorts and pushed my feet into a pair of leather sandals. Once I grabbed my purse I was out of the apartment on my way to the third floor.
As soon as I stepped off the elevator, I found the unit at the end of the hall just as a man stepped out. He was on a call and tossed his chin to me as soon as I looked his way.
“Are you Arris?”
“Yeah, who you?”
“Yahzi. I wanted to see if I could get a tattoo, but you’re leaving so…”
He frowned and addressed whoever he was talking to on the phone. “Ay, I’m gonna be late. Give me like an hour. I got something I need to do for Bank.”
I frowned and waited until he ended the call before I spoke again.
“This isn’t about Suleem,” I said and he smiled.
“You said you wanted ink, right?”
“Yes but?—”
He turned back to his apartment, removed a set of keys, and pushed one into the lock. “Come on, I got you.”
“Wait, you were leaving. I can come back later.” I followed him into his apartment and stopped a few feet from the door and looked around. It was neat but lived in. I noticed a child sized pair of sneakers by the door.
He chuckled and tossed his bag on the kitchen table. “If Bank’s girl is requesting a tattoo, it meanshe’srequesting one. I’m not about to tell you no and have to deal with his crazy ass. What you getting?”
I was seconds from arguing but it would have been pointless. I knew how things worked around here. “Nothing complicated. I want to get a rose.”
“Aight, where you getting it?”
I arched my brow. “Don’t you have to get that approved or something?”
He was handsome with a sly grin, sexy chocolate skin, and a shadow fade. I also admired the tattoo on his neck, a bird with a J inked in one of the wings. If he designed it then he had skills. It was very detailed and unique. “For you, nah, you’re good. You got something in mind or you want me to create something for you?”
I frowned and watched him setting up things at the kitchen table. I hadn’t thought that far ahead, so when he pointed to the chair near me, then filled the one across from it and flipped open a sketchbook, I shook my head.
“I don’t have a design in mind.”
“That’s cool, I got you.”
He lifted a pencil and began moving it over the page. About five minutes later he reached across the table, placed the sketchpad in front of me, and I smiled.
He drew a rose, with the petals half open and a connected lowercase DP on one section. The stem was twisted to create an S midway down. It was so pretty, my smile expanded even more.
“If you want me to change something…”
