Chapter Five
Haizley
The subzero temperatures of January in Nebraska had me hiding in my house most days.
There wasn’t much of a reason for me to brave the cold. I didn’t have family to visit or friends to hang out with. And of course, no boyfriend to go on dates with.
So, I hibernated like a bear.
Except unlike a bear, I had to venture out occasionally to do things like buy groceries or get a drink at the bar. Or do something wild like try to get a piercing.
How the hell did I not know Gunner owned the tattoo shop? I guess I never really looked into them beyond the surface. I knew the Silver Shadows owned it, but not specifically Gunner. So, when I found him there, any notion I had of doing something crazy flew right out the window.
Dammit, I really wanted that piercing.
I had never done anything crazy. How could I? I had been on my own since I was sixteen. I had to be responsible.
My phone began to ring, and I looked down to see the number for the Ink shop. It was likely Indigo calling to reschedule. But what if it wasn’t? What if it was Gunner?
Why would he call me?
That was a valid point.
“Hello?”
“Hi, Haizley, it’s Indie. I’m calling about your piercing appointment.”
“Hi, Indie. I don’t think I will be rescheduling.”
I heard her heavy sigh through the speaker on my phone, and I immediately felt bad. She was losing out on her income because I was too chicken to follow through. All because he would know.
“Is it because of Gunner? Did he do something?”
“No, no, that’s not it. It’s just...” How did I explain this without giving away too much? “I thought I could do it, but then when I got there and I saw people, I just lost my nerve. It wasn’t him specifically, it was just people in general knowing what I was doing.”
“I get that. What if I came to you?”
“What?”
What does she mean, come to me?
“I could bring my supplies and do the piercing in the comfort of your own home.”
“Is that safe? I mean, don’t you have to do it in the shop?”
“Nope. People travel to do piercings all the time. The important thing is that my equipment is sterile. Which it always is. What do you say?”
If she came here, I could still do it. The piercing was for me. My little act of rebellion no one would ever know about.
“Would there still be a record?”
“Not if you pay cash. It would be our little secret.” Indie paused for a moment and before I could agree or decline, she added, “Listen, Haiz, I know you’re doing this for yourself. We talked about it. Don’t let fear stop you from doing something that makes you feel like there is more to you than people see. Having a secret like this gives you a sense of power like you wouldn’t understand until you experience it.”
“You’re right. Let’s do it.”
“Great, how about Thursday evening? Maybe we can get some pizza and hang out? I’ve only been here a few weeks and haven’t really met anyone in town yet.”
“I would love that. I’ll order the pizza. I already have tequila. Can I get drunk before you do it?” I laughed.
“Nope, sorry, you have to be sober, but I have some numbing spray, so don’t worry. You won’t feel any pain until it wears off and by then it will be done.”
I chuckled along with her. “Ok, see you Thursday.”
I hung up the phone and squealed.
I couldn’t wait to call Missy and tell her what I had done. After I did it, of course, because I didn’t want her to try to talk me out of it.
Thursday evening came and I was a ball of nerves. I still couldn’t believe I was about to let a woman stick a needle anywhere close to my precious ball of nerves.
I jumped at the knock, despite expecting it at any moment. I rushed over and after opening the door, I yanked Indie inside, sticking my head out the door and looking both left and right a few times before finally being satisfied no one had seen her come in.
“What is wrong with you?”
“Did anyone see you coming here?”
Indie rolled her eyes at me.
“No one followed me, Thelma. Besides, if anyone had seen me come here, I am just visiting with a friend.”
“I don’t have friends. Well, except one, but she lives in Oklahoma.”
“Well, now you have two. Piercing someone’s va-jay-jay in secret is a bonding experience.”
She wasn’t wrong.
“Wait, why am I Thelma? Why can’t I be Louise?”
Indie gave me a look of exasperated arrogance and I conceded.
“Ok, you’re right. I am the one more likely to be attacked while you save my ass.”
We shared a laugh and moved into the kitchen.
“Ok, so do you want to eat first or pierce first?”
“The pizza won’t be here for forty-five minutes, so what do you think? Do we have time to get everything done and put away before the guy knocks on the door?”
“That is more than enough time. How sturdy is your kitchen table?”
“My table?” I turn to look at my kitchen. “I thought we would do it in my room.”
“We need a firm surface.”
“Ok, kitchen table it is, I guess.”
Indie followed quietly behind me.
I wondered if she could hear my thoughts screaming in my head. Telling me this was a bad idea. This wasn’t me. I wasn’t adventurous by nature, but I knew I would regret it for the rest of my life if I didn’t follow through.
“Take off your sweats and panties and lie down on the table.”
I felt a flush start at my toes, and rush past my hands as it traveled up my legs, coinciding with the sweats that made their descent toward my feet.
I climbed up onto my kitchen table, thinking I may never be able to eat there again.
“Lay back and scoot forward to the edge like you’re at the doctor’s office.”
Doing as I was told, I then took a deep breath and chanced a glance at Indie as she stood between my legs.
“Ready?” she asked with a sly grin.
“Please just hurry and do it before I lose my nerve.”
I closed my eyes when I heard the snap of the glove she had pulled on her hands.
“Just a swipe with the alcohol wipe.”
“Um, I’m not sure I need a narration,” I told her.
I wasn’t sure which was worse, the anticipation of knowing what she was about to do or not knowing when she was going to do it.
“I’ve found it is better for clients to know what I am doing and when. If you know when I am going to insert the needle, it’s less likely you will jump and it will go in wrong.”
“Go in wrong?” I lifted my head and glared at my new friend.
A friend that had already been more intimate with me than Missy, who I lived with for eight years.
“Relax, Haiz, I know what I’m doing. Lie back and try not to tense up. It will only take a second,” Indie calmly advised, then added, “Ok, I am going to use a Q-tip and a toothpick to mark the spot and then use a mirror so you can see where it is going to be.”
The feeling of someone poking around down there was a little unnerving.
“Ok, take a look.”
Indie held a mirror, and I looked at my hoo-hah.
I felt a little like Kathy Bates in Fried Green Tomatoes in that one scene where she was instructed to examine herself with a mirror in front of a room full of women.
“Everything look ok, Haizley?”
I tore my gaze from the mirror and looked at Indie. Shaking my head, I laid back down and waited for her to finish.
“Ok, here we go.” She leaned in, getting a bird’s-eye view of my nether region and before I could think—
“FUCK!”
“All done. Just gonna put some saline on you and cool everything down. And add the bead.” Indie stood up, pulling the latex gloves from her hands. “How’re you feeling?”
“I... I’m not entirely sure.” I laughed.
The pain was strange. It hurt, where I’d been expecting more of a burn. But it was more soreness than actual pain.
“Ok, go grab a new pair of panties and some sweats. You are going to want to apply a saline solution two to three times a day until it is all healed. If you want, I can take a look at it in four weeks to see how it’s healing. You can also call me if it starts to feel weird.”
“How long will it take for it to fully heal?”
“Four to eight weeks.”
“Good God! Well, I guess this was the right time to do it, since I don’t have to worry about keeping anyone out of there,” I said with a laugh.
“You do have a point. Go get changed. I brought some wine.”
After quickly getting dressed, I opened the bottle of wine while Indie and I waited for the pizza.
“How you doing over there?” she asked with a grin.
“Not too bad. I am walking a little gingerly and sitting is an experience.” I laughed.
She went over all the aftercare instructions and once the pizza arrived, we spent the next few hours getting to know each other.
It was nice to have someone close.
I loved Missy and she would always be my best friend, but it was hard having her so far away.
“So, what’s the deal with you and Gunner?” Indie asked as she took a bite of pizza.
“What do you mean?”
“Oh, come on. The way you two were in the shop. That wasn’t just nerves from having people around. That was nerves from having the sexy biker giant knowing why you were there.”
Shaking my head, I protested, “No, really, there isn’t anything going on. I was at the bar a few weeks ago and I tried to talk to Cash. Well, Gunner thought I was hitting on him, so we didn’t exactly become besties.”
“Were you?”
“Was I what?”
“Hitting on Cash? No judgment. The man is fine.”
“His girlfriend just died.”
“I know, which is why I asked. Again, no judgment, just curious, then again, forget I asked. Thelma would never go for a guy while he was grieving. That is definitely more a Louise thing to do.”
I threw my napkin at her and winced.
“I saw him sitting alone, and I just wanted to reach out. The curse of being a therapist. Always wanting to help people.”
Indie stiffened, then relaxed so quickly I almost missed it.
“I didn’t realize you were a therapist.”
I eyed my new friend. She wouldn’t look at me, and I reached over and touched her knee. “Is that a problem?”
When she finally lifted her gaze to mine, she had a smile that spread over her whole face, yet her eyes were hollow.
“Not at all. It’s cool you like to help people. I do have to go, though. I have an early client.”
“Ok, thanks so much for coming here. Let me get you some money.”
“No, it’s on me. Friends and family discount.”
This time her smile was complete.
I gave her a hug and walked her to the door. Standing in the doorway until her car pulled away, I realized my new friend had secrets.
I hoped my occupation didn’t scare her away. I tried really hard not to ‘shrink’ my friends, but there was a fine line between therapist and friend.
One I didn’t have a lot of practice walking.