x Part 1 x

“Why do you want to get a tattoo?”

Tiffany looks into Taeyeon’s eyes. She is as petite as described. And she looks a little too young to be in this profession, although Tiffany isn’t altogether sure about the appropriate age either. The blond hair that falls straight down reminds her of Legolas and in some ways, Taeyeon is quite like an elf too–fair-skinned, big, round eyes, pert nose, thin lips. Not what she was expecting, but even better in a crazy, bad way.

“Because a tattoo makes a statement.”

“I would like to know what your statement is.”

“Hope. Faith.”

“What about them?”

“We can’t do without them.”

“But that doesn’t mean you need to ink them on your skin forever.”

“I want to remember them. They helped me through my darkest moments.”

“You can remember them in your heart, in your mind. Why skin?”

“Because it’s who I am; it’s an important part of me and I want it where I can see it.” Nobody told me that I need to get through an interview–interrogation to get a tattoo.

“Which part of your body? Not your back, since you want to see it.”

Tiffany gestures around her . “The side.”

“Here?” Taeyeon presses a finger right beside her , inches under her armpit.

Tiffany flinches, surprised by the contact, but recovers when her mind reasons that it is clinical and relaxes. “Yes, along the side, under my .”

“And the design?”

“I’d like you to design one for me. I heard that your designs are very artistic.”

“Was I recommended by your friend? Did your friend get a tattoo from me before?”

“Yes and yes.”

“What’s your friend’s name?”

“Sunny. Sunny Lee.” Tiffany watches as Taeyeon rolls her chair backwards and turns around. She stands, putting her hands on the desk, and runs a finger around the clutter on it. “Sunny Lee.” Taeyeon picks up an iPad and flicks her finger up across the screen. “Sunny… Lee…” She spins the iPad around so that Tiffany can see it the right way up. “This one?”

The skin around the tattoo in the picture is red and angry but Tiffany recognizes the unique design of flowers and vines crawling across left to right. “Yes, that’s Sunny.”

“I remember her. Just like her name. Smiley, sunny, cute. But tough underneath.”

“You remember her very well.”

“She’s memorable.”

A desire to be memorable as well, rises inside Tiffany, for reasons unexplained. It’s probably her competitive nature. “Why?”

Taeyeon stares deep into her eyes for a moment, and Tiffany’s breath is held captive. She looks away, then says, “It’s confidential.”

“Doctor-patient confidential?”

“Something like that.” Taeyeon smiles and Tiffany loses sight of her breath. “But this is about you. What do you have in mind for the design?”

“I want something that symbolizes looking ahead, moving foward. Never give up. There’s always hope. Faith. Just keep believing.”

Taeyeon scratches her chin as she makes a note on her iPad. “Any preference for animals or flowers? Symbols maybe?”

“I’ll let you design it. I want to be surprised.”

“If that’s the case, we’ll need to have dinner together.”

Tiffany raises a brow. “Really?”

“We’ll have a chat over dinner. It’s how I get to know you.”

So it’s a clinical date. “I see. Okay, dinner. On me.”

“Of course.”

x to be continued... x