Wednesday…

"So what brought this on?" Jeff asked as they made their way to the tattoo shop.
"Absolutely nothing, I wanted it a while back but decided I would only do it if I wanted it years later. And the only thing that's changed is the placement."
"Where do you want it?"
"Before I wanted itlower back. But now tiny on the inside of my wrist."
"You want it there?" Jeff asked raising an eyebrow.
"Um yes? I have a thing about stuff I look at too much, being able to see it everyday I'd like freak out and hate it in a week."
"Then are you sure you want to do this?"
"Yes Ana and stop being so annoying."
"Back to Ana?"
"Did it ever stop?" Pyra asked innocently.
"So what have you been up too?"
"The usual…you?"
"I might be coming back."
"To What?"
"I don't know about all that but to the show. I've been talking about it but this place TNA has also been making me offers for when I'm a free agent."
"Come back its no fun without someone to chase."
"So how are things with you and Adam?"
"We're trying the friends thing, which is sad cause I wanted in his pants then."
"I remember, I was there. And it went both ways. Sure it isn't again?"
"Anyways," Pyra said shaking her head. "Its awkward sometimes like boundaries and stuff, like a couple weeks ago he asked to hug me, but when he was leaving he kissed me and it was like la di da wait! What just happened you know?"
"I think so."
"Its so easy to just fall back into the pattern with him. And then part of me just wants to go with it."
"Something familiar?"
"Yes, it was god years and years of stuff. All that can't just turn if off stuff and crap."
Jeff simply nodded and pointed to a door. "We're here. You sure you want to do this I mean tattoos are quite permanent."
"Says the colored up boy who played with markers for months."
"I did the markers a couple times it was paint."
"Jeff you are so not helping your cause right now. I would just quit if I were you."
"Hey I'm not drunk off my ass getting some huge retarded shit on my arm. I want a single solid color outline. No more color on the brown girl."
"Hey Jeff, what do you need man? A touch up?"
"Hey, no I brought a friend, she wants to get something done."
"A butterfly? A heart?" Pyra's face went blank and she turned to Jeff annoyed. "Kidding kiddng. No sense of humor in this one. What is it you want to get?"
"A phoenix this to be exact, just smaller on my wrist," Pyra said handing the artist the picture.
"I'll be right back."
"Oh she's fine," Jeff said with a nod.
"What?" Pyra asked before the image started to rise off the page onto a stencil and shrink down at that. "Oh."
"Yeah, it will look like this. Do you want it on the side or center?"
"Center," Pyra said touching the spot on her arm."
"Up ya go little lady," he said pointing to the chair and she watched as she was rubbed down with rubbing alcohol and he pulled out sterilized and sealed needle and ink.
"So how long will this take?"
"A design like that about 45 minutes. Most people usually ask if its gonna hurt."
"Do your worst."
Jeff walked over and sat at the other side of the chair closer to Pyra's head and hid his smile when she winced.
"Its not too bad is it?" He asked with a grin.
"Oh shut up you. Wanna come over for dinner?"
"Sure."
They continued with small talk and banter the tattoo almost an afterthought as the artist worked away. It wasn't until he was taking out a bandage on it that the duo seemed to recall something else was going on.
"Alright all done, want to take a look before I tape it up?" He asked. Waving away the bandage she hovered her hand over the spot. A light gold glow circling the skin before healing it all.
"So did it hurt?" Jeff asked calmly.
"Maybe a smidge."
"Sure a smidge," he said holding op his red hand that Pyra hadn't even realized she had been squeezing.
"I don't know how you got all that crap done."
"Its not that bad."
"Bite me Ana."
Jeff laughed as Pyra sat up straddling the seat and fixing her shirt tugging at the excess of hooks and straps as she fixed the bondage shirt.
"Now what?" Jeff asked.
"Food?"
"Sounds good where?"
"Wanna come over? I can whip something up."
"To New York?"
"No to my new place in sunny happy California."
"Okay sorry dumb question."
"Next you'll be asking how we will get there and I will have to check your temperature." Jeff simply smiled and held out his hand. "I should burn you," Pyra muttered.
***
Pyra opened the door and was greeted by darkness and silence. Flicking on the light switch she led Jeff into the house shrugging off her jacket as Jeff hung up his own.
Pyra went into the kitchen looking around for a note but saw nothing. Shaking her head she opened the fridge then the freezer. Noticing a box of conch she grinned pulling it out.
Jeff perked up glancing at it. "Wow I haven't had that in years. Its so great fried."
"Fried? I've never fried it."
"What? Really? I wish I knew how to cook it."
"I can show you how to clean it. Frying is more or less the same I have seafood flavored bread crumbs should work about the same."
"Okay let's get started," Jeff said approaching the box and lifting the lid.
"Wash your hands you savage!" Pyra exclaimed slapping his hands away from the box.
"You didn't."
"How old are you five? Besides I did not open the box now did I?"
Pyra turned on the tap and poured soap into Jeff's hand followed by her own. They washed their hands together then grabbed some paper towels before pulling the box to the sink. She pulled put some limes and an extra knife and started to show Jeff how to clean the conch meat. By the time JC and lucky arrived they were both preparing the meat and Pyra had started to cook some rice.
Lucky walked straight for Pyra , "Something smells good," he said draping his arm around her.
"Hey fuzz ball."
"Hey," Jeff said casually.
"Hello," JC said tightly.
"Hi," Jeff said just as curtly.
"What the fuck is the matter with you two? Why don't you like each other now? She's married and its not to either one of you."
"Lucky! All they did was say hi."
"Weren't you listening it was all like, what the fuck are you doing here, I hate you. It wasn't hi."
"Sheesh," was all Pyra said.
"Set the table Lucky," JC added and the cat boy muttered quite loudly what he thought of that.
"Never want to listen."
"Yeah okay," Pyra said as JC approached her and hovered behind her.
"Here taste," she said holding out a spoonful of sauce.
"Good, oh and I got tickets to Avenue Q," he added slipping his arms around her.
"Raunchy puppet theater, cool."
"So you want to go?"
"Hell yeah…oh," Pyra said realizing why he was asking. "Umm…"
"Never mind," he said starting to pull away.
"No, no, I want to go. And we'll never know if we don't try right?"
JC smiled and kissed Pyra on the cheek as Jeff and Lucky watched the scene, Jeff confused and wondering if he was seeing right and Lucky giddy.
"So what did you do today? Did you go through with it?" JC asked his arms still around her waist.
"Lookie."
JC pulled back a step did and stared. "Wow."
"Yeppers, I'm a nutter."
"Its nice," he said.
Pyra lifted the lid of the frying pan and glanced at Jeff's conch. "Dude your half is like almost ready."
"Okay, but there isn't much room for me in there," Jeff said with a shrug.
"Well unless you want to stare as it turns brown…" Pyra said with a mimicking shrug starting to wonder if the cat hadn't had the right idea. Especially since JC didn't seem willing to move. "Josh sweetie I need to check on the potatoes."
"Mmm hmm."
"It means you have to let go."
"Oh, sorry," he said with a easy smile pulling away.
"Yeah could you load a bowl with tissue for me?"
"Oh yeah sure."

******

"Pyra I need you to buy me tomorrow."
"Buy you...something?"
"No me. Here look," Lucky said handing her a card.
Reading the card over quickly Pyra stared and laughed. "Sure no problem Lucky."