Part 25
“Jealousy is a bitch,” Zoe babbled inside her mind. ”Hey Sandra, sorry I haven’t been around in a while but I’m back and I’d like my lips to be Pierced.” Alex said. She surveyed Alex’s face, making Zoe more jealous.
”Unfortunately, I have always seen you as an inked guy rather than a metal guy,” She mused. She glanced at Zoe then back at Alex. ”Oh, right? Sandra, this is my good friend Zoe,” Alex said, smiling in Zoe’s direction.
She smiled and nodded at me. I gave a small smile in return, I wanted her filthy arms off Nathan. ”So, you want your lips done. Huh?” She said and stepped away from Alex to get something, Zoe sighed immediately.
”Yep, can you do it today, or do I have to come back?” Alex asked, following her to the back of the shop. Zoe didn’t hesitate but to follow as well.
”Of course, I can do it today, not like I have anything to do.” She laughed and gestured to the almost empty shop. ”Damn holiday, makes everyone leave town or spend time with their family! Nobody wants anybody’s art,” She said sarcastically.
She gestured to a special reclining chair for Alex to sit on, and she sat down in a folding chair next to Alex, ”I will get my things and be right back! Just stay put.” Sandra said before going to the front of the shop, leaving Zoe and Alex in the now silent and empty shop.
”Having any second thoughts?” Zoe asked hopefully. She didn’t like the idea of Alex’s lips getting ruined, he shook his head looking amused. ”Are you sure?” She asked but he only laughed.
”I’m absolutely sure! So, chill out Zoe.” He muttered with a comforting smile.
Sandra came back to the room holding this large instrument with a needle at the other end. Zoe shivered involuntarily. ”So before I stick you! You need to pick out some kind of piercing to put in to keep the hole open. You can get a new one in a week.” She said holding a metal tray full of different rings.
”Hmm, Zoe can pick one for me! I don’t really care.” Alex said and shrugged. Zoe leaned over and examined the tray! They were all great but she decided to pick a blackish silver ring and gave it to Sandra.”Good choice!” She grinned.
”Alright then Lex, sit back and don’t move. I’m not going to lie, it’s going to hurt a little bit but I know you are tough.” Sandra said while patting his shoulders.
Alex did as he was told. Sandra held the needle close to Alex’s mouth, that was just the point, Zoe had to look away.
Needles, ugh.
There was a slight click sound and before Sandra sat back. Zoe thought it was safe to look, Alex seemed like he was massaging around his mouth and the ring she had selected was now positioned at the bottom left side of his lips.
Even though the area kinda looked puffy, he still looked damn good. Sandra gave him a small hand mirror to examine his face. ”Well, what do you think?” She asked. Alex nodded his head in affirmation.
”Amazing work Sandra, seriously I do like it.” he said and grinned. ”Good, I’m glad you do like it and since you have been my only customer for the day, I won’t charge you because it is on the house!” She said,
”No, I can pay..” Sandra interrupted Alex before he could complete his sentence. ”No buddy, this one is on the house.” Sandra said, shaking her head. She gave him some liquid stuff to keep his piercing clean and they left.
As Alex drove them to the market he kept smiling to himself. ”What do you think of it, this?” Alex asked for like the 12th time now. She already told him it looked so cool but he seemed to want confirmation that he made the right choice. Zoe sighed before smiling a little.
“It looks really cool Alex, trust me,” Zoe assured. They got to the market and Alex got her a trolley. ”Thank you?” she said.
”We should just go back to the store and make our way back, My list is big.” she said and stared at the frozen aisle. The store was a bit packed considering the celebration was a week away.
Many filled the store! Zoe guessed they were getting last-minute stuff. She can imagine how crazy it’s going to be on the night before the actual holiday. She surveyed different aisles picking different items along the way, as Zoe had guessed! Alex made this shopping trip more enjoyable.
He kept making little jokes about shoppers along the way and doing expressions. Without him, this shopping would have been very stressful.
They got to the frozen food section to get a turkey. Picking a decent turkey is not as easy as you think, there were so many and yet so few to choose from. It was just Zo and mum having dinner.
So, we didn’t need the huge one as she was contemplating between two medium-sized turkeys, Alex shook his head. Zoe looked at him and grinned and he grinned back.
God, those lips ring somehow did great to his look. She had not thought it over but it made him sexier. Just what she needed for her crush to get even more good-looking. After much deliberation, she just tossed one of the turkeys on her trolley and moved to get other stuff on her list.
”Hey Lex, what are you doing for the pack celebration?” she asked in the baking goods aisle. He shrugged before answering. ”Just sitting at home alone I guess, no big deal,” Alex said.
”What about, you know your dad wouldn’t be around?” she asked. Zoe always asks about Alex’s dad but he doesn’t seem to like answering the question. Alex shook his head.
“Nah, my dad has plans.” She bit her lips in thought. He was going to spend the holiday alone and that would make him have different sad thoughts. He always seems alone and she hates that.
They got to the check-out section which had a huge line. every checkout did, While they waited she flipped through some of the tabloids. They were all filled with the latest celebrity gossip.
Alex was grabbing a pack of gum. “Gum lover much?” She said with a laugh, he had six different packs of gum in his hand. ”Hey, chewing gum is a better habit than other things, you know.” Alex said with mock anger.
”You are right,” she replied. Zoe was starting to think about the big celebration dinner her mum was going to prepare and Alex was going to be home all alone.
”Lex?” she called to get his attention. He was going for yet another pack of chewing gum. ”Yeah?” He replied. ”Would you like to spend the celebration with me and my family?” she asked, waiting for his reply.
She stared at him but he just raised his eyebrow. ”I don’t know Zoe, I mean it for family and stuff.” Alex tried to reason. ”Well, my dad and Luke aren’t around and my mum prepares so much food. I know she wouldn’t care if you join us.” Zoe said, interrupting Nathan.
He looked ready to interrupt, ”please Lex?” she muttered as sweetly as possible. His eyes widened slightly but he didn’t say anything.
”Come on, please? You know I won’t take no for an answer.” She persuaded Alex. ”Okay, fine I would come, geez.” Alex said feeling defeated. She smiled widely at his reply.
”I promise you that you will have a good time!” Zoe said and moved further in line. ”You know Zoe, you don’t act fair?” Alex said. ”I never said I did!” she said while unloading the stuff from the trolley into Alex’s car.
Some girls behind them had started talking, well actually flirting with Alex. He kept replying to them politely but still not sounding really interested in the conversation luckily but it was still filled with that same jealousy from the tattoo shop.
Zoe was trying to ignore their conversation but Alex’s voice drew her in. “I love your piercing? It’s so hot.” The girl was saying. ”Ugh thanks, got it done today actually.” Alex smiled and turned to show it off to them.
The girl made some dazed face, Zoe hoped she didn’t make that face when talking to Alex. When all things were loaded, Alex said goodbyes to the girls, she noticed Alex reading a piece of paper! With a sick feeling in Zoe’s stomach, she knew the girl had given Alex her number.Exclusive © content by N(ô)ve/l/Drama.Org.
”Got her digit, huh?” she asked, trying to give a convincing smile. He stared at her hard for a moment before shrugging. ”Yeah, she kind of just shoved it into my hands and didn’t want to be rude,” Alex said.
Zoe quickly looked for a change of subject. “So you are definitely coming for dinner, right?” She asked. ”You are so persistent. Yes, I’m coming to dinner.” She said, ”Just making sure you won’t try to skip out.” She said casually, she still felt sick from the phone number.
Alex tried to match up with her casualty. “I won’t skip on you, Zoe.” She could hear seriousness and promise in his voice. Before they got to the car, Zoe was beyond pleased to see Alex drop the piece of paper with the girl’s number on it into the trash can.
How heart-melting.