My Little Canvas

The first time that Kenji saw her was August 4th, he remembered the day fairly clearly. She stood behind a woman who was likely the same age as her while she admired all of the art on the walls.

The two women had entirely different aesthetics, the one in front of her was seemingly more outgoing, a low V-neck shirt on and high waisted jean shorts with a purse on her arm and sunglasses in her hair while her friend was shy, wearing a long sleeve white shirt with a bright yellow overall dress on top, no hand bag but a writing pad and pencil.

The woman in front had dark curly brown hair that was cut in a high pixie cut and very tan skin with a slight sunburn, while the girl in the yellow dress had dirty blonde hair (dyed that way you could see it in the roots) and it was pinned in a high ponytail with a bright yellow scrunchie, her skin was pale showing that she most likely didn't spend much time in the sun unlike her friend.

Kenji brought his focus back to the drawing he was making for a new tattoo while his friend (and boss) spoke to the woman who spoke excitedly about getting her new tattoo that would add to the small collection of art that she had displayed on her body.

After they finished speaking about everything necessary his friend, Hernan, brought the woman back to Kenji's station and handed him the tattoo design that she had picked out. Her friend followed quietly and stood behind her, distancing herself from the station as much as possible.

"Hey, my name is Kenji." Kenji introduced himself to the woman he was going to be tattooing.

"Hi, I'm Tony." The woman smiled as she sat in the chair.

"So, where are we putting this one?" Kenji asked as he started cleaning and preparing all of his tools.

"On my inner left wrist." Tony replied.

"Ah, what do the numbers stand for, if I may ask?" Kenji started to strike up a conversation with the girl as he got everything he needed prepared.

"It's my mother's birthday. I've wanted it for a few years now." Kenji nodded at the woman's reply before he wiped the skin where the tattoo was going to be placed.

Soon he was pressing ink into her skin with a needle, the girl in the yellow dress cringing as she watched. She couldn't imagine the pain or how her friend bared it, she was just talking about her life as if there wasn't a needle stabbing her skin.

Once the tattoo was finished Tony asked for a picture with Kenji for her Instagram. Kenji chuckled but said he would love to take a photo, so she handed her phone to her friend and posed with the man so her new tattoo was on display.

"I'm sorry to ask but, is the man who I talked to earlier single?" Tony asked Kenji who couldn't help but laugh.

"Hernan? Yeah he's single. I suggest asking him for his number. You seem like his type." Tony smiled and thanked him before walking towards Hernan.

She left that day with a smile and Hernan's number while Kenji thought about why he couldn't get the girl in the yellow dress out of his mind. He thought about her even when he got home, and what bothered him the most is she didn't even speak yet he wanted to know more about her so badly.

By the next time they had met she was a distant memory that came flashing back to Kenji's mind. It was November 24th, Tony came in for a new tattoo and to visit Hernan and must have brought her friend as a third wheel.

Tony ran up to her boyfriend while her friend stood awkwardly behind her, playing with the sleeves of her yellow knitted sweater. Kenji watched as she looked around awkwardly, there were no seats except for the chairs at each of the two stations.

The only chair that was empty was the one at Kenji's station so she stood quietly while her friend babbled with her boyfriend. Kenji allowed almost ten minutes to pass before he finally built up the courage to tell her to sit in the seat by him.

"Hey, blondie, don't just stand there all day while these two talk, have a seat." His words were teasing and made the girl blush, she felt silly for standing there all that time instead of asking to sit but she couldn't bring herself to say anything.

"Thank you." She managed to say just above a whisper as she sat in the seat beside him.

"No problem, blondie." His words were once again teasing, the girl not quite understanding why he was poking fun at her.

"My name is Dani, not blondie." She quietly retorted, causing the tattoo artist to chuckle at her attempt to act bolder.

"Oh really? Well blondie your name is quite suiting." Her cheeks flushed darker in color as the man disregarded her words and continued to tease her like a school kid on a playground.

"Well, if you're gonna call me blondie, then- then, I'm gonna call you ink!" She tried her hardest to tease back but it just made the man laugh in her face.

"That's cute blondie, but I prefer you call me Kenji." He smiled sickeningly sweet, his voice deeper than how it sounded when he was speaking to her before, catching her off guard and not allowing her enough time to think of a reply.

"O-okay, Kenji." He couldn't help but smile at how easily she submitted to his words, just allowing him to tease her and no longer attempting to defend herself.

"What're you writing in that little pad of yours, blondie?" Kenji asked as he attempted to look over her shoulder.

"It's not finished yet." She shut her notepad, putting the pencil through the spiral binding of the notepad.

"Well, you'll have to let me read it when it's done then." Dani couldn't help the small smile that formed on her lips at the thought of the man showing interest in what she was writing.

"I don't think you'll ever read it but, if we ever see each other again then maybe I'll allow you to." She smiled as she pulled the pencil out of the binding before continuing to write. Kenji smiled as he watched her write in her notepad, wonder swirling in his mind at what she could be writing about.

He had to see her again.