Tiffany sat slowly, cringing at the aches and pains the movement aroused in her. She settled herself on the back porch, sitting on the top steps. Sighing, she pulled a cigarette from the box and lit it, watching the smoke dissipate as she exhaled. Her eyes locked on the evening stars just beginning to show their light. A small smile curved her lips slightly upward as she watched the twinkling night reveal itself.
Mark stood, walking into the kitchen. He opened the refrigerator and selected a cold beer. She caught his eye, sitting on the porch outside. He smiled and headed in her direction. The door was open, and he stepped out onto the patio without a sound.
“Pretty night,” she said softly. He nodded behind her, walking to the steps and sitting next to her.
“Yep.” A comfortable silence settled between them. They both watched the stars, seeming to concentrate a little too hard. Satira appeared in the doorway.
“Tiffany?” Tiffany turned around to look at her. Satira held the phone out to her. “It’s for you.”
“Who is it?” Satira shrugged. Tiffany’s eyebrow rose.
“It’s not Jeff. It’s a chick, but I don’t recognize her voice.” Tiffany nodded, reaching out to take the phone from Satira’s fingers.
“Hello? Oh my God! How are you?… I haven’t heard from you in forever and a day!” Mark noticed her voice had become excited. “You’re where?… God, that’s only, like, an hour away from here… Tallahassee… yeah, I’m going to FSU. How did you find me here?… Oh, good call.” She laughed, nodding. “Yeah, sure. Let me give you back to Satira. She knows how to give directions better than me.” More laughing. Mark couldn’t help but smile to himself. “Okay, hold on.” She stood, gong back into the house to find Satira. She reappeared a few moments later and sat down, seeming to have more energy. Mark looked at her and smiled. “That was my cousin. She’s living in Orlando. She might come down to see me.” Mark nodded. Tiffany smiled evilly at him, wiggling her eyebrows, her eyebrow ring dancing. “You’d like her,” she said, returning her attention to the stars. “She looks just like me somehow, but she’s taller and has brown hair and brown eyes. Same personality, too, but she’s a little funnier. And she doesn’t have any piercings.” She smiled again, looking back to Mark. “Yet,” she finished with an evil laugh. Mark joined in her laughter.
“When is she coming?”
“I don’t know. Satira will know – she’s giving her directions right now.” Just then, Satira appeared on the patio without the phone.
“She should be here tomorrow some time. She’s going to meet us at the studio whenever she gets here. I told her she could stay here as long as she wanted to.”
“This house is getting pretty crowded,” Tiffany said with a laugh.

***

The house was alive at eight in the morning, and once everyone was put together, they all left for the Body Studio. They piled into their cars, no one noticing the black viper parked down the street, the form of a man hidden behind tinted windows.
The day was uneventful. Hardly anyone came in for tattoos or piercings, but the group sat around, chatting happily, waiting for Tiffany’s cousin to come in. Around noon, a couple of people came in, keeping Tiffany and Satira busy. Tiffany was engrossed in a tattoo when she heard the doorbells jingle. Butterflies flitted around in her stomach as she realized it might be her cousin. She shook the feeling off, not wanting her hands to shake for obvious reasons. She felt a pair of eyes on her, but couldn’t look up at the moment. She finished the tattoo and looked up into a pair of dazzling brown eyes with green flecks. Squealing, she jumped up, wrapping her arms around the tall female standing in front of her.
“Nadia!!!” The brown-eyed girl smiled, embracing Tiffany back, her eyes twinkling. Mark’s eyebrow rose involuntarily, and a smile tugged at the corner of his lips. This girl had caught his eye the moment she walked in the door, and he was unexplainably happy this was Tiffany’s cousin. Butterflies now danced in his stomach. Tiffany’s eyes were shining as she introduced Nadia to everyone.
“Nadia, this is Mark, Scottie, Scott, and Satira. Guys, this is my twin cousin Nadia.” Satira shook the girl’s hand with a smile, and Scottie thought about how alike the two females looked. Mark smiled uncontrollably. “So what can I pierce for you today?” Tiffany asked Nadia. Nadia shook her head, her face registering fear. Tiffany rolled her eyes. “It doesn’t hurt – I swear!”
“I’m not worried about the pain,” she said, a smile creeping onto her face. “I’m worried that I’ll end up looking like you. By the way, what the hell happened to you?” she asked, gently touching the bruises and cuts that covered Tiffany’s face. Tiffany forced a small smile.
“Jeff happened to me,” she said quietly. Nadia’s eyebrow rose, her eyes darkening.
“Please tell me you left him,” she started. Tiffany nodded, her eyes lowering. “Thank God,” Nadia breathed, pulling Tiffany into another hug. Tiffany smiled against her, then pulled away.
“So what are you getting pierced?” Nadia laughed, shaking her head.
“See?” Mark said incredulously. “I’m not the only normal person here.” They all laughed at him. The doorbells jingled and Satira looked over her shoulder. Her head snapped around to face Tiffany, her face registering shock. She mouthed the words ‘out the back door,’ nodding at Tiffany and Scottie. Tiffany’s face fell and she grabbed Scottie’s arm, dragging him quickly to the back exit, getting out just before Jeff appeared.
“What the fuck do you want, Jeff?” Satira asked, crossing her arms over her chest, her face registering her infuriation.
“I just want to see my girlfriend,” he said, flashing a charmingly sweet smile.
“Bullshit,” Satira snapped. “Get the hell out of my store before I call the black and whites on your sorry ass.” Her hand found the cordless phone behind her. She let her arm find its way back to the front of her body, her arms crossing once again, revealing the telephone.
“Is that a threat?” Jeff asked, his hazel eyes flashing.
“Damn straight,” Satira said, her face still set in stone. Her poker face was impeccable, hiding her fear behind a wall of hate and anger. “Just get out of here before I do something I won’t regret in the least,” she said, her green eyes narrowing.
“If you won’t regret it, then do it,” he pressed, calling her bluff. Her eyebrow rose as she clicked the phone and began dialing. Jeff shook his head and glanced at the two men standing behind Satira. “What, you have body guards now?” Satira dialed the police. “Look, Satira. All I want is to see my girlfriend.”
“Yeah, to see her dead,” Satira scoffed. She heard someone pick up the other end of the phone and began telling the operator what the deal was. Jeff shook his head and flipped them off as he walked out the door. Satira jogged to the front of the store, grabbing a pencil and scribbling his license plate number on a scrap of paper. She gave the operator the information, adding that he had abused his girlfriend. She thanked the operator and waited for the police to arrive.

***

“I’m sorry, miss, but unless you’re married or have a child together there’s nothing we can do about the domestic abuse.”
“What about assault and battery?” Satira asked.
“We could, but it probably wouldn’t fly in court. You could fill out a report about it though.” Satira sighed. The officer’s eyes softened, and he put a hand on her arm. “About the only other thing you could do is take her to the doctor and have him fill out a report. Otherwise, it’s her word against his.” He glanced around. “Is she around?” Satira shook her head.
“When he showed up, I told her to go out the back door. She took a male friend of mine with her, just in case.”
“Smart girl,” the officer commented. He handed her a business card. “This is an investigator downtown. Have her call him, and see what you can get worked out. Make sure you follow through so we can nail this guy, okay?” Satira nodded, and Scott put a hand on her shoulder as he thanked the officer.
“All I can say is that Jeff guy is lucky you told Scottie to go with Tiffany. Scottie would have ripped his insides out,” Mark said quietly. Satira sighed.
“I wish I’d let him stay,” she said quietly.
On to Part Six