Until The End Of Time
Chapter Twenty
It was Erica’s fifth day working at Think Ink and she had been doing really well. She had become friends with all the other artists there, especially one guy name Larry. He was a year older than Erica and they hit it off really well as soon as she started, he was the one that showed Erica around for the first day. Larry and Erica were stood around the reception counter when the door opened. Erica was waiting for Mike to come and pick her up for the two of them to go to lunch. It wasn’t Mike that came through the door. It was Leon.
“What are you doing here?” Erica spat at him.
“Erica, are you okay?” Larry had noticed the distain in her voice. “Quite frankly no I’m not.” She didn’t go in to details.
“Erica, come on. I came here to get tatted by you and this is how you treat me?”
“Long way for a tattoo, do they not have any shops in Kent?” She carried on with the acidic sound on her tongue.
“Look, Mike’s not here he doesn’t have to know I’m here” Larry was now becoming suspicious. “Hey, Erica is just about to go out for lunch maybe I can help you?” Larry shot Erica a concerned look and she hastily made her way to the back office.
Moments later the shop door opened and shut again. This time it was Mike. “What the fuck are you doing here?” Mike had that same sound in his voice, as soon as he saw Leon. He didn’t feel guilty talking like this because there were no other customers. “I thought I told you to stay the hell away from her?” His voice was raised and he was edging towards Leon. “Where is she?” He asked Larry without taking his eyes off of Leon. “Back office” Mike made his way back there.
“Hey, E are you okay?” Mike asked as he entered the office. Erica was slumped over barely leaning against one of the cupboards, her breathing was rapid and uneven, and she was having a panic attack. Mike rushed to the fridge and got out a bottle of water and a pack of blueberries. He passed them to Erica who was already calming down from Mike’s touch alone. She drank the water and ate a handful of berries before taking a deep breath and standing up. She wiped the tears from her face and hugged Mike as tight as she could. “He’s following me Mike. Why is here?” She began to sob into his shirt. “Let’s go find out” She nodded and followed him back into the shop.
“I’m going to ask you again, this time I want an answer, what are you doing here Leon?” “I came to get a tattoo. I didn’t even know Erica was going to be here.” He said casually
“You just asked for me specifically. You said that you came here to get inked by me. Of all places in San Diego and you just happen to come in here? Why are you even in SD?” Erica was stood strong, looking at him dead on. She didn’t want him to know that he could send her into a fit of panic any time he showed up.
“I don’t know what you’re on about Erica. I was staying with my cousin in New York for a bit and we’re visiting her friends her in San Diego and I wanted a tattoo so came in here.” He chuckled as if he really had no clue what Erica was on about.
“FUCK YOU!” Erica snarled at him and left the shop hand in hand with Mike.
They reached the pizza place at which they had planned on dining and Erica was still shaken up a bit. The only way Leon could have known where she worked was through Trent and he had asked for her specifically. Was he now stalking her, even though she lives in a different country? Erica really hoped that wasn’t the case. She doesn’t know how she would handle having her old life follow her here.
Mike moved from sitting opposite Erica to sitting next to her. He pulled her closer into him so he could let her know that she was going to be okay. That if Leon even tried anything Mike would do some damage. “Maybe we should look into getting a restraining order or something?” Mike suggested.
“Like a piece of paper is going to stop him, you threatened him and almost knocked him out last time and he still came back in a new country no less and you think a piece of paper will keep him away. Oh Mike you are so naïve.” She didn’t intend for that to sound so rude.
“Sorry, that was really mean, I didn’t mean it. It’s just he gets to me and makes me a horrible person. I wanted to leave this part of my life back in England but no it had to fucking follow me. I knew everything was too good to be true” Erica sighed as she placed her head in hands sobbing slightly. Mike consoled her some more before suggesting they leave the restaurant and go back to hers instead. “Yes please” She said when he asked if that’s what she would prefer.
When they got to Erica’s apartment her phone began to ring. It was her boss Damien.
“Hey, Larry told me what happened. I want you to take the rest of the day off, okay?” He was so sweet. “Thank you, I’ll see you tomorrow” She replied before hanging up the phone.
“Who was that?” Mike asked “Damien, he gave me the rest of the day off, which is good because I don’t think I would have been much help” She said as she pulled out a bottle of whiskey from the cupboard and two small glasses. She took them over to the couch and sat down with Mike.
Mike had put Peter Pan on and was skipping through the trailers on the DVD. Sitting there, just the two of them, cuddled up on the couch with Peter Pan reminded him on the first day they properly hung out. It was the day he decided that he wanted to really get to know Erica and that he did, now they’ve been together a couple of months and he has the girl that he loves living in the same city as him. A smile grew on his face. “What are you smiling about?” Erica asked confused considering the situation that had not long since happened.
“You” He replied bluntly causing a smile to also grow on Erica’s face. “This reminds me of the day we first really hung out together, when we got high and made brownies.” They both giggled remembering the flour fight that they had had. Erica was about ready to shoot him when he threw the first handful of flour at her. “If I remember correctly, it was also the first time we had sex” Mike knew he was correct. Erica moved her glass to the coffee table and faced Mike, she kissed him keenly and he got the hint. He lifted her up and carried her over to the bedroom.
“What are you doing here?” Erica spat at him.
“Erica, are you okay?” Larry had noticed the distain in her voice. “Quite frankly no I’m not.” She didn’t go in to details.
“Erica, come on. I came here to get tatted by you and this is how you treat me?”
“Long way for a tattoo, do they not have any shops in Kent?” She carried on with the acidic sound on her tongue.
“Look, Mike’s not here he doesn’t have to know I’m here” Larry was now becoming suspicious. “Hey, Erica is just about to go out for lunch maybe I can help you?” Larry shot Erica a concerned look and she hastily made her way to the back office.
Moments later the shop door opened and shut again. This time it was Mike. “What the fuck are you doing here?” Mike had that same sound in his voice, as soon as he saw Leon. He didn’t feel guilty talking like this because there were no other customers. “I thought I told you to stay the hell away from her?” His voice was raised and he was edging towards Leon. “Where is she?” He asked Larry without taking his eyes off of Leon. “Back office” Mike made his way back there.
“Hey, E are you okay?” Mike asked as he entered the office. Erica was slumped over barely leaning against one of the cupboards, her breathing was rapid and uneven, and she was having a panic attack. Mike rushed to the fridge and got out a bottle of water and a pack of blueberries. He passed them to Erica who was already calming down from Mike’s touch alone. She drank the water and ate a handful of berries before taking a deep breath and standing up. She wiped the tears from her face and hugged Mike as tight as she could. “He’s following me Mike. Why is here?” She began to sob into his shirt. “Let’s go find out” She nodded and followed him back into the shop.
“I’m going to ask you again, this time I want an answer, what are you doing here Leon?” “I came to get a tattoo. I didn’t even know Erica was going to be here.” He said casually
“You just asked for me specifically. You said that you came here to get inked by me. Of all places in San Diego and you just happen to come in here? Why are you even in SD?” Erica was stood strong, looking at him dead on. She didn’t want him to know that he could send her into a fit of panic any time he showed up.
“I don’t know what you’re on about Erica. I was staying with my cousin in New York for a bit and we’re visiting her friends her in San Diego and I wanted a tattoo so came in here.” He chuckled as if he really had no clue what Erica was on about.
“FUCK YOU!” Erica snarled at him and left the shop hand in hand with Mike.
They reached the pizza place at which they had planned on dining and Erica was still shaken up a bit. The only way Leon could have known where she worked was through Trent and he had asked for her specifically. Was he now stalking her, even though she lives in a different country? Erica really hoped that wasn’t the case. She doesn’t know how she would handle having her old life follow her here.
Mike moved from sitting opposite Erica to sitting next to her. He pulled her closer into him so he could let her know that she was going to be okay. That if Leon even tried anything Mike would do some damage. “Maybe we should look into getting a restraining order or something?” Mike suggested.
“Like a piece of paper is going to stop him, you threatened him and almost knocked him out last time and he still came back in a new country no less and you think a piece of paper will keep him away. Oh Mike you are so naïve.” She didn’t intend for that to sound so rude.
“Sorry, that was really mean, I didn’t mean it. It’s just he gets to me and makes me a horrible person. I wanted to leave this part of my life back in England but no it had to fucking follow me. I knew everything was too good to be true” Erica sighed as she placed her head in hands sobbing slightly. Mike consoled her some more before suggesting they leave the restaurant and go back to hers instead. “Yes please” She said when he asked if that’s what she would prefer.
When they got to Erica’s apartment her phone began to ring. It was her boss Damien.
“Hey, Larry told me what happened. I want you to take the rest of the day off, okay?” He was so sweet. “Thank you, I’ll see you tomorrow” She replied before hanging up the phone.
“Who was that?” Mike asked “Damien, he gave me the rest of the day off, which is good because I don’t think I would have been much help” She said as she pulled out a bottle of whiskey from the cupboard and two small glasses. She took them over to the couch and sat down with Mike.
Mike had put Peter Pan on and was skipping through the trailers on the DVD. Sitting there, just the two of them, cuddled up on the couch with Peter Pan reminded him on the first day they properly hung out. It was the day he decided that he wanted to really get to know Erica and that he did, now they’ve been together a couple of months and he has the girl that he loves living in the same city as him. A smile grew on his face. “What are you smiling about?” Erica asked confused considering the situation that had not long since happened.
“You” He replied bluntly causing a smile to also grow on Erica’s face. “This reminds me of the day we first really hung out together, when we got high and made brownies.” They both giggled remembering the flour fight that they had had. Erica was about ready to shoot him when he threw the first handful of flour at her. “If I remember correctly, it was also the first time we had sex” Mike knew he was correct. Erica moved her glass to the coffee table and faced Mike, she kissed him keenly and he got the hint. He lifted her up and carried her over to the bedroom.
Aw, thank you :) <3
8/13/13