Page 19 of Love Legacy

Sage

N ow that the weather’s begun to change, going for a morning run absolutely sucks ass.

I’m currently two miles in, and it’s freezing cold outside.

We had our first frost warning this week, so I can see my breath coming out in short puffs as I run.

I have a jacket on and long pants, but it just feels so restrictive.

I guess I could just hit the gym on campus and run on a treadmill, but it’s not the same.

I love the fresh air and the quiet of jogging on the hiking trails near campus.

I go running most mornings, but I like to come out here and do my long runs once a week.

I just love pushing myself and seeing what I can do.

Which is why I still come out here every morning to try and run at least ten miles a few times a week.

Not nearly as intense as when I was actively training for races, but it still keeps me in good shape should I decide to run in another half or full marathon in the future.

I make it to the eight-mile mark on this twelve-and-a-half-mile trail when my phone rings.

I answer the call from my watch as I gradually slow to a stop.

“Hello?” I ask, my breathing a bit labored.

“Sage, are you running a marathon?” The familiar Southern accent comes through my earbuds, and I smile.

“Something like that. What’s up, Naomi?”

“Remember how you offered to connect me with the person who does your tattoos and piercings if I ever wanted to get one?”

“Yeah…” I drag out, curious to see where Naomi is going to take this.

“It’s time,” she says.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, it’s time! I want to get my nose pierced, Sage.”

“No fucking way.”

“Yes! Can we do it today? Before I chicken out,” she says with a laugh.

“I mean, they’re open on Saturdays, so probably. Let me finish my run and I’ll reach out to them and see how packed their schedule is for today. I’ll get back to you in like an hour.”

“Wait, you’re on a run? For fun?”

I laugh loudly, a small snort escaping. “Yes, Naomi, I am running for fun. I go out on the trails near campus every weekend.”

“Ew. Well, do they have an easy trail? Maybe I can join you for a walk one weekend,” she says, emphasizing walk. I get it. A lot of people hate running.

“Yeah, that’d be nice.”

“Okay, well, I’ll let you get back to it, Flo Jo,” she says teasingly.

I roll my eyes, knowing Naomi can’t see me. “I talk to you later.” I end the call, slowly getting back into my run.

Once I make it back to my apartment, I call the tattoo and piercing shop I go to, Wild Thorn Ink in my hometown, to see if James is in today, which he is.

He let me know his schedule is pretty wide open today, so we could just drop in whenever we are ready.

So, I text Naomi that I’ll come pick her up in thirty minutes after I shower.

James was the Wild Thorn piercer who did most of my piercings.

He was probably the best piercer in Trenton or at least the one I trust the most. He makes the process as quick and painless as he can, and I’ve never had any issues with the healing of any of my piercings.

I figured he was the perfect person to do Naomi’s first piercing.

I throw on a long-sleeved shirt and sweatpants, grabbing a zip-up sweatshirt and putting on my sneakers. I text Naomi, letting her know I’m on my way before I head out of my apartment.

I pull up outside her apartment, honking my horn to let her know I’m here. Naomi comes running down the steps, looking around embarrassed. “You couldn’t have just texted me to let me know you were here?”

“Nope!” I say, grinning from ear to ear, leaning toward her side of the car. She gets in, turning toward me and pressing her lips against mine gently in a quick kiss before pulling away. “Hey, you.”

“Hey?” I raise an eyebrow, surprised by Naomi’s kiss. We’d been heavily flirting through text and a bit touchy-feely when together since our smoke session a couple weeks ago, but this was the first time that Naomi’s even remotely tried to kiss me since then.

Her smile drops, sensing my apprehension. “Was that okay? Sorry, I just thought—I should have asked you if you even wanted to kiss me. I just thought that since we’d been flirting—”

“It’s okay, Naomi,” I interject, taking her hand and trying to stop her impending spiral, “you just caught me off guard, that’s all. I absolutely do want to kiss you.”

She smiles, looking at our joined hands on the center console. “Want to do it again?”

I laugh out loud, tipping her chin up with my free hand and pressing my lips to hers again.

She reaches out, cupping my cheek as she kisses me back, this time with more urgency.

I part my lips and she matches my movements, parting hers as well, leaning further into me as best as she can across the center console of the car.

I pull away, smiling wide at Naomi. “So, is this going to be a thing now?”

She blushes, biting her lip. “I don’t know, is it?”

I drive off to the piercing shop, our hands still joined on the center console. “The ball’s in your court, Church Girl,” I say playfully.

It was a two-hour drive to the shop. Sure, we probably could have gone to a shop near campus, but I was personally familiar with this shop. Plus, I was excited to show Naomi my hometown.

Truth be told, I texted my parents to let them know we’d be in the area today.

I was just going to swing by real quick, say hi, and grab some warmer clothing while I was in the area, but my mom wants me to bring Naomi by for dinner.

Apparently, Theia told them about her, so they were excited to meet my ‘almost girlfriend.’

“Hey, I’m not sure how long this appointment will end up taking, but while we’re in the area, my mom wants us to stop by. Is that okay with you?”

“Your mom wants to meet me?” Naomi asks in disbelief.

“Yep. I let her know I would be in town and why, and I guess Theia’s mentioned you in conversation with them because they’re eager to meet you.”

“Oh gosh, what did she say?” Naomi asks, beginning to get nervous. I could feel the hand holding mine beginning to sweat, her pulse starting to race.

I give Naomi’s hand a gentle squeeze. “Hey… It’s nothing major. I’m sure Theia didn’t say anything bad. If it’s too much, we don’t have to go. I can visit my parents another weekend.”

She gives me a small smile, shaking her head. “No, I’ll be fine. Let’s go after we’re done.”

“Nervous?” I ask as we near the shop.

“Very. But I want to do it.” Naomi looks out the window at the shop.

The tattoo and piercing shop was in a larger space.

The owner, Michael, bought an old car garage fifteen years ago and converted it into a tattoo shop.

The whole space had an edgy, industrial feel, especially with the matte black garage door, painted with the shop’s logo.

When they first opened, they only occupied about half the space, renting out the other half to a local boutique.

But they eventually grew so big that they bought the boutique out and now use the full space.

The tattoo shop is on one side, and the piercing parlor is on the other side.

They updated the waiting room from the original building layout.

Now there was a full snack bar set up with a variety of mess-free snacks, candies, and then some waters and sodas in a mini-fridge under the counter.

They’ve turned the shop into such a welcoming space, and I honestly hung out here a lot my senior of high school.

To the point where they hired me as a receptionist because I was practically doing the job already.

Now it’s been four years, and I still work here during the summer and a few shifts while home on breaks.

I’ve been upgraded though, because James and Ryan have started to train me on tattooing and piercing.

Now, sometimes, when I want a new piercing, they’ll let me do it myself, under their supervision, of course.

It’s not something I want to pursue, but it’s a neat little skill to have tucked away.

I head into the shop, Naomi’s hand in mine, pulling her along with me. “Honey, I’m home!” I call out, not seeing anyone at the check-in desk. Ryan comes out of her office, grinning when she sees me.

“Sage! I didn’t know you were coming by today,” she says, rounding the counter to give me a big hug. I lean down to hug her back, giving her a tight squeeze.

“James didn’t tell you? I called this morning.”

“You know that man has the attention span of a gnat. He probably forgot by the time he got off the phone with you.” She laughs, pulling away from me and turning her attention to Naomi. “And who is this gorgeous lady?”

“This is my…friend, Naomi. Naomi, this is Ryan, she’s the tattoo artist I was telling you about.”

Naomi holds her hand out to shake. “Nice to meet you, ma’am.”

“Aren’t you the cutest? Come here, I’m a hugger.” Ryan throws her arms around Naomi for a hug. “It’s so nice to meet a friend of Sage’s,” she says, giving me a pointed look over Naomi’s shoulder, and I roll my eyes in response.

“Sega Genesis is in the house!” calls from behind me, I turn to see James coming from the hallway to the piercing side of the shop.

“You know you’re making yourself sound old every time you call me that,” I say, giving him a fist bump.

I had just started taking meds for my ADHD when I first started coming by the shop.

I had so much restless energy and could barely stay still, James used to call me a video game character, hence the nickname.

“What does it say about you since you get the reference?” he asks with a wink, laughing as I attempt, poorly, to shove him.