Kat walked through the front door of High Voltage Tattoo the next morning, the front door jingling a bell as it opened. She wished she made enough money to only work there, but her three tattoo artists friends struggled enough as it was and part of her pay was a free apprenticeship under her friend Corey. Running a tattoo shop on Hollywood Boulevard and paying out salaries to a crew kept the money tight. It was worth every penny she got paid to be there, only because it felt so right to be there in the first place.

"How come you never called me back last night?" Kim asked, looking up from the tattoo she was working on when Kat finally got to the shop the next morning.

"I got a little tied up last night," Kat explained as she put her purse under the front desk, pushing her sunglasses back into her hair.

"What's his name?" Kim laughed, continuing her work.

"Mistake," Kat laughed back.

"Damn that was harsh!" Corey emerged from the back. "Why are you girls so rough on us guys?"

"Why do guys think with their cocks?" Kat shot back, rolling her eyes at Corey, both she and Kim laughing. "I can't put all the blame on him...we had some drinks and stuff just happened."

"So why was it a mistake?" Kim asked with curiosity.

"He's in a band, he doesn't live in LA and he has a girlfriend," she flopped down in a chair behind the front desk. "Pick one."

"Ouch," Corey squinted his eyes in mock pain.
______________________________________
"Where are we going anyway?" Brian asked as he climbed in the car with Matt.

Matt reached for his wallet and pulled out a business card and tossed it on Brian's lap.

"High Voltage Tattoo," he read out loud. "What are you wanting to get inked on you man?"

"I'm not going there for a tattoo," Matt threw the car into gear and started towards the address printed on the card.

"Oh shit," Brian realized why they were going there. "This wasn't just some chick, was it?"

Matt shook his head, gripping the steering wheel so tight his knuckles went white, his jaws clenched.

"Don't Hold Back" by the Sleeping blared loudly inside the shop, the door bell barely audible. Matt saw Kat sitting at a desk with her glasses on, her lips moving as she sang along with passion, looking down at a piece of paper in front of her.

Are you nervous?
Spending your days away in space,
thicker than air, than air.
We've been waiting, we've been waiting, we've been craving away. We need this.
I'll hold out just as long as you.

Kat was lost deep in the song and the drawing she was scribbling in front of her, she didn't notice that the men had come inside the shop.

"Kat!" Kim called loudly over the music, nodding towards Matt and Brian when she finally caught her attention.

The pencil she had been holding dropped from her hand like a lead brick when she looked towards the door, her face melting. "Fuck," she muttered under her breath, reaching beside her to turn the music down.

Matt approached the desk, Brian moving over to a couch to thumb through photo albums out of the way. "Can we go somewhere and talk?"

"How did you know where I worked?" she asked in disbelief.

"I saw the business card on your refrigerator and just assumed."

"Come on," she urged him to follow her. "Kim, we'll be in the back if you need me for anything."

"Sure thing," Kim answered.

"Why are you here Matt?" she asked, closing the door behind her.

"Because I can't leave LA tomorrow feeling like an asshole. Katherine, I've only been with one woman my whole life and up until last night, I had been OK with that..."

"Please," she spoke softly, "I don't want to be 'that girl'. You were just really drunk and weren't thinking..."

"It's not even like that," he objected quickly. "I knew what I was doing last night...I never wanted to hurt you...or Val, but I'm glad I did what I did. It felt right and as horrible as it might seem, I don't feel regret. I thought I did...but what I feel isn't regret."

"I just want you to know that I don't have a habit of doing that. You know, I've danced for more politicians, musicians and actors than I can count, but I don't fuck every guy that gives me attention. And it's even more important that you know I didn't fuck you last night because you are famous...it would be easy for me to be a star fucker," her voice trembled slightly as she spoke.

"I'm telling her when I get back to Huntington Beach," he looked to his feet.

"Telling her what? That you had sex with some trampy stripper in LA?" her voice found strength in her frustration. "That she got you drunk on Johnny Walker and took you home?"

"No," he told her firmly, "that I met someone that I want to get to know better..."

"You're going to throw away your first true love over a one night stand? More importantly, over ME? You'll regret that..."

"How would I know that? I've never been able to experience anyone but her...fuck, I've never even touched a woman that wasn't her...in over ten fucking years," he raised his voice. "Quit with this bullshit about what a waste you are. If I thought you were some fucking cunt stripper, I wouldn't have even wasted my breath talking to you, let alone making myself look like a complete ass in front of you!"

"Please...just go. I'm sure there's another stripper somewhere in this town you can replace your girlfriend with...it's just not going to be me." Kat turned and walked out. "I'm taking lunch," she announced to Kim, grabbing her purse and heading out the front door.