Seven years ago

I sat in-front of the mirror, pushing my hair higher before clipping it in a quiff and letting the rest of my dark hair fall down to my shoulders. I saw Drew approach in the mirror behind me.

"You going on another date" she asked "it's like your fifth one this week"

I smiled back at her, putting my earrings into my ears one by one.

"So, who is it that you're dating" Drew continued. "You still haven't told me. Girl if you don't tell me now I'm gona stalk your ass into town and find out... who is he?"

"Drew, firstly calm your ass down. I'm not your wife, and secondly it's not a he...how very presuming of you"

I applied my eye liner, and Drew stared at me in the reflection, her face reddening and her mouth dropped open. "Sydney Presley you're dating a girl?" She moved as fast as Drew ever could, and sat beside me.

"I am" I smiled, confirming the news for the first time.

"You are...so...not gay" Drew announced loudly and matter of fact.

"Didn't say I was" I retorted.

"Then why are you dating a girl?" Drew asked with confusion etched onto her brow.

"I like her. I like her a lot"

"Listen my little Nie Nie, we have been friends since middle school. I've known you for... forever. I am a gay woman" She said holding her hand to her chest like she was about to burst into the national anthem "and you...are not. You have never once taken an interest in girls. I would know Sugar plum. You dated that guy Alex through high school and I'm pretty sure you would both still be together and married by now with four kids and a white picket fence if he hadn't told you that he was gay"

She was right, I probably would have married Alex, but I didn't. I bent down and put on my black boots.

"Go on then, I'm intrigued, who is she? The manliest looking butch you could find right? Don't tell me it's an ex... if it's an ex of mine I'll kill them"

I looked up from pulling on my boots. "It's not an ex"

"So, who is it? Don't make me tickle it out of you" Drew replied, reaching under my arms.

"Okay" I squealed, pushing Drew's hands away as she tickled my skin until it hurt. "It's a girl called Amber"

"Amber?" Drew mused, sitting up straight. "I don't know any Ambers on the scene. Is she out?"

"Yeah she's out. She's got quite a following at her studio apparently"

"Studio? What is she a recording artist?"

"No, she's a Tattoo artist. God what's with the twenty questions Drew"

I stood and grabbed my jacket.

"Hang on a nano second" Drew announced, finger poised in the air "you're not talking about Amber Rose Beaton?"

"Yeah. How did you know?" I ask.

"She's fucking famous Syd"

"No she's not. She's real down to earth"

"I can't believe you pulled Amber" Drew said stunned and rising to her feet. "The girls are not going to believe this. My straight best friend pulls Amber Rose Beaton without even realising it. Where the hell did you meet her anyway, you never come clubbing with us?"

"At the market, when I was working your shift a couple weeks ago" I reply.

"Sydney, this will have consequences, you can't be trying out your lady loving on Amber Rose Beaton. There's a million other Dykes in town who would gladly take your virginity for you"

"I'm not after a girl to experiment on. I'm in love with her. We are in love"

Drew laughed. "No, no Syd, you can't do this"

"Do what?"

"Take the hottest lesbian on the east coast off of the market"

"Why not?" I asked, grabbing my bag to head out the door

"Because every girl in Florida dreams of either fucking her, or marrying her and having her babies. That's a lot of dreams to crush."

I grabbed Drew by the shoulders and leant in close. "Thanks for the education Drew." I let go and reached for the door "Funny though, all of that talk has made me want her even more. I think I'll just go ahead and marry her, take her off of the market completely"

"Don't joke Syd. You would never go gay full time. It's a phase"

"Don't tell me what I'm feeling is a phase Drew. I've never bashed any of your relationships. I'll tell you now, and you can pass this on at the club tonight. Amber Rose Beaton is taken"

"It's your funeral" Drew replied, walking away in a sulk.

I slammed the door behind me. I had never pictured Drew as the one who would bash me for dating a girl, random people in the street perhaps, but not my best friend who was gay herself. I walked down to the curb and waited for Ambers car to come around the corner. As if on cue Ambers Lexus pulled up to the curb, and I opened the door and slid in next to her, pulling the door shut behind me. She leant over and kissed me softly, she smelled so good. I kissed the nape of her neck.

"You okay?" She asked.

"I think so" I said laughing

"Why what happened"

"Drew knows" I confess.

"She knows what?" Amber asked, confused.

"That I'm dating you" I said, looking into her eyes nervously.

"You're not just dating me Syd. You're my girlfriend"

I knew that, but it felt so good to hear her confirm it. "I know. She seemed to think it was a bad thing that I be dating you though"

Amber looked ready to jump out the car and go bash our apartment door in. "What did she say about me?" she asked agitated.

"Oh nothing about you baby. God no. She just seemed to think my dating you would destroy the lives of the entire lesbian community"

Amber laughed out loud. "She actually said that?"

"Yeah. I got the impression I'm the sneaky little straight girl who bagged the hottest lesbo in town, and apparently that's a bad thing. Like I have a death wish or something"

"So, what you are saying is... that what we are doing is dangerous" Amber asked, with lust in her eyes.

"Very" I replied with a grin.

Amber leant across and pressed her lips onto mine. I pulled her in, deepening the kiss until I couldn't breathe. "Sorry" She said, breaking away. "That just made you ten times more attractive, knowing that you're the straight girl I turned"

"You didn't turn me" I disagreed, grinning "My sexuality is fluid"

"No I know, but has any girl ever turned your head before?"

"Okay...Okay maybe you turned me like a weenie weenie bit" I said, pinching my fingers together.

She smiled and kissed my hand "I love you Syd"

"I love you too" I reply, smiling back and gazing into her eyes.

"Let's go watch the movie. You can stay round mine tonight if you want. We could grab pizza on the way back" Amber suggests.

"Perfect" I replied.

Amber started the car and pulled away from the curb.

...

As soon as we got out of the theatre Amber turned her cell phone back on and got into the car. The cell came to life ringing. "Yo?" Amber said taking the call. "What do you mean you can't close up the studio? Well where are your keys? Okay, I'll be there soon just hang on Rach?"

"Rachel has lost her damn senses, and the keys to the studio. Sorry going to have to take a detour" Amber apologised, starting the car and driving toward our new destination. I looked down at her arm sleeve as she reached out and changed the radio station "I'd love for you to give me a tattoo" I mused.

"Really? What do you want? I'll give it to you for free"

"I'll think about it. Pretty sure of what I want though"

"I'm intrigued, it's not a Betty Boop on your breast is it?"

"No" I replied, smiling at the suggestion.

We drove into the tattoo studio parking lot. Rachel came running out with her hands up in the air and leant into the cars open window. "Sorry about this love birds" she said with a cocked grin.

"It's okay Rach. Go home I'll see you tomorrow" Amber said, motioning her to leave. We got out the car in unison and walked slowly hand in hand to the door. Amber opened it up and motioned me inside. "After you beautiful"

I walked in to the Studio, the equipment was all neatly put away and the room looked a lot like a sterile hospital room, aside from Ambers pictures up at her desk of previously completed masterpieces. "Let's lock up and get going" Amber suggested, after checking the room.

"Why don't we eat up there" I asked, pointing to the door that lead onto the garden on top of the shop.

"On the roof?" Amber asked.

"Yeah why not" I asked. I had loved watching the stars since my Poppa taught me when I was four years old about all the constellations and it was my favourite thing to do on nights when the sky was clear of clouds.

"Okay" she said, grabbing a blanket and leading me up the stairs by her hand. The door opened onto a small balcony. Pot plants around the edges gave it the look of a proper roof garden. Amber laid out the blanket on the floor and we both removed our shoes and laid on top of it. Our heads touched side by side as we looked up to the millions of twinkling little stars above us.

"Wow" Amber observed "it's pretty cool up here. I've never even thought to do this" She turned and kissed my cheek. I reached down and slipped my fingers inside hers.

"Do you know which ones are planets?" I asked.

"I wish I did" Amber confessed.

"No one ever taught you?" I asked.

"No, my Mom wasn't into anything like this, and my Dad was never around. I never really thought about it, who taught you?"

"My Poppa taught me. It was my fourth birthday cookout and we stayed out there all night. My Mom never liked being outdoors but my Poppa always took me fishing and riding and anything that meant being outdoors away from my Mom. They couldn't have any more kids so my Mom was harder on me, but my Poppa, he adored me. He let me know I was loved, and he taught me everything I know. Most things he would have taught my brother if I'd had one. Seeming as it was just me I became his little prodigy...he was the one who introduced me to painting and then drawing. Oh he was a fine painter" I smiled at the memory "We had a pretty large family back in Italy but in the US my Mom mostly kept busy caring for my Grandmother and let my Poppa have me to himself. The extended family stayed in Italy when we moved over to the states. I was about seven I think when we finally moved here. That's why I adore sunflowers so much. Where we had lived in Italy was surrounded by fields of them. They remind me of home"

"Wow, what a guy" Amber observed "I wish I had a Dad like that."

"Oh god, sorry Amber I wasn't rubbing it in"

She reached out and smoothed her thumb over my arm. "I like hearing about your parents it's the first time you mentioned them"

"I don't talk about them much anymore"

"Where do they live, are they local?"

I shifted uncomfortably on the blanket. "They died a couple years ago. It was a traffic accident"

"Oh my god. Oh Syd. I'm so sorry I'm an idiot" She reached her arm around me and kissed my shoulder.

"It's okay. It's been a while. I'm okay honestly. It took a while to shake their deaths from my mind but I'm getting there now"

"I can't imagine what you have been through. Is that why you've been living with Drew for so long?"

"Her family took me when we were at high school, until I could complete. I used the insurance money to enroll in college last year. I'll be back to Art school in the fall, and now Drew and I share the apartment. It's cheap you know?"

"Wow. You might be the bravest person I ever met."

"Not brave. Just lucky to of had people to take me in. My family fought for me to go back to Italy with them but I had to stay here in Florida... It's home now"

"I love you so much" Amber declared.

I loved how she looked at me with such love in her eyes, it was the first time anyone had looked at me like that, like I was the only other person in the world.

"I'm going to marry you one day Amber Rose Beaton" I whispered through the smile on my lips.

She reached out and kissed my lips gently before pulling away. "Prove it" She teased, biting her bottom lip.

"Will you tattoo me now?" I asked.

Her nose scrunched up. "Now? You know what you want?"

I sat up and handed her my wrist. "I'm going to prove it. I want you right here" I said, pointing down to my bare wrist.

"Me? No I can't do that. I didn't mean prove it like this" Amber said concerned.

"I want to have you on show for everyone to see that you are a part of me. I don't want to forget the promise, not ever. So...will you marry me?"

Amber sat up shocked "Do you mean it?" She asked, kissing my hand.

"With all of my heart" I confessed.

"You don't worry it's too soon" she asked.

"No, I know it's you. I want you forever"

"Then of course. Yes. A million times yes babe"

"Then will you ink that damn promise on my wrist"

She laughed. "I will"

I took her hand and pulled her up, standing. I leant in and kissed her on the nose. I went back down the stairs into the studio and I sat myself in the large black chair, leaning back, my head resting on the leather. Amber sat above me straddling the chair, her hair dangling down as she leant in for a kiss. Her lips were soft as her tongue caressed mine softly. I felt my body go weak beneath her, and I reached up and pushed her away. "Tatt first" I instructed with a look of hunger now in my eyes.

"Okay" She said, kissing my forehead.

I lay there with my eyes closed. There was a sting as the needle penetrated my skin and moved slowly over my wrist. "You're doing it like the picture I drew rite?" I asked nervously.

"Of course" Amber replied with laughter in her voice.

I must look such a wimp.

"There... we are all done" Amber declared.

I opened my eyes and looked down to my wrist. It was beautiful. She would always be a part of me now, whatever happened. I had no worry though that this would end in any way but a happy ending. I didn't need to worry about looking down at those words one day and feeling sick that I had an ex on my wrist. She was never going anywhere. I knew it like I had known her my entire life, a life before even.

She leant in and kissed below my wrist. "I'll never let you down" She promised.

"I know" I said, tears in my eyes.

"Forever" She told me, before kissing my lips.