McDonald's

@Jay Park [Moving to Tattoo parlor]

@Narsha While they excited the Mickey D's, Jay could tell Narsha was upset. Clearly his comment was taken far more seriously than anything he meant to say. As soon as Narsha let go of his arm and started to hurry inside, Jay reached out and grabber her own arm. "I'm sorry." He said, as he tried to look her in her eyes with his sharp and piercing gaze. "That last bit came out wrong."

He took a deep breath and swallowed his pride. "I think I should leave the teasing to you, you're better at it." With that, he let go of Narsha's arm and nervously gave a small smile, to try and show he honestly meant no ill will by his comments. "I can come off as an sometimes, can you forgive me?"

@Jay Park Her frown deepened slightly at his groan and she pursed her lips. Narsha was about to tell him that she would handle it all as he picked it up and she set her hand on his arm. "I try to treat people how I want to be treated. I have worked fast food and done this." she mumbled. "It's a lot of stress and bull for next to nothing and no respect so yes, I try to be nice to them."

For some reason it almost upset her that he seemed to think he was so above them. If he had met her before she got into tattooing and she was still just doing the minimum wage jobs at places like that would he have even noticed her? Would he have treated her like he did to the young man from earlier? Probably.

"It's better now so let's go." the woman said quietly and practically dragged him to the door. She was still deep in her own mind though as she pushed the door open and checked for oncoming cars. When she was sure it was clear she crossed the street and stepped into her tattoo parlor, dropping his arm as soon as they were inside. "Thanks for your company."

@Narsha Jay smiled as she explained the skin issue. He was fairly impressed that she had managed to deduce what worried him ever so quickly. Perhaps there was a little of the ol' detective spark within her?

As he saw her look down and frown, he quickly pieced together what was bothering the poor girl. He let out a small groan as he let go of her hands. "You are too nice to these guys." He piled their trash on the tray and picked it up. "Not letting the clean up people get away with their pay and not doing any work? You're spoiling them." Jay maneuvered his arm so that he could Narsha hang on it while he dexterously balanced the tray in one hand and took it the trash, and emptied it. He turned to look directly at her. "Better?"

@Jay Park For a moment she thought he was going to be all jealous as she watched his expression at the mention of her client. Other women might find it annoying or something but she thought it was cute the way he cared so much even though whatever it was they had just started. Jay was certainly unique among men and that was probably a major part of the attraction.

"As you age your skin gets thinner and more prone to scarring and tearing. The pain and such from tattooing can often be more stressful to the system of an older individual and it is important to keep their health and comfort as the most important thing." she explained, hoping to dispel any strange thoughts he had going through his mind. It was easy to overlook what she did as having any serious effects on a person's health but she was essentially ripping apart the healthy skin to create a design for aesthetic purposes. Sure it wasn't as dramatic or drastic as surgery or anything like that but it's not like it was a sticker.

"Of course I am going to stick to that." she replied and stuck out her tongue as she placed her hand in his. A thrill moved up her arm as she felt the warmth of is palm and she stood up, taking her drink with her. "Mistah Jay, if you turn into some kind of gentleman I might faint." The woman laughed softly and then glanced down at the tray, frowning slightly at the lack of free hands. It was unusual for her to leave a mess, even at a fast food place when cleaning up was just so easy.

@Narsha Her initial response had Jay's heart skip a beat. Although he was afraid to show it he gruff detective was a little nervous about the entire ordeal. As hard as he tried not to he was starting to view the situation through the eyes of the PI, trying to read into her every word and action to see if there was some reason she was passing on him. Not much was ever simple with Jay.

Who was this older guy she had to work on? Take care of him, what did that mean? They'd shared a building for a long time and Jay couldn't think of anyone who'd fit that bill, but then again, Jay was in an unusual spot he had never found himself, so understandably he wasn't 100% there. He almost couldn't believe how quickly he envied some unknown elderly person. And then she spoke again, and Jay listened.

As he heard what she went on to say he began to relax again. He caught her wink and he started to beam with joy. "You are really gonna stick to that aren't you?" He said. A wide, open smile appeared on the detective's face and he laughed over how dumb he had just been snapping into worried mode. "Sure thing, Narsha. Let me at least walk you back to the parlor though?" Jay slipped his loafers back on and stood up and out of the dining chair, and extended his hand out to the beautiful lady still siting down.

@Jay Park Part of her heart sank to her stomach as she noticed him looking at the clock. Logically she knew it only made sense since they were both busy professionals and such but she did worry that maybe she had pushed something or that she was boring him. That was just about the only reason she could think of at that moment to check the time.

"Oh." she mumbled as she heard his offer. Any other time and she would almost be jumping out of her seat to accept but she knew their time together was a little bit limited. "I can't right now. It's only a few minutes until my next appointment and I don't want anyone else to handle it. The client is an older gentleman and I am not sure the others would take as good of care of him or be as patient."

Damn the luck, she even got to hold his hand but it was only temporary. Her thumb gently caressed the back of his hand as she popped one last fry into and grabbed her drink. "I had a really great time too though and I hope we can do this again sometime, Mistah Jay." she said with a wink as she slipped her shoe back on her dainty feet.

@Narsha Jay could not have been happier than when he felt Narsha's foot rub against his leg. Initially he tensed up, a old habit, bu as soon as he realized what was happening and that she was returning the affection he immediately relaxed and melted away.

What seemed like no time at all had passed playing with Narsha, gazing into her eyes and laughing as he felt completely free to be open and silly around her. Jay looked a the clock on the wall. It was late. The elderly couple and their grandkids had already left, and even the ginger at the counter looked like he was ready to end his shift.

"It's starting to get late..." he said, and he held Narsha's hands in his own. "But this was a lot of fun." At this point, his eyes were firmly fixed on hers. "Maybe you'd like to keep this going at my place... over some coffee?" Jay was hesitant. It had been a long time since he had been involved with someone, and perhaps he was being too forward, but this was Narsha, and if he felt comfortable being so bold with anyone it was her.

@Jay Park It was almost too much to hope that he would just let it go but in a strange way she liked the way he challenged her. With him it was more than just a game or even a simple conversation. There was always just a little bit more between them. Call it subtext or whatever, it was definitely a substantial base for attraction to him.

"Hey now! Some of those guys can do a real mean barbed wire ring." she replied with a smirk. "Maybe your next tattoo can be one of those and then I will have no choice but to let someone else take over. If I did it the thing would probably end up as flowers. You're lucky Leo didn't turn out as Hello Kitty."

Narsha laughed as he stole her fry and was so focused on trying to protect her remaining tasty potato bits that she had no idea what was going on under the table. Her eyes widened as she felt his foot over hers and she gazed right back at him in momentary shock. Jay Park, the tough private eye upstairs with the tattoos all over his fine muscular body was playing footsie with her. After a few seconds of shock, the schoolgirl joy kicked in and she beamed at him across the table as she played back. Her foot slipped out of her flat smoothly as she returned the sweet gesture, rubbing up against his.

@Narsha When she spoke, Jay couldn't help but feel like there was more to this woman than she was leading on. He felt as though this layer of, for lack of a better word, sass, was a bit of a shield she'd put up between herself and the world. Maybe she was just comfortable, having a way to deflect all the serious stuff, or maybe Jay was just over-thinking it. Still, he remembered how she'd tickled him on the way in and figured that such a transgression could not go unpunished.

"Oh is that why?" The detective scoffed as he tried to stealthily kick off his shoes. "I always figured it was because I was paying for your quality work and because those guys you call your coworkers can't do much more variety than a skull with a snake, or a skull on fire." He let out a chuckle. Jay was trying to get her a bit riled up for this.

"You're the real talent there and you know it." He reached over to steal a fry from out of her hand. This playful mood was getting the better of him, but after the dull and lethargic week he had been having who was Jay Park to say no to letting loose? With his sock-covered foot, he bravely began to caress her tiny feet with his own, all while maintaining eye contact.

@Jay Park Even though she had played if off like it wasn't really anything she had come very close to admitting how she truly felt about him. It was quite a bit more than just an admiration for his body but she couldn't say that out loud. For her it was too soon and for all her bravado she was actually a good deal more vulnerable than she pretended to be and she knew it.

Narsha popped the last bit of her burger into and reached across the table for some ketchup for her friend when he began talking again. She was not at all prepared for his little confession but fortunately she was using her hands at that moment and she could play it off like she was busy to buy time. That didn't mean she wasn't at all affected by it.

Her heart began to race in her chest as she gripped the package and tore a the corner off of it. For a second she thought she was going to squeeze it so hard the red contents would explode all over the place but she had just a little more control than that. Instead she poured it over the ketchup and began mixing it with one of her fries as she tried to wrap her mind around the mutual attraction. That was what he was admitting to, right?

"I am certainly glad it went towards like or we would have some serious trouble with the businesses being so close an all." she replied lightly and ate the fry with a smile as she turned her gaze up to him. "I like keeping you company which is why I always do your tattoos instead of delegating to one of the guys."

@Narsha Jay hid his excitement by taking another bite out of his burger. A technique passed down to men from their fathers since the dawn of man. It was good to know that Narsha at least found him attractive, after all, Jay had put a lot of effort into keeping himself in solid physical shape.

He began to think about the lion tattoo that spanned from his shoulder to down his arm. A work like that took multiple repeat sessions, and from it Jay remembers that he enjoyed the company possibly more than the tattoo itself. It served as a reminder, and when asked about who did the work he was proud to tell admirers that it was their very own local Narsha who did it.

Jay was, for the second time his evening, unsure on how to proceed. At this moment, he had the advantage. Were she a suspect or a criminal this is when Jay would push in to get a confession or to get them to squeal out some info but this... Narsha was neither of this things. She was, to him, a beautiful and delicate blooming rose. The last thing he wanted to do was the keep her on the spot, so he figured the best thing he could do was get on the same level as her.

"I felt the same way you know." Jay put the burger down on the table. "You spend as much time on a chair with the same person for as long as Leo took and you either learn to like them or loathe them." He gave her a very sincere smile, in case there was any lingering doubt in the skilled tattoo artist's mind about which he went with."In my case, I had a beautiful woman to keep me company."

@Jay Park There was a slight arch in her eyebrow as she watched what seemed to be a nonverbal pissing contest between the two males. In a way she almost felt bad for the one behind the counter because she thought for a moment that it was because of what she said. As soon as the mayonnaise was revealed though she dispelled the thought and continued to eat. The woman debated arguing with him that it was simply general competence but thought it would be smoother for them both if she just let it go.

His talk about his instincts caused her to roll her eyes a bit but she did have to admit that he certainly had a way about him that was almost like a sixth sense. Narsha set down her burger and was sipping on her drink when she heard his question and almost choked. The color rose slightly in her cheeks but she hoped her make-up would be enough to cover the reddish tint. In her mind she had two options but she wasn't sure how to play it.

"Since Leo." she replied and glanced at his shoulder where she knew the lion was hiding beneath the layers. "It is hard for anyone who is interested in men to not be attracted to a body like that. Ya know, cavewoman instincts and all that." It was at least partially true in that it was when her appreciation of his physical form started but what she didn't go into was that it had deepened into a solid feeling of affection for the man himself. With any luck he would just take it and not press further because being caught in a one-way crush did not appeal to her at all.

@Narsha Jay turned around to look back at the employee at the cash register. He locked eyes for a second before the kid quickly turned his gaze away, trying to avoid eye contact with the stranger who had been talking down to him just moments prior. The investigator turned back towards Narsha. "You know somehow I don't think he'd mind all that much. Call it a gut feeling." He bit down on his burger before pausing to remove the bun.

Just as he thought. Mayonnaise. "I think he did that on purpose." Jay grabbed the wrapped up utensils and tore them open, grabbing the knife by the handle. He then used it to lightly remove the heavy gobs of mayo from his burger, his contempt for the cashier rising slowly. "See, I knew there was a reason I grabbed this things." He wiped the excess Mayo on Narsha's wrapper. "My instincts rarely lead me astray, you know."

He began to eat his meal slowly, and looked to be deep in thought. Jay swallowed his bite and without looking up from his Royal with cheese he addressed Narsha. "So how long have you had feelings for me?" He tried his best to sound calm, although he could feel his pulse beginning to race. Truth be told, Jay had an affection for Narsha and he hoped she felt similarly enough. Worst case, he could play it off as a bad deduction, so there was that.

@Jay Park The woman was feeling very much in charge of the situation, noticing the way his gaze never left her and how he listened so intently. Of course she guessed and even hoped that it was as more than just a private investigator but she could never be too sure with this male. He wasn't like any man she had ever met which was why she always found her thoughts drifting back to him.

Jay was powerful, smart, and very much his own man which made him incredibly y and appealing to her. There were times in their friendship when she wondered if she truly had control or if he just let her have it from time to time. At the moment though she was fairly certain that she had it, until he did something to turn the tides in his favor. Narsha was just waiting for him to try and get it back.

Narsha was a few bites into her burger when he made his casual attempt, or that was what she thought as she considered his statement. Even though he was smiling it gave nothing away and she wasn't sure if that was all he had. "Sure, I am okay with it." she relied nonchalantly and shrugged her shoulders. "I am pretty sure the poor kid behind the counter wouldn't like it that much. I mean, he is practically my future husband."

@Narsha Jay never once took his eyes off her. More than just his heart rate was beginning to rise as she suddenly broke out into this- this display? this tease? He hung on her every word, even after she had made a terrible joke about fries. Red blooded, full-bodied, she was right on both counts.

Jay noticed that she tossed the wrapped knife and fork back it him but he ignored it. The detective was a man who followed his gut, whose line of work required him to size people up almost immediately. So why after years of knowing this woman did he still find himself seeing her in a new light. Why hadn't he acted on her yet?

While on that train of thought the only expression to form on Jay's face was a smirk, although a small one. He still hadn't turned away from Narsha.

"You know, I get the impression that you yourself wouldn't be terribly against that idea." He looked down for the first time to unwrap his sandwich, and then turned his attention back to her, his smile had grown more noticeable.

@Jay Park It was amusing to her as she watched him come to terms with his most grievous of sins. Her full pouting lips curled into a smile as she set her elbow on the table and leaned her head against her hand. A small light sparkled behind her eyes as she listened to his explanation, the sharp woman not missing a single detail.

"Zoning out, huh?" she asked rhetorically and scooted in closer as if she were about to share her deepest secrets. It didn't even matter to her at that point he could see down her shirt, it was game on. Her voice came out in a whisper, "It's because of me, right? Were you imagining bending me over the counter and pounding me until I screamed," Narsha paused ever so briefly before continuing much louder. "WOULD YOU LIKE FRIES WITH THAT?"

The woman laughed and backed up again, accepting the plastic wrapped utensils only to playfully toss them back. "I am a red-blooded and full-bodied woman. I don't need those for my burger." she reminded him and unwrapped her meal as if nothing at all had passed between them.

@Narsha "What on Earth are yo-" Jay cut himself off as he stared down in front of him to find two sets of plastic wrapped knife and forks. He let out a chuckle. For the first time he was feeling relaxed.

"You know...." he picked his head up to look at her while he talked. He liked to look people in the eye when he spoke to them, and it helped that he someone nice to look at. "I honestly didn't even notice. I was just zoning and then I thought, 'Well, meal time.' and here we are..." he picked up one of the plastic wrapped utensils, carefully, as though it were evidence at the scene of a crime. "Want one?" He presented the small offering towards Narsha.

@Jay Park "Thanks." she replied with a playful wink as he walked over to the drink machine. Her gaze followed him while he filled their cups, laughing softly as she noticed her drink overflow. For a moment she wondered just what was distracting him but decided it probably had something to do with the lack of employ. Dry spells for someone in his career would be somewhat common but she doubted that made it feel any better when he was in the middle of one.

The worker set their burgers and fries on the tray and pushed it towards her shyly across the counter which made her chuckle a bit. Narsha gave him a warm smile as she collected the food and turned to find Jay already picking out the table in the little dining area. Seemed like he was going to be all business after his little issue with the drinks and she was alright with that. There was no need to push the relationship forward more than she already had if he wasn't interested.

Narsha set the tray on the table and took the seat across from him, tilting her slightly to the side as she fixed him with an amused look. "Bon appetit!" she intoned with a laugh as she pushed the burger not marked with a giant 'm' on the wrapper towards him. "I am not sure what you need utensils for though. Are one of those posh types who like to eat a burger with a knife and fork? Please tell me you aren't or I may have to pretend we've never met."

@Narsha Jay let out a chuckle. "Yeah, no problem." He stepped toward the drink machine and closed his eyes for a second as he replayed the way Narsha was teasing the clerk in his head. He couldn't help but appreciate just how fine and toned Narsha's body is. Even after a whole day of working on people's tattoos, she was still a beautiful woman.

Indeed, this was not the first time he had thought such things of the lovely tattoo artist. For each inking session as of late, when Narsha's hands touched his skin to do her needlework, he would relax as he let her do her work. It was comforting, immensely so.

Jay placed the cup on the lemonade fountain and pushed, but as he was lost in thought it spilled over, and he noticed when the lemon washed over his hands. It was time to stop day dreaming.

He placed a lid over the cup and then filled his own. He found a table and placed the drinks along with a handful of utensils and sauces and waited for Narsha to sit down with the food. As he looked around he couldn't help but wonder what conversation they'd have over the meal.

@Jay Park The way the detective reacted to her tickling brought a quick laugh out of her as her eyes widened in pure joy. It was certainly unexpected from the normally fairly gruff male but definitely something she liked very much. Her shoulders were still shaking in silent chuckles as she pulled her hands away and allowed him to right himself. This little run across the street was more becoming more interesting by the minute.

Her lips curled into a smirk as she watched him step up to the counter, the young kid behind it looking like the proverbial deer in the headlights. It was hard to maintain any kind of straight face with the way Jay was messing with him and she had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep from bursting into laughter. "You're so bad." she mumbled and shook her head as she pushed him out of the way with her hip.

"Alright." she said to the worker with a charming smile and placed her hands on the counter, leaning forward just enough to give him a decent view of her cleavage. If Jay could play with him then she saw no reason why she should be left out. Her tongue darted between her lips and then slid slowly across the lower before she pulled it between her teeth. "I will have the same thing but add mayonnaise to mine, if you could."

Narsha slid her gaze up and down the youth slowly as if appraising him, content with the way she noticed him shaking just slightly. He was nervous and she guessed probably a little more but she wouldn't press the matter. She had her fun and saw no reason to torture him. Instead she righted herself and paid for their meals before handing Jay a couple of cups. "Make mine a lemonade please."

@Narsha Before Jay could respond, Narsha was already tickling away at him. At this point Jay could not keep himself together. She had discovered his one weakness, tickling. A boisterous laugh erupted from the Detective as he tried to swat away the girl at his side. "Alright," he managed to get out "enough of that!". Jay was amused. He fixed his coat and tried to regain his posterity while the children giggled away.

He stepped up the counter and sized up the pale kid who would take his order, hoping he hadn't seen his less than impressive display. He figured it was probably the kid's first job and he might even still be in school. Pimply, covered in freckles, and a head of ferociously red hair. Typical, he thought, he couldn't trust him to take a complex order without straining his still developing brain.

"Alright kid, today is your lucky day, I'll keep it simple." Jay looked up the menu "I'll have a double cheeseburger, just cheese, ketchup, and bacon. Nothing else. Simple as that." He looked right at the kid's eyes, Jay's piercing glare bearing down on this poor kid's soul. "Got it?"

He gave Narsha a quick look and flashed her a quick smile, just to show her he was messing with the poor kid for fun.

@Jay Park Her gaze moved back to Jay and furrowed her brow in slight confusion at the look he had on his face. It was almost indescribable but she guessed that it was a good thing if the smirk was any indication. The trouble was she didn't really know what she could have done to get such a reaction and that left her all the more confused.

That was just the beginning though as she almost felt his gaze on her, checking her over. Of course she knew he probably was just trying to make sure she was okay but the simple fact he was concerned with her well-being made her smile. "Why would I yell at a kid for being a kid?" she inquired softly and tilted her head to the side. "It's not like he meant to bump into me and children are supposed to run around and play."

With a smirk of her own she spun him back towards the menu, leaning her head lightly against his shoulder. "So what are you getting? The sooner we order the sooner we can have the deliciously bad food in our tummies." she reminded him cheerfully and began tickling his side just a little bit. "If you don't make up your mind I am just going to have to eat you." Narsha opened wide and mimed that she was going to bite him. "Omnomnomnom!"

@Narsha Jay felt the impact of Narsha's face land against his back and was unsure of what was going on. He recognized however, that he did not push her back, and aside from the spontaneity of the situation, he was rather alright with her leaning on him. He thought he heard her mumble out a 'Wow' but was unsure of what to do with that. Still, once her head was off, he turned around to see what the commotion was.

He smirked as he say the way she messed with the young boy's hair and liked that she was being kind towards him instead of snapping. He didn't think she'd have a reason to but he realized he had never really seen her interact near kids before.

"You could have yelled at that kid, you know?" He said in a very calm voice as he faced her to make sure she was alright. A bit of a smirk broke out, but just a small one. Jay heard Narsha's proposed meal and could feel his stomach rumble. That sounded really tasty, actually, sans the mayo.

@Jay Park The scent of burgers wafted over to her as she stepped inside and watched her friend as he stepped up to the counter. Just like a man to be drawn in by the smell of meat and fried foods but that was part of the charm, or so she thought. Her gaze shifted up to the menu that hung above the counter, glancing at all the lit up pictures and prices of the food they served as she stopped behind him.

A small bump at the back of her legs sent her forward, her face smashing squarely between his shoulder blades. Her nose smashed a bit which made her eyes water but it was worth it to be so close to him. She never noticed just how nice he smelled before and at this distance she couldn't help but to get a whiff. "Wow." she mumbled and chuckled softly as the two young boys began to apologize for running into her.

"It's okay. Just watch where you are going next time sweetie." she cooed and reached down to ruffle the child's hair before sending him off to his grandparents. "As for a meal I was thinking the bacon quarter-pounder with extra mayo."

@Narsha As the two strode into the Mickey D's Jay took in a deep whiff of the aroma. The food here might be crap for you but dammit if it wasn't cheap and tasty. "Smells ...unique." He said in earnest. Jay went over towards the counter to order, assuming Narsha herself couldn't be too far behind. He gazed around, studying the people here. He saw children running around, probably brothers, playing with their little Batman promotional toys.

He saw an older couple around and figured they were probably the grandparents taking their grandkids out for a meal. That was nice, even if the kids weren't really doing much with them. Was that more or less what Narsha was doing to him? He quickly dismissed that thought.

"So what do you usually have at these places anyway?" Said the detective, snapping into his usual inquisitive self, in an attempt to start up a conversation.