The very next morning on the other side of the country in the suburbs of Trenton, New Jersey, 20-year-old Natalie Foster was on her way to work when she decided to drop by Starbucks for a cup of coffee.
“Hey Karine,” she said stepping in front of the register.
“Hi Nat! How’ve you been?” Karine was her good friend, someone she hung out with regularly.
“Good, good. How about you?” The costumers behind her began mumbling at how she chose now to start striking up a conversation.
“I’ve been okay. What can I get for you?”
“Three grande vanilla lattés, two tall caramel macchiatos, and a caramel frap for me,” she said, ordering a few drinks for the guys back at the shop.
“Okay… $18.32 is you total,” Karine said as she marked down the cups and took the money. “Can I get your name?”
Natalie rolled her eyes. “You know my name.”
“Okay so these are all for you, Miss Cranky Bitch in Tight Ass Jeans That Make Me Wonder Who You’re Trying to Impress.”
“Shut up! I’m not impressing anyone. I’m on my way to work and that is it,” she protested.
“Yeah, and so are we. Can you get a move on it?” an angry woman said behind.
Natalie uttered an apology and watched in amusement as Karine began purposefully marking down extra shots of this and that in the woman’s drink. When her name was called, she grabbed her trays full of drinks and waved to Karine, signaling to give her a call sometime.
After a few more minutes of walking, she finally arrived at her destination. Bruce’s Tattoo Parlor.
Pushing the door open, everyone turned their heads toward her at the sound of the bell jingling.
“Good morning guys,” she greeted. “I bought everyone drinks. Hey Chuck, hi Della.”
“Hey kiddo,” Chuck, a chubby red-haired man with a bushy beard, called back.
Della, the only other female employee, was setting up her inking tools. “Hi sweetie. Judd’s in the back if you’re looking for him. He doesn’t sound too happy.”
Natalie threw off her coat, and proceeded to the back room. Inside the office, she found him staring at stacks of papers sprawled across his desk, as if he were trying to figure out how they got there.
“What’s up big guy,” she said, wrapping her arms around his large shoulders. “I got you some coffee. You okay?”
For a moment, he said nothing nor did he look at her. “There’s some problems here I’m trying to figure out.”
“Problems? What problems? They’re not trying to get us to close down again are they?”
“I’m not sure. I’m afraid though if we don’t come up with the money for all these bills… I just don’t see how we can stay open.”
She could hear the worry in his voice. She felt it too.
“Well I’m sure we’ll find a way,” she offered. “You’ll see. C’mon, people should be coming by soon.”
Dragging him out of the seat, she brought him to the front where everyone usually chatted before people would come filing in.
“Fifty bucks says he’d do it,” Joe said, sipping on his latté. He was in his late twenties, with scrawny limbs and pale skin like chalk. He was covered in tattoos to his neck.
“Who would do what?” Judd asked.
“That crazy kid, Jeremy Waller. The guy is obsessed with ‘Jackass’ and word is he’s gonna pierce his nuts together,” Kipp, a clean-cut tall blonde, informed.
“That is so sick,” Natalie groaned. “Why on earth would you wanna do that? And can someone turn on the radio; it’s too quiet in here.”
Della moved to the stereo which sat next to a pile of empty pizza boxes.
Kipp and Joe began laughing as Nsync’s “Girlfriend” came through the speakers.
“This song is pathetic,” Kipp said. He got up and started dancing, mocking the boys.
“As if they even have trouble getting girlfriends,” Joe added.
“Well, then I guess they’re not the only ones,” Natalie spat back.
“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” Kipp demanded.
She shrugged them off, and leaned against the counter. “Let’s just say I know a couple of us in this room need help when it comes to the love department.”
“Who are you to talk?” Joe questioned, pointing his finger in her face. “I haven’t seen you with anyone since… hmm, let’s see… Oh, there was that one football dude. That didn’t last very long. Maybe he found someone who could make a touchdown in bed,” he laughed at his own joke.
Natalie stared intently in Joe’s eyes, daring him to continue. He rose to her challenge.
“What’s wrong, Nat? Nobody good enough for you? Nobody willing to walk over broken glass for you anymore? Have you finally realized that maybe the reason why guys treat you like shit is because you treat them the same? Or maybe they all heard that rumor going around that you fuck every guy you know“”
In one swift movement Natalie threw a hard punch at Joe’s cheek, the sound of broken bones splitting through the room.
“You God damn bitch!” he cried, rubbing his jaw in pain.
She grabbed her hot coffee, the burning liquid drenching him all over. She stormed off to the back room and slammed the door.
The tip of her high-heeled boots forcefully met the refrigerator in frustration. Grabbing fistfuls of her hair, she collapsed on the purple sofa. Her tears were ready to spill over until Judd came in knocking.
“Hey pumpkin,” he said, closing the door and leaning against it. “Big scene out there.”
She folded her arms and took a long breath. “I didn’t mean to. It’s just… he doesn’t even know me. I don’t even know me.”
He took this as he cue to sit beside her. “Sure you do,” he said, rubbing the sides of her arms. “Just by thinking you don’t know yourself, shows that you do.”
“That doesn’t make any sense, Judd.”
“I know. I’m just trying to cheer you up,” he admitted. “Is this about your family, Nat?” he asked.
Natalie was born when her mother was just seventeen years old. Unlike most children, Natalie was born as the result of her father’s love affair in his marriage at the time. Her father’s wife never found out about the incident but that didn’t stop the rumors from floating around.
Eventually, her mother grew sick and tired of feeling neglected of love and attention, so she confronted Natalie’s father about being there for their child and taking care of her. But, when his wife found out she was furious, and in the three months that followed, Natalie’s parents suddenly went missing. Natalie was just six months old. She was put into foster care until eighteen, hoping that maybe one day her parents would appear again.
When she did finally turn eighteen, she was homeless and alone, with nowhere to go. Until one day, she had met Judd at a liquor store. She noticed all his tattoos and asked where he got them.
“Bruce’s Tattoo Parlor. Why? You thinkin’ of getting’ some tats?” He had said, looking over her bare arms.
“I guess. It sounds like fun, but I’d rather be the artist, than the canvass.”
“Well, I work there. There’s a job opening if you’re interested. Are you eighteen or older?”
She nodded and he handed her a business card.
The following week, she rode the bus across town to interview for the job. Judd instantly liked her, and wanted to hire her. But there was one problem he noticed. She had no home.
He remembered as she bowed her head in embarrassment, with her fingers shaking in her lap. He felt sorry for her, and in the kindness of his heart, he took her in. From then on, Natalie moved in with Judd and the two became close. Though he was old enough to be her father, or grandfather for that matter, he had the spirit of someone much younger and became the only real family figure in her life.
Coming back to reality, she listened as he repeated his question.
“Is this about your family?”
She pursed her lips. “I’m not sure. I know they play a big part of it but… I don’t know. I don’t wanna talk about it.”
Judd nodded understandingly.
“Is he going to the hospital?”
“Who, Joe?” He looked to her. “Mm hmm.”
“Good.”
Judd chuckled. “Quite the brawler, you are. Yup, I got a tough one.”
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