Stoya

“~2006

I had a triangle shaved into my hairline, at the base of my skull.

I spent the day posing for naked pictures, for a now defunct alt-porn site [RAZORDOLLS dot com] that was owned by a tattoo artist.

The photographer drove me to Long Beach, to the owner’s tattoo shop, to get paid.

In cash.

Less than an hour till closing, the shop was empty.

Still, it was bad form to close before posted business hours.

I walked around thinking the place was like a cross between a dentists office and a drawing class.

Smelled the antiseptic.

The owner opened his register and counted out bills. At the end of the stack, he looked up and said:

Hey can you wait around for a bit until the shop closes?

I’m $40 short but there’s an ATM a few blocks over.

I shrugged, felt an impulse, asked:

What does a silly little tattoo cost?

~40$

Tattoo me instead.

I want a power button.

Blue like my myspace background.

(I know)

He looked ready to talk me out of it.

I explained:

Why not?

The back of my head, conveniently, is shaved. Presumably if I regretted having a tattoo later, I would not be shaving parts of my head anymore.

Problem solved.

So he did it.”