36. charlee
THIRTY-SIX
charlee
“Finally, my girl makes it into the shop officially,” Lucas said next to me.
Mazzie strolled up to the counter of Grunt Ink as she did nearly every day. In the three weeks that I had been staying with Lucas, the morning routine was like clockwork. He ran out to Devine Coffee House for coffee and sometimes cinnamon donuts on the weekends as a treat. When he came back, depending on the day, I was already in the shop talking to Mazzie, who was waiting for her coffee. In return, Lucas and Alex used the bar next door as their personal beverage station throughout the day, usually just for a seltzer water but sometimes, if clients were done for the day, something stronger.
The camaraderie between business owners on Main Street in Kitchi Falls was something else. Mazzie and her fiancé had quickly become good friends of ours. But she’d been so busy fully staffing and booking gigs for the bar, working sunup to sundown, the tattoo she’d been talking about had gone on the back burner.
Until today.
It wasn’t the first one I’d designed for Lucas, but I was definitely feeling the pressure with this one.
“Careful,” Mazzie said, “you’ve only got one girl, and she’s right next to you.”
Lucas put his hand in the back pocket of my jeans. He knew how much I loved that.
“When I call Charlee my girl, trust me, she knows the difference,” he said suggestively.
I swatted his hand, love it or not, out of my jeans. “How unprofessional.”
Grabbing her coffee from the counter, Mazzie laughed at our antics. It was a Saturday morning, and Mazzie was the first appointment of the day. Like Gian, she was getting ink as a nod to the Italy trip where they met. But no Medusa for her. Mazzie wanted a wrist tattoo like mine. She couldn’t decide between something Italian or one to commemorate her late father’s bar in Scottsdale, which she had recreated here as Boots and Brews.
“Anyway,” I said. “Let’s take a look and see what you think.”
Lucas had helped me take my designs digital. I spun the iPad toward Mazzie and waited for her reaction.
“Uh, she’s crying,” Lucas said as Mazzie immediately burst into tears. “That doesn’t usually happen when I show clients my designs.”
I swatted his arm again.
“What d’you think?” I asked her after a minute. And after handing her a tissue.
“How did you even know? All of it? I can’t even.”
“Well,” I said. “Your dad’s bar logo wasn’t hard to find. And I talked to Gian to find out what we could use from Italy that would make you think of the trip but specifically him too. He said something about buying you lemon soap on your first date and since lemons and Sicily go hand in hand, ta da.”
“It's so perfect. I honestly could not have come up with this on my own.”
Smiling, I looked up at Lucas. He was clearly proud of my work, as was I. This was exactly the purpose of this form of art, including the designs people chose to put permanently on their bodies in the form of tattoos. If it made you smile or cry in remembrance or feel any sort of emotion, then design was doing its job.
“I’m so glad you like it,” I said sincerely.
“How’s the size?” Lucas asked. “We’ll print and position it, and you can always change your mind from there. But looking at it now?”
“Looks great,” Mazzie said.
“Alright. Come on over.”
I watched as he prepped her just as the door of the shop opened. “Hey, Gian.”
“Morning, Charlee. Did they start yet?”
“Nope, not yet.”
“Gian,” Mazzie called from the tattoo chair. “Wait until you see the design.”
A half hour later, Lucas was ten minutes into Mazzie’s tattoo when Gian asked if he could talk to me. “We won’t bore you two with work stuff,” he said to Lucas and Mazzie, and we made our way to the front of the shop.
“Work stuff?” I asked as we sat in the front room with our coffees. The shop was empty since it was technically before opening hours.
“I’ve been thinking a bit about how Lucas and I can help each other. I know he’s not wanted to sink a lot into advertising yet and hasn’t needed it, but eventually he will.”
“I think he knows that. I agree, the initial curiosity will even out, and getting tourists in here will be key.”
“Exactly. Of course, I’m happy to advise him in an unofficial capacity, but at some point he’ll want to put some budget behind it and be strategic.”
Since Gian owned his own marketing firm, he knew as well as anyone about the topic.
“Why not talk to him though?” I wondered.
“Because my thoughts were, I take Lucas on as a client for free. He would only pay the cost of any ads. In exchange, I ask for facetime with your dad to pitch my services.”
“Gian,” I said. “You don’t need to do that. I wish I even knew you were looking for new clients. I’d have introduced you to my father long ago.”
“I’ve decided to stay local, only promote businesses I have a vested interest in. Even if it hurts the bottom line a bit.”
“I think that’s great. But still, I can set up a meeting anytime.”
“Perfect,” he said. “But I insist on taking Lucas on pro bono for the opportunity.”
Who was I to look a gift horse in the mouth on Lucas’s behalf?
“Whatever you say. I do think it’s pretty awesome that you’re staying true to yourself. I know you could go after some heavy hitters if you wanted.”
“I used to. Sell my soul to promote businesses I couldn’t give a shit about. But. . .” He shrugged. “It’s just not fulfilling. If I can’t craft the day-to-day life that I want, what’s the point of being my own boss?”
Something about that. . .spoke to me.
“Craft the day-to-day life that you want,” I repeated. “That’s an interesting way to look at it.”
“Italy helped,” he said. “It was easy over there to figure out what the important things are. Namely, having time for family and friends and Mazzie. Otherwise, what’s the point?”
What’s the point indeed?
I said I was proud of him for being true to himself. And yet. . .
Craft the day-to-day life that you want.
“I don’t want to live in the office like my father,” I blurted.
Gian was clearly confused. “Come again?”
“He offered me a promotion,” I said. “The VP of Lakeside Properties is retiring.”
“Oh wow, that’s awesome. Congratulations—” Before he finished his sentence, Gian changed course as he looked at me. “No congratulations?”
“I didn’t accept. Honestly, I haven’t been sure what to do. It’s a lot of money. Like, life-changing money. And with just me and my sister, if I don’t take over, the business won’t stay in the family. At least, not at the ownership level.”
“I sense a ‘but’?”
“A big but. Which you helped me with just now. How do I want to spend my days? Not living in an office like my father. Right now, managing one property, it’s enough. I still have a life. Can be here, help Lucas with the designs—”
“Which you’re clearly talented at. Mazzie’s over the moon with hers. You did good, Charlee.”
“Thanks,” I said, my wheels still turning. It was such a simple answer. How did I want to spend my days? “I can’t believe how easy of a decision this was in the end.”
“Was? As in, you’ve decided. Like right here and now?”
It felt as if I could breathe again, fully, for the first time in weeks. “Yes. I’ve decided. Thank you, Gian.”
Standing, I made my way back to Lucas and Mazzie.
“What is it?” Lucas asked when he saw me.
“Gian,” Mazzie said from the chair, “what did you do to poor Charlee?”
“Nothing,” he insisted.
“Everything,” I corrected. “He just helped me figure some things out.” I looked at Lucas. “I don’t want to be VP. Or president. I like what I do now. I like helping you here. That’s how I want to spend my days.”
Lucas’s smile meant everything. “I knew that’s what you’d decide.”
“You did? Maybe you could have told me.”
He resumed the session. “Wasn’t my decision,” he said.
Since Mazzie was completely confused, I filled her in. Not long after, her new wrist tattoo, similar in size to mine, was all done and wrapped.
When they left, I ran right to Lucas’s arms. He held me, saying nothing, for a long time. No words were needed. I’d just steered the oars on the boat that was my life in a new direction. I’d been heading toward taking the job but wasn’t even considering it now. This was what I wanted. Right here.
I pulled back, looked into Lucas’s eyes. Or tried to. His focus was completely on my breasts.
“I’m here making life-altering decisions, and you’re thinking about sex.”
“Mmm, I am,” he admitted. “It feels like a fitting way to celebrate. We don’t open for another twenty minutes.”
I was about to tell him we didn’t have a lot of time when Lucas swatted my ass hard enough to elicit an “Ooohhh” from me. “Guess I’m awake now.”
“Oh yeah? Tell me.”
“I’m awake. And wet. And ready for you.”
Unbelievably, it was true. Three seconds ago I wasn’t even thinking about sex. “The things you do to me.”
“Fair play,” he said with such a look on his face. . .
“Oh boy,” I said. “What is it? What do you want?”
Lucas’s smile was both slow and seductive. “You know what I want, Charlee. I want everything .”
“Perfect,” I said, my hands tightening around his shoulders. “That’s exactly what I’m prepared to give you.”