Chapter 11
Chapter 11
Leif
T oday was all about skulls and roses. I grinned as I worked on the final shading on the current skull with the rose crown.
“How is it looking?” Christy asked, and I kept silent, my focus on my work, not answering.
“You know he’s not going to answer you. Not when you’re nearing the end. You’re just going to have to wait and be surprised,” Nick said from his station.
Christy let out a breath but kept perfectly still, like she had been the entire session.
She was a trooper, didn’t complain about pain, didn’t bleed, and as this was her fourth tattoo with me, she knew the ins and outs of aftercare and actually listened to my instructions.
By the time I was finished and had washed off excess ink and plasma, I knew Christy was champing at the bit to get a look.
“Okay, are you ready?” I asked.
She smiled up at me. “I’ve been ready since you took away the mirror and didn’t let me watch the progress anymore. You’re a mean one, Leif Montgomery.”
“I really am. The meanest. Now, take a look and tell me what you think.”
My stomach twisted at that thought, waiting to see her reaction. We had gone over the sketch and incorporated the designs from her childhood. Each flower, whether blooming or wilted, was significant to her in the memories she had chosen to ink on her skin. This one piece was a small part of the growing art on her thigh. We wanted it to look like a forest that the viewer would travel through and find parts of her.
Her heart, her memories, her past, and her future.
This was the art that I loved to do most. Yes, I painted, molded clay, sketched with charcoal, among other things, and I sold what I could, and I enjoyed it.
Working with somebody else to create something that was a permanent fixture on their bodies meant something special to me. Something that couldn’t be replicated on paper because the person wearing it added their own layer of…magic.
“Leif…” She let out a breath. “It looks so real. Like it’s 3D and coming out of my skin. I cannot believe this is what we worked on. It’s even better than I could’ve imagined. And I know your work, so I was already imagining perfection.”
Christy, the woman who didn’t cry, didn’t show any emotion when it came to the pain of getting a tattoo, choked up as she spoke, and I swallowed hard.
“Glad to see it meets your approval,” I said with a wink, trying to cut the tension. Christy wouldn’t like anyone else knowing she cried like a human being. She liked to be stoic, sarcastic, a little bitter. She showed the world what she wanted them to see. So I was going to do my best to make sure the world saw that.
Even if it made me grin and fill with pride at the thought that she had broken just a little bit of that shell of hers because of my work.
“It more than meets my approval. It’s utterly fantastic. Seriously. Thank you. I cannot wait to see what it looks like when I’m not so swollen, and it’s healed. Now I’m thinking about the next piece we’re going to do.” She grinned up at me as I shook my head, smiling back at her.
“We can get you on the schedule. But let’s make sure this heals first.”
She rolled her eyes as she sat back down on my bench and I finished cleaning her up and setting her up with the Saniderm. Technology had changed a lot in the last few years, and with this and the special creams that we had, it would heal quickly.
My dad still marveled at how things had changed since he had started in this business; considering how much had changed in the years I had been doing it, I could only imagine.
“You have a lifetime canvas with me,” Christy said with a laugh. “Of course, at one point we may run out of skin, so I’m just going to have to bring in friends.”
“Bring in as many as you can,” Nick said. “You know us, we’re just trying to make a living here. We don’t want to end up doing tattoos on the street in exchange for bread.” He winked as he said it, and though Christy laughed, sometimes I was still afraid that’s what we would end up doing.
We still had a full roster, with some time for walk-ins, but we were still new. We had made it past the first year with all the issues that had crept up, but unless we were here for at least three years, I didn’t think I would ever be completely comfortable.
Of course, if you asked Nick or anyone on my team, they would tell me I would never relax fully when it came to comparing this place to the other two locations.
I needed to make my family proud.
I couldn’t be the one to screw it all up.
We booked Christy for six months out, and as she left, she waved and said that she would actually be back sooner, with a friend.
I relaxed, letting out a breath as Leo walked in, a brow raised.
“Why do you look as if you want to throw up?” he asked as Nick chuckled under his breath.
“I’m glad you’re the one who said it instead of me.”
“I’m fine,” I said, knowing I was lying. I went to clean up my station as Nick worked on the large bodybuilder next to me.
“What’s up?” Leo asked, setting his sketchpad in his own station.
“Just thinking of worst-case scenarios. You know me,” I said as casually as possible.
“You know, as a business owner myself, it’s our job to think about worst-case scenarios, but I hope you do know how to relax.”
I looked over at our other client, a large man not even looking up at us. Considering Nick was doing a piece on his back, it made sense.
“See, listen to Freddie here. He has owned his lawn and sprinkler maintenance company for twenty years. He knows what he’s doing.”
“Oh yeah?” I asked, honestly interested.
“Hell yeah. I’ve even worked with your family before,” Freddie added as he turned his head slightly without moving the rest of his body, so that way he didn’t screw up the tattoo. “You Montgomerys have great businesses, so it’s all in the blood when it comes to you. I like it. Whenever they need extra help with sprinkler systems, they call my company. Your family does more of the planting and growing and designing, so I like it when they call on my business. Keeps everything local, and somewhat small, even though you guys are practically a corporation at this point.”
I snorted, shaking my head. “Small world.”
“Not when it comes to the Montgomerys,” Nick grumbled, and I had to wonder what that was about. Because there was something there I couldn’t quite figure out, only I wasn’t about to grill my best friend in front of Leo and Freddie.
“It is true, I’m constantly bumping into one of you guys,” Leo teased.
I narrowed my gaze at the other man. I liked him; he was a hard worker, a brilliant artist, and was just out of apprenticeship. “We’re not that bad.”
“Yes, you are. But you’re good people, and you take care of those who work with you,” Freddie said.
“We try,” I said, looking over at Leo who shrugged.
Freddie leaned forward. “I’m taken care of, and if you’re anything like your old man, you will take care of me in this business for decades.”
“That’s what I like to hear.” Leo winked, then went back to his work as if he hadn’t put more pressure on my shoulders. No, that wasn’t his fault. I was the one putting pressure on my own shoulders, and I had to get used to that. I had to stop comparing myself to my father.
It just wasn’t easy when my dad was the best guy I knew, and damn good at his job. I didn’t want to be the one who tarnished the family name by getting their business shut down for not being able to pay the bills. Not that we were anywhere close to that, but those worst-case scenarios wouldn’t go away in my head. No matter how hard I tried. And no matter how hard Nick tried to get me out of my own head.
A few more clients walked in, as did the rest of our team, and I went back to work on a few drawings. By the end of the day, I’d done two small tattoo walk-ins and prepped for my bigger project the next day. I purposely left my afternoon off to work on business things with Lake if she came in, and for any walk-ins and future drawings.
After lunch I took some charcoal to canvas, let out my feelings, just trying to see what came to mind. I would sell it to a local gallery if I felt it was worth it, so that way today didn’t end up completely useless.
What the hell was wrong with me? I did good work, had made three clients very happy, and had consulted with my team on numerous projects.
I wasn’t wasting my day just because I wasn’t bent over a table, working until my eyes bled. I was tired of sounding whiny, so I wasn’t going to be. I was better than that.
Damn it.
My phone buzzed. I looked down at it, hoping it was Brooke, but I knew it wasn’t going to be her. She said she was in meetings all day, and then was going to try to rush home so she could spend time with her son. She told me point-blank that fitting a relationship into her life right now wasn’t going to work, yet we were still kind of trying. Maybe I need to try harder. I brought cupcakes for her, but that wasn’t enough. She had more on her plate than anyone I knew, so I needed to do more.
Only I wasn’t quite sure how to do that.
One minute I was worried about work, now suddenly I was trying to woo and help a single mom. That wasn’t exactly what I thought I’d be doing with my day, and yet I didn’t want anything else.
My phone buzzed again, and I frowned, not recognizing the number.
Most of my team had left, Leo out front working on a sketch with Nick.
I picked up the phone, answering it even though I usually let unknown numbers go to voicemail.
“Hello.”
“Boy. Good to hear that voice.”
Chills skittered up my spine and I froze, that familiar voice slamming into me like a thousand shards of pain and memory that would never fade away.
“Roger.”
Nick’s head shot up at that. He set his notebook next to Leo, leaving the other man behind. Nick hovered over me; his arms folded over his chest as he glared at the phone.
I ignored him, as well as Leo’s curious stare. I tried my best not to sound like an asshole. If I reacted in any way other than nonchalance, Roger would win. It had been that way when I was a kid, and nothing had changed since the other man had gotten out of prison. Not with the way Roger had sneered the word boy .
“You should call me dad. You know I like it when you call me dad.”
I held back my revulsion as Nick took the phone out of my hand and set it on speaker. He gestured toward Leo, who gave us a look and went back to the office, closing the door and giving us a semblance of privacy.
I had a good team, and I was grateful. Right then I just wanted to hang up the phone and be alone.
“I hear you’re out of prison. Not quite sure why you’re calling me.”
“I just wanted to say hi. It’s been a long time, Leif.”
Not long enough.
“Well, you did that. Goodbye, Roger.”
“Don’t hang up on me. You’re not going to like it.”
I hung up on him, knowing the other man had no power over me. He might have when I was a kid, but I was an adult now, and Roger had nothing to do with me.
He was my past and was no part of my present or future.
Then why did just the sound of his voice bring me back to his beatings, to the way that he would grip my shoulder, and force me to listen as he told me how worthless I was?
“He sounds like an asshole,” Nick said casually, though there was nothing casual about his voice.
“He is. I don’t know what he wants, but I’m pretty sure that threat performance was from him.”
Nick nodded, his gaze going dark. “That note? Figured as much. You talk to your parents about it?”
I shook my head. “Roger has nothing to do with them. I don’t want to worry them.”
Nick met my gaze and narrowed his eyes. “You’re keeping secrets. It’s going to bite you in the ass.”
“Maybe. But the other man can’t do anything to me. And all he has done so far is call. And maybe sent that note. Hell, I just don’t want my parents to worry.”
“I think you’re making a mistake, but it’s yours to make. I’m here if you need me. Okay?”
Bile rose in my throat, but I nodded tightly as my best friend patted my shoulder in a way that reminded me of Roger. I quickly squashed that thought. I’d been hugged, touched, and roughed around before. I hadn’t thought of Roger then. My real father had never hurt me, never laid a hand on me in anger. I even played football and soccer in high school and dealt with it easily.
I wouldn’t flinch away when my best friend touched me in comfort.
Leo walked out then, looking between us. “The door isn’t that thick, so I heard most of that, I’m sorry. I wanted to blast music or something because then you’d know I know.”
I cursed under my breath. “My stepdad’s out of prison. Or I should just call him my birth mom’s boyfriend. Technically, she never married him.”
“I’m sorry. Is there anything we can do?” Leo asked.
I shook my head. “Just ignore him. He has my phone number for some reason, and while that worries me, and I think he has the address to this place, he’s an old man now. He can’t hurt us.” I didn’t know if I was saying that more for them or myself. Probably both. “It’s probably a good idea to make sure that we keep the place locked-up tight, make sure the security is on.”
“We always do but will be doubly sure. You should tell your parents,” Nick said again.
I sighed. “I don’t want to bother them.”
Leo looked between us but didn’t say anything. Instead, we went back to work, and after a few moments of pretending to go back to the charcoal, I picked up my phone. I wondered if I was making mistake.
Me:
How did the day go?
Brooke:
Long, I’m glad I’m home. How are you?
I almost told her everything. Right then and there, I almost texted it all to her. She did not need that on her shoulders. She didn’t need anything else on her plate.
Me:
I got to play with art and met some interesting people. So, I guess it’s a good day.
Brooke:
You have to show me some of your pieces. That way I can gear up if I’m ever ready for a tattoo.
The thought of being the one to put art on her skin made me swallow hard. I wanted to be the one to do that, nobody else. Maybe that made me a territorial jerk, but I was what I was.
Me:
You say the word and I’m there.
Brooke:
I would never trust anyone else.
My heart thumped loudly, those words doing more to me than I ever thought possible.
Me:
What do you say to dinner tomorrow?
Brooke:
I say yes. I think I need it.
She was so quick to say that, so I knew it was true. I bit my lip and quickly made plans with her, wondering if I was making mistake.
Then again, I couldn’t be. Not when it came to Brooke. Because I had made the mistake earlier, I wasn’t going to do it again.
Despite my own misgivings, my own issues, I was falling for Brooke.
Too hard. Too fast.
And yet I couldn’t slow down.
Not again.
Not with Brooke.