Chapter Twelve
Meredith
Ithought about puppies and balloons and lattes, but I also thought about what Luke said. We only had so many artists and so many hours. What was the point in getting a thousand customers if we could only tattoo a small percentage of them?
How much of a circus could we create before the integrity of the work felt like it was in question?
I knew the world of the Huxleys, where people didn’t always mean what they said. Where beautiful suits and dresses could hide the ugliest souls. I’d seen that in the way the Huxleys cared more about how things looked than their daughters’ happiness.
I was done with smoke and mirrors. This shop was going to show exactly who it was.
I straightened my top and stood. I had gone for a rocker-style t-shirt and dark-wash jeans. I walked over to Dane. “How’s it going?”
He smiled. “I’ve offered every customer who has come to pay ten percent off if they leave a review and show me the confirmation screen. So far, no one has turned me down.”
I nodded slowly. “So the point of this event was to raise money for charity and get reviews and so far we…”
“Are doing both.” He smiled again, then nodded to a customer behind me.
I stepped to the side. No wonder Roxy loved him so much. He was so level-headed and calm. Which was exactly what I was supposed to be in this role. I’d have to ask him if there was something in his tea besides honey.
I drew in a breath. Fuck the circus. Fuck the crazy tricks and fuck The Tat Shack. We were going to show every person who walked through the door what Think Ink was all about and earn those five-star reviews.
I shifted my focus to talking to the people who came in, offering them snacks and trying to give them a positive experience. I explained where the money was going, showed off the Wall of Shame, and helped people pick which tattoo they wanted.
The day went by quickly, and I was cautiously optimistic that we had achieved our goal.
“That’s it. That’s the last customer,” I said, closing the door and locking it. It was almost eight thirty now, but we had accepted anyone who came until eight.
Roxy stood and stretched her back. One corner of her usually sharp eyeliner was smudged, and she looked exhausted. “I think we might have just pulled this off. I was worried after those Tat Shack fucks tried to piggyback off our event.”
“Yeah, that was good thinking, Meredith. We could have had a whole zoo out front, but to just focus on the customers we got and make sure they left reviews was the best way to go.”
I beamed. I had considered a zoo idea, or music, or strippers.
Hell, I had even thought of asking Rosalind to come down and sign autographs.
We had shown we were the classier shop. We’d had a reasonable number of clients, we’d treated them well, done great tattoos and gotten more reviews.
Dane said he thought we’d have close to a hundred more reviews from today but they usually take a few days to show up on the search engine.
There was nothing to do now but wait.
“You guys are the MVPs. Go home. I’ll get this sorted out,” I said.
“We can help,” Roxy offered, but her eyes were closed and she was resting her head on Dane’s shoulder.
I laughed. “I’m only going to do the basics. We can get the rest sorted out on Monday. I swear I’ll be out of here in twenty minutes.”
That seemed to assuage everyone’s guilt, and the artists all started for the staff exit.
“Love you guys,” Roxy said with a yawn. Then they were gone.
I scanned my eyes over the room, taking stock of what I had to do. It wasn’t much. Clean up the leftover food. Take the garbage to the dumpster. Put the extra tables and chairs away.
“You did good today.”
I jumped and turned. “Jesus, Luke! I thought everyone was gone.”
“Sorry, I couldn’t leave.” He leaned against the wall at the end of the lobby.
I sighed. “There isn’t much to do. I can handle it.”
“I know you can, but we need to talk and it can’t wait.” He took a breath. “I know what we said the other morning. This place is important to both of us for different reasons. You want to remain focused and professional so you can prove yourself. I want that for you, too.”
I nodded.
“Here’s the thing, though. I know we can do our jobs even while distracted by each other. I know that because I tattooed for twelve hours today despite being aware of every fucking move you made.”
That was one hell of a confession.
I blinked at him for a moment, not sure what to say. The practical concerns were all there. I was here to save this shop and build my resume. That could all be in jeopardy if I gave in to what my body was screaming for.
Today, I had put aside the optics and focused on what really mattered. Not potential customers but the ones standing right in front of me. Could I put aside the potential for another career blunder, not to mention potential heartbreak, and focus on the real man standing in front of me?
I started moving towards him without even realizing it until my arms were around his waist. “I don’t know if—”
“You don’t need to know. Not for sure. Not yet. You just have to feel it’s worth trying.”
I nodded, emotion burning the back of my eyes. Whether from his words or the long day, I wasn’t sure. All I knew was I needed to kiss him, right here, right now.