15. Chapter 15
Chapter 15
Avery
There was never any real choice about whether I was going to accept Corbin’s terms. It’s not exactly what I’d hoped for when I went looking for an apprenticeship, but it’s better than some alternatives. Besides, he could have said no. So, on Tuesday morning, I make my way to the shop at 10am, ready for my first day of work with the signed contract in my hand.
I hadn’t lied to Corbin. There was no way I was going to back out once he offered me the opportunity to be his apprentice. But I’d done as he said and read every word of the simple contract. It’s direct and held no surprises, but I’m a product of my upbringing. There’s no way I’m going to sign something without reading the fine print. Not that there’s any fine print. The contract states exactly what Corbin told me.
I’ll spend three months working in the shop and learning as much as possible about the business. After that three-month trial period, Corbin will evaluate me and decide whether to continue my training as a tattoo artist. There’s also a list of expected duties, the shop’s hours, and the rules for employees. I read over those a few times. Most of them are standard, but there is one that catches my eye.
Romantic relationships amongst staff are strictly prohibited.
It’s not like I was hoping for something to happen between me and Corbin. That would be ridiculous. Besides, we already established that we’re going to keep things strictly professional from here on out. He and I couldn’t be more opposite if we tried. In any case, I wouldn’t call whatever happened between us at the club romantic. It had been physical, sure. But it wasn’t romantic. Though I doubt Corbin would care about the distinction. I get the feeling he doesn’t like complications of any kind. And relationships can be complicated, even if they’re just physical .
But trust Corbin to put it in writing. I wonder if Jessie and Noah had to sign similar contracts stating there wouldn’t be any romance in the workplace. Judging from the little I know about Corbin, I wouldn’t doubt it. Speaking of Jessie and Noah, they’re both already at Elemental Ink when I arrive on Tuesday morning.
I do my best to hide the fact that I’m nervous as I walk into the shop, contract in hand. Jessie’s smile is friendly and welcoming when she sees me. She’s organizing various things at one of the work stations, but she stops and walks over to greet me. I take a second to look her over as she approaches. She’s taller than I am, and curvier. She’s pretty, with warm, brown skin and high cheekbones. Her long, dark hair is in braids down her back, and I can see a few bright blue and purple pieces mixed in with the darker strands. There’s a tiny silver stud in her right nostril that seems to suit her. She’s also got multiple hoops in each earlobe. As the shop’s piercer, I guess it makes sense she’d have piercings. She’s wearing a cropped tank that shows off a sliver of skin above the waistband of her jeans and I can see several tattoos on her bare arms. She’s pretty, and her smile seems genuine as she walks toward me.
“Avery, right?” she asks, holding out a hand.
Nodding, I reach out to shake her hand. “Right. And you’re Jessie.”
She smiles again. “Yep. I do all the piercings. Plus, anything Corbin forgets to do around here.” She says it with a little laugh like it’s an inside joke .
I glance over at her, questioning. “Does he forget a lot of things?”
She shakes her head. “Nah. Not really. But a lot goes into keeping this place running smoothly. I like to help if I can. Having you around should help with that. He told me you’re going to start off as a kind of assistant before moving up to apprentice. That’s awesome.”
I nod. “That’s the plan. I want to learn as much as I can and help where I’m needed.”
Jessie walks me toward the back of the shop as we talk. Gesturing toward Noah, she says, “That’s Noah. The other tattoo artist here. Noah, this is Avery.”
Noah looks up from where he’s working and smiles at me. His dusty brown hair is pulled back into a bun and his blue eyes are bright in his tanned face. He’s tall and wiry, his arms and hands covered in ink that spreads up his neck.
“Nice to meet you,” he says with a wave.
“You, too,” I say, returning the smile.
“Come on,” Jessie says. “I’ll show you where you can put your bag and where the bathroom is. You know, the important things.”
“Thanks,” I say, smiling at the other woman. I know we just met but I think I’m going to like Jessie.
“Corbin should be here soon,” she says, leading me through a door in the back of the shop.
I nod, willing myself not to react to the mention of his name. Even though I had been wondering where he was. Hadn’t he told me to be here at 11am? I’d assumed he’d be here already.
As if reading my mind, Jessie says, “He’s usually here by now, but he had something to do this morning, I guess.”
She leads me through a door and into a small room with a round table in the center. A counter runs along one wall, complete with a microwave. In the corner, there’s a refrigerator. The back wall holds a row of shelves.
“This is the break room, I guess,” Jessie says. “Not that we really need one with just three of us here. Well, four now, I guess.” She gestures at me with another smile. “But it’s nice to have a place to grab a snack away from the clients.”
I nod.
“You can put your bag on that back shelf if you want,” she says. “Only the three of us come back here. It’s safe.”
I nod again, walking toward the shelf in question.
“We order out for lunch a lot. But if you bring your lunch, you can store it in the fridge,” she says. She turns back toward the door we came through. “Come on. I’ll show you where the bathroom is. Then our tour will be complete.”
I follow her without a word, taking in every detail of the shop as we pass. This is the first time I’ve been here without Corbin’s presence to distract me. I don’t know what it is about him that seems to swallow up all my focus when he’s around, but I know I need to figure out how to neutralize it if I’m going to learn anything during this apprenticeship. So now, I take whatever remaining time I have before he arrives to look around the shop.
It’s a nice place. It’s not a large building, but the space is utilized well. The walls are white, and the ceilings are high, making the space appear larger than it is. There are a few framed prints on the walls, but overall, there’s minimal clutter in the shop. It makes sense. Corbin seems like the type of man who’d prefer to keep his workspace tidy and free of distractions.
Corbin arrives not long after Jessie finishes giving me the tour. I do my best to hide my nerves as he walks in. He's just as imposing as he'd been yesterday when it had just been the two of us here. He's also just as sexy. So much for hoping I'd suddenly be immune to him.
"Morning," he mumbles, waving a hand as he walks through the studio.
I tell myself not to do it, but my eyes follow his movements until he walks into his office and closes the door behind him. I'm not bothered by the lack of a proper greeting. I'm also not disappointed by the fact that he's clearly not concerned with my presence. Nope. I'm also definitely not annoyed by the fact that he didn't even look in my direction.
"He grows on you," Jessie says conspiratorially.
"So does a fungus," I mutter.
Her quick laughter pulls a smile from me and I turn to her to say something else, but I don't get the chance.
"Avery!"
Hearing Corbin shout my name has my insides twisting. I go still, turning my gaze back toward his office door which is no longer closed. Corbin is standing in the open doorway, his dark eyes focused on me.
"Yes?" I manage.
"Did you bring that contract?" he asks.
For a second, I don't know what he's talking about. Then I remember the folder in my hand and jolt.
"Oh. Yes," I say, holding it up. "Right here."
He holds up a hand, beckoning me toward him with an impatient gesture. Seriously? How rude can one man be? He could at least ask me to bring it to him. Before I can decide whether to call him out on it, Jessie speaks up.
"Please?" she says pointedly.
Corbin narrows his eyes at his piercer, but he sighs. "Please."
It's not quite a request, but it's better than nothing.
"Thanks," I whisper.
"He needs someone to call him out sometimes," she says. "It's good for him."
"I'll let you handle that," I mutter before walking toward my new boss.
I use the few seconds it takes to cross the room to compose myself and take a deep breath. If I'm going to be working for this man for a year or more, I need to be able to talk to him without my hormones interfering. I manage to paste a generic smile on my face as I approach Corbin and hand him the folder.
"Thanks," he says, taking it from me.
He opens it, flipping through to see my signature before nodding and closing it again. Then he eyes me for a second.
"Try not to let Jessie rub off on you," he says. Then, raising his voice slightly, he looks over at the other woman. Holding up his finger and thumb close together, he says, "She's this close to being fired."
Jessie laughs, rolling her eyes. "You can't fire me. You love me."
Corbin's mouth twists slightly. "Hmm."
I'm shocked by this display of playful teasing from him. Shocked, and annoyed. Because I didn't need to know Corbin had a playful side. I preferred when I could just put him in a box labeled 'Hot, but a total dickhead'. Now, I'm forced to reevaluate my previous assessment. And it's only day one. Fuck.
"Give me a few minutes and we'll get started," Corbin says, pulling me out of my inner musings.
"Sure," I say, managing a weak smile.
This is going to be a long year.