27
E rin finished cleaning up after her last tattoo. Her client was pleased and made an appointment to have another one done on her ankle next month. Dahlia was at the station next to her, working on a shoulder tattoo, while Torei sat on the tattoo chair of her station. She’d had two appointments when they opened. Sisters who wanted small matching tattoos on their wrists and had a couple of hours before her three o’clock came in. The sensor on the door beeped softly, signifying someone’s arrival.
“Hey, welcome to,” Erin and Torei both started. Torei continued the greeting, but Erin redirected when she looked up. “Hey, baby,” she greeted with a smile. She threw the disinfectant wipe away and walked over.
“Hey, Ma?y,” Cruz returned the greeting, kissing her.
“What are you doing here?”
“I wanted to see how your first week was. I also needed to check on your system. The update was already included in yours when I installed it. So, I want to ensure everything works fine since the rollout happened.”
Erin nodded. “I haven’t had any issues with it, but you’d know better than I would if something was wrong.” She paused for a moment. “Ladies, this is my boyfriend, Cruz. Baby, that’s Torei and Dahlia.” She didn’t see the need to introduce him to the client since she didn’t know his name.
“Nice to meet you both,” he stated as they greeted one another. He turned his attention back to Erin. “Have the three of you had lunch?” Cruz asked, and Erin shook her head. It was a little after one, and they probably should. “Why don’t you order something for the three of you, and I’ll check the system,” Cruz suggested, pulling his wallet from his back pocket. He took out one of his cards and handed it to her.
Erin took it, giving him another kiss before sitting behind the receptionist’s desk.
“Torei, come help me choose a place,” she requested. Dahlia seemed to be finishing up, but she’d learned over the past few days that the other woman wasn’t picky about food. Erin wasn’t either, so she didn’t mind deferring to Torei since the youngest had a couple of food allergies.
They chose sushi, and Erin and Torei put in their orders while Dahlia cashed out her customer. When she finished, Erin handed her phone to the other woman to allow her to put hers in before going over and cleaning her station.
When Cruz finished checking her security system, Erin took his hand and led him to the back. She pulled him down to sit on the couch and handed his card back to him.
“Thank you. Was everything fine with the system?”
“You thank me for the smallest things, and yes. It’s fine.”
Erin tucked her leg under her. “I get the feeling you wanted to check on me more than the system.”
“I wanted to make sure your first week went well.”
“It is. It’s been filled with consultations and tattoos. I hope each week is like this and my chosen schedule works out.”
Erin decided to have opening hours from ten to seven, Tuesday through Saturday. She knew there were other shops open until later in the evening and for the entire weekend, but none around her, and she was in a prime location with a lot of foot traffic. She wanted to be able to enjoy her weekends and wanted that for her employees, too. She hoped every week would continue to be as good as the opening one so she wouldn’t have to change it.
“I’m sure it will, Maly.”
They spoke for a few more minutes before Cruz looked at his watch.
“I have to go, baby. I have a meeting in forty-five minutes.”
Erin nodded, and he leaned in and kissed her before they stood. She led him back to the front of the shop, where Cruz told the other women he hoped they enjoyed their lunch, and they thanked him for it. The door had barely closed behind him when Erin felt eyes on her.
“No disrespect. That man is fine,” Dahlia stated.
“I saw him at the opening event, but I didn’t know you were dating,” Torei said.
During the event, they’d kept things professional, and she hadn’t talked about her personal life with the other two women aside from where she’d moved from and how long she’d been tattooing. Everything else was surface level.
“None taken. He is, and the opening was for us to show off our skill and network, not for me to announce I’m dating or for that to be the focus,” Erin responded.
“You have a point,” Torei replied.
“He said he was checking on the security system?” Dahlia questioned.
Erin nodded. “He owns the company that produces and monitors them.”
“He’s fine and rich. I want to be like you when I grow up,” Torei teased, and the three laughed.
Erin sat behind the receptionist’s desk, and they continued to talk about random topics for the next fifteen minutes until their lunch arrived. They moved to the employee lounge area in the back of the shop. They could hear the door if it opened, and from where Dahlia sat, she could easily look around the wall.
After they finished their lunch, Torei got ready for her incoming appointment, and Erin grabbed her tablet and put the finishing touches on a piece she’d be doing the following week while she waited for a consultation she had to show up.
P aetyn grabbed the shaved ice from the cupholder and exited his vehicle. He made the short walk from where he’d parked to Erin’s shop. Two women sitting at stations greeted him when he walked inside.
“Hey, welcome to Ashes to Ink,” Torei greeted. He remembered her from the opening.
“How can we help you?” the other, he assumed was Dahlia, asked with a smile.
Paetyn returned it. “I’m looking for Erin.”
“She stepped away for a moment, but she should be right back,” Torei responded. She paused. “You were at the opening.”
“I was. I saw both of your works. It’s impressive.”
“Are you interested in getting something?” Dahlia asked.
Paetyn smiled at her. “I prefer a certain tattoo artist.”
He only had one tattoo but planned to take Erin up on the offer to extend it. He also wanted another one later.
“I understand that,” Torei stated.
“Hey, baby.”
Paetyn turned his attention to where Erin was coming from the back. “Hey, Angel.”
“Is that for me?” she asked, gesturing to the shaved ice he held.
“It is,” he responded, leaning down to kiss her, and he heard one of the women make a noise before she tried to cover it up with a cough. He knew Cruz had checked on Erin a few hours ago and was sure they’d seen him.
“Thank you.” Erin turned to the other women. “This is my boyfriend, Paetyn. Baby, this is Dahlia and Torei.”
The two women spared glances at one another before turning back towards him. He’d give it to them. They were doing an admirable job of hiding their surprise and trying to cover for Erin. Paetyn couldn’t help but chuckle.
“What’s funny?” Erin asked, confused after a bite of her shaved ice.
“You didn’t tell them, Angel?”
“Tell them?” she questioned. Her confusion cleared a split second later. “Oh! No, I’m not cheating,” she laughed. “I’m lucky to have two great men who don’t mind sharing.”
“You’re poly?” Dahlia asked.
Erin shrugged. “I guess that would be the correct term, even though I have no desire to be in another relationship like this one if it isn’t with them.”
Paetyn raised a brow at her. “Who said this isn’t your last one?”
“I’m not complaining if it is,” Erin responded.
Paetyn kissed her temple. “I wanted to stop by and bring that to you. There’s a private party at Aficionado this evening, and I need to make sure everything is ready. Are you coming over after you leave here?”
“Chayse, Alijah, and I are going shopping to look for dresses for tomorrow evening, but I’ll come over when we’re finished.”
Cruz was flying out Sunday night, and Erin had been spending the last week at their house. It was nice.
Paetyn pulled his wallet from his back pocket and removed one of his credit cards. He gave it to Erin and kissed her. “Have fun. We’ll see you tonight.” He turned his attention to the other women. “It was nice meeting you both.”
He exited the shop and slid into his vehicle. Paetyn wouldn’t be at Aficionado long, but it was a birthday celebration for the mayor’s wife, and it was her favorite restaurant. One of the mayor’s staff had also called his assistant, asking if he’d appear to speak to the woman. Were it not for that, he’d be on his way home.
Their dinner was scheduled to start in an hour at seven, and Paetyn figured he’d stay for half an hour into the dinner. Long enough for them to get appetizers, and then he’d leave.
P aetyn was sitting on the couch, his feet propped up on the coffee table when the front door opened. Erin entered the living room seconds later with a garment bag over her arm and a shopping bag in her other hand. She laid the garment bag over the back of an armchair and placed the shopping bag on the floor beside it.
“Hey, babe,” she greeted, leaning down to kiss him. “How was the dinner?”
“I didn’t stay long, but I didn’t get any calls from my staff, so I’m sure it went well. How was shopping?”
“It was good. I found a gorgeous dress for tomorrow, matching shoes, and a clutch.”
“You want to show it to me?”
“You can see it tomorrow,” Erin responded teasingly. “Where’s Cruz?”
“He’s taking a swim.”
“It’s after ten-thirty. Is he okay? Did something happen at work?”
“He’s fine, Angel.” He watched her look toward the sliding doors that led to the backyard. Cruz swam several times a week, and with him leaving in two days, it might be a while before he could. He also knew Erin was aware he did so after a hard day if he didn’t feel like using their home gym. “Did you and the ladies eat?”
Erin brought her eyes back to him. “We did before shopping.”
Paetyn stood and kissed her temple. “Why don’t you let Cruz know you’re here, and I’ll take your bags to your room.”
“Thank you, baby, and no peeking.”
Paetyn chuckled. “And ruin my first time seeing it being on you? I wouldn’t dare.”
He grabbed the bags and started up the stairs as Erin walked out of the sliding door. He hung the garment bag in her closet and placed the other bag on the floor. He decided to shower and see where the rest of the night took him.