Page 30 of The Art of Deception

I still havesometime.

So I’m going to cherish every damn second I have left.

***

“So could you take onThe Rock, as in Dwayne Johnson, in a wrestling match?” Jana calls as she swabs at her client’s tattoo.

“Hell yeah, these guns aren’t just for show, chick,” Skins replies after finishing up a sketch. He cockily brings his bicep up and kisses it, making the rest of us burst into laughter. I have to admit, Skins, with his muscles and shaved head, does look like he could kick some serious butt, but there’s no way in hell he could take onThe Rock.

“I’d pay to see that,” Gigi calls from the piercing room. I hear her female client giggle.

Jana focuses on the tattoo she’s currently doing, shaking her head. “You wish you could, Skins. Hogtie would have better luck than you.”

I almost spit out my coffee as Hogtie shakes his head, continuing on with his tribal tattoo like nothing happened. Though, if anyone were to take on this quest, it would be Hogtie. He’s twice the size of skins, but this is a pointless topic, no one here is taking onThe Rock.

“You guys have so much fun here. It’s no wonder you have so many repeat customers, and it’s hard to get a booking,” Jane calls. She’s Hogtie’s customer who came from New Zealand just to see him.

Sinking in on myself, I exhale, knowing that because of Alex Scott, I’m not only letting my team down but also my customers, the repeat clientele, and even the valued ones like Jane, who travel from overseas just to come and see one of us. This whole thing is shit. It eats me up inside.

Taking another sip of my coffee as Jana finishes up her client by wrapping the tattoo, I stand by the cashier desk to take the money. Jana then tidies up her station.

I go through the motions, walking her customer through his aftercare, processing the payment, and then telling him the shitty news about us closing on the nineteenth.

It’s a process we have to go through with every customer now. One that’s going to take a little piece of me with it each time I have to explain the news. The customer leaves, and Jana walks over and rubs my back. “You’re doing a great job today. It can’t be easy telling everyone we’re closing.”

I groan. “I don’t wanna do it anymore.” I blink back the tears. “Can I take it all back?”

Jana leans in, hugging me. “Stop being a whiny bitch and own this shit.”

I choke out a laugh, pulling back from her. “I can always count on you to bring me back to reality.”

The shop bell above the door jingles, and Levi comes rushing in with Greta a few paces behind him. He has the biggest smile on his face as he rushes up to me, his backpack half hanging off his shoulders in his excitement. “Tomi! Blake said that I was cool today because my sister is a tattoo artist, and her boyfriend drives a Chevy…” He beams with pride. “I’m cool, Tomi! I’m cool.”

My stomach falls through the floor. I’m so happy that the kids at school are cutting him some slack, but I’m gutted to know it’s because of my job. Now, that’s not going to be the case anymore, I’m worried the kids might turn things around on him, and it will be all my fault again.

I glance at Greta. She senses that something’s up. She steps closer as I reach for Levi’s hands, taking them in mine. “Levi, that’s such good news, and I’m unbelievably happy for you—”

“But?”

See, he’s smart.

I glance at Greta.

She knows to be ready.

Taking a breath, I prepare to tell him.

He’s going to find out sooner or later, and if he’s coming in here, he’s going to hear one of us telling a client.

He’s better off hearing it from me.

Now.

“Levi, you know how Jacob owns this place, and we just rent it from him?” He nods, his nostrils flaring. “Well, there’s a developer coming in who’s bought the rights to the land. Jacob has sold the land, and so we have to vacate the shop.” He’s quiet. A little too quiet. He’s processing. “Do you understand what that means?”

He scans the shop, taking in the pictures of Mom and Dad and spying all the little hidden design features they put in place just for us. This place was as much theirs as it is mine.

He gets it.

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