Page 52 of The Art of Deception

A sudden beep cuts through my thoughts. My phone. Reaching for it on the coffee table, my gaze flicks to the screen.Xander.

I exhale.

I should change his contact name to Alex. Or better yet, delete him altogether. But curiosity wins as my thumb swipes across the screen, opening the message.

Xander:You’re still my girl, Tomi.

Bringing my pen to my mouth, I chew on the end with such force I hear the plastic cracking under the strain. I’m annoyed to see his name, but I can’t stop the corner of my lips from turning upward.

My lips are traitors.

Inhaling deeply, I shake my head, exiting the chat without replying.

It’s almost comforting to know he’s thinking about me after a week apart. I’m still stuck on a man I thought I knew, and Xander—or Alex, or whoever the fuck he really is—seems to be stuck on me too. But I can’t afford to dwell on that. I have bigger priorities.

Finding a job is at the top of the list. The inheritance from my parents won’t last forever, and I need to support Levi. Thankfully, they made sure he’d always be taken care of. Histrust covers his therapy, his nanny—everything he’ll need for the rest of his life. For that, I’m endlessly grateful. If I had to come up with that money on my own, I’d be screwed.

They left me some money too, but not enough to sustain me until I find another tattoo studio. So, for now, it’s job hunting. The payout from Scott Enterprises wasn’t much, but I’m holding on to it, saving it for the day I can finally open a new shop. Until then, survival mode it is.

So, I get back to work, shoveling another spoonful of ice cream in my mouth as I scour the employment section.

One Month Later

“Thanks for shopping at Frank’s Fresh Food Mart,” I drone as another happy customer walks away from my register. I begin to swipe the next customer’s groceries, my belly rolls again, sending that feeling through the pit of my stomach.

I shouldn’t be here.

I should be doing something with art.

Celebrating the way drawings come to life on skin.

Not scanning packets of condoms, cable ties, and cucumbers?

What the hell does this person get up to?

“Tomi?” I glance to my left to see Hogtie walking in as I finish up this customer’s strange collection of groceries.

“Thanks for shopping at Frank’s Fresh Food Mart,” I mumble as the customer walks off with his weirdsexfetish purchases.

I glance at Hogtie as he steps up to my register with a strange expression. “What the fuck are you doing wasting your talents here?”

My eyes search the room for my boss, Brent, who happens to be a nineteen-year-old pimply-faced jerk with a superiority complex, but he must be out the back right now. “It’s so good to see you, Hogtie, but I need to pay my bills.”

Hogtie turns his lip up. “You need to be working in another studio, Tomi. Why the hell aren’t you slinging ink? Why the hell aren’t you renting a spot somewhere?”

My chest squeezes.I hate this.“It just doesn’t feel right if it’s not at Hope & Faith Ink.”

He slumps. “I get it, I do. But don’t waste your talents for too long, Tomi. I’m over on Sheffield Street if you change your mind. There’s a spot there for you any time. Just say the word.” He winks at me as he turns, walking out of the store without buying anything. It’s like he came in here simply to talk to me.

Could I work in the industry again as an employee?

I’ve had this swirling feeling in my stomach ever since I left, and I can’t dull it. The stress messes with my body in all kinds of ways.

Brent steps up to my register, tapping the end of it, snapping me out of my thoughts. “Tomi, you’re good to go. Close up your shift.”

I furrow my brows. “But I don’t finish for another half hour.”

Brent steadiest his shoulders. “If you’re going to stand around talking rather than working, then you need to leave.”

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