Page 38 of Hooked
“It’s a little weird,” Daisy said. “So I’ll ask. Is he a good kisser? Is the beard scratchy?”
“No.” Tayla smiled and shook her head. “And yes. He is. That’s all I’m going to say. We had a beautiful dinner in the outdoors. Lots of fresh air and sunshine. And I’m planning the next date.”
Daisy and Emmie were both speechless.
“What?” Tayla shrugged. “What was I supposed to do? Tell the man sorry, this is the most amazing date I’ve ever been on, but we definitely can’t repeat it?”
“The most amazing date you’ve ever been on?”
“You’re planning a date?” Emmie blinked repeatedly. “You don’t plan dates.”
“Well…” That was true. She usually insisted on men planning dates for her. Which generally led to a series of forgettable dates unless the conversation was really stellar. “He went to a lot of trouble to plan this, and I thought I’d take him out of his comfort zone a little and see how he does.”
Daisy cocked her head. “So you’re planning an interview with a fashion company in San Francisco and also an elaborate date with a mountain man in Metlin.”
Tayla spread her hands. “What can I say? I’m a woman who multitasks.”
Initially Tayla had beenhesitant to take the bookkeeping job at Bombshell Tattoos. The business was run by Ginger, Ox’s ex-girlfriend, who’d been more than antagonistic to Ox and Emmie on occasion. That said, sometimes people brought out the worst in each other, and Tayla had a feeling that was the case with Ox and Ginger.
A conversation with Spider had reassured her, and Tayla took the job and hadn’t regretted it.
Yes, Bombshell smelled a lot like stale beer much of the time.
Yes, the clientele ran a lot rougher than INK.
Yes, Ginger yelled. A lot.
But she didn’t yell at Tayla. She just had a short fuse when it came to a couple of the artists who worked for her. Generally the ones who fucked up. She told them so regularly.
“Your area looks like a damn pigsty, Cash. Clean it up.”
“I have a client coming in five minutes.”
“All your clients are late because you’re constantly running behind!” Ginger put her hands on her hips. “This isn’t a debate. Don’t be a fucking slob.”
Cash muttered under his breath as Ginger shot daggers with her eyes. Then she turned back to Tayla and asked, “So, what were you saying about my net income?”
Tayla ignored the blaring music Cash turned on in the back of the shop. Ginger had hired her to do the books, but she’d also asked Tayla for help balancing her budget. Tayla was happy to do it. For a little extra fee. “You’re doing fine, but I’ve been tracking for a few months now, and I think there are ways you could trim your expenses. The cable, for example. I don’t ever see anyone watching that TV when I’m here.”
“Yeah, maybe once or twice a month for a game. Mostly I just wanted Wi-Fi. The cable package kind of came with it.”
“Check with them again. You should be able to get internet without cable.” Tayla slid over a sheet of paper. “Here’s a list of suggestions for things I think you could cut without missing them much, or certain things that seem high. These are just suggestions, by the way. It’s your business, so you may have different priorities than me.”
The corner of Ginger’s mouth turned up. She was a hard woman, but she was beautiful. She was petite and had an hourglass figure. She leaned into the rockabilly style in her hair and her wardrobe. It really worked for her.
Tayla noticed her dabbing her eyes with a tissue. “Allergies?”
“This fucking town. Ever since I moved here, I’m flat-out miserable for two weeks every spring. At least it’s only two weeks. Better than it used to be.”
“Really? For some reason, I thought you were born here.”
“Me?” She laughed. “Hell no, I’m from LA. Born and raised in Long Beach.”
“So how did you end up in Metlin?”
Ginger rolled her eyes. “Oldest story in the book. Followed a guy. Started a business. Guy took off, but so did the business.” She took out her vape pen and stood. “I had better credit, so the building was in my name. And I bought it when it needed a ton of work, so it was cheap. To get a place this size in LA?” She shook her head. “No way. I’d be working for someone else. I don’t always love it here, but I hate taking orders. So I stay.”
“Cool.” Tayla opened her laptop.
