I feel rather than see Knight step closer behind me, my own impressive shadow, clearly unwilling to back down in the face of another man’s aggression.
“Cyrus Atherton. I’m an asshole. You’ll get used to it,” he says, eyeing Knight warily.
“Knight Taylor, Octavia’s husband.”
Cyrus looks at me, then Knight, then he nods and walks past us and takes a seat in his chair.
“Is Suede in town?” I ask Betty.
“No, Johnny wanted to go home for a while. I think they plan to come back a little closer to Christmas, or whenever this baby makes an appearance, whichever comes first.”
“What about the other artists? Do I know any of them?”
“Obviously, you’ve heard of Att. Did you know he’s Tori’s brother?”
“She told me yesterday. It’s a small world, isn’t it?” I laugh.
“Right! Anyway, he’s waiting for his twin brother, who’s a sculptor, to finish his latest piece before they come to town. Jed, Sully, and Brooks have all come from the same studio out in Philly. Apparently, the place they were working out of has had some issues with gangs and money laundering or something.They should all be here in a couple of days as soon as the apartment they’re renting is ready.”
“So the place will be full then? All chairs filled?” I ask.
“Yep. I can’t believe it, to be honest. Do you need Leo to schedule you some walk-ins, or are you happy to ease yourself in?” she asks.
“I’m actually pretty busy for the next couple of weeks already. I posted on my socials yesterday afternoon that my schedule was open, and my DMs have gone insane. I don’t plan on taking any new clients for a few months while I finish up my regulars who have been waiting to get an appointment with me,” I tell her.
“Works for me. Word of mouth about the studio has spread through town, so we’re getting a few newbs looking to get work, but Jed, Sully, and Brooks aren’t bringing a full schedule of clients, so they’ll have to take on walk-in pieces each week. I doubt they’ll mind.”
An ugly scoffing sound comes from the next chair over, and both Betty and I turn to look at Cyrus.
“You got something to say, Cyrus?” Betty asks coolly.
“No one likes flash walk-ins,” he growls, sounding angrier than the moment dictates.
“I get that, but my schedule is full, Suede isn’t here, and when he is, he keeps his full. Octy’s schedule is full, yours is full, and Atticus is harder to get an appointment with than any artist I’ve ever known. So that leaves Sully, Jed, and Brooks. Their art is great, but they’re not as well-established and not as in demand as the rest of us. If you’d prefer, I can make it a rule that all walk-in work is split between us, but for right now, the rest of us are too busy to take on new clients. Do you have a problem with that?” she asks, her tone stern and clearly annoyed.
Grunting his agreement, Cyrus’s cell phone rings, and he picks it up and answers it, ending the conversation. Twistingaround to look at Knight, I find him staring at Cyrus, his eyes narrowed in hostility.
“Is he always like that?” I ask Betty quietly.
“Yes,” she snaps. “I’d heard his reputation. Everyone agrees that he’s an asshole and difficult to work with, but he’s a legend. He’s been tattooing since he was fourteen, and his art is flawless. Honestly, when he reached out about a chair in the studio, I was excited. But I’m starting to understand why he doesn’t stay anywhere longer than a year. I think it’s because everyone is so done with him by then that he has to move, so no one kills him. He’s been here two months, and I don’t think I’ve had even one civil conversation with him.”
“How does Cody feel about him?” Knight asks.
“He doesn’t care for him, but Cody’s pretty easygoing. As long as he’s just an asshole and not an asshole to me, he won’t get involved.”
“Wow,” I say, just as the bell over the door dings and Leo’s voice heralds the arrival of someone.
“Hey, welcome to Mountain Ink. Do you have an appointment?”
“Yeah, I’m here to see Octy,” a familiar voice says.
Spinning around, I smile widely when I see Camden. “Hey, Cam, long time no see,” I say, descending the steps to give her a hug.
“Too long. Where the hell have you been? I thought you’d died, and I’d never get this sleeve finished.” Cam laughs, squeezing me tightly before we separate, and she looks around, taking in the studio. “This place is great.”
“It’s all Betty. This is her place.”
“Hey, Cam, how are you?” Betty asks, smiling widely.
