She started to laugh, realizing what the hell I was talking about. “I do not want your brothers. Not that older men aren’t attractive, but come on, I’m twenty years younger than them, and I’m not a homewrecker.”
“They’re just afraid of the unknown.”
“I get it. I worry every day when Cypress is on the road. Pussy is being hurled at him from every direction.” She leaned back in her chair and turned it from side to side, gripping the leather seat. “I trust him, though. Maybe I’m stupid, but I can’t worry about what he’s going to do. Either he loves me, or he doesn’t.”
“When did you two meet?” Suddenly, I was fangirling and wanted a sneak peek into the world of Cypress McDermot.
“We went to school together and were high school sweethearts.”
“Ahh, you’ll be the one he marries,” I told her because that’s how it always worked out when someone found fame and people were trying to be with them for reasons other than love.
“You think?”
I nodded with a big smirk. “Trust me. I know these things. You loved him when he was a nobody. Now, everyone wants him, but they don’t know the real him. But you know him. You love him. You’ll be hitched in no time.”
The front door chimed as the guys arrived. “We’re here.” Mike’s voice echoed through the shop, loud enough that we could clearly hear him over the music.
“We’re in the back,” I yelled back. I turned to her. “Don’t let anything they say get to you.”
She nodded at me before the three men strolled into the work area. “I got this.”
“I’m sure you do.”
“Kat.” Joe gave her a quick chin lift and went immediately to his station to start setting up.
Mike had the appointment book in hand, prepping for his tiny powwow that was supposed to get us pumped on a Monday morning. Anthony, for once, didn’t have his phone out and his face buried in it.
“Good morning,” Mike said, tucking the appointment book under his arm. “I see you’re all set up.”
Kat smiled at him. “I’m ready to kick some ass.”
“We have a team meeting at least once a week before the clients start to arrive. I always try to keep it short and to the point.”
Anthony muttered “Bullshit” under his breath.
Joe rolled his eyes and whispered something none of us could hear, while I laughed my ass off.
“Make it quick, Mike. None of your rambling shit today.”
Ten minutes later, the meeting was over, and Mike clapped his hands, giving us some mumbo jumbo to pump us up. All four of us just stared at him as he gave us his best Tony Little impression, telling us how we could “do it.”
“Kat, you already have two clients booked today. Great start.”
“Thank you.” She smiled at him. “I just want to say how honored I am to be here and be a member at Inked. It’s been my dream since I was a kid.”
I almost spat out my coffee when the guys’ faces dropped. I didn’t think they realized we were all getting older. Now the kids had us as role models. We weren’t the cool kids. We were middle-aged but still killing it.
“Since you were a kid?” Anthony asked with a look of horror on his face.
“Yeah, I was like ten when I came in here with my uncle. I was so in love with the vibe and you guys that I knew I had to come back someday.”
“Ten?” Mike ran his hand through his hair and blew out a puff of air.
“Yep.” She smirked.
I wanted to clap, give her my approval for knocking them down a peg or two because that shit was funny as fuck.
“Well, I…”
