“But your shop,” I say.
She waves the comment off. “It’s empty most days—I don’t really cater to the tourists. I’m sure I could put a sign up that has updated hours for when I know my regulars come around and not a single profit would be lost.”
I’m about to say, “Let’s ask Nai Nai,” when the glint of the brand on my wrist pulls Lacey’s attention.
“Oh, my god! What a cool tattoo. How is it moving like that?”
I put my hand in my pocket. “It’s luminescent ink this guy makes in Boston.”
Shit, that’s a thing she can look up on the internet.
“It’s pretty obscure,” I say, then lean in and whisper, “Chinese underground stuff, you know.”
I give hard eyes at Nai Nai and Lacey makes a big, silent “Oh.”
She smiles behind her finger put up as a hush. “I’ve got you.”
“This is the one!” Nai Nai shouts as she holds the green paint in the air. “And yes, Giggle Sprite, you are welcome to come paint our home.”
Lacey blinks a few times.
“Yeah, she means you,” I say, patting her on the shoulder. “You’re her favorite now.”
Nai Nai pushes the cart off toward the yarn, and Lacey blushes with a little smile. We load up everything she needs with few more intense decision-making moments, and Ace meets us at the checkout. He tosses down a discounted box of Snap-Its that all come together to make a spaceship.
Lacey rings us up and I nearly die, but Nai Nai throws down her bank card like she’s the boss.
Well, she is the boss.
“Oh, hey, let me get your number,” Lacey says as she comes out from behind the check stand. I must give her a hard glare or something because she clarifies, “So we can coordinate when I should come over?”
Nai Nai elbows me hard and I grunt.
“Sure.”
I take her offered phone and drop in my digits, then send a text to myself.
“Got you,” I say, holding up my phone to show the message.
She grins so wide it looks like it hurts. “Perfect! I’m so excited to help out. That place has been a dream project for me for a while, but Jamie wouldn’t let me have it.”
I look at her curiously.
“Sorry, my wife, Jamie,” she says.
“Wife?” Nai Nai asks.
I grab her shoulders and steer her out of the shop with a hurried, “Great to meet you, Lacey. Talk soon!”
We get back to the car with only a few homophobic questions asked by Nai Nai. I remind myself she grew up in a different place, in a different time. While she’s not intolerant, her questions definitely come off as such. Better just to get her out of any of those situations before things get weird and we lose the free labor or get badmouthed around town as bigots.
We hit the hardware store on the outskirts of town and get all the buckets of paint for the café section. Nai Nai agreed to let me be the designer for that space so it would bemodern. Like I know anything about that, but I do happen to have a vision.
Ceiling all black with splotches of neon pink, blue, and purple, with white and yellow stars flecked between them. Little papier-mâché planet lanterns hung all around the place. But then the walls will be simple so we can cover them in art fromlocal artists. We can offer to sell for them and get a commission. It’ll keep the space looking fresh and bring in regular customers who are interested in the newest art, or the artists themselves. And for the tourists, they can find something to take home with them other than a coffee.
The total for all the painting supplies makes me have a second mini heart attack, but Nai Nai throws down the bank card again, rescuing me.
“We’re going to make this money back,” she says confidently.
