Okay, cool… Everyone else looks slightly terrified as well.
“Alright, enough chit-chat. Let go get this paperwork filled out and schedule made, then we can talk about the apartment upstairs. You're probably exhausted from that ride.”
After we say goodbye to Jasper and Dominic, we walk down the hall towards the office.
There wasn’t just one word when Beckett said that his uncle had an apartment; I had many, like… Skeptical, disbelief, relief, gratitude. All of them buzzed through my brain.
Beckett is an unbelievable friend. He is on the straight and narrow, unlike everyone else close to me. He’s going to school to be a chef. I have had the satisfaction of eating a few of his meals and they’re always the best fucking thing I’ve ever tasted.
From what Beckett says, Jaxon has been working to get him to come home for a while. Beckett had a rough go for a bit, but he is better and in his last year of school. He will have to make a choice soon.
Now that I think about it, why do I suddenly feel like a carrot being dangled in front of his face? I mean, not that I’m complaining, I want him here too.
Stepping into Jaxon’s office, he motions for me to have a seat. His office is small. A desk and room for two chairs. The office walls are covered in beautiful sketches.
“So we have a few standard forms to get through. It shouldn’t take long.”
“Sounds good,” I say as he hands me some forms to fill out. We quickly get through those and work on the schedule.
“I would like you to shadow Dom for a few days and also Jasper. I need you to have a good feel for the shop. You are going to start on walk-ins and you can use one of the stations up front by the reception area. It will be useful to work with Mira since she handles the client side of the walk-ins.”
I cock my head to the side, like, really?
“Yes really. Trust me, what she is lacking in people skills she makes up for in organization. And for real, just don’t touch her stuff,” he says with a laugh.
I give a chuckle. “Duly noted.”
Jaxon reaches into his top desk drawer and pulls out a key. “Here is the key to the upstairs apartment. You will have six months with no rent and then we can talk about something long term.”
Shaking my head, I try to keep myself composed and the tears at bay. I take a deep breath. “I don’t know what Beckett has told you, but…”
He cuts me off and looks me straight in the eye. “I know enough. Listen, I’m here for you. I support what you are doing, but don’t fuck this up. You were given an absolute shitty hand, but if this is the career you want, you’ve got to get your shit together. On the outside and on the inside. Your head can’t still be in LA.”
Damn! He is one hundred percent correct in his judgment, but that was some hallmark level shit right there.
“And I’m hearing that in my head now, and it was cheesy,” he laughs.
“No, you're right. Everything you said is true. This is what I want. This has always been what I wanted. It’s a way for me to still keep my passion for the arts around.”
I need it. I would fade away without it.
“You know, I think many people overlook tattooing in that regard. All of us have a dominant passion for the arts. That is why we are so good, it's why people travel from all over.” He looks at me and throws his head back.
“You're really talented, Finn. I hope that someday you will see that. Your drawings should hang in galleries, you’re that good. When you get the chance, look at some of Jasper’s. They’re amazing.”
“Thank you. I don’t know what to say.” These weren’t words that I’d heard a lot in my life, if ever at all. When there is no one around to support you, it makes it harder to believe.
Jaxon was giving me six months of no rent. I guess that’s him believing in me when no one else had.
My only plan was to get as far away from LA as possible, and get my head in order. I need to focus on my job. If this is what I want for my career, then Ink Me is the best place to be.
Jaxon hands me the keys. “If you go out the back door, you will see a set of stairs. The apartment on your left is yours. The one to the right is Spencer’s. He is the owner of Dragonfly Books. He is a great kid, but painstakingly shy. I think we scare him,” he says with a small chuckle, then his face turns down. “He’s had a tough go of it lately. We try to watch out for him, so please let me know if there are any issues.”
Jaxon goes to stand up and I follow suit. I reach out and shake his hand. “Thank you again, I just, ummm, thank you,” I manage to say, my brain unable to put my feelings into words.
The people here are so friendly and kind. It’s like a version of the Twilight Zone that Iwantto be stuck in. I desperately want something better in my life. I’ve never been shown this much kindness. My childhood was full of druggies who would do anything to get their next fix. Even when that meant starving their children.
“No problem, go upstairs and get settled in, you probably want some sleep.”
