“I can’t believe this place is finally coming together,” Tatum smiled.
“I know, this is history in the making.”
“I’m glad your uncle is going to let us open the shop here. There’s good foot traffic and he’s barely charging us rent.”
“He’s being very generous. My mom must have threatened him.”
Tatumn smothered a laugh with her hand. Dew watched as her friend took another look around the shop. She smiled with obvious satisfaction. She had met Tatum when the woman was a lowly counter attendant at the tattoo parlor where Drew was apprenticing.
The two of them had spent years scheming over takeout Chinese food about the day they’d open a shop together. Now here they were. Electric Pear was a dream realized. Years of dealing with the high cost of renting space from another artist. Of having to deal with the male egos inherent in the tattoo industry. Now Drew got to make her own rules. She wanted to give spaces to more up and coming female tattoo artists in the area.
“Are you moving into your new apartment today, too?” Tatum asked.
“Yeah. I hope my new neighbors are okay with a little bit of late evening noise. I’m not going to be able to get my first round of stuff from the storage unit until later tonight.
“You need any help?”
“Nah. You’ve done more than your fair share. I’m basically just going to grab my mattress and bed frame tonight.”
“Bare bones, huh?”
“Just for the night. I’ll move everything else in over the next few days.”
“It’s lucky you found a place so close to the shop.”
“I know, it’s within walking distance. I got super lucky.”
The two of them continued setting up the shop. An assortment of random friends stopped by to help throughout the day. Occasionally one of her friends would blast music outside in the parking lot, but Drew was quick to shut their shenanigans down. The last thing she wanted was to start a shop war with Brooke from next door.
It was later than she’d hoped when she finally started moving her things into the new apartment. Drew didn’t care. She was one mattress on a floor away from a good night’s sleep. She tried to minimize the noise as she pulled her mattress up the flight of stairs to her new apartment. She knew she hadn’t succeeded when the door to the apartment across the hallway opened.
Drew was on the outside of her apartment attempting to shove her mattress through her tiny door frame.
“Drew?” The question from behind her caused Drew to turn around.
Standing half inside of her apartment and half out was Brooke. The woman had a fluffy pink bathrobe pulled tight around her. Drew wanted to stop long enough to admire the scene in front of her, but she knew from Brooke’s tone the woman wasn’t pleased.
“Hey, Tomes. I didn’t realize you lived around here,” Drew answered. She made herself sound flippant on purpose.
“It’s the closest set of apartments to the shop. What are you doing?”
Drew paused her endeavor to force the mattress through her doorway and turned to Brooke.
“I’m trying to jam this ridiculous queen-sized mattress into my new apartment.”
Brooke studied her with an expression of amusement. Drew smiled back at the woman, though her expression was somewhat sardonic.
“Let me help you,” Brooke offered. She took a step forward, but Drew halted her with a raised hand. Somehow, she knew that if she let Brooke help her move in she’d never hear the end of it.
“I’ve got it. You can go back to sleep,” Drew said. She turned back to her mattress and began pushing against it. From behind her she heard Brooke give an annoyed sigh.
“You’re obviously not going to get it in there alone. Which means I won’t be able to sleep. So let me help you,” Brooke insisted. Before Drew could object a second time Brooke was beside her helping to guide the mattress inside. There was something somewhat endearing about Brooke’s insistence to help.
A few more well-orchestrated shoves and the mattress finally popped through the doorframe. She turned to Brooke excitedly.
“Thank you so much.” Drew said genuinely.
“Your friends play their music too loud. And now you’re waking me up at home too,” Brooke offered dryly.
