I opened my mouth to object, then realized he was right. “I’ll try to reach out tomorrow,” I said. “I’ll give him a call, but I need to make sure he’s right with me before I worry about how things are with you.”
“Got it,” Rip said. He nodded, then took another drag from his beer. “Should we set up the tent? I’d say before it gets dark, but…”
I chuckled. We never managed to get the tent set up before dark. “Fuck it,” I said. “Let’s just sleep under the stars. We got the heavy blanket and everything.”
Rip nodded again and then turned back to the fire. I stretched out my legs and felt the pull of my muscles. It felt good to get away and to clear my head a bit, and I fully intended to enjoy the evening and make the most out of every minute.
Because the next morning, I had to get down to fucking business.
* * *
The day started good. I was in the mountains, and Rip was rubbing his ass against me when I woke up, and we had plenty of bacon and eggs for the fire. But then the second I got back to Seattle, it turned to shit.
First I stubbed my toe getting ready in the bathroom. Then I spilled a fucking cup of coffee down my only clean sweater. Changed into a flannel and gritting my teeth, I had to jump my truck to get it started and started the day with a fuel tank on empty.
Cursing as I rolled into the gas station on fumes, I spent some of my dwindling funds to fill it halfway and treated myself to a bag of Skittles. I hit up the last few places that might be looking for a piercer, but no luck. Most of them were just salons filled with people who looked at me like I was a rabid wolf who wandered into their pretty little house.
I was cursing myself out again when I got a two dollar burger through a drive-through for lunch, then watched it slide straight to the floor of my truck. I shoved the buns in my mouth and swallowed them down, then grabbed the bag and some napkins to clean it up.
“Hell!” I yelled as I accidentally slammed my head against the wheel. “Damn it!”
In a flash, my frustration boiled over. I wanted to provide for my damn self and not always lean on Rip to cover me. I didn’t want to stress over every burger or spend all my free time trying to convince other people I was worthwhile. Anyway, I was too old to rely on Rip like I did, and he had his aunt to take care of now.
Determination surged through my body as I drove back to the apartment. I went into my room and pulled my old laptop out, as well as a few signed records, a fancy watch some guy bought me one time, and my camera, then drove straight to pawn it all. I kept gritting my teeth as I drove across town, then dropped all the money at a small store to update and complete my piercing equipment. I saved just enough to file for my license that proved I had the right training and shoved the cash in my pocket with a sigh.
I got back to the truck, feeling frustrated and hungry, but determined. I considered driving back to the apartment right then, but I just felt like I needed to get something, anything done for the day. I tapped the screen on my phone as I set up an Instagram account, then added a couple of pictures of my work, including a close-up of the nipple ring Rip had worn for a couple of years. I tagged the photo and added my email, then sighed.
Maybe I didn’t need a studio to work out of. Maybe I could be an independent piercing artist, with my own clientele. Then again, maybe I had just blown the last of my money and pawned my shit to fail all over again. But at least I was doing something, instead of waiting for someone to give me a job.
I was still cursing myself in the truck when the phone beeped. I looked down and then startled to attention when I saw Clark’s name.
Fine. I’ll talk to you. But you better come alone.
I let out a puff of air. Finally, something going right.
I texted Clark to work out the details and agreed to catch up at a park that weekend, the morning before he would disappear into the film festival. Guilt stabbed at my heart thinking of the way he must feel. I knew for my own damn self what it was like to have people bullying you. It’s why I had hidden my sexuality when I was a teenager, and also why Rip had been so lifechanging for me.
I shook my head, still surprised by it all. Rip had shaped both my life and Clark’s, just in very different ways.
Catch you Saturday, I texted back, then steered down the hill and back toward home.
