“That’s a good lesson to learn in life. How do you think it affects you as an employee?”
“I don’t hesitate to admit when I don’t know something and easily ask for help. It’s better to be slow and do everything right than rush and make mistakes.”
He hums approvingly, so I continue telling him about my ways of working, previous experience, and what I have enjoyed in my former workplaces. We discuss my expectations and what he wants from his employees. King also tells me more about the history of King Tattoo and how he started the tattoo shop chain fifteen years ago with help from his father and a family friend who invested in the first shop in Chicago.
After forty minutes of chatting, he finally talks about what I’ve been dreading this entire call. “Listen, I don’t know how to bring this up, but I think we need to discuss what happened between you and Jax. I don’t need to know all the details or what was said or done…I just want to know if you two can work in the same shop without any issues.”
I take a deep breath and answer him the best I can. “Ethan, like I told you during our first phone call, I wish the events of that night never happened. It was poor judgment on my part. I promise I’ll try my best to be neutral. Switzerland. Beige.”
“That’s what I wanted to hear.” His expression softens more. “One more thing, Soph—you better get used to calling me King. Nobody but my doctor calls me Ethan. Well, them and Jax when he wants to annoy me, which is way more often than I would like.”
I chuckle. “That sounds like something he would do.”
“Definitely. So, what do you think?”
“About what?”
“The job—based on what I have heard today and before, I would be happy to offer you a position as the shop receptionistand Jax’s assistant. I’ll talk with my cousin before your first day to make sure that he treats you like his other team members if you’re worried about him.”
I almost let out a squeal but manage to keep it inside me. “Ethan, I meanKing, thank you so much!” My entire body shakes as relief washes over me. “You have no idea how much this means to my family and me—I really needed this news today. Thank you.”
“You don’t need to thank me more than once, Soph. You’ve shown that you can be trusted, even after what happened between you and Jax. Your job recommendations and past work experience are stellar, too. That’s all that matters to me as a business owner.”
“I’m happy to hear that.”
King looks at his smartwatch. “So, I’m going to ask my assistant to email you a copy of the contract to sign. Please take your time reading it through, and don’t hesitate to contact us if you want to ask anything. Other than that, welcome to the King Tattoo crew!”
“Thank you—I can’t wait to meet the team!”
“They’ll love you, I’m sure of it. The Brooklyn gang is such a great mix of talent and fun personalities. Anyway, it was great to chat with you, Soph—I gotta go now, so let’s talk more later.”
Only a minute later, after our goodbyes, my phone pings. As I open the email and official-looking offer letter, it's evident King had it ready before our call. It makes me feel even better than I did a moment ago.
Once I start reading the attached contract, I can’t believe my eyes—the pay is 30% higher than at Warm'n'Cool, with benefits like insurance and dental care. All that will help my parentswith the bills more than before. And no more late nights or loud working environments.
Rereading the information, I don’t see anything that needs clarifying, so I press print. Taking another deep breath, I grab a pen from the donut-shaped pen holder I made for my da many Christmases ago, and with a shaking hand, grab the printed document and I sign my name on the dotted line. And just like that, I’m the newest employee of King Tattoo.
9
JAX
Currently playing: Unwell by Matchbox Twenty
“Do you want the good news or the bad news first?” King asks as soon as our video call connects.
I have been waiting to ask him about Soph but didn’t know how to bring her up. I guess it needs to wait until he has updated me with the latest in King Tattoo world. I take a calming breath and look at the screen. “Way to make me shit my pants the first thing in the morning.”
He laughs loudly, like he often does if he thinks he got one over on me. “I’m sorry, but not sorry, Jax. I had to start like that to catch you off guard.”
I roll my eyes with a huge, exasperated sigh, and he catches it. “Hey, I’m still your boss, so show me some respect, punk.”
“You haven’t called me that in years,” I remind my cousin, who talks to me like I am thirteen again. I mean, I am acting like a teenager right now, but that’s beside the point.
“Well, start acting like a grownup, and I might stop using that term of endearment.”
Look at that—something is bothering my cousin. He wouldn’t act like this if everything was okay. What a great start to our weekly catch-up. “And what the fuck crawled up your ass and died this morning,Ethan?”
“It’s a long story, but let’s say that women, well, one woman, is making my life complicated as hell. I don’t have the time or energy to nitpick my every damn choice with her.”
