I snap off the surgical gloves, toss them in the trash and make my way over to Carey. “Since your bestie took over the shop's Instagram account, he’s been posting the sketches for sale—”
“And a designer from Portland wants him to do the graphics for their next range." Carey takes over.
Liv scurries over to the desk and snatches up the sketch. “So what you’re telling me, is this baby is gonna be worth some serious money one day?”
I sigh. “For the love of fuck. If I give it to you for free will you shut the fuck up about it?”
Liv zips her lips, throws away the key, then nods like a crazy person.
“Just pay and get the hell out.”
Liv and I glare at each other from over the counter as she hands Carey her credit card. Eventually though, she’s the one who breaks, and blows me a kiss. “Put another fifty on top,” she tells Carey.
“He doesn’t take tips from friends.”
Her head dips to the side, her lips pout, and she blinks with big round eyes. “I’m your friend?”
“Charge her double.”
“It’s still worth it,” she beams.
Carey hands her back the card and she slides it into her phone case. “Now, tell me why Carey can’t come to the rave with me.”
“He’ll be in Seattle.”
“Seattle?”
I look at Carey. “Seattle.”
He stares straight back. “What for?”
“Getting your piercing certification.”
“Since when?”
“Since I booked it and forgot to tell you about it. That’s why it’s not in the system… Don’t look at me like that. I would have remembered when the rest of the payment came out of my account.”
“But… I won’t have time.”
“I’m giving you the time.”
“But I run the whole shop now. There… there’s no need.”
“Do you wanna do it?”
“Yeah, but—“
“You’ve said ‘but’ so many times.”
“Because I don’t know when you think I’ll be able to take bookings with everything else I do.”
I pick up a stray pen off the desk and twist it in my fingers. “Piercers can make really good money. I want you to have some sort of qualification in case you ever decide to leave me.”
“Shut your stupid mouth.”
My lips pinch into a tight smile.
“You might have to hire me part time to work the desk so he can take clients,” Liv suggests.
