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“Don’t be obtuse. You know what I mean. It’s a great space for a tattoo shop. Your tattoo shop.”
“I’m not opening a tattoo shop.”
She scoffed and when she spoke, her voice was thick with sarcasm. “Okay.”
“I’m not,” I protested. “I’m not going anywhere.”
Emma rolled her eyes. “You’re a great tattooer. You and I both know you want more freedom than you get here. I don’t know how many times I’ve heard you wish you had more space and privacy and fewer people hanging around.”
Conceding the point, I nodded. “Fine, but that doesn’t mean I need to open my own place.”
“But you could.”
I changed tacks. “You want me to open a competing shop right here in town?”
A shrug. “Pine Bluff is big enough for both of us to have shops.”
“Pine Bluff is hardly big enough for one shop, much less two.”
“Yours would be different,” she countered. “You could run a private studio. Appointment only. No more walk-ins interrupting you. No more worrying about whether Garrett double-booked you again. Plus, if things get tight, you can always rent space out or take on an apprentice.”
I hummed and picked up my pencil again. “Anything else, or are you just here to fire me?”
She let out a light laugh. “I’m not firing you. I’m just trying to get you to think about the future.”
“Whatever you say.” I glanced at the time on my tablet. “I’m headed out.”
“Okay, well just think about it. That’s all I’m saying. It could be a big opportunity for you.”
The words rang in my mind as I packed up. The same words Lena had said to Kieran just yesterday about the chance to work on the library renovation. A big opportunity. I didn’t want to take a risk. I wanted to sit right here, where everything was comfortable and safe and easy.
Later, as I drove home, I couldn’t stop thinking about what Emma had said. No more walk-ins. No more worrying about double-booking. Those two things alone were a huge plus. But then, thinking of the drawbacks nearly overwhelmed me. Rent and utilities and making sure the space was right and making sure I kept my steady stream of clients. The risk of failure. It could be terrible.
But what if it isn’t?
I shook off the thought, pulled into the driveway, and turned off the engine. With a sigh, I braced myself for impact and headed inside, where I found Lena and Kieran on the couch, giggling over some rom-com I hadn’t seen and eating from a giant bowl of popcorn.
“Hey, big brother,” Lena said brightly. “How was your day?”
I grunted once.
“That good, huh?”
“It was fine,” I said, sounding defensive. “No complaints.”
“No news is good news, then?”
I opened my mouth to respond, the urge to tell her about what Emma had suggested strong. Instead, I closed my mouth again and shook my head. “Basically.”
“Okay, then.” She shrugged and picked the TV remote back up. “You don’t mind if we finish this, do you?”
“Not at all. I’m just going to…” I gestured toward the kitchen.
“Sure thing.” She sounded distracted, her attention already back on the movie.
In the kitchen, I made myself a couple of lunch meat sandwiches, taking a seat at the breakfast bar to eat. As I ate, I scrolled on my phone, idly passing the time. It felt like I’d only been there for a few minutes until I realized I’d already finished my dinner sandwiches. Lena called out that she was going to bed.
“Night,” I replied, and started to stand, readying myself to clean up and head to bed, too. When Kieran came into the kitchen and leaned against the bar, I forced myself to look at him. My heart fluttered as I did, and I scowled in response and looked back at my now-empty plate.
