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I can literally feel the excitement bubbling up in me as I move over to JJ’s booth, but my bubble is quickly popped. He hasn’t stuck up any decorations or decorated in any way. He has a pencil and a pad of paper on the counter for sketching and that’s all I can see. He has put in absolutely no effort at all.
Clearly my facial expression says it all because he looks at me and shrugs, “I’m minimalistic.”
I shake my head but don’t say anything. Each artist expresses themselves in a different way, I just don’t think JJ’s attracts enough attention, and therefore won’t attract enough clientele to him. I would only make it my business once I could prove it wasn’t working. I didn’t want conflict before we have even opened.
With everyone’s booths set up, I smile at them and say, “I guess I’ll see you all on Monday.”
Everyone nods and one by one they say their farewells as they walk towards the door. JJ is the first to leave and I have a feeling he always will be the first out the door at the end of the day. I already don’t like him. This is nothing more than a job to him and I feel like he isn’t going to be a good fit. I want someone who’s passionate, who sees this as more than a job. I already regret hiring him.
Once everyone has left I sigh softly and resign myself to the fact I’m stuck with him for the next three months. I turn off the lights and grab my bag, heading for the door myself so I can go home and spend the remainder of my weekend binge watching trashy TV with Miko. My last spate of freedom before the real adventure and stress begins.
As I’m locking up someone bumps into me and apologizes, hurrying on his way. I shake my head at how rude he is and pick up my keys where they fell out my hands. I finish locking up and head to the bus stop. I’m so ready to just vegetate. I feel like the worst part is over and that everything from here on out is going to be smooth sailing. I remind myself why I’m doing this; I think of Jason and how he shattered my life into a million little pieces with one stupid action, one split decision that ruined our entire future together. I shake it off as I climb onto the bus. I can’t think of him. I can’t give him the power to tarnish this new start for me.
I won’t give him the power.
I have moved on.
Once home I order Chinese food to be delivered, enough for two days because I really want to spend the rest of the weekend on the sofa, and I swear the delivery boy looks like the same acne speckled boy that delivered the pizza yesterday. I give him a generous tip and head back inside, shutting the door after me.
I try my best not to think about the Grand Opening on Monday. I don’t want to work up nerves before the big day. I’ll talk myself into a flat panic if I do. Instead I vegetate as I promised myself I would, Miko curled up beside me.
After Bernadine left us, I couldn’t continue to work at the studio where we had spent our lives together. It’s been just over a month since she left us and I cannot stand to think about her, so I don’t want to be anywhere near where I shared precious moments with her, where we shared precious moments with her.
Heather is about to leave and I stop her, giving her a tight squeeze and a kiss on the forehead. “Enjoy school, baby,” I say and she smiles brightly, turning and leaving the house to go to the school bus that is waiting outside, loading children to the slaughter.
I hated school but I never tell Heather that, I want her to be better than me. I want her to excel in life. So when she asks I tell her how wonderful school was, even though it wasn’t. Just like I tell her how her mother is still wonderful, even though she isn’t.
Once she is off, I pack up my bag and get ready to go to work.
Work.
My first day at Positively Inked, the new tattoo studio in town. With so many of the others closing down, I know a lot of clients would look for somewhere to go and the studio was in a good part of town, easily accessible, and Lyra seemed okay to work for. I wasn’t sure if I liked her yet or not, but I would find out eventually and if it didn’t work out then my next plan was to take Heather across country and start my own shop on the coast.
I don’t particularly want to uproot Heather. She is settled here in school and in her routine, and if I don’t have to disrupt that I would be grateful, especially after Bernadine had tipped everything on its side by leaving me for someone she met on the Internet.
Nope, not going to think about her today.
Today was all about the ink.
I have a few sketches in mind that I want to design and maybe put up for auction. I could donate the funds to an animal rescue or something. It was a good way to get publicity for the studio. I suppose I should first run that past my new boss, and if she had any common sense she would agree with me.
I get on my bike and cycle towards the studio, enjoying the air rushing over my face as I work up a light sweat. This was the only time I had to exercise so I use it to its fullest.
As I round the corner to the studio I see a throng of people lined up outside and I smile. I recognize three of my own clients in the queue and I’m pleased that I’ll be busy today. It’s a good sign that on the first day we’re open I have at least three potential bookings.
The door is closed and I have to wait for the apprentice to open up for me. I don’t remember his name but I had better learn it, I’m going to be using him throughout the day and I have to know what to call him.
“Thanks…” I say pausing.
“Sheldon,” he finishes, holding out his hand.
I shake it and smile. “JJ,” I introduce myself. Before he can say anything else I walk past him and to the back room. I stow away my bag there, taking out my phone dock and phone and setting it up on my counter. I put my phone on the dock to charge and so I can play quiet music throughout the day. The other artists arrive in drip and drabs and glancing at my watch I realise that I was really early. I’m surprised that Sheldon had keys to get in.
Lyra walks in and thanks Sheldon for watching the place while she ran to the store, and I realise she must have opened up for Sheldon. That makes more sense to me anyway. Lyra should give Sheldon a set of keys though, we should all get a set of keys. I wonder if she’ll do that.
No sooner had I thought it that I saw Lyra separating keys on the reception counter. Clearly she has a brain and that’s always a positive sign. I sit at my booth and wait patiently, glancing at my watch periodically before asking, “So when is opening time? I see we already have a few clients outside.”
Lyra doesn’t look up from counting keys and says, “We open at nine sharp and I don’t want to open earlier than that because then people expect it all the time.”
