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Even when clients talked through their sessions either out of nervousness or boredom, I managed to keep up that trance-like state anyway. It was usually my best thinking time, and when holding conversations came the most naturally to me.
I had only just finished the linework when the front door opened, and Joey came strolling in, hair mused like he had just woken up not long prior.
The smell of fresh coffee accompanied him, and he placed one of the two cups in his hand nearby. “That one’s for you, Mr. Entrepreneur.”
“Thanks,” I murmured, glancing at him with a slightly confused expression. “I see you’ve found River’s coffee shop without any problems.”
“I’ll hand it to her; her brew actually has a leg to stand on compared to the coffee shops in the city. She knows her stuff,” he said, holding his cup like it was full of liquid gold. “I’ve gone two mornings in a row now, and I’m sure that streak will continue.”
“Knowing you, that’s for certain.”
“Apparently, you’ve had a lot of coverage in the paper lately. Must be good for business,” He commented, absently looking at the premade stencils I had nearby.
“There was an introductory article with a follow-up from just the other day,” I said, carefully watching the needle while I worked.
“It sounds like a third is on the way.”
I furrowed my brows without looking away from the tattoo. “What do you mean?”
“A reporter asked me a few questions about your time in the city.”
I pulled away from the client’s skin as I tensed, not liking what that implied. Giving them a forced look of support, I murmured, “Mind if we take a bit of a break?”
The shifter nodded and relaxed back in his seat.
“Thanks,” I added, putting my tools down before I gestured for Joey to follow me into the other room.
“Who was the reporter?” I asked through grit teeth, afraid that my worst nightmare was about to come true.
“She said her name was Cora or something.”
My stomach dropped. That wasn’t good. Surely, two articles were enough. There was no need for a third.
“What the hell did you tell her?”
He put his hands up in defense of himself. “I made a few comments to boost you since she claimed she wanted to know more about you to make you look better to the locals. But I swear I didn’t say anything that might give you away. I was being careful.”
That irritation flared within me since Joey couldn’t keep his mouth shut and because of Cora’s prying.
I didn’t want anyone digging into my business or the things I had done in the past. I wasn’t proud of it, and I didn’t want it to reflect poorly on my reputation now.
I put everything I had into the new business, and I was determined to see its success. And by keeping my secrets under wraps, I was keeping everyone else safe. The less everyone else knew, the better.
Gritting my teeth, I tried not to lash out at Joey.
“That’s the opposite of what she’s doing, and I know it,” I muttered, running a hand through my hair. “I can’t trust her.”
He looked concerned. “Why do you say that?”
I took in a deep breath. “Because we hooked up not long ago, and things didn’t end well between us. She must still be bitter about how I let her down.”
Joey seemed to realize himself then as he went quiet, looking pensive as he considered my words. He cursed under his breath, then met my gaze again, expression determined. “I shouldn’t have said anything, but I didn’t know.”
“I know,” I managed, forcing down that frustration. “There was no way for you to be aware of it. I didn’t think she’d take it this far.”
Grappling for any silver lining, he continued, “I never gave anything about the triplets away. I doubt she knows anything about them. They keep things low-key.”
The triplets hadn’t even crossed my mind until then. Pinching the bridge of my nose, I sighed. “You shouldn’t have said anything. She’s a journalist. Of course she’s going to dig into whatever she can. I’m lucky if she hasn’t figured out their front yet.”
