AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Racing out of the kitchen, I could feel the smile stretching across my face, any thought of playing it cool completely gone as I practically ran back out to the lobby, only to pull up short when I noticed that the man who was standing at the desk was absolutely not Asher Dunn.
This man was also tall, but blond, his straw-colored hair only serving to remind me of the night Asher and I had spent in the hayloft, and I swallowed heavily at the memory of his hands on my skin as we laid together in the barn.
“Uh... can I help you?” I asked, stunned by the strength of my memories.
“You the artist?” he asked, and I nodded dumbly, reeling at the amount of disappointment that was flooding my veins. “I’m looking to get a piece done, and I was hoping to book a time.”
I nodded again, my feet finally moving as I marched numbly over to the desk and wiggled the mouse, waking up the computer and staring at the software.
“I’m Ricki,” I said, holding out my hand for him to shake. I had read a while ago that if a woman behaved in a way that a man would expect from another man, they were more likely to respect you. So, I always made sure that I was the first to extend my hand when I was greeting someone, just to let them know I meant business.
“Zachary Hawthorn,” he responded, shaking firmly. “You can call me Zach.”
“Was there a time you had in mind?” I prompted, knowing that I was completely fucking wide open, but not wanting to seem desperate. “If it’s something small, I can probably get it done today.”
“Actually, I have an idea for a half sleeve, so I will probably need a few sessions.” I smiled at that, already anticipating how awesome it would be to finally lay down some serious ink in my new place. “I was here on Halloween, actually, and really liked the vibe of the place. I checked out your pieces when I was looking around that night,” he went on, indicating the framed art that Violet and I had selected and hung up around the shop. “I knew as soon as I saw them that this was where I wanted to get my ink done. It’s really great to see a place like this in the neighborhood.”
I nodded, still looking at the blank calendar on my computer.
“Thanks. I hope to get that same reception from the rest of the neighborhood.” Even as I said it, I knew it was already happening. The party on Halloween had been a roaring success, in part to the incredible food put out bySmoke and Ashes, but also here, at my shop. People had come in and out for most of the night, admiring the place and my art. I’d done a few flash pieces, things that were quick and small, but that the clients had been really excited to get. My chest burned with the feeling of satisfaction, for a moment drowning out the melancholy that I had been wallowing in for the last day and a half.
“I’ll need a few days to work up a sketch, then,” I said, looking back at Zach.
“Anytime is good, really,” he went on easily. “I work just down the street, so I’m flexible.” Clicking the mouse randomly in an attempt to look like I was doing something, I tried to pay attention as the man pulled out his phone to presumably check his own schedule. “My shifts at the fire hall rotate pretty regularly, so we can probably find a time fairly quickly.”
Once we’d settled on a date, I asked him what he was looking for, jotting down his ideas about how to incorporate his current work as a firefighter with his previous time in the army. Zach wanted to represent both halves of his life, past and present.
That idea really resonated with me, if I was being honest with myself.
I had spent the last five years trying to erase my past; to get rid of the parts of my life I didn’t like and carve an entirely new life out of the present I had found myself in.
But, maybe it wasn’t as hard as all that. Maybe the key to moving forward came from embracing my past, understanding that while it may not have been the kind of childhood someone dreamed of, it was the kind that forged me into a person with tenacity and determination. What I had gone through didn’t break me; it strengthened me, and I needed to start remembering that.
Because true strength wasn’t rigid and unbending, it was flexible and changeable. Adapting to situations as they came, not resisting to the point of fracture. It was why I had done my first tattoo, the butterfly on my ankle. Change could be scary, but it was often beautiful.
I had simply forgotten that along the way.
Shaking off my sudden epiphany, I finished up with Zach, showing Tillie everything I was doing as I did it. If the girl really was going to work here, she might as well start today. Leaving her at the desk again to cover the phone—which still had yet to ring—I was heading back to the staff room when the bell over the door jingled again.
“Hey, Ricki,” Easton said as he strolled into the shop, a frown on his face. “Have you talked to Asher lately?”
“No,” I replied, shaking my head. “Not since Halloween.”
I didn’t elaborate, and he didn’t ask, just huffed out a frustrated breath, hands on his hips as he stood there, deep in thought.
“I haven’t seen him since that night either,” Easton informed me, and my stomach sank. “He never came into the restaurant yesterday and he’s not answering his phone. I thought he might be with you.”
I shook my head again, wondering how badly I’d upset Asher if he wasn’t just ignoring me, but his best friend as well.
“I don’t know where he is. He left my place after midnight.” I pressed my lips together, debating what to say to Easton, but decided to just go for it. “He was pretty pissed at me at the time.”
“What do you mean, pissed?”
I sighed, trudging over to the couch and flopping down on it. Easton followed but didn’t sit, his agitation clear.
“We had a fight. Something happened, and he wanted me to leave, to go with him to his house, where it was safer. So of course I got my back up about it, and next thing I know, we’re practically screaming at each other. I said some shit I didn’t mean, and then he stormed out.” Letting out a breath, I looked up to see Easton staring down at me in confusion. “I haven’t talked to him since.”
“What happened?”
