she said, settling at the table in the back room to eat her lunch.
He turned a chair around and straddled it. “That was obvious. How personal?”
“None of your business. Shouldn’t you be up front, in case anyone comes in?”
“We can hear the bells from here.” He rested his chin on his folded arms and studied her. “If you ask me, it’s about time you hooked up with somebody. I don’t think you were cut out to be a nun.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
He shrugged. “Just that ever since Zach left, you haven’t been in a very good mood. Getting laid might be just the thing to cheer you up.”
She glared at him. “Who asked you?”
He laughed. “Hey, it always works for me.”
“Some of us don’t get off on sleeping around like a stray dog, okay?”
He preened, running a hand through his spiky bleached-blond hair. “Can I help it if women find me irresistible?”
She took a long drink of Coke and shook her head. “Some women have no taste.”
“So tell me about this new employee you hired. Guy or gal?”
Grateful for the change in subject, she relaxed a little. “Female. She’s a music major at UT.”
“A musician who knows tattoos?” He grinned. “Does she play in a band?”
“I have no idea. Apparently her mom and dad have a shop in Denver. She grew up in the business.”
“I can’t wait to meet her. When does she start?”
“This afternoon.”
He started to get up, but she leaned forward and grabbed his arm, squeezing hard. “Scott?”
“What?” Worry lines stood out on his high forehead.
“No hitting on the help, okay?”
“Just a little flirting….”
“Not if she’s not interested in flirting back. That’s sexual harassment and it could get us both sued.”
She released him and he leaned back, rubbing his arm. “I won’t do anything stupid,” he said huffily. He shoved back the chair and left the room.
She contemplated her half-eaten sandwich. Of course Scott would do something stupid. He couldn’t help it. When a man’s hormones took over, his brain stopped working. Simple as that.
She was one to talk though. She’d just agreed to what was probably a stupid idea. A fun fling with a cowboy stud. It sounded good on the surface, but who knew where that kind of thing could lead? Hadn’t Zach and Jen’s relationship started the same way?
At least theirs had worked out okay. She didn’t have that kind of luck with men. For one thing, she wasn’t the soft, girlie-girl type they seemed to prefer. Even the biker dudes she’d spent time with had accused her of being too tough. The last guy she’d spent more than one night with had said she was too bossy. Which maybe was true, but he’d liked it enough in the beginning.
That was a man for you. Not consistent. When she’d been younger and more naïve, she hadn’t known that and it had gotten her into trouble. She wouldn’t make that mistake again.
The bell on the door sounded. She didn’t have an appointment until two, but maybe the customer was early. In any case, she’d lost her appetite for lunch. She wrapped up the rest of the sandwich and stashed it in the refrigerator, then went up front.
She found Scott talking with a petite girl with short red hair. She wore a long, flowing sundress and sandals, and had no visible piercings other than two studs in each ear. A sun-and-moon tattoo adorned her left shoulder.
“What’s your name?” Scott was asking when Theresa joined them.
“Cherry. Cherry Donovan.”
Scott’s eyes lit up. “Cherry. Nice name.”
She scowled at him. “No cracks about the name, okay?”
He held up both hands. His innocent expression wouldn’t have fooled his grandmother. “Hey, I didn’t say anything.”
Cherry glanced at Theresa and rolled her eyes. “You thought it. Men always do.”
Scott looked to Theresa for help. She held out her hand. “Hi, Cherry, good to see you again.”
“Hey, Theresa. I’m a little early, but my class this afternoon was canceled, so I thought I’d come on by and spend a little time getting to know the place.”
Cherry had a pretty smile and a vulnerable, elfin quality. Theresa felt like an Amazon. But the girl couldn’t very well help that she was short, could she? “We’re glad to have you here,” she said. “I see you’ve already met Scott.”
“So you’re the new part-timer?” He grinned and stuck out his hand. “I’m Scott.”
“That’s what she just said.” Cherry touched his hand briefly, then deftly moved away. Scott’s face fell.
Theresa turned her head, biting her lip to keep from laughing. So much for Mr. Suave’s chances with his new co-worker. Cherry was obviously less than impressed. “You pretty much saw everything when you interviewed, but I’ll refresh your memory,” Theresa said. She scooped up the cat that had been weaving around her boots. “This is Delilah. The other one, Mick, is around here somewhere.”
“I remember.” Cherry scratched underneath the cat’s chin. Delilah rewarded her with a rumbling purr. Theresa handed her the animal and led the way to the workbench and storage cabinets. “Over here is where we keep all the tattooing supplies.”
“I have my own machine,” Cherry said. “A graduation gift from my folks.”
Scott joined them. “I hear you’re a musician.” So much for thinking he was crushed. Theresa should have known better.
Cherry scarcely looked at him. “I’m a music major, yeah.”
“I used to play in a band myself.” He puffed out his chest.
Theresa figured if she bit down on the inside of her cheek any harder, she’d draw blood. Cherry gave him a scornful look. “I don’t play in a band. I perform with the school symphony. Cello.”
Scott looked so disappointed, Theresa almost felt sorry for him. Almost. “Evenings and weekends, when you’ll be working, are our prime time for walk-ins,” she said. “They’ll keep you busy until you get your own clients.” At least she hoped so. With the picketers refusing to give up, walk-in traffic had been slow lately.
“I can do piercings, too,” she offered.
“I usually handle the piercings,” Scott said.
Cherry
