tired.”
“Okay, okay. I just got a call from Devin O’Leary’s manager. He’s a fucking rock star, man; he’s huge. He and his band are playing a show here on Sunday, but they’re rolling into town tomorrow and they want some ink done.”
My gut bottomed out. I didn’t know who the fuck this Devin O’Leary was, but given the exuberance in Gus’s tone, I had a feeling this was a major opportunity. “Well, holy shit,” I uttered on an exhale.
“Yeah. And guess who they requested?”
“Jesus, fuck,” I wiped a hand over my mouth as Audrey sat up and wrapped her arms around my shoulders. Curiosity blanketed her stare as I asked, “How many of them are there?”
“Five guys in the band, but only four want ink.”
“That doesn’t exactly lighten my load here,” I said, thinking about it now in a more realistic light. “How the hell can I design four tattoos and get them done in less than twenty-four hours?”
“Well, that’s the best part,” Gus went on. “They’re giving you free reign. They want you to decide whatever you want, could be flash, could be shit you already have buried somewhere in all your diaries, I don’t know. Whatever you wanna do, man, it’s up to you.”
“I’m not sure that’s supposed to make me feel better,” I laughed sardonically.
“Blake, really, if you think it’s too much, I won’t tell you to do it. But I just want you to realize how big this is for your career.”
I smiled and nodded adamantly. “Yeah. Yeah, man, I’ll be there.”
“Fuck, yeah,” Gus replied. “I’ll see you bright and early.”
I hung up the phone and told Audrey what had happened. Her jaw dropped at the mention of Devin O’Leary’s name and she’d asked in teeny-bopper fashion if she could meet him. Mild jealousy bloomed in my gut as I laughed and told her I didn’t see why not, and she proceeded to bounce excitedly on the bed.
We made love in a way that felt like art. Delicate, meticulous strokes, gentle swoops of hips and brushes of hands. A painting, playing out only in my mind, vivid and bright with every color of the rainbow. We collapsed on our canvas and twisted in the aftereffects, sighing and drifting toward a dream I hoped she’d be in. And all I could think was, this was a good day.
Chapter Thirty
SATURDAY MORNING and Salem Skin could only be described as a madhouse. Even at seven o’clock, a mob had already formed around the front entrance. Excited onlookers crowded around the two tour busses, parked on the street without any effort for discretion. Instantly overwhelmed, I parked the car and took in a trembling breath, gripping the steering wheel with my white-knuckled hands.
This is what I wanted, I told myself. I wanted change, and I wanted to be better. I wanted to live a healthier, happier, and more successful life, for myself and my brother, and now, I was doing it for Audrey and Freddy as well. This—the celebrity clients, the thriving crowd, the attention—this was the consequence of that, of trying, of making an effort and putting myself out there.
“This is crazy,” I muttered.
Audrey had schooled me on who Devin O’Leary was while I scrambled to get ready for work. She’d played a few of his songs for me—not my thing, but it was clear the guy was talented—and I’d quickly learned enough about him to get a grasp on what to do for him. I’d have to play it by ear for the other guys, so to speak, but according to Audrey, Devin seemed like the guy to impress.
Audrey had stayed back at my place, to help Jake get ready for his weekend at our parents’ place and she was dropping him off before taking Freddy to his dad’s. Then, finally, she’d be here. I wished she was here now.
With a deep breath, I got out of the car and approached the back entrance of the shop. Gus threw the door open before I could reach its handle and stared at me with a reasonable dose of shock.
“Damn, kid, look at what you’re doing to us!” He clapped a hand against my back and went straight to business. “I already took the liberty of cleaning up your space. I’ll let them in while you get your shit set-up, okay?”
“Anybody else coming in today?” I asked, walking through the breakroom to my station.
“Kara and Matt, yeah, but not until later. Why? You think you’re gonna need them? I’ll tell