Page 42 of Getting Over You

You look good.

Thanks!

She replies, adding a kissy face Emoji.

Think you’ll get lucky?

She doesn’t respond immediately. When she does, it’s,

Oh, I know I will.

I’m not happy about the artist. I still think the painting is the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard because, seriously, who the fuck does that? It’s even worse knowing he did it just to get in her pants.

I waste too much time thinking about her. I get tired of my own bullshit after a while and decide to call Eddy. I am here, primarily, to focus on getting the tattoo shop started, after all.

“Yellow!” He picks up after one ring.

“Hey, man,” I say. “I made it down to Geddington Beach. I checked out that building.”

“Building?” Eddy says. A pause. Then, “Oh, yeah. The other shop. Sorry, kid. You get old, your brain is the first thing to go.”

“Man,” I say. “Are you high right now?”

“Shut your ugly mouth, boy,” Eddy grumbles. “No. I’m just tired. It’s hard work running a shop by myself because you decided to go on a little vacation.”

“A vacation to expand the business,” I point out.

“Sure it is. How’s that building look?”

I explain how much I love the space. He doesn’t sound one-hundred percent, and that makes me nervous. I want the shop. I want the shop bad. And running it entirely on my own would be badass.

After a long pause, Eddy says, “Let me think it over. If all goes to plan, we should be able to get this settled soon.”

I perk up. “Sounds good.”

“Take it easy, kid. Love you.”

Eddy doesn’t usually say that. The L word is reserved for my aunt, and even then, he usually says it in a tone that makes me think the woman keeps a gun pressed to his side.

“Yeah, yeah,” I say. “Talk soon.”

I’m feeling fucking fantastic after that call with Eddy, so I drive downtown to bug EJ at the coffee shop and get a beer at a bar afterward. EJ’s dealing with a rush of teenagers that all want something blended, so I head on to my next task: beer.

I can’t believe I’m getting my own shop. Things have been going well with Eddy, sure. I’m a quick learner, a good apprentice, and Eddy’s a great teacher. But damn, this is almost too good to be true.

And for some reason, I want to text Gigi and tell her. She’s a cool girl. Funny. We get each other. She busts my balls, she’s got nerve, and I can’t help but like that about her.

I order a beer. Drink it. I order another. Drink that.

Gigi would be excited for me. She’d say something sarcastic first, but she’d be excited.

I order another beer. Another. Another. I drink it. And the bartender cuts me off—what a bitch.

Then, I leave the bar to walk down to the boardwalk.

I’m telling the princess about the shop.Myprincess.

Chapter fifteen

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