Page 10 of Challenged By the Ex-Military Tattoo Artist

Message received. This game of ours is only just getting started.

The shrill ringing of Maria's phone cuts through the lingering tension. She shoots me an apologetic look before fishing it out of her pocket.

"Excuse me," she mouths, turning away slightly as she answers. "Hello? Oh, hey Alice..."

I busy myself with rearranging a few toolboxes, trying not to eavesdrop despite my curiosity. From the corner of my eye, I catch glimpses of Maria's shifting expressions - browsfurrowing, lips pressing into a tight line, hand raking through her hair.

Eventually, the call wraps up with a weary, "Thanks, I'll keep you posted," before she disconnects.

Sensing her distracted mood, I straighten and clear my throat.

"Everything okay over there?"

Maria's head snaps up, temporarily caught off guard. But then she visibly composes herself with a small shake.

"What? Yes, sorry, that was just my friend and accountant calling about some..." She trails off, worrying her lower lip briefly. "Well, some financial concerns regarding the shop's numbers lately."

My brow furrows in surprise, "Anything serious I should know about? As your new tenant, I mean."

To my relief, she waves a dismissive hand.

"No, no, nothing like that. Alice's just being overly cautious as usual." A wry smile tugs at her lips. "Says landing a new renter like yourself might be exactly what I needed to stop stressing over the bottom line."

I relax at her reassurance, smirking a little.

"Well, I do aim to be a model tenant. Pay on time, no wild ragers or destruction of property."

Her eyes sparkle with amusement, "I'll hold you to that, mister. Though somehow I suspect your idea of a 'wild rager' might be slightly different from the norm."

There's that suggestive lilt again, that spark of playful challenge I'm rapidly becoming addicted to. Against my better judgement, I can't resist rising to meet it.

"You wound me, Maria," I lament, placing a hand over my heart dramatically. "I'm a total boy scout, I swear. Nothing but well-behaved fun allowed here."

She snorts indelicately at that, crossing her arms in playful disbelief.

"Oh, I sincerely doubt that's the case. In fact, I'd wager your definition of 'fun' is delightfully misbehaved."

Chapter 5 - Maria

I can feel the heat rising in my cheeks as Max's eyes hold mine, that teasing glint still firmly in place. He opens his mouth to respond, but before he can, the bell above the shop door jingles, signaling a new customer.

I offer Max an apologetic smile and hold up a finger, "Hold that thought."

Turning, I greet the elderly woman who's just entered, recognizing her as a regular.

"Good morning, Mrs. Flores. How can I help you today?"

"Ah, Maria, my dear," she says warmly, shuffling over to the counter. "I just need a few more skeins of that lovely blue yarn, if you don't mind."

"Of course, not at all." I retrieve the requested items, carefully winding them into a neat bundle.

As I ring her up, I catch sight of Max out of the corner of my eye, leaning casually against the counter and observing our interaction.

Mrs. Flores glances his way, eyes twinkling with amusement.

"And who's this handsome young man, hmm? A new helper around the shop?"

I feel the flush in my cheeks deepen.

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