Page 2 of Covert
Most of the places I’ve worked were less... reputable. Strip clubs, seedy bars, seedy diners, seedy tattoo parlors. You get the idea. Seedy.
I don't mind seedy. I do mind the type of people who tend to be drawn to seedy establishments. I like my quiet little life as a "volunteer" librarian. It's simple, quiet, and on a Friday night shift, I can maybe go the entire six hours without seeing another human being. Glorious.
"Nikki's the sweetest, smartest, best person I know. You're going to love her."
Maddox narrows his eyes at Leana, and I square my shoulders back, ready to defend my friend.
"We don't need sweet; we don't need love. We don't need Girl Scout cookies." He lifts the corner of his lip in a sneer. Heat crawls up my neck in embarrassment.
This isn't going well. Should I have dressed edgier? More like I belonged? What's the saying? Dress for the job you want? Well, I certainly failed in that regard. "Our clientele are hookers and bikers. Drunks and potheads. She needs to learn her shit, work hard, and have thick skin."
I bristle at the fact that he's already assuming things about me by my appearance, but I'm not going to interrupt and piss off my new boss.
"She can handle it. You'll see."
I would worry that I won't get the job, but Leana's already assured me it's mine. Now getting fired? That's still up in the air.
With her arm still around my shoulder, Leana brings me back up to the front.
"Don't worry about him. He's always grouchy. Plus, he told me to hire a replacement, and I picked you."
This gives me a little more reassurance. At least I know I'm not getting fired today. And maybe I don't have to take Maddox's reaction to me personally. If he's always grouchy, was he ever going to respond differently? Probably not. I may make some changes to my wardrobe, though.
Leana spends the next hour walking me through what the position entails. She shows me three photo albums of past work, both drawings and final ink. The albums each correspond with one of the boys.
Axel's work is colorful and artistic, with watercolors and plants, and animals. They are stunning, mystical, fantastical. Maddox's work is darker, the colors are more muted, and large landscapes, full of dark characters, and tribal work. Beckett's style is more geometric designs, abstract images, and different types of scripting. I wonder briefly ifI'm getting a brief glimpse of each man through their differing tattooing styles.
"You'll be in charge of fielding phone calls, scheduling the guys, payments, and their social media accounts."
I blanch. My stomach swoops low in dread.
"I... I don't do social media... I have no experience..."
She's already shaking her head at me.
"Don't worry about it. Most of the business comes from word of mouth. Having a social media presence just gives a professional vibe. You literally can't screw it up."
I take the offered iPad, already logged into their Meta and TikTok accounts for the store. As long as they're not expecting me to know what I'm doing, I can learn.
I don't have time to dwell on that, however, as Leana shows me how to use the Point-of-Sale system, their scheduling software, ordering supplies, as well as the after-care instructions they provide to all clients.
"And whenever you're between clients, you can read or draw or do whatever you want. There's a lot of downtime between clients, just waiting for calls."
I give a pained chuckle. "So, getting paid to read? Sounds like my dream job."
She pats my shoulder. She knows some of my situation, but has an intuition on when not to push people, so she doesn't know everything.
"You'll love it here. Just give it some time."
I nod.
It seems pretty straightforward. I can feel the nerves dancing in the pit of my stomach every time I face a change or something new. I likeroutine. I crave the safety of the familiar. However, I know I can do this job despite feeling nervous.
I'd have to.
Chapter two
Maddox
