Page 63 of Snowed In with her Mountain Men
The scrawny boyfriend couldn’t let go fast enough. He took three rapid steps back, almost tripping over himself in the process.
“Let’s go, Audrey.”
My client’s two brunette brows knit into a single, caterpillar-looking thing.
“Wait, what? I thought he was doing the dragonfly! And the roses!”
I sighed again and shook my head. “Look outside. Have you seen the sky? This whole town’s about to be dumped on by more snow than you’ve ever seen in your life.”
“But—”
“Your tattoo is done for today,” I barked, definitively. “If you want, I can finish it next week.”
“Nextweek?”the girl whined. “Why do I have to wait until next week? I’m only in town until Thursday. What if I can’t—”
“Then someone else will do the roses, and the dragonfly. Or you can do without them. Or you can come back, preferably without this asshole.” I grunted in the direction of her dickheadboyfriend, then peeled my gloves off. “Personally, I don’t care what you do. Now pay me, and get the hell out.”
Lily and her client both chuckled over the hum of her tattoo gun. My clients shot them a dirty look, then ultimately fished out enough cash to settle the bill. I escorted them to the door; and locked it behind them. But not without looking up into the angry gray sky.
“You have the bedside manner of a grizzly bear,” laughed Lily, “anyone ever tell you that?”
The snow was worse. Much worse.
“A grizzly bear with a thorn stuck in its foot,” she continued. “You’re lucky Zack went home early. If he saw you talk to the customers that way, he would’ve shit.” She paused to wipe the piece she was finishing up, then laughed again. “So much for repeat business.”
“There is no repeat business in this town,” I grumbled. “Just tourists like that, or truckers passing though.”
Lily didn’t answer. She was back in her usual work trance, peering through her thick-rimmed glasses.
“You need to get on the road soon,” I warned. “Both of you.”
“We will.”
“I’m serious. Half an hour would be pushing it. Anything more than that, you’ll be snowed in here. And we both know the snacks in Zack’s office totally suck.”
She frowned and looked up. “I live here, remember? Think this is my first blizzard?”
I looked outside again as I grabbed my coat. “It’s your first blizzard likethis.”
I unlocked the door and stepped into the street, where I’d swear it was darker than just half a minute ago. It was no longer chilly, it was fucking freezing. The storm deadened all sound, even the howl of the wind.
“Damn.”
I debated hurrying to my truck, but crossed the road anyway. A single shop was still lit on the opposite storefront. I pushed inside, already blowing on my hands.
“Sorry, we’re closed!” a voice rang out from the back. “I was just about to change the sign over.”
“Even for me?”
A middle-aged woman with blue and pink hair poked her head out. She adjusted a pair of Cyndi Lauper style glasses and looked down her nose at me.
“Oh shit, Jaxon? You haven’tleftyet?”
“I was about to. Figured I’d grab a few things, first.”
Teri smiled and tossed me a box. I began loading it with Swiss Rolls, Coffee Cakes, Moon Pies, and all manner of terrible, sugar-laden snacks. In under a minute, I’d practically emptied her display. Teri wasn’t watching me though, she was staring out the window.
“This is a bad one, isn’t it?” she said warily.
