Page 14 of Turning Tides
“Thanks.” Because what the fuck else did you say to something like that? “I’m glad,” I added, ignoring the way my skin tightened and the knot of awkward in my guts twisted.
“I have to get going, but can we exchange numbers? Even if we don’t do this again, I’d like to be friends.”
Shane pulled his phone out and handed it to me. I sent myself a message and handed his phone back.
He was endearing, adorable, the way he grinned and tucked his phone away. I could tell that he didn’t want me to leave, but he had shit to do, and I should have shit to do too. I had to get my life figured out so maybe one day I’d be worthy of a guy like him.
I grabbed my bag and let myself out, Shane following me down the stairs. I wanted to pause at the bottom and kiss him again, but I didn’t want to get worked up again. My arousal hadn’t vanished—it had abated now—but all it would take was a taste of him to ratchet up again.
I opened the back door and spilled out into the parking lot. Blinking at the bright sun, I didn’t see the kitchen door swing open, but I heard it… and Cyrus’s surprised voice say my name.
“Archer?”
Shane appeared at my back a moment later.
“Shane? What were you doing?”
Shit, fuck, crap, shit, fuck. What was I supposed to say? Nothing? Playing cards? I tripped and fell and my dick landed in your boss?
“I was showing Archer the upstairs. He needs a space for a shop and I need a renter,” Shane said so fucking smoothly that the words almost didn’t register.
Cyrus’s face lit up and I hated that it had been a lie because he looked thrilled down to his bones. “That’s a great idea. If you need help with rent—” Cyrus started, but I raised my hand, stopping him.
“Shane and I have a lot to talk about, so don’t get ahead of yourself.”
Cyrus made a zipper motion across his lips. “I won’t say a word,” he promised.
After shooting us another goofy grin, he ducked back into the kitchen and shut the door.
I turned to face Shane. “What the fuck was that?”
Chapter 7
Shane
Anger flared in Archer’sface. I’d expected it, but my cover-up had seemed like a good idea at the time. And the more I thought about it, the better I felt about it.
“Listen…” I reached up and gripped the back of my neck. “There are only two reasons why I’d have someone upstairs. And unless you want to come clean to your brother about what we were really doing up there, then the only thing I could say was that I wanted to rent the space to you.”
“But now he’s going to think I’ve got a plan worked out or some shit. I don’t have money to rent anything—that’s why I’m on his couch. That’s why I don’t have a fucking shop. My former business partner cleaned me out.”
Archer’s tone was sharp and desperate. Completely different from the man he’d been a few minutes ago. His confidence had faded and in its place was uncertainty. Fear. Panic.
“I can’t undo what he did, but maybe I can help in a more tangible way than blowing off steam.” I glanced around. The parking lot behind my bar wasn’t the best place for this conversation. “Did you want to come inside and talk in my office?”
“I want to shove my boot up your ass,” Archer snapped, but it lacked any seriousness. His shoulders slumped and he sighed. “But in lieu of violence, I should at least hear whatever insane scheme you’vecooked up in the past twenty-five seconds. Cyrus is bound to have no less than seventy questions later.”
Some of the fire had bled out of Archer, but I guessed it had less to do with his anger decreasing and more to do with him being too tired to argue. The way fatigue etched his features was hard to miss. I wasn’t smug enough to think fucking me had taken it all out of him, but it certainly hadn’t helped.
I ushered him in through the back and into my office. It wasn’t anything to write home about. I hadn’t decorated it beyond bringing in the essentials—a desk, comfortable furniture, and filing cabinets even though most things were digital now.
Archer collapsed into a chair and set his bag down by his feet. “So what’s your grand plan?”
“Exactly what I told Cyrus outside. I rent you the upstairs. It’s got a bedroom you can lock to keep the public out. A kitchen, a bathroom, and the living space could be set up for you to work in. Is it ideal? Probably not. Hell, I’ve never owned a tattoo shop. I don’t even know if it could work. I’ll also have to check with zoning and shit to see if we’re even allowed to have a business upstairs.” There were more moving parts to this than when I’d first blurted it out, but it wasn’t a bad plan. It would get Kieran off my back about renting the space. Even if I had to waive the rent for the first little while. It’s not like Kieran would know.
“Did you miss the part when I said I have no money?”
Disclosing my financial windfall wasn’t a thing I normally did, but I felt the situation called for it. “How much has Cyrus told you about me?”
