Page 122 of So Wild

“USP?”

“Unique selling point, what’ll get the judges interested in you and, more importantly, what’ll get the viewers interested in you.”

“You mean like…my ability to tattoo well?”

The short man laughed. “You’ll want to do better than that. You want a story, something that’ll get people invested in your progress and remember your name.”

Sam thought of those cooking shows where every performance was preceded by a fifteen minute soap opera about a contestant’s dead grandma or painful struggle with foot boils. “Yeah, look I think I’ll just stick to trying to tattoo well.”

“Whatever suits,” the short man said with a glance that said he was mentally crossing her off the ‘potential winners’ list. Sam’s stomach gave a hard pang, but she still knew she couldn’t tell the camera people about her broken heart or abandonment issues, and she was praying no one would bring up yesterday’s fire.

“One last thing. We’ll be announcing the theme of the comp on-stage in…” He checked his watch. “One hour, but for PR’s sake we like to give contestants a head start. If you reveal the theme to anyone outside of your table crew, you’ll be sued according to the application packet you signed.”

“Okay, noted. What’s the theme?”

“Angels and demons. And we expect elements of heavenandhell to be represented in the tattoo.”

God, another biblical theme. Kelly would be pleased though, it would go well with the Adam and Eve motif on her thigh. She could always do some wings down Kelly’s back. A little basic, but if she could get them to curve in with her spine, she could—

“Now, there’s to be no sketching or attempts to map out your design until we’ve officially announced the theme,” the short man said. “You don’t have to try to look surprised but it doesn’t hurt. Check your equipment, take some deep breaths and remember, whenever the interviewer comes around, we expect you to talk, talk, talk. This is going on Netflix to be seen by hundreds of thousands of people worldwide. Remember that and put your best self forward. And reconsider establishing a USP.”

“Will do,” Sam lied. She had enough on her mind without trying to come across as some kind of quirky loveable doof.

She returned to the main area looking for Noah and Nicole. They were easy to find among the heavily tattooed crowd—a mountain and a woman who looked ready to deliver a TED Talk. They’d set up at one of the competitors tables and Noah was opening the small banner she used whenever she did competitions. Nix was placing a small collection of Silver Daughters Ink business cards on the table so passersby could pick them up. Sam couldn’t help noticing other artists had full color books, A4 prints of their work and multiple assistants that looked like they weren’t directly related to the tattoo artists. She licked her lips as her nerves spiked higher. Why hadn’t she gotten merch printed?

Because we don’t have any money.Don’t worry about it. Merch doesn’t mean you’ll win.

She approached her table. “Hey guys.”

Noah and Nicole stopped what they were doing and moved over to her.

“What’d they brief you on?” Nicole asked.

“The importance of talking to the interviewers mostly. Apparently if you don’t talk to them, you’re pretty much disqualified.”

“You’ll have to talk to them heaps then,” Nicole said, lowering her voice. “Did they tell you the theme? I heard another assistant say they’d gotten the theme already.”

Figuring the cat was already out of the bag, Sam leaned in close. “Yeah, they told me. It’s angels and demons, incorporating elements of both.”

Noah nodded. “What are you thinking?”

“I dunno, a fallen angel thing?”

“That’s a bit of a…”

“Cliché? Yeah I was thinking that. I need something else.” She racked her brain but nothing came up except disjointed wings and demon horns. She needed to look at Kelly, at the place where she’d be tattooing. Whenever she was stuck, she always found inspiration in her living canvas, drawing on aspects of the individual to create something unique. She looked around but couldn’t see blue hair or Kelly’s statuesque figure. “Where’s Tabby and Kel? It’s half an hour until the theme’s announced.”

Nicole pulled out her phone. “I’ll call her, call them both.”

Her twin rushed away and Sam sat down. With nothing to do, her mind instantly jumped to Scott. She scanned the crowd for a tall, sandy-haired Englishman, knowing he wouldn’t be here but hoping all the same.

Nicole returned in a whirl of black hair. “I can’t get ahold of Kelly or Tabby, but we’re running on schedule and there isno need to panic.”

“You say that, but your expression and general aura is making me think there is.”

“Thereisn’t,” Nicole said fiercely. “There is. No. Need. To. Panic. We have plenty of time. I am not worried about this at all!”

“Uh…?”

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