Page 32 of Save Me

“Okay, that’s it. I’m hanging up. I’ve got things to do.”

“Fine. I’ll see you Wednesday morning at the coffee shop,” Ivy said cheerily, and before Ryleigh could respond, she said, “Bye!” and was gone.

“I hate when she gets the last word,” she muttered tossing her phone aside. It was barely lunchtime and she had some finishing touches to put on a website design for Flowers on the Bay, the local florist. She was feeling very pleased with what she had created and as soon as she did a few tweaks, she could stop and make herself a little something to eat.

Sitting back down in front of her computer, Ryleigh scrolled through the page and clicked on different options to test them and then decided on a few fun decorative touches, like using a tiny bouquet as the cursor.

“So cute…”

Next, she uploaded the last of the photos and placed the contact information at the bottom of the page before sending the link to her client for approval.

“And…done!” Smiling, she was about to get up when she saw a notification from her own website for someone looking for her design services.

Dear Ms. Donovan, I am opening a tattoo parlor and looking for a unique website design. I’d like to stay away from the typical and focus more on my portfolio rather than my name.

“Hmm…that’s either bold or incredibly risky,” she murmured before reading on.

I want something very clean and modern. I’d prefer to stay away from a lot of black and red. I’m not looking for something that can be found on any other artist’s page, I want something that is distinctly mine.

“Um…yeah. I’m getting that, dude.”

It’s probably best for me to state up front that I am very demanding and won’t know exactly what I’m looking for until I see it. If that requires dozens of design pitches, I’m fine with that. Do you charge by the hour? The design? You’ve come highly recommended and I’ve been told that you’re the best at what you do.

And I most definitely demand the best for my business.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely, R. Moretti

Frowning at the screen, Ryleigh read over the request form another three times before she forced herself to stand and walk away.

Or…pace.

“Tattoos? Really?” It wasn’t that she was opposed to them, but…she’d never worked with that kind of business before and now she was going to have to do a ton of research to see what other artists’ sites are like before responding to R. Moretti. “And whose first name is just an initial, huh?”

Not that it mattered.

Although…it would be nice to know if she was dealing with a Mr. R. Moretti or a Ms. R. Moretti.

“Guess I can Google that and find out for myself.” Typing the name in and adding “tattoo artist,” Ryleigh sat back and waited for the results.

No search results found.

“Huh…that’s new.” She searched Moretti tattoo, Moretti tattoo parlor, Moretti tattoo artist and still nothing came up. It was completely bizarre because even if there wasn’t an exact match, Google usually threw her a bone with at least some kind of result.

Closing the laptop, she decided it was a problem for after lunch. Right now, she was hungry and there was a turkey club with extra bacon on the menu. Granted, it wasn’t as good as the ones they made at the pub, but she could make it pretty darn close.

She put the brioche bread in the toaster and a couple of slices of pre-cooked bacon in the microwave before pulling out a bag of baked barbecue chips to have on the side. Once the toast was done, she added a slice of pepper jack cheese, piled on lots of turkey, and then the lettuce and tomato before adding the bacon and mayo. Standing back, she was definitely pleased with her creation.

Picking up the plate, she walked over to the kitchen island, sat down with her phone, and decided to scroll through the news. But before she could do that or even take a bit of her sandwich, the phone rang and she smiled when she saw Arianna’s name come up. They had talked last night, but not for long. Apparently, Will was giving her a foot massage, and after being forced to listen to several sex noises, Ryleigh said a quick goodbye.

Grinning, she swiped the screen. “If Will’s hands are anywhere near you, I’m hanging up immediately.”

Laughing, her sister said, “You’re safe. Sorry to traumatize you last night. I’m at work and on my lunch break. Any chance you’re free to talk?”

“Funny you should ask, because I just sat down with a sandwich.”

“So I had an idea and want you to promise me you’ll think about it and not immediately shoot me down.”

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