Page 34 of Tony

“Right.”

“Second, you’ve been stringing me along for years, Vic. I can count the number of actual tattoos I’ve done here at this shop on my fingers and toes. And suddenly you want me to help you with a client? Why?”

“I’m not stringing you along. When you first got here the old man was still working. There are only four studios, Belinda. It’s a numbers game. Then the old man left, Vann got his studio, and still there are only so many to go around. Vinn and Vonn shared a studio for years. They’re not going to do it again. But… if you can find your own clients, and do some walk-ins, I’ll let you use my studio on my days off.”

I squint at him. “Because I have promise.”

“Because you have talent. I’ve seen your sketches. And I’m not going to beg, OK? Do you have any idea how many applications I get a day for artists looking to do an apprenticeship? A lot. A dozen, at least. This isn’t pity, this isn’t me being nice. This is practical. This is business. Now do you want to fucking help me tonight or not?”

I don’t want to smile. I really wish I could stop the smile. I even try biting my lip to make it go away.

But there is no hope of that at all.

I legit grin from ear to ear.

And then I giggle.

“I’ll take that as a yes?”

I nod. “OK.”

“Great. Now get your fucking ass out of the bathroom and help me.” He opens the door. It swings wide too fast, banging against the wall. He steps out, passes Vann, who hovers near the table where Vinn and Vonn are now eating their meatballs.

“Belinda!” Vann says.

Vic turns on him. Points his finger in his little brother’s face. “Shut the fuck up, Vann. No one wants to hear your pathetic excuses.”

Then he looks at me and nods his head towards the door.

I walk down the hallway.

And massive, tatted-up Vic Vaughn follows me like he’s my brand-new bodyguard.

CHAPTER NINE - TONY

I stick my hands in my pockets as I make my way back up the alley to College Avenue. I don’t smile. Not outwardly, anyway. But I can’t help but feel satisfied that I got what I came for and now I can go home.

It wasn’t an amazing fuck, as far as fucks go. But my goal has been met. And, for the moment, at least, I’m content.

Soshee is still inside the shop and I don’t want to go home without talking with her, so I linger in the alley between Anna Ameci’s and a candle shop and wait for her to appear.

It doesn’t take long. And I wonder if she had as much luck with Vann as I did with Belinda.

She crosses the street, heading towards the theater coffee shop, but then spies me in the alley and heads my way, grinning.

“I take it you got lucky,” I call to her once she’s close enough to hear.

She runs to me, eyes bright and mouth smiling. She grabs the sleeve of my jacket and spins me around with her. “Oh, my God!” she yells. “I cannot believe that just happened!”

“What? What happened?” She’s practically jumping up and down and her happiness is contagious, so I get caught up in her excitement.

She calms down a little and steps closer to me, still clutching my jacket. She looks over her shoulder with a gleam in her eye, then up at me. “He fucked me.”

“Damn, girl. You have skills.”

She giggles. “Right in his studio. And the best part? Oh, my God. The best part is that Belinda caught us.”

“What?”