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Theo
The biker stared athis chest in the mirror but didn’t say anything. I waited a full minute before I asked, “What do you think?”
A tear slipped down his weathered cheek. “It looks just like him.” He pressed his hands to his eyes and took a few stuttering breaths. “I can’t thank you enough,” he said once he had himself under control. “Now he can ride with me until the day I die.”
“You’re welcome,” I said. After I covered the new ink with a bandage, he reached into his wallet and shoved a hundred toward me. I shook my head. I never took tips for memorial tattoos. “Donate my tip to an animal shelter.”
For a second, he looked like he was going to cry again, then he pointed at me and said, “You’re good people, man. I’m telling everyone in my club to come to you.”
“I appreciate it. And again, I’m sorry for your loss.”
He nodded and sucked in a deep breath before heading out.
“Did you just give that guy a cat tattoo?” Max asked as the door shut behind the biker.
“Not just any cat. Mr. Snuggles. He liked to ride inside the guy’s leather jacket.”
Max shook his head. “Thank the Lord you took him. I don’t think I could have done that piece with a straight face.”
“Bullshit. You’d have cried. They had a beautiful relationship.”
“Yeah, probably,” Max said, running a hand through his thick gray hair. “I’ve been a softie since my girls were born.”
“It suits you,” I said, clapping him on the shoulder. “I better clean my station if I’m going to make class on time.”
“I’ll take care of it. There’s something we need to talk about. Have a seat,” he said, pointing to one of the chairs in the waiting area. He took the one across from me and started rubbing his beard. Then he put his hands on his knees and dropped his head. “This is hard.”
My heart started pounding. My boss was one of the calmest people I knew. Seeing him freaked out sent a surge of adrenaline through my veins. “Spit it out, Max, before you give me a panic attack.”
He looked me dead in the eyes and said, “I’m evicting you.”
I sat back in the chair, too stunned to speak. “Are you firing me?” I finally asked.
“Of course not. Damn it, I knew I should have brought Linda. I practiced the whole conversation with her this morning, but I’m already screwing up.”
The fact Max had rehearsed what to say with his wife meant I was as good as homeless. Linda was the only chance I had of convincing Max to change his mind.
Max took a couple breaths and all the tension seemed to leave his body, which pissed me off. I wished it was that simple to calm down when my mind turned against me.
“I’m proud of you, Theo.”
“Kicking me out of my home is an odd way of showing it,” I snapped.
Max held up his hands. “I get that you’re angry but let me explain before you rip into me.”
I crossed my arms over my chest and nodded.
“Like I was saying, I’m so proud of the man you’ve become. Not only are you the best artist to ever work at Marked, myself included, you’re one of the best people I’ve ever had the privilege to know.”
My throat tightened, and I looked up at the ceiling a moment. Max was without question the best person I knew, so hearing him say that about me felt surreal.
“You got dealt a crap hand,” Max continued.
I locked eyes with him and shook my head. “I deserved it.”
Max blew out a breath. “Yeah, that’s your problem. You still think you got a debt to pay. It’s why you’ve lived in that crappy apartment long after you could afford something decent.”
“I do have a debt. I’ll be paying it the rest of my life.”