My heart was already beating fast from my race to get to work. Cathy’s words sent my heart rate into overdrive. I was surprised they couldn’t hear it banging against my chest. “You… um…”
“Come on,” Leo picked up two to-go cups of coffee and tilted his head toward his usual corner booth.
I walked slowly but still managed to bang my messenger bag into a chair and nearly topple it over.
Leo turned, and I could tell he was suppressing a laugh. “Good thing I carried the coffee.”
Heat filled my cheeks. “I swear, I’m not…”
“Not what?” he asked as we settled into the booth.
How did he always manage to stay so collected? Nothing ruffled him. What would it take to make him—
No. I did not need to think about that.
He was waiting for an answer, relaxed, arm across the back of the booth, looking right at me.
Fuck.
“I’m not as incompetent as it seems.”
Leo gave me a lazy smile. “I don’t think you’re incompetent at all, just nervous, and maybe not suited to be a waiter.”
“Wait. Are you firing me? Did Cathy ask you to do it for her?”
“I’m offering you a job.”
“A job?” My mouth fell open.
“I need a new receptionist, and I thought you might be interested in the position.”
“But I…” I looked toward the counter, and Cathy gave me a thumbs up. Was she really okay with me leaving suddenly? Was I okay with it? How could I work for Leo and not drool over him all day, not to mention all the tattooed hotties that would be in and out of the shop?
“I talked to Cathy first,” Leo assured me. “I wouldn’t have asked you if she wasn’t okay with you leaving the café.”
I turned back to face him, but I wasn’t sure what to say.
“Would you like to hear more about my expectations?”
Would I ever! But the expectations I was thinking of were probably not the ones he meant. “Yes, please.” I clasped my hands in my lap to keep from fidgeting.
He pushed one of the coffee cups across the table. “This is for you. It’s a mocha with extra whip. Cathy said that was your favorite.”
“You bought me coffee?” Shit. I was staring at him like a desperate puppy. How could he possibly want to hire me after I’d made an idiot of myself in front of him so many times? He would probably change his mind since I was fucking up this interview… if that was what this was.
“I thought you’d need some caffeine to start your day.”
“I do. That is… Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. My receptionist left without notice, and it’s important to me to hire someone I can trust. I rent out the rooms at the back of my shop, and the people who use those rooms need to keep their business confidential. I also need someone who will be respectful to my clients.”
“I can do that. I know you haven’t seen me at my best, but I will work hard for you. I’ll do whatever you need.”
Something like heat flashed in Leo’s eyes. I replayed what I’d said and how it sounded. Either way, I meant it. I would do anything he asked of me.
“Are you interested in the job?”
“I… um… Why me?”
He smiled rather than being annoyed at my nervousness. If I couldn’t do any better than this in front of someone who made me nervous, it was a damn good thing I hadn’t continued with my parents’ plan to send me to law school.
“I trust Cathy, and she trusts you. And while I know I haven’t seen you at your best, I’m counting on the fact that you can answer phones, write down appointments, and go over consent forms with clients.”
“I can absolutely do that. I’m actually really good at organizing things.”
“Then feel free to use your talents at the shop. In my previous job, I got used to people organizing things for me, and I’m… a bit of a mess now.” Leo slid from the booth and stood, coffee in hand. “Follow me. I’ll show you around the shop and pull the employment papers for you to sign.”
“Now? I’m supposed to work a shift here.”
“I’ve already talked to Cathy about that. If you’re interested, come with me.”
“You seriously want me to just start working for you right now? I mean… that’s great, but I’ll probably need to know some more details, and—”
“I pay well. You’ll make more than you do here.”
“Oh. I wasn’t… I meant…”
He raised his brows. “I assume you do want to be paid.”
I imagined all the ways he could compensate me, but none of that deliciousness would pay my rent. “Yes. I just…”
“I don’t bite. You really don’t need to be nervous around me.”
I’d been hoping he did bite. In all the best places. “Are you sure? Cathy says you’re—” I clapped my hand over my mouth. “Forget I said that. Cathy hasn’t told me anything about you.”
“I certainly hope she hasn’t given all my secrets away.”
“I just think… I mean… You look kind of dangerous.”
“I am dangerous. Just not to you.”
If he knew the way I fantasized about him, he would know how wrong he was. I glanced back at Cathy, and she waved me toward the door, a huge smile on her face. I hoped she wasn’t so tired of having me work for her that she was throwing me to the lions or rather, lion, singular, though, I wasn’t sure I’d mind if he wanted to eat me.
We entered the tattoo shop, and I stared at the gorgeous images of vibrant, intricate tattoos Leo had on the walls. There were pictures that had been taken close-up and others that showed more of the person’s body. I’d never considered getting a tattoo—I was much too chicken—but even with my very basic knowledge, I could tell this was top-notch work.
“These are amazing.” I moved closer to a photograph of a woman’s back that was covered in rose vines. The colors were beautiful, pinks and yellows, and the roses were so realistic. “Did you do all these tattoos?”
Leo moved closer to me. “I did the one you’re looking at, but some were done by the other artists who work here.
Leo gave me a tour of the workstations and the offices at the back, which he’d told me he rented out, but he remained very mysterious about exactly who rented them or what they did. Did Cathy know? Was that part of what she hadn’t told me. Surely she wouldn’t have encouraged me to work for him if she knew Leo had some dark secret, right?
After the shop tour, he walked me through the details of using the complex—to me at least—appointment calendar. He explained that there would always be someone else in the shop with me, usually him and multiple artists. The shop was closed on Sundays and Mondays. My hours would be twelve to eight Tuesday through Saturday, but he could be flexible if I had an appointment or something that came up.
I stared at the tablet I’d be working from and worried about how long it would take me to figure out the appointment system and do things the way Leo wanted them done.
Did I really want to take this on? Could I work for Leo and look like I had more than one or two brain cells? I wasn’t the best waiter, but I liked Cathy, and I was comfortable at the café. At Devilish Ink, I’d have to meet a whole new lineup of clients, but with the higher pay, I might eventually be able to move out of the freezing cold, microscopic apartment I’d found. Maybe I could even start taking classes again if I figured out what I wanted to do.