If her looks alone hadn’t been enough to convince me that she would get people in the door, her credentials were. It was her résumé and sassy, take-no-shit demeanor that sold Cora. Salem wasn’t just a pretty face, she had been tied to some of the most successful tattoo shops on the West Coast, and the shop she left in Vegas wasn’t just some hole in the wall, it was one of those big-deal chain shops that operated in a casino and was helmed by a famous Xtreme sports guy. In all actuality the stuff we were starting in D-town was small and totally new compared to where she came from, and I think Phil knew it. She also had a hand in designing and marketing her own clothing label, so really there was no way we couldn’t offer her the job.
The three of us walked out of the office Cora had commandeered and Rule handed baby R.J. back to her mom. The baby looked around the still-work-in-progress retail space and made a noise. I totally agreed with her. Expanding was a lot harder than I had initially thought and I couldn’t wait until it was all said and done.
The brunette was wandering around, taking stock, sizing things up, and I had to wonder why she was willing to come somewhere so different, somewhere that was just starting up, when obviously she could write her own ticket anywhere she wanted in the tattooing world. She turned and watched us approach, her dark eyes dancing.
“How did it go?”
Cora laughed and kissed Remy on the forehead. “At this point I’m ready to hire a stranger off the street. We are too busy, need the help, and the fact you can run circles around anyone else we’ve seen makes it a no-brainer. Plus this place could use another female in the mix.”
Salem’s bright red lips quirked up in a smile. She had a ruby-red Monroe piercing that lifted with her full lips. “I think it’s going to be a good time. The shop is beautiful. I think with a few little touches you are sitting on a gold mine up here in the clouds. There is a lot of opportunity sitting right at your fingertips.”
Cora rolled her eyes and jiggled the baby, who started to holler just a little bit. She was going to give her mom a run for her money in the loud and bossy department down the road.
“Trust me, the old carnival theme totally fits. These guys are all clowns and half the time it really is like being part of a sideshow.” I gave Cora a dirty look, but didn’t disagree with her statement.
I nodded at Salem and extended the offer. “As long as you’re okay with the pay and think you can handle working hand in hand with us, the job is yours. I think we’d be lucky to have you, and Phil thought you would be a perfect fit, so that matters to me. We’re a family, though, so be prepared to deal with the nonsense that comes with that.”
Rule grunted and reached out to shake her hand. “Welcome aboard. The crazy train is always looking for new passengers.” He bent and kissed the baby much like Cora had done, and straightened back up. “I gotta head home. Shaw’s been under the weather for the last few days. I need to check on her. She was green when I left.”
Cora looked up at him and lifted her eyebrow that had the pink crystal piercing in it.
“I don’t think there’s any stomach things going around. I pay attention now because of the baby.”
He lifted his shoulders and shrugged. “I dunno. She’s miserable, though.”
Cora looked speculative, but we were all interrupted by the thud of heavy boots on the stairs that led up from the shop floor. The only other person that had a key was Rowdy, so I wasn’t surprised when his blond pompadour cleared the second floor.
“Hey, Zeb called and had an awesome idea about putting old fun-house mirrors up here when we get around to having the store open. You know to tie everything together …”
His voice trailed off and his ocean-blue eyes popped open so wide they nearly took up his entire face. His jaw unhinged and all he could do was gape at the Spanish beauty standing with us. I looked back and forth between the two of them. She was smiling like a huge secret had been revealed and he looked like he had just seen a ghost.
Salem’s high heels tapped a sexy little beat as she walked toward the stairs. Rowdy was stuck, like he was glued to the spot with industrial adhesive. I saw Cora give Rule a questioning look, and when they both turned to me, all I could do was shrug helplessly. I didn’t have a clue what was happening either.
“Hello, Rowland. It’s been a long time.” She trailed her bloodred fingertip across the bridge of his nose. “You sure did grow up nice.”
Rowdy gulped so loud that it was actually audible and stayed stuck to the floor.
“Who in the hell is Rowland?” It was a valid question but no one seemed in a hurry to answer Rule when he asked it.
Salem stopped in front of Rowdy so they were eye to eye, only because she was clad in some serious heels and he was still down a step. She put a hand on his cheek and gave it a little tap, which had him rearing back and blinking like an owl.
“Salem?” The question sounded strangled and forced out. I had never seen Rowdy so dumbfounded. He was the charmer, the jokester. He always had something to say. What in the hell was happening here? And why did I think this was exactly what my dad had been orchestrating all along?
The brunette looked back over her shoulder, her sleek fall of hair moving like something out of a movie. She winked, actually winked at us, and started down the stairs.
“Strike that, it’s going to be a great time. See you guys at work on Monday. E-mail me whatever forms you need me to fill out.”
Her shoes clicked and tapped on the way down the stairs while the rest of us just stood there in silence. After a long minute, Rowdy shook his head like he was coming out of a daze and walked the rest of the way into the loft.
“Rowland?” He glared at me.
“Like you have room to talk, Nashville.”
Good point, but I was still going to give him shit every chance I got.
Cora’s mix-and-match eyes were practically glowing as she shifted the baby to one arm and grabbed Rowdy’s shirtfront with her free hand.
“Is that her? Is that the one?”
I didn’t know what “the one” meant, but when Rowdy shook his head in the negative, Cora looked super disappointed.
“No, not her … but that is her sister.”
Cora gasped and Rule and I just looked at each other in confusion.
“Someone want to fill us in?”
Rowdy sighed and lifted a hand to rub the back of his neck.
“When I was in foster care growing up in Texas, Salem and her little sister, Poppy, lived next door. Their dad was the minister in the town that we lived in. He was really, really strict with both the girls. They were very different, turned out opposite. Salem got out as soon as she could and Poppy broke my heart when I tried to give it to her. What in the hell is she doing here?”