were afraid the slightest contact with the owner of a den of iniquity might prove fatal. Theresa managed a smarmy smile. "Don't worry, hon," she said in a butter-wouldn't-melt-in-my-mouth drawl. "I don't have cooties or anything."
The horrified expression on the woman's face should have made her laugh, but she couldn't muster anything stronger than disgust. She shoved open the door to the shop and slammed it behind her.
"I ought to be able to swear out a warrant against those people for something," she grumbled as she stashed her purse behind the counter. "Harassment or stupidity or something."
Scott and Cherry scarcely noticed her. They were standing in the middle of the shop, a large music case between them. "It's about time you got here," Scott said. "I've been trying to tell Cherry she can't bring this thing in here."
"It's not a thing, it's a cello!" Cherry whirled to face Theresa. "I thought I could practice during slow spells. The customers might even like the music."
Scott's look was scornful. "This is a tattoo shop. Our customers like rock and roll. Not cello music."
"How do you know? Have you asked them?"
"Both of you, quiet!" Theresa squeezed her head between her hands, trying to drive out the headache already throbbing there. "Cherry, put the cello in the back. We'll decide later if you can play it or not."
Cherry stuck her tongue out at Scott, then lugged the case toward the back. Theresa turned to him. "I need you to close tonight," she said.
He shoved his hands in the pockets of his cargo shorts. "I was sort of planning on going out."
"You can go out after you close up here. There'll still be plenty of women in the bars."
"C'mon! You make it sound like I go around picking up anything in a skirt."
She arched one eyebrow. "You're the one who's always bragging about your conquests."
He glanced toward the back room. "Not so loud, okay?"
"You worried she'll think you're a tomcat?" Stud Boy's discomfort was too delicious not to savor, but she did lower her voice. "I thought you enjoyed that reputation." Especially since she suspected he exaggerated his conquests.
"You kidding?" He made a show of polishing his nails on his shirt front. "I know dudes who would kill for a rep like mine. But I don't want to scare her off by revealing too much too soon, you know?"
"So see, it will be good for you to stay in and work one night."
"Why can't you close tonight?" He followed her to the front counter and watched her log on to the computer.
"I'm going out." Actually her plans called for staying in with a certain cowboy, but Scott didn't need to know that.
"You mean you have a date?" He shook his head. "You never date."
She glared at him. "Just because I don't feel the need to announce the details of my social life to everyone who walks through the door doesn't mean I don't have one."
"You can't keep a secret like that. Not in a place like this." He shrugged. "Besides, everybody knows you don't date."
She gave him her best go-to-hell glare, a look that had reduced lesser men to stammering idiots. "Do I look like a nun to you?"
He held up both hands and took a step back. "I'm just saying..."
Cherry emerged from the back room and joined them. Today she was wearing ripped jeans and a tie-dyed tank top that showed off her tattoos and her not inconsiderable cleavage. Theresa almost felt sorry for Scott, who had trouble keeping his eyes off his new co-worker. "I got an appointment coming in at two and a class at four-thirty," she said.
Theresa nodded. "That should be okay. I'll be here until six or so. Scott's going to close."
"I can come back at seven and work till close." Cherry turned to Scott. "Friday night's liable to be busy, right?"
He slouched against the counter. "Nothing I can't handle."
"No, that's a good idea," Theresa said. "The two of you can watch each other's backs."
"Whatever." Scott's bored expression was entirely too studied. And the way his eyes kept darting to Cherry completely gave him
The horrified expression on the woman's face should have made her laugh, but she couldn't muster anything stronger than disgust. She shoved open the door to the shop and slammed it behind her.
"I ought to be able to swear out a warrant against those people for something," she grumbled as she stashed her purse behind the counter. "Harassment or stupidity or something."
Scott and Cherry scarcely noticed her. They were standing in the middle of the shop, a large music case between them. "It's about time you got here," Scott said. "I've been trying to tell Cherry she can't bring this thing in here."
"It's not a thing, it's a cello!" Cherry whirled to face Theresa. "I thought I could practice during slow spells. The customers might even like the music."
Scott's look was scornful. "This is a tattoo shop. Our customers like rock and roll. Not cello music."
"How do you know? Have you asked them?"
"Both of you, quiet!" Theresa squeezed her head between her hands, trying to drive out the headache already throbbing there. "Cherry, put the cello in the back. We'll decide later if you can play it or not."
Cherry stuck her tongue out at Scott, then lugged the case toward the back. Theresa turned to him. "I need you to close tonight," she said.
He shoved his hands in the pockets of his cargo shorts. "I was sort of planning on going out."
"You can go out after you close up here. There'll still be plenty of women in the bars."
"C'mon! You make it sound like I go around picking up anything in a skirt."
She arched one eyebrow. "You're the one who's always bragging about your conquests."
He glanced toward the back room. "Not so loud, okay?"
"You worried she'll think you're a tomcat?" Stud Boy's discomfort was too delicious not to savor, but she did lower her voice. "I thought you enjoyed that reputation." Especially since she suspected he exaggerated his conquests.
"You kidding?" He made a show of polishing his nails on his shirt front. "I know dudes who would kill for a rep like mine. But I don't want to scare her off by revealing too much too soon, you know?"
"So see, it will be good for you to stay in and work one night."
"Why can't you close tonight?" He followed her to the front counter and watched her log on to the computer.
"I'm going out." Actually her plans called for staying in with a certain cowboy, but Scott didn't need to know that.
"You mean you have a date?" He shook his head. "You never date."
She glared at him. "Just because I don't feel the need to announce the details of my social life to everyone who walks through the door doesn't mean I don't have one."
"You can't keep a secret like that. Not in a place like this." He shrugged. "Besides, everybody knows you don't date."
She gave him her best go-to-hell glare, a look that had reduced lesser men to stammering idiots. "Do I look like a nun to you?"
He held up both hands and took a step back. "I'm just saying..."
Cherry emerged from the back room and joined them. Today she was wearing ripped jeans and a tie-dyed tank top that showed off her tattoos and her not inconsiderable cleavage. Theresa almost felt sorry for Scott, who had trouble keeping his eyes off his new co-worker. "I got an appointment coming in at two and a class at four-thirty," she said.
Theresa nodded. "That should be okay. I'll be here until six or so. Scott's going to close."
"I can come back at seven and work till close." Cherry turned to Scott. "Friday night's liable to be busy, right?"
He slouched against the counter. "Nothing I can't handle."
"No, that's a good idea," Theresa said. "The two of you can watch each other's backs."
"Whatever." Scott's bored expression was entirely too studied. And the way his eyes kept darting to Cherry completely gave him
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