Eye of the Hurricane

Chapter 8 - Sage

I would say I can't believe he's making me do this, but at this point, I'm not surprised. We're slowing down and I take in my surroundings and realize we're close to the bar.

"We're here. Come on. Let's go." Chase gets out of the car and is coming over to my side. He opens my door as I cautiously get out. I look up and realize that it's the tattoo shop I passed the day I lost my phone. 

Chase is fiddling with his keys while he unlocks the door. When we walk in, the place is empty with not one single thing inside. Now I know he is going to kill me. There's no other solution here, right? 

I slowly start backing up but he catches me out of the corner of his eye.

"Where are you going?" He hisses.

I look all around and take in the empty space. "Obviously I was right about the whole pyscho killer and you've brought me here to end me." I laugh nervously. 

He lifts he head up and laughs. "I just opened a new shop a couple of blocks over but I forgot a few boxes and need them. I just stopped in here to grab them really quick."

"Sure." I roll my eyes but keep my back close to the door so I can escape if I need to.

He disappears through a door and is back within a few moments carrying a few filing boxes.

"Care to hold to door for me?" He ask as he comes my way.

I open it and follow him out. We get back in the car and head down the block to his new shop. It has a new sign above the door. Ink Dreams is written is a cursive font. 

"Ink Dreams huh?" I gesture above our heads as we make our way inside.

He meets my eyes as grunts and he unlocks the front door. This place is double the size as the other. It has separate booths with what seems to be the tattooers names and work behind it. It's pretty modern and sleek looking. It actually looks sick. 

I can't believe I'm actually in a tattoo shop. If my family could see me now...

What am I supposed to even do here? I'm not artistic at all and I don't like blood. Is he going to make me clean? Bile rises up in my throat at that thought.

Chase sits the boxes down on the right as we walk in. "This will be your spot. I want you to work our front desk. You can cash people out, plan appointments, get people checked in, and anything else we need. Sound like something you could do?"

I raise my eyebrow at question in him. "Actually. yeah. I've done something similar. I should be able to handle this."

It's funny that I was looking for this type of work just didn't think about it being in this type of setting. I can't help but question what my pay would be. There's no way it can even touch what I was making in tips. I can't turn that down. I don't even want to be around him for a few minutes, let alone every day. There's no way that this is actually going to work out. 

"Good. Let me know what you were getting paid and I'll see what I can do." He starts walking towards the back of the room and I follow after him.

"You can't be serious, right?"

"I am, Sage. Why can't you get that through your head. You're ten times safer here then at the bar. Please just take this." He huffs as he stares back at me with his hands on his hips.

I mirror his stance and just stare at him and let out a groan.

'What would the hours even be?"

"11-7"

"Great, I can still work at Lights Out then. Can I just work at the beginning of the week?" If he's going to make me do this, it could at least be my terms right?