I Met a Vampire Down in Santa Carla

Chapter Five

I rummage through the box that I brought with me to work. I have to restock the snacks and drinks, which has become quite popular. "what are you doing?" I glance over to see Tyler leaning against my doorway. Things with him haven't been great. From the moment I walked through that door he has treated me as a lesser being. He had an ego to him one that I loved crushing. It'd be one thing if he was just confident in his work, was proud of something, and showed me that's normal. If I show him, he nitpicks it, boasting how he could've done much better. It pissed me off to no end. 

"Restocking" I mutter trying not to give him the time of day he craved.

"You're wasting your money" He scuffs I roll my eyes.

"No, I use my tip money" There is a silence I grab the now empty box and brush past him.

"You get tips" his surprise made it clear he didn't I nodded with a big grin on my face. "Wow," His voice was quiet as if pondering the idea. "How do you get that"

"By doing a good job" I shrug "It isn't that big of a deal they usually just round up the total. Like if the tattoo ends up being seventy-five they give a hundred. It helps pay for the snacks and other things I need at home. It's fun money."

"Damn, you know when you started I didn't like the idea of working with you," He admits.

"Yeah, you made that very clear" I turn to him.

"Sorry," he scratches the back of his neck, "You think we could start over? I've grown to respect you and your work. I've met plenty of by-the-hour artists who tattoo for like twenty minutes and then use the rest of the hour for a break charging people an arm and a leg. You don't do that I barely see you take any breaks you have an outstanding work ethic. Hell you are making more than I am" 

"Really?" That was a shock. "How do I get paid less than you" I was only doing twenty-five an hour he was thirty. He had been tattooing longer than I have. 

"Tips, and you take more customers even the ones who have a short budget and can't pay hourly" That was true he never took in people who could only pay like twenty bucks but just wanted something extremely simple that took like thirty minutes. I also get more booked customers. "Hell, you've brought in more customers. The day shift gets people asking for you it's insane." He laughs obviously jealous. "I just, I've been an ass and I'm sorry" 

"You're forgiven"

"Fresh start" I nod smiling.

"Fresh start." We head back inside getting ready to close shop for the day. 

"So what plans do you have?" He asks 

"After work, I'm meeting up with a friend" 

"No, like in the future do you plan on working here forever or"

"Oh yeah um. I don't know yet I would like to open my own shop one day but there are so many here. There are three right on the boardwalk. I guess I would run mine differently but that isn't going to happen anytime soon." 

"Why, you'd make good money I bet if you saved you could do it" He was right.

"Yeah but I kinda want to go to a community college and get a business degree so I'm better prepared ya know" I start getting my stuff together. I am meeting up with David again. We have been doing that a lot lately. It's been only a few days yet we have been either staying up texting or we've been hanging out. We usually just hang out at the bookstore where we first meet. Tonight was going to be a bit different. He wanted me to meet his 'brothers'. I would be lying if I said I wasn't a bit nervous. I never enjoyed meeting new people, especially a group of guys. It isn't safe to do I don't know these guys. I trust David though he hasn't given me much reason not to.