Simple Fire

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The SAMCRO Queen had been more right than she realized. For a week, Teegan accepted the ten percent off flyers she had put out despite it clearly stating on there the discount was for a specific day. She had also gone and put an add in the paper which did, in fact, drum up more business. She had customers waiting while she tattooed people. It got so hectic she could barely handle things at the shop by herself. She needed a receptionist to handle booking clients as well as paying out clients but it needed to be someone she trusted.

One night during dinner, Tig had asked Teegan how things were going. "Hectic! I can't keep up with people anymore." she told him making him smile. What he hadn't told her was that he had been doing some promoting of his own for her shop. Everyone he came in contact with, he told about her shop and suggested they go check her work out. He suggested she put up a sign for another artist, close the shop one day a week to do interviews for new artists. It was a good idea. She could check out their work to make sure they were on the up-and-up, and it would give her a break from tattooing.

Not that she didn't love her job. She could also advertise for a receptionist. He shook his head. "We can get one of the crow eaters to work there for you. One that's good with money to help you keep the books." he told her making her shake her head. She didn't want some biker slut hanging around her shop. He couldn't hold in his laughter at her use of terminology. She wasn't sure what was so funny as he wiped his eyes. He said he'd talk to Clay about letting her use one of the prospects. Teegan was a bit more amenable to that suggestion.

The next day, Tig had a talk with Clay about one of the prospects working at Teegan's shop as a receptionist. Booking clients, cashing out customers, help clean, that sort of thing. Since they had one that didn't do a lot around the clubhouse, Clay decided he could go to Teegan's shop to work. Tig made the kid follow him into town to Teegan's shop. The kid wondered what he was doing there as he followed the SAA into the shop.

"Babe?" Tig called out.

A minute or so later, she emerged from the bathroom. Seeing Tig, she smiled brightly as she walked over to where he stood with the nervous looking kid behind him. Tig laughed when she jumped into his arms.

"It's nice to see you too. I have a surprise for you." Tig stated as she stood up.

"Oh?"

"Yeah. I talked to Clay. We've already got two prospects at the clubhouse working. Nick here isn't really needed there. So Clay has decided it's ok for him to work for you here." Tig smiled.

"Is he any good with money? I don't need some dumb kid who can't count change." Teegan rolled her eyes.

"I'm great with money, Ma'am." The kid, Nick, stated.

"Give him a chance, babe. If it doesn't work out, send him back to the clubhouse." Tig told her, "Do what she says. If there's every any trouble here, call me straight away."

"Yes, Sir." Nick stuttered.

"I need someone who can cash out customers, answer the phone, and make appointments. Think you can handle that, Nick?" Teegan asked.

"Yes, Ma'am." Nick replied with a smile.

"No need for the 'Ma'am' business. Teegan will do just fine. I'll pay you minimum wage. We open at nine am every day and close at five pm." Teegan explained.

"Nine to five. Got it." Nick replied with a smile.

"There's a high back swivel stool behind the counter. Get comfortable. The bathroom's that way. Men's room is the last door on the right." Teegan told him.

"Understood."

"See? Things are gonna work out just fine for you." Tig smile as the overhead bell rang, "See ya at home."

Teegan greeted her client as she always did. Nick watched how she was with customers and hoped he would do the club justice by working there. The guy wanted to look through her books before deciding on a tattoo so she went to make sure her station was prepared for her client. Once he'd decided, she got the stencil ready and applied it to his skin. As she began working on the outline, the overhead bell rang. Nick smiled at the guy who'd come in and asked what they could do for him.

He looked through the case to find a bigger size for his ear gauges. The pricing was labeled for everything but Nick wasn't sure where everything was since he literally just started working about ten minutes ago. He called Teegan over to talk to the guy. She excused herself from her client. Nick explained what the guy at the counter wanted. She told Nick to follow her. She showed him the back room and all her body jewelry. "Everything is in its own packaging and has the gauge on it. All you gotta do is pick out the gauge and which color they specify." she explained earning a head nod from Nick.

He took the right package back to the counter making the guy smile. Nick checked him out and handed his change back and wished him a good day. The guy took a business card before he left. With nothing left to do, Nick decided to start sweeping. He asked where the cleaning supplies were located so Teegan told him. Grabbing the broom and dustpan, he started sweeping the whole shop while she attended to her client. Half way through his sweeping, they had another customer come in.

She wanted a tattoo but didn't know what she wanted just yet. Nick pointed her towards the books on the table. The girl smiled at him as she noticed his kutte. He wasn't a member, only a prospect, but she flirted with him like he had the clout of a real member. Hearing the girl flirting with her receptionist made Teegan roll her eyes. She finally finished up with her client as the girl and Nick were flirting back and forth. "I don't pay you to flirt, Nick. Remember that." Teegan stated before turning to the girl with a fake smile.

The girl finally decided on a lotus flower on her lower back. She wanted one that had already been drawn up so Teegan transferred the image to a stencil and told the girl to hop up on her table. She got comfortable with her shirt raised up so Teegan could apply the stencil while Nick checked out her previous client. This girl's tat would only take an hour or a little more, thankfully. She wanted the girl gone but didn't want to be rude about it.

As the day went on, she realized just how badly she had been needing a receptionist. He helped the customers when they first came in, cashed them out so she could get on with the next customer immediately, and helped clean the shop when he had nothing else to do. She was able to work without the annoyance of having to stop to cash people out or answer phones. 'Now if I could get myself another artist in here, we'd really be rolling!' she mused.

During a slow period, she took her phone out and marked when Nick began working for her. She'd have to figure out some way for him to check in and out during the day so she knew how long he worked. She sighed when she realized she'd have to get a payroll program so she could keep track of payroll. Oh, things were getting complicated! Since there was nothing else to do, she took her phone out to order a payroll software program for her laptop so she could keep track of payroll and other business expenses.

At the end of the day, she told him how good he'd done and thanked him for being such a hard worker. He smiled and thanked her for the opportunity. He headed back to the clubhouse while she locked up the shop and headed home. Tig would be home in a little while so she put in a pre-made lasagna in the oven to bake while she took her laptop into the living room to download her new software. She was getting it all set up by the time Tig came home.

"Hey babe! How'd Nick do?" Tig asked as he slid his kutte off and hung it up.

"He actually did great." She replied, "I bought a payroll software so I can keep track of payroll stuff and other business expenses."

"That sounds...exciting." Tig laughed as he plopped down next to her.

"You know it." She stated, "I never realized until he came to work for me how much I really needed a receptionist."

"See? Things are gonna work out great for you. Just advertise for another artist and what days you're doing interviews and your shop will really take off." Tig kissed her cheek, "Need anything from the kitchen?"

"Beer would be nice." She retorted.

"Two beers, coming up." Tig smiled.

A/N: Please review and vote below!