day of the convention, but she was confident the answer would come to
her. After all, she’d been good at talking herself out of trouble her whole
life, except with Abuela . And Mia’s bullshit gene had come straight from
that great woman, so that was unsurprising.
The elevator was crowded this morning as people left their
rooms to head to breakfast or the convention. It was easy to see who belonged
to which group. The BodModCon crowd was yawning and hung over, not to mention
adorned with numerous tattoos and black clothing. The straitlaced breakfast
folks crammed themselves into the corners of the elevator, eyes wide and kids
pressed against their sides.
Mia waved at a little girl, her pigtails chocolate poofs
atop her head. She smiled shyly back at Mia, her finger never leaving her
mouth.
As the elevator dinged in announcement that they’d arrived
on the conference level, Mia exited with a sigh. She’d probably never have
kids. Hadn’t really met anyone she’d like to have kids with.
Except , her bitch of a subconscious slyly suggested.
“Shut the fuck up,” Mia muttered beneath her breath as she
approached the convention staffer who guarded the exhibitor entrance. The burly
guy started to scowl.
“Not you,” Mia flashed him a smile. “Thinking out loud.”
He examined her badge and let her through, but not without
ogling her rack first. Mia rolled her eyes as her heels clicked on the concrete
floor of the exhibit hall. Not smiling at that asshole again .
It was early, but there were plenty of exhibitors getting
prepped for the day. There was lots of ink to finish, piercings to do and money
to be made before this convention shut down. Mia waved at a couple of familiar
faces as she rounded the corner to the aisle that Drama Tattoo was set up on.
Butterflies banged against her rib cage, and she took a
steadying breath. She could do this. She’d just have to tell Jules the truth,
at least part of it. She’d been abandoned and stranded. Not her fault. Back as
soon as she could.
Fortunately, Jules was already there, and there was no sign
of that skinny-jeaned asshole Matt. Mia smiled tentatively as she entered the
booth.
“Hey, Jules.”
Her boss turned quickly, a sour smirk on her face. “Well,
look who the fuck decided to show up to work today.”
“Listen, I’m so sorry about yesterday. You wouldn’t believe
what hap—”
“I don’t give a shit where you were or who you were with.”
Jules pointed a finger directly at Mia’s chest, moving closer, mere inches
away. “You hung us out to dry. Do you have any idea how it looked? We have
‘piercing’ right there on the goddamn sign, Mia. Drama Tattoo and Piercing .
I had to turn away about seventeen customers yesterday and they won’t be back.”
Smothering the instinct to fire back at Jules, Mia set her
jaw and stood her ground.
“Matt told me you were a mistake after you’d been with us a
month. I should have listened.”
“He said I was a mistake because I refused to suck his
skinny cock.” Mia couldn’t shove down the angry retort anymore. “I’m sorry
about yesterday, and if you’ll give me the chance to explain and apologize, I
will. I’m doing my damnedest to fit in here and have you guys like me, but I’m
not going to fuck Matt to keep this job.”
“What job?” Jules delivered that bomb with a cruel smile.
She crossed her thick arms under her corseted chest. “There’s a convention full
of people who can do this better than you. And I think today I’ll hire your
replacement. You’re fired, Mia. Get your shit and get out.”
There wasn’t any sadness, only a huge sense of relief. Mia
nodded and grabbed her rolling case and bag. She left the booth and walked down
the long convention aisle. God, she’d never been so happy to be fired in her
life. Drama Tattoo could keep its issues. She was tired of trying to get along
with them. Jules was blind and Matt was a tool. Mia would rather join the line
at the
her. After all, she’d been good at talking herself out of trouble her whole
life, except with Abuela . And Mia’s bullshit gene had come straight from
that great woman, so that was unsurprising.
The elevator was crowded this morning as people left their
rooms to head to breakfast or the convention. It was easy to see who belonged
to which group. The BodModCon crowd was yawning and hung over, not to mention
adorned with numerous tattoos and black clothing. The straitlaced breakfast
folks crammed themselves into the corners of the elevator, eyes wide and kids
pressed against their sides.
Mia waved at a little girl, her pigtails chocolate poofs
atop her head. She smiled shyly back at Mia, her finger never leaving her
mouth.
As the elevator dinged in announcement that they’d arrived
on the conference level, Mia exited with a sigh. She’d probably never have
kids. Hadn’t really met anyone she’d like to have kids with.
Except , her bitch of a subconscious slyly suggested.
“Shut the fuck up,” Mia muttered beneath her breath as she
approached the convention staffer who guarded the exhibitor entrance. The burly
guy started to scowl.
“Not you,” Mia flashed him a smile. “Thinking out loud.”
He examined her badge and let her through, but not without
ogling her rack first. Mia rolled her eyes as her heels clicked on the concrete
floor of the exhibit hall. Not smiling at that asshole again .
It was early, but there were plenty of exhibitors getting
prepped for the day. There was lots of ink to finish, piercings to do and money
to be made before this convention shut down. Mia waved at a couple of familiar
faces as she rounded the corner to the aisle that Drama Tattoo was set up on.
Butterflies banged against her rib cage, and she took a
steadying breath. She could do this. She’d just have to tell Jules the truth,
at least part of it. She’d been abandoned and stranded. Not her fault. Back as
soon as she could.
Fortunately, Jules was already there, and there was no sign
of that skinny-jeaned asshole Matt. Mia smiled tentatively as she entered the
booth.
“Hey, Jules.”
Her boss turned quickly, a sour smirk on her face. “Well,
look who the fuck decided to show up to work today.”
“Listen, I’m so sorry about yesterday. You wouldn’t believe
what hap—”
“I don’t give a shit where you were or who you were with.”
Jules pointed a finger directly at Mia’s chest, moving closer, mere inches
away. “You hung us out to dry. Do you have any idea how it looked? We have
‘piercing’ right there on the goddamn sign, Mia. Drama Tattoo and Piercing .
I had to turn away about seventeen customers yesterday and they won’t be back.”
Smothering the instinct to fire back at Jules, Mia set her
jaw and stood her ground.
“Matt told me you were a mistake after you’d been with us a
month. I should have listened.”
“He said I was a mistake because I refused to suck his
skinny cock.” Mia couldn’t shove down the angry retort anymore. “I’m sorry
about yesterday, and if you’ll give me the chance to explain and apologize, I
will. I’m doing my damnedest to fit in here and have you guys like me, but I’m
not going to fuck Matt to keep this job.”
“What job?” Jules delivered that bomb with a cruel smile.
She crossed her thick arms under her corseted chest. “There’s a convention full
of people who can do this better than you. And I think today I’ll hire your
replacement. You’re fired, Mia. Get your shit and get out.”
There wasn’t any sadness, only a huge sense of relief. Mia
nodded and grabbed her rolling case and bag. She left the booth and walked down
the long convention aisle. God, she’d never been so happy to be fired in her
life. Drama Tattoo could keep its issues. She was tired of trying to get along
with them. Jules was blind and Matt was a tool. Mia would rather join the line
at the
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