Page 80 of Wicked Takeover
She’d taped it one morning before Dante and the others had arrived, not wanting to bum them out with what she was doing. She nodded.
Mike smiled, showing dazzling white teeth.
There weren’t any tats on his arms. Could be he’d inked his tongue or another hidden body part.
“Well then, let’s get started.” He pushed up in his chair. “I won’t make this difficult. I’m definitely interested in buying Wicked Brand.”
Everything whirled. This was happening too fast. She needed time to think and breathe.
He kept talking. “The price you’re asking is fair. I love the building and what you’ve done with it.”
“Van Gogh did the artwork.” She cradled her cold plastic cup, hoping it would cool her. “The murals were already there when I inherited the parlor.”
Mike rested his beefy forearms on the table. “About Van Gogh. That kid’s a genius. I intend to give him a huge raise right off.”
Lauren found her first real smile. “He’d love that.”
“I’ll have him train the rest of the staff, see if he can get them up to speed with what he does.”
“Oh no, please. You don’t understand. Dante doesn’t need any more training. He’s fine as he is.”
Mike looked confused. “Dante?” He grew thoughtful, then nodded. “Of course, the manager.”
“He’s also a tattoo artist.”
“I thought he only managed the place.”
“No.” Lauren frowned. She’d written tons about Dante and had expected Mike to read it. “He inks and keeps the parlor running smoothly.”
Mike sipped his black coffee. “I’m certain he does, but I have my own manager and crew. The young girl, Jade is it?”
Lauren’s throat tightened. “Jasmina.”
He nodded. “She’ll be let go like Dante. My company will give them a very nice severance package and a bonus to stay on to train my crew on Wicked Brand’s operation. That shouldn’t take longer than two weeks.”
Lauren went cold.
He pulled papers from his leather tote and slid them to her. “I’ve spelled out everything here. If we agree on terms, I’d like to take over as soon as possible.”
She drank her tea. It stuck in her throat.
“If you have any legal questions concerning my offer, you can contact my attorney. His number’s at the top of the first sheet. I’ll need your attorney’s name should I have any questions.”
The only lawyer she knew was the one who’d handled Frank’s estate. And Dante, of course. How in the hell was she supposed to tell him about this? How could she even begin to soften the blow? Wicked Brand wasn’t his life, not with his legal talent, but it had offered him a chance to heal from what he thought he’d done. Frank’s friendship had surely helped. Now both he and the business were history.
She would be gone soon, too, leaving Dante where she’d been when she had first walked into the parlor. Alone, tossed aside, searching for a job.
…
Dante wasn’t certain what to think. Lauren had left more than six hours ago. No interview he knew lasted that long unless the powers-that-be had invited her to dinner. Even if they had, no meal took five hours. He’d already checked the area hospitals to see if she’d been in an accident. Thankfully, she hadn’t. He’d called her cell. She hadn’t answered. He couldn’t leave a message since her voicemail was full.
Edgy, Dante paced, then returned to the front again. Van Gogh and Jasmina had left a half hour ago. Before she’d taken off, Jasmina had asked repeatedly about Lauren, wanting to know if she’d gotten the job.
All he could do was lift his shoulders. “I know as much as you do.”
She’d wagged her finger at him. “If you’d pursued her like you should have, she wouldn’t be leaving us.”
He had wanted to laugh, sigh, and swear at losing her. He’d made love to Lauren as he hadn’t with any other woman. He’d shared more laughs with her than he’d done with guys he knew. Not to mention paddling her when she’d been bad, which was often since she liked him spanking her. What the fuck else was he supposed to have done? Declare his undying love? The possibility that she’d reject him, saying they shouldn’t see each other again, made him queasy. “She needs a real job in her field, Jasmina. Wicked Brand isn’t her field.”
