Will would bust his ass, too. A good chunk of his pay came through tips and commissions. He wouldn’t take a break if he had a client.

“So, trial by fire, eh?” I grinned at him.

He finally shifted to face me, returning my smile just as Bay waltzed in and collapsed onto Declan’s back. I was a little jealous of how quickly they’d bonded. I had to remind myself that Bay’s magic wasn’t like mine and hadn’t hurt Declan. Someone with my kind of magic had. I refused to take Declan’s wariness personally, because this wasn’t about me.

“I’m going to marry him. Your boy is good.”

I wanted to argue that he wasn’t my boy—but he wasn’t not my boy, either. Which made no sense, so I just sipped my coffee.

“It’s too soon,” Declan said, absently patting Bay’s hand. “What will people think?”

“That you married me for my dick, which is a totally valid reason.” Bay sighed and got up, coming over to greet me with a hug. “Did you know your boy here is a social media whiz?” Bay was practically glowing, he was so happy, which I completely understood. Bay hated social media but had to use Instagram at the very least for the shop. People liked to show off their new tattoos, and if they tagged the shop, he could get more referrals.

Declan snorted. “You would think anyone was a social media whiz if it meant you didn’t have to do it. It’s not that hard. There are programs where you can integrate everything and handle it from one spot, scheduling posts and—”

Bay put a hand over Declan’s mouth. “Shhhh, don’t ruin the magic.”

Declan knocked his hand away, but looked amused. “I’m just capitalizing on the work everyone has already put in.” He took a sip of his tea. “Things like Nicki doing the fundraiser for the pet shelter, or Will doing that safe piercing video for Seattle Children’s Hospital.”

I remembered that video. The hospital had reached out for a local piercer to make a short, informational video about good piercing practices for parents—like what to look for in a piercer as well as after-care tips. It played in the waiting room at the hospital, advising parents on how to get their children’s ears pierced in a safe and sanitary fashion.

Will had been a little uncomfortable on camera and kept doing this weird hand motion where he rolled his wrists and then held his palms out, like he was presenting an invisible something. The whole video. It was cute, but the teasing had been relentless, especially from Van. We’d eventually called a truce, though sometimes Van would stand behind Will and make the hand motion and I’d have to excuse myself to go laugh in another room.

“It’s not magic,” Declan said. “It’s just image. You have a lot of repeat clients, but some of the other artists aren’t as established yet. It’s also a good way to let people know about guest artists. We post this stuff and people get that the artists here are welcoming, compassionate, and talented.” Declan rubbed his face. “As soon as I untangle your scheduling mess.”