Page 10 of Take the Blame (Seaside Mergers #3)

“We’re not doing it. We’re already holding a booth at that festival thing for your sister next weekend. We don’t have time to throw a party on top of that,” he said.

I don’t know what I was expecting to feel the first time this man ever decided to say no to one of my ideas, but I can tell you it wasn’t this sharp stabbing slice in the back of my throat .

I swallowed. “Mr. Harper?—”

“Alta please, don’t start that again.”

I readjusted my stance, powering past the interruption. “ Mr. Harper , I want to express that the block party is not just a party. It’s a new customer outreach opportunity.”

“We don’t need it.”

“You do ,” I said. “Look at your shop right now.”

Taking a cursory glance over his shoulder, he barely looked before returning his gaze back to me. Shifting like he may be uncomfortable.

“What do you see?” I asked.

He lifted a shoulder. “A tattoo shop.”

“Men,” I corrected him. “ All men. Besides the girls I see come in here or there for Lana, there’s barely ever a break from testosterone in here.”

“Yeah so?” he asked, his chest puffing out as if he was getting defensive. Silly of me to think so, though. Because he just let a smile curl one side of his mouth, leaning into me slightly. “Got something against men, Boss?”

I wanted to scream. His teasing always served to ignite me to explosive levels. Couldn’t he just take me seriously for one second?

“No, but your brand apparently has something against women. You’re a cool shop, you do cool things, but you don’t appeal to the average female consumer at all. Inserting yourself into something fun and festive will introduce a whole new customer base for you.”

“Isn’t that what we’re doing that festival for?” he asked.

“No,” I said. “You’re doing the festival for charity. The publicity is just an added bonus. This is to expand your brand reach.”

“I still don’t like it,” he said.

“Why not?”

“We don’t do flash art. We’re a custom shop, that’s our thing.

That’s always been our thing. Never the same thing twice.

That’s how we’re able to charge so much and brand ourselves as a boutique shop,” he said, sounding serious now.

“We’re already going to be doing flash pieces for the women’s shelter event, and that’s fine, it’s for a good cause.

But if we have a bunch of girls show up just to get a half price pumpkin tat for this thing, I’m not sure what that’s even supposed to do for our brand anyway. ”

Puffing air, I raked a hand through my hair and looked up at him. He gave me his eyes, and to my absolute annoyance, they still held a lilt of mirth in them, even as we talked seriously, professional to professional. Maybe that’s why I let my heart speak instead of my head.

“Why can’t you just trust me here?” I asked. “I know what I’m doing with this, and I need you on board. It’s a block party, Harper. You’ll be my only client on the block not participating.”

He shrugged, like he didn’t know what I wanted him to do. “I’m sorry, Boss. It’s not a good time, and frankly, I don’t think it’s that necessary. We do good with our guys. We’ll be okay without it.”

Not a good time.

Unnecessary.

Those were both things Grace had said to me the other day when she’d humiliated me in front of the marketing people.

I sucked in a breath, hoping the cool air on my throat would soothe the ache forming there.

What had I expected anyway? Sure, Harper had allowed me to come in and dilly dally around with photos and graphics, but when it came to real business, did I really expect him to trust me with decisions like this?

Blinking up into dark brown eyes, I suddenly realized that I did.

Since we’d started this thing, Harper had been annoying, poking fun at me and calling me things like princess and goody-goody.

But ever since that first moment when I could tell he was underestimating me just by the way he’d looked at me, I had found tiny triumphs in proving him wrong.

I’d grown his online presence when he didn’t think it was worth it.

I’d added in systems when he thought they were too complicated.

I’d created promo and referral streams that kept even the most finicky of customers coming back for more.

And though he was still annoying for thinking me small in the first place, each time I proved something to him, he gave me credit where credit was due.

So I thought I’d gained his trust when it came to business at least. I knew in normal circumstances I was too soft for him, but at least in the sense of business I thought I had his respect.

He’d even agreed to holding a booth at my sister’s women’s festival when over half the proceeds would be going to the shelter and not his own pocket.

But I guess that was where his trust ended.

The worst part was, even though I’d gotten the okay from every other business I worked with in the area, somehow losing Ink and Mar’s support felt like losing something much bigger. Like losing a first place trophy.

Dangit. I was going to cry, and before my next appointment too.

Blinking away from him and his downturned eyebrows, I looked at my watch. I couldn’t even make out the time. But I knew I needed to leave. Swallowing, I pushed out a weak, “Okay.”

I made a move to grab my purse but a large hand hovered beside my shoulder, stopping me. “Boss?”

I didn’t look at him again. There was no point. He was just like everyone else. He thought I was a joke just like everyone else. I knew it from that first moment he spoke to me. I don’t know why I was hoping something would be different. It never was.

Pushing past him I went to get my stuff. “Looks like you’re the boss now.”

I looked at nobody as I left. If I did, the tears would start falling.