The Precision X1 was a piece of cake to disassemble. Evie separated the parts that needed to be cleaned and run through the autoclave and placed the other parts back in the case. The velvet lining inside the box was a nice touch. Ultimately, she’d end up keeping the machines with all her others, but for now, she relished the newness. She’d been waiting a long time for the Precision X1 to release, and she was beyond happy Antonio had agreed to spring for them.

Lilian would have done the same, but Lilian bought all kinds of things the shop didn’t really need. Tattoo machines? No artist could ever have enough.

She hoped it wasn’t a reflection on the kind of owner Antonio would be.

“So,” Antonio said. He still sounded the slightest bit awkward from being called out just moments before. Evie had no issue calling out men who stared at her. She’d called out both Red and Theo and conditioned them into respectful human beings, after all. “I’ve got something I want to ask you.”

Most men weren’t so direct. Evie stopped what she was doing to look over her shoulder at him. She’d heard pickup lines and boasts and all kinds of things come out of men’s mouths, but very seldom did they go for it without trying to butter her up first. All Antonio had done was compliment her work, and while she was flattered, she would have guessed a man as serious as him would have tried harder.

How disappointing.

“Mm? What’s that?”

“I’ve been noticing the quality of your work, and how you get along with the other artists. After tonight’s demonstration, I can’t help but think that you’re operating at an advanced level.”

That was nothing like what Evie was expecting. She turned to face him in full, leaning back against the desk. Her palms met the surface to lend her support, and she studied Antonio’s face with curiosity. He was fiddling with his cuff link. “An advanced level?”

“Well,” Antonio parted his hand from his cuff to gesture, “so to speak. After reviewing your portfolio and everything I just witnessed, I feel as though your skills are top notch.”

“Uh. Well. Thanks.” If Antonio was going to ask her out, he was going about it in a completely different way than any man Evie had ever met before—and she’d dated all across the board. From the twiggiest, nerdiest guys to the biggest, burliest lumberjacks, she’d had her share of experiences. Edgy men who hid their emotions and who were nothing but trouble. Good men who were honest and loyal, but painfully boring. Men who were too obsessed with themselves to care about her. Men who were nothing more than adult boys.

And out of all of them, Antonio wasn’t fitting easily into any category.

“As you know, Bloom Tattoo is undergoing change as we transition into my administration.” He sounded so serious all the time that she couldn’t take him seriously. It was like he had a lawyer living in his brain, making sure he said every word just right. Evie scoffed. Antonio frowned, but continued speaking. “I’m bringing in new people all the time, looking for the perfect balance to make this team work. I’ve been on the hunt for someone to fill in for the front desk to take my place, but I’m also looking for someone who will step up and take on the role as head artist, giving all the other artists focus and direction. I’d like to offer that position to you.”

That wasn’t a date. That so wasn’t a date.

Evie’s shoulders tensed, and she glanced toward the door, wondering if she could run out to avoid the rest of the conversation. Thinking about being head artist made her nervous as anything, and her gut reflex was to deny the position. She always listened to her gut; it had never steered her wrong before. “Nope.”

“No?” Antonio blinked, his expression flattening. He sounded surprised. “Why, no? I don’t understand.”

“I’m not taking the position as head artist.” Theo deserved that spot. Kimi deserved that spot. Hell, even Red, for as goofy as he was, deserved that spot. Evie didn’t want anything to do with it. It was too much pressure. “Thanks and everything, but that’s a huge nope on my part.”

“I honestly don’t understand why you’d refuse something like this,” Antonio argued. Why wasn’t he giving up? She’d given him an answer, and she wasn’t about to change her mind.

Evie shook her head. “It doesn’t matter if you get it or not. All that matters is that I refuse it. That’s kind of where the conversation ends, you know?”

By the look on Antonio’s face, he didn’t know. She hated the stubbornness in his eyes. It wasn’t all that difficult. There were plenty of other artists available to fill in for her. Evie was far from the best choice, and she knew it well.

There was no way she was stepping up to take the spot. Just thinking about it made her sick with anxiety. Even if it was alongside artists she already knew, she wasn’t interested. Antonio could try to convince her until he was blue in the face and she wouldn’t change her mind.

“It comes with a pay raise,” he said. “You’re already entitled to benefits, but we can discuss those as well if it interests you. It’s not like I’m asking you to do it for free.”

“I’d hope not.” Evie arched a brow. She crossed her arms over her chest, glad that Antonio wasn’t staring anymore. “But it doesn’t change anything. I’m comfortable with my salary, and I’m comfortable with my position in the shop. I don’t want the promotion. Why don’t you get Theo to take it over for you? He’s sweet enough that he’s not going to be a pain to any of the artists, but he knows how to get scary if he needs to—and really, do you want like, seven feet of burly man breathing down your throat because you aren’t behaving? Sounds a hell of a lot more intimidating than having skinny five-foot-seven Evie pestering you about… whatever.”

Antonio took a deep breath. Evie wondered if he was using it as an excuse to collect his thoughts, or if he was trying to cool his temper. Whatever the case, she was glad for the silence. The longer he had to think about it, the more he’d see that she was right. She’d been right about the tattoo machines, after all. She was right about this, too. Theo was the best man for the job.

“Theo is an exceptionally talented artist, and I don’t doubt that he has fantastic instincts and reflexes when it comes to the rest of the staff, but when I consider the broader spectrum of the duties a head artist performs, I think you’d be better suited to the task.”

“The full spectrum?” Evie barked a laugh and shook her head. “What? Making sure the manager knows when to order more ink, or needles, or gloves? Kicking the other artists’ butts when they’re lagging?”

“Networking when we bring in guest artists to the shop,” Antonio said. “Talking with potential advertisers and boosting interest in sponsorship. Negotiating with new companies like what you did with the Precision X1s.”

Evie set her jaw and shook her head. “No way.”

“As I’ve already said, there’s a pay raise plus increased exposure. With a proper portfolio and a few high profile clients, your name would explode. There’s already interest generated in Bloom Tattoo thanks to its association with Thorn Tattoo and the artists there. A promotion like this means that your rise to stardom is imminent.”

“I’m happy being on the sidelines, playing support.” Evie shrugged. She propped herself up from her desk, grabbed her tunic, and slipped it on over her head. The conversation was over, as far as she was concerned. “I’m better at following direction.”

“Then why did you push for those machines?” Antonio asked. He was challenging her, and it was starting to piss her off. She’d given him her answer. Why couldn’t he respect that? “Or how you called a meeting with the artists so flawlessly? No one even argued. Everyone just showed up because you asked them to.”

“It’s not like that’s a special gift,” she replied. “All I did was ask them to show up by bribing them with new toys. Anyone would show up for something like that. It’s not really all that impressive.”

“I think it is,” Antonio said softly.

“Then you need to spend more time on the floor watching how things work here and less time in an office in some skyscraper somewhere, looking over your finances.” It was pushing the boundaries of what was acceptable, but Antonio was pushing her past what was comfortable. If he wanted respect, he should have been the first to offer it.

“I made the choices that helped grow Thorn Tattoo into the giant it is today,” Antonio said stiffly. “Perhaps I haven’t been as hands-on in the past as I should have been, but I’m here now. I’m working the front, and listening, and learning. Things aren’t all that different than when I rebuilt Thorn Tattoo ten years ago. I know talent and potential when I see it, and you have both. You’re a good fit for this job in the way that the others aren’t.”

“You’re really starting to push the envelope,” Evie warned him. She lifted a finger, asking for silence. “Listen, I had a long day. We’ve all been working our asses off to make sure the transition goes as smoothly as possible, and you know what? Dealing with change sucks. I know you’re coming in as an outsider, but for us, the people who’ve always been here? It’s a lot to deal with. All these new procedures, and rules, and faces, and ways we’re supposed to operate… it’s mentally draining. All I want to do is go home, relax, and then come back tomorrow and do it all over again until I’m used to this new reality.”

Evie watched his face, looking for signs of anger. She saw frustration twinkle in otherwise emotionless eyes, but nothing else came of it. She was glad. With any luck, Antonio would let her go home.

“Then why not allow this position into your life?” he asked. “If you’re coping with change anyway, it shouldn’t be all that much more draining to adjust to a promotion. One way or another, you’re embarking on something new. To me, it makes more sense to accept the increased salary and responsibilities and learn to shoulder them as you go forward.”

The man was as stubborn as a mule. Evie narrowed her eyes, done with the conversation. Antonio was wickedly attractive, but his personality was lacking. All he cared about was the bottom line, not her comfort or involvement in the industry.

If he took the time to get to know her as a person instead of an employee, he’d understand why she couldn’t accept.

“I’m going home,” Evie said. Her purse was in the locker in the back, but she had her keys and wallet with her. The rest of her things weren’t worth the two minutes it would take to get them. She’d leave her belongings there for the night if it meant she could get away from Antonio that much sooner. “I heard you, and if you were listening, you would have heard me. That’s where the conversation ends.”

“Promise me you’ll think about it,” Antonio said levelly. He still wasn’t giving up, the bastard.

Evie pushed her lips together. “I’ll think about it.”

So she did, at least for a few seconds, before she decided that there was absolutely no way in hell she was going to take the position. There was no way she was going to let her team down.

Not again.