“Babe?”
I looked up from changing Jax’s nappy, and just for a moment, I had to remind myself that Damien was talking to me. Hearing him refer to me as a pet name was still very surreal, and I couldn’t imagine myself getting used to it.
“Yeah?”
“I won’t be back until this evening, I’ve to work through my lunch hour and two hours after I normally finish to pull up the slack of Ryder not being there.”
“Okay,” I said with a nod. “I’m gonna make a roast for dinner; do you want me to dish you a plate for later?” I paused. “Do you even like roast dinners? It just occurred to me that I have no idea what your food preferences are. I mean, if you’re gonna be ’ere, I might as well feed you, so this is information I need to know.”
“Yes, I like roast dinners,” Damien … groaned. “God, I’m already looking forward to it.”
I chuckled as I focused back on Jax. After I got his nappy changed, I dressed him just in time for Damien to enter the sitting room and give him snuggles and kisses.
“I can drop him up to Aideen on my way out,” he offered. “You can get to work on that project you mentioned last night.”
“Oh, would you?” I relaxed. “Yes, please. Me head’s all over the place. I have to read through the client’s briefin’ again so I can capture ’er vision for the image she wants.”
“You’ll do great.”
I looked at Jax. “Bye-bye, buddy.”
He smiled at me and made the sound of kisses, so I leaned in and kissed all over his face, to which he screamed in delight.
“What about me?” Damien said, a perfect pout in place. “Don’t I get kisses?”
“I don’t know,” I mused. “Have you been a good boy?”
“I made you come twice last night, once on my tongue, and once on my fingers … I think I’m a very good boy.”
I covered Jax’s ears. “The baby is present!”
Damien laughed. “Give me some sugar, gorgeous.”
I leaned up on my tiptoes and pressed my lips against his in a chaste kiss.
“See you later,” I whispered before sliding my tongue over his lower lip.
“Sin,” Damien growled. “You’re sin!”
I winked, then turned my attention back to Jax.
“Be good for your Mammy and Daddy, okay?”
He nodded as if he knew what I was saying.
“Just his Mom,” Damien said. “Kane is busy today.”
Before I could stop myself from being nosy, I asked, “Doin’ what?”
Damien pointedly flicked his eyes away from me, and instantly, I knew it was because whatever he was about to say was a lie. I knew because I couldn’t lie for shite either, and my friends had told me on multiple occasions that I did the exact same thing when I was being untruthful.
“Running some errands,” he answered. “I’m not all that sure. I wasn’t listening to him when he was talking last night. I was too busy looking at you.”
When Damien looked back at me, I had a forced smile on my face, trying to hide the unease I felt at him lying to me so easily.
“Well.” I cleared my throat, focusing on my nephew. “You be good for Mammy, d’ye hear?”
Jax babbled in his baby language.
“I’ll take that as a yes.”
Damien grinned then leaned down and kissed my cheek.
“I’ll see you this evening?”
I nodded.
“Is this all of his things?” Damien asked, hiking the strap of Jax’s baby bag farther up his shoulder while holding Jax against his chest with one arm.
“Yeah,” I answered. “I bought the travel cot since the kids stay with me so much. You have everythin’ he needs in that bag.”
Another kiss and another goodbye, then I was alone with my thoughts, and from previous experience, I knew how dangerous that could be when I doubted something or someone. Damien just lied to me, I knew he did, but it was regarding whatever Kane was doing. I wasn’t sure if I should have been offended or simply brush it off because really, it was none of my business where Kane went, and it wasn’t Damien’s job to tell me, either.
I shook my head, forcing it to the back of my mind and went ahead and got changed into my work clothes. I tidied around the whole apartment, and an hour after Damien left, the buzzer rang, and I knew straight away that it was Morgan. As I walked towards the front door, I glanced at the clock on the wall and saw he was nearly ten minutes early for work, which made me smile.
I didn’t answer the call; I simply buzzed Morgan in once I saw it was him on the monitor. I put Barbara into her crate, just so she wouldn’t freak out when Morgan came in because she didn’t know him and was still a little flighty around me and Damien. Five minutes later, there was a knock on my door.
I opened it with a smile.
“Hi, Morgan.”
Morgan beamed a smile right back at me. “Heya, how’re you?”
“I’m great,” I said. “Come in, come in.”
Morgan whistled after we entered the kitchen.
“Nice place.”
“Thanks,” I chirped. “I love it.”
“Are you ’ere long?”
I shook my head. “I moved in a month ago; me friend lives upstairs and told me about it.”
“Nice,” Morgan said, his eyes roaming around the room. “Where I live is a dive compared to this.”
I chuckled. “I’m lucky, I guess.”
“Yeah,” Morgan agreed. “I guess you are.”
“D’ye want a cuppa?”
“If you’re makin’ tea, I won’t say no. Two sugars, please.”
A man after my own heart.
“I’ve been thinkin’ about what you said about your office.” Morgan spoke as I made the tea. “And I figured between the pair of us, we could get it up and operational today to get it out of the way.”
I glanced over my shoulder. “Are you sure? I don’t wanna have you goin’ out of your way.”
“It’s not out of me way,” he replied. “I’m gonna be workin’ ’ere, so I figure I might as well help you get the workspace together.”
“That’s lovely of you,” I said. “Thanks.”
“It’s settled then,” he chirped. “We can get on it when we finish our tea.”
I placed his cup in front of him, and together, we sat at my kitchen table.
“Have you got somethin’ to work on today?” Morgan asked, sipping his tea.
“Yeah.” I nodded. “I’ve to start a book cover for an author; she has a pretty detailed brief about it. I need to reread it to capture ’er vision as well as combinin’ it with me own to create somethin’ I hope she likes.”
“When is your deadline?”
“In two weeks,” I answered. “It usually takes me a few days to get an outline that I’m happy with, then once it’s scanned to me desktop, things move quicker. I always give meself two weeks, just in case I get a block and lose the vision.”
“Has that ever happened before?”
“Once,” I answered, swallowing. “Family drama sort of knocked me off track for a few days.”
Learning of my da’s affair did more than knock me off track; it hit me like the full force of a fucking train.
“I’ve no doubt whatever you create will be fantastic,” Morgan said. “You’ve never created somethin’ less than incredible.”
Heat rushed to my cheeks, so I lifted my cup of tea close to my face, hoping Morgan would think the steam from the scalding liquid flushed them and not his praise.
“Are you ready to check out the office?” I cleared my throat. “I’m eager to get started.”
We left our cups in the kitchen sink, then entered the soon-to-be office. Morgan scanned the room, either taking it all in or figuring out where to start first.
“Where are you goin’ to put the bed?”
“I was going to take it apart, then just stand everythin’ upright and lean it against the wall.” I shrugged. “I can’t get rid of it; it’s part of the furnishin’ that the landlord provided.”
“These look expensive as hell,” Morgan noted, “and the mattress looks like it would be heaven to lie on.”
“It is,” I concluded. “I have the same mattress in me bedroom, and it’s incredible.”
Morgan placed his hands on his hips, and eyed the flat packs in the corner of the room.
“I can help you take it apart and put it against the wall, then we can put those bookcases and your desk together. It’s a sorry sight seein’ a Mac Desktop with such big monitors sit on a tiny stand like that.”
I glanced at the pathetic stand and sighed.
“I know,” I admitted. “I’m just not very handy; I suck at puttin’ things together. I was goin’ to ask Damien to help, but I forgot. Me friends had twins yesterday, and it’s just added to an already eventful week.”
“Damien?”
“Oh, sorry.” I chuckled. “Damien is me boyfriend. He’s at work right now.”
“Cool,” Morgan said with a bob of his head. “I’m sure he’d help, but since I’m ’ere, you might as well put me to work.”
My lips twitched. “You don’t have to tell me twice.”
Together, we spent an hour taking apart the spare bed and putting the wood and mattress carefully against the wall on the far side of the room. Building the large desk was a much quicker endeavour than I could have ever imagined because Morgan seemed to know exactly what he was doing.
I just had to hand him the correct screw here and there, and he did the rest. When everything was put together, we both lifted the desk to its new designated spot, and I placed the bookcases where I wanted them to go. Sorting out my computer and the monitors took maybe five minutes.
When we were finished, I placed my hands on my hips and smiled.
“I love it!”
Morgan glanced around. “A few of your designs on the wall will tie everything together nicely.”
I agreed and already began filing away ideas of what to paint at a later date. Morgan swiftly moved a lone chair that no one ever sat on in the sitting room into the office, so I could sit in there and sketch while he worked. It made sense instead of us shouting back and forth to one another. Once we were settled, I reread the client’s brief and got to work sketching.
Morgan logged into my business email that was connected to my website and started organising the emails in a categorised list for me to choose from. He would read a brief bit of an email, then we would both decide which file it would go into. He then replied to every single email, and from what I could see, there were a lot of unread ones.
“What are you sayin’ to the clients?” I asked as I smoothed out a rough line on a partially destroyed building that I was drawing with my thumb, creating a smoky effect.
“A pretty standard but formal response,” he asked, not looking away from the monitors before him. “Not acceptin’ the offer to work with them, but not turnin’ it down either. I’m askin’ for more information on what you will be designin’, whether it’s a book cover, an illustration, or a piece of art to hang up in a sittin’ room, stuff like that. Oh, and dates they would like work to begin and to be completed so we can check if they’re available.” Morgan glanced over my shoulder. “Ye’know what? I’m gonna create a form askin’ for all of that information, and more, then update your contact tab on your website. Everyone will have to fill the form out and email it to you to receive a response.”
I raised my brows. “Where have you been all me life?”
Morgan laughed, then turned back to the monitor.
“I’m linkin’ your calendar and email up with me phone, that way I can work on the go to make sure I don’t come in to work and be swamped for the few hours I’m ’ere.”
I paused. “I don’t want you workin’ outside hours, though. That’s not fair since I’m payin’ you just for our agreed weekly hours.”
“Alannah.” Morgan snorted, looking over his shoulder at me. “I’m checkin’ emails; you’re hardly gonna be overworkin’ me.”
I made a face, but he grinned and turned back to the computer. He went on to change my entire website around, renaming it, and updating my social media accounts to reflect the changes, too.
“Your price list needs a revamp.”
“Too expensive?”
Morgan laughed. “More like inexpensive.”
I blinked.
“An example is your author design corner. You charge a hundred for a paperback book cover and sixty-five for an ebook cover.”
“Yeah—”I frowned—“but right now, only indie authors come to me, and they don’t have a whole lot of money.”
“I respect that,” Morgan said, “I do, but you aren’t puttin’ a cover together with stock photos and sendin’ it on to them. You draw it, and unless your clients specify otherwise, your work looks lifelike, like someone took a picture. You need to charge for the quality of work you provide.”
I hesitated. “I mean, if you think I should …”
“I do.”
“Okay.” I swallowed. “Change the prices to whatever you think, but don’t make them insanely expensive.”
Morgan nodded, then returned to work. We spoke back and forth every so often over the next three hours, him asking questions, and me answering them before asking him a question of my own. It was an interesting way for me to sketch. Normally, no one was around when I drew unless I was sketching on my travel pad, but I was pleased to find I could get lost in my craft and still hold a conversation with someone should I choose to do so.
By the time one o’clock rolled around, I had the dystopian ruined city in the background of the cover drawn with minor detail added, and the characters in the foreground outlined. I rolled my neck onto my shoulders, and when my bones cracked, I knew I was done for the day. I put my things away, then moved over behind Morgan to see what he was doing. When I saw how he had changed my entire system and organised everything, I was more than impressed.
“Okay,” he said when he felt my presence behind him. “I’ve colour tagged categories. All pendin’ projects are tagged blue, yellow is for projects you’ll be acceptin’, red is for projects you’re declinin’, green is for projects completed, and orange is for works in progress.”
I smiled. “Brilliant.”
“Also,” Morgan added, “I’ve changed your policy. Once you get an outline drawn and have submitted the mock image to the client for approval, changes can only be made to a sketch once before you scan it and get to work with your online designin’. Additional changes after they’ve approved the mock will be fifty Euros per edit since you’d have to erase and physically re-draw in the changes.”
I nodded. “Sounds good.”
“And,” he continued, “I’ve also amended your policy that payment for a project must be paid in full upfront. There will be no deposits or holdin’ fees of any kind. It’d be a nightmare tryin’ to get money from people after you’ve already committed to their project and spent time creatin’ it.”
“I wanted to originally do that, but a lot of people preferred the deposit first.”
“Well, if they really want your work, they’ll adhere to the new policy and have no problem.”
I nodded. “Yeah, you’re right.”
We spent another hour deciding which projects I would be accepting, and which ones I would be declining. I hated declining anyone who liked my work enough to email me, but some of the requests were so out there, I had no idea if I could create what they were asking for. By the time we were finished, Morgan had created formal email responses with an invoice attached. Each client was informed that until the invoice was paid, work would not commence, and their spot on my calendar was in jeopardy until the balance was settled.
“As soon as invoices start gettin’ paid, I will update your calendar, and reflect it on the one on your website so people will see you’re booked and will have to choose from later dates when fillin’ out the new project form.”
I shook my head, amazed.
“Thanks, Morgan. You’ve literally organised me entire business.”
“Hey,” he said, turning to face me. “That’s me job. I’m really enjoyin’ meself, and it’s only me first day.”
“Mate, I like havin’ you ’ere. You’re a lifesaver.”
He snorted and clapped his palm against mine when I raised my hand in the air, requesting a high five.
“When you have a minute,” he said, “you need to create a new logo, and I can get to work marketin’ your stuff.”
“I’ve a few ideas for it, so I’ll get to sketchin’ when I have the free time and come up with some ideas to choose from.”
“Cool.”
I glanced at the time on the monitor and said, “Work is just about finished for you.”
His phone vibrated, and he sighed. “That’d be me girlfriend; she has plans for us to go to the cinema and see that new musical with Hugh Jackman and Zac Efron.”
I chuckled. “Get to it then.”
“You sure you’re good? I can stay and help if you need me any further.”
“Go on. Get goin’.” I waved Morgan on. “Your missus will rip you a new one if you make ’er wait any longer.”
Morgan laughed as he grabbed his bag from the floor and put his stuff inside of it.
“I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“You will indeed.”
After Morgan left, I let Barbara out of her crate, then went back into my office and looked around with a smile on my face. I had made some shitty decisions in my life, but hiring Morgan to work for me was not one of them.