My schedule is filled for the next three weeks and I have a stack of messages, calls to return, for scheduling. “How the hell did this happen?”

“Eye candy,” Kelsey says before she bites into a chocolate chip cookie.

I just snort. That’s something I’ve never been accused of.

“How come you only work during the day and not on weekends?”

“I used to work the weekends. That’s some of the busier times.”

“But you’ve marked yourself out.”

“Well, I did that after we started hanging out. I don’t want to be here when I can be with you.”

Kelsey straightens and narrows her eyes. “Don’t be screwing yourself over to spend time with me.”

“It wasn’t that big of a deal. It’s not like I had people lining up at the door.”

“Well, you do now.”

Yeah, apparently I do. And, I don’t want to lose the customers. I should cash in on the popularity and make some money before they move on to the next guy who pops up on a reality show.

“This next week I’m going to be studying and taking finals, starting with cracking the books tonight.”

“You said last week you weren’t worried,” I remind her.

“I’m not. Not really, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want to make sure I get good grades.”

“So, you are telling me to work and you’ll study, and what, we’ll see each other in a week or so?”

Kelsey grins at me. “That’s exactly what I’m saying. I’ve got to go to school, study and work at the bookstore. I’ve been slacking a lot to spend time with you.”

“Don’t be saying that just to get me to work more.”

“I’m not,” she insists. “You gotta do this, and I gotta study. The end.”

I stare into her brown eyes. She doesn’t even blink, not backing down. “Fine,” I finally blow out and start erasing the penciled in “X”s in my calendar of when I didn’t plan on being here, starting with tomorrow. And, I free up the nights for the next week, though I give myself a little time off. I can’t constantly be doing tats and I will be at Kelsey’s when she gets home from the bookstore. Even if I’m just sitting there while she studies. “I’ll take this out and make some calls and start scheduling.”

“And, I’ll sit here and eat cookies and enjoy the coffee.”

I grab a chair and sit next to Peggy and pull my phone out of my pocket. She takes it from me.

“Oh, honey, you do not want anyone getting your personal number.” She shoves the business phone over to me.

“But, I’ll be tying up the line for people calling in.”

“They’ll call back.”

For the next two hours I alternate between calling people and scheduling the others who came in. “I’m going to be eating, drinking, sleeping and pissing tattoos from now until Christmas.”

“It’s the price of fame, sweetheart,” Peggy says as she slaps my ass as I’m walking away.