"C'mon, babe, want you to meet some of the new clients. Nice to meet you, Mr and Mrs McKinnon."
"He's an employee here?" Mum asked, looking over the shop as if with new eyes.
"Part owner," Gabe said.
"Hmm, I think I need to see a prospectus."
"That boy know you two are doing this to keep your mother off the scent?" Dad asked as Mum managed to carve a path through the crowd, people just moving out her way automatically. I guess even strangers didn't want to step in front of the perfumed steamroller.
"I think so, though he did seem awfully pleased to be playing the role of boyfriend," I said.
"Pretty girl throws herself at a guy, he's not going to complain," Gabe said with a wink.
"I'm not sure who I need to rescue, but I'm pretty sure it’s one or more of them," Dad said, finishing off his beer and handing the bottle to the waitress. "Good to see you again, Gabe."
"Same. Still got that Indian waiting for you to give 'er a spin."
"Not fair to tempt an old man," Dad said with a grin, then went off to chase down my mum.
"There you are, you prick." I looked up to see Jez sporting a huge grin, Shane at her side.
"Fuck you, you dopey cunt,” Gabe said to Shane. “What are you doing with this dead-shit, Jez? It's been that long since we've seen him with the same woman twice, we figured he was a dud in the sack."
Jez opened her mouth to describe exactly how wrong he was when I stopped her with an outstretched hand. "Don't you dare. I had to hear all about it the first time. I need a lot more to drink to hear it again."
"You're jealous. I get it, it can be a tough burden to bear," Shane said with a grin.
"Pretty sure I threw up a bit in my mouth."
“I’d much rather be putting something in Jez's mouth," Shane said, cradling Jez to his body and running a hand along her jaw.
"And I–"
"Yeah, I gotta check up on Tess. Or spew, whichever comes first," I said and threw myself into the crowd. I could hear Shane's chuckles as I went.
"So, we'd like your attention for a moment." Flea had climbed on top of one of the tattoo benches amid a bunch of whoops. It took a bit, but everyone eventually settled. “This shop has been my dream since I was a shithead kid, hanging around Blinky Bill's, back on Holley St and it wouldn’t have been possible without Gabe. Where are ya, mate?" I turned to see him make his way over, to jump nimbly up beside us. "We've spent a bloody long time building up our reputation, with you kind folks' support, but here we are. We couldn't do it without you and a couple of special ladies. Ash, Tess, come on up."
I started to say no when the crowd took on a mind of its own. A million arms virtually picked me up and swept me forward, so I ended up breathless, standing in front of Gabe's feet. A broad hand reached down for me.
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"No, no, no," I said, "I'm fine down here."
"C'mon Ash, don't you trust me?"
"It's not you I don't trust it’s . . . ulp!" I was jerked up on the bench, forced to try and find my balance. A strong arm wrapped around my waist to keep me from falling. I looked over to see Tess doing the same with Flea.
"These guys took a chance on us, let us rip up and renovate half of their grandmother's shop to make Wizards of Ink. Not something most landlords would be happy to do. Without your support, this wouldn't have been possible."
"It was nothing," I tried to say, but Flea had raised his glass and everyone was doing the same. A waitress handed me a shot, Gabe’s grip growing firm as I struggled to bend down and grab it.
"To Wizards of Ink!"
"TO WIZARDS OF INK!" the crowd roared back.
I knocked back the shot, coughing as it went down. "You OK?" Gabe asked, watching my spluttering with concern.
I burst out laughing, interspersing laughter with coughing. The shop, the people and standing on this bench, was all just nuts. "Anyone else feel like crowd surfing?"