~Hope's POV~
"Okay. I'm packed for Europe. Now, we need to go pick up the puppy." I leave in a week. I'm packing now so I can spend as much time with this puppy as possible. {puppy is pictured above.not my photo.in the story imagine it's a little smaller b/c of the age or whatever.it's a pit bull and golden retriever mix for those who don't remember from when it was mentioned a few chaps. ago}
The drive is less than an hour. We have a crate with toys and a bed in it.
"I'm so excited! But then again this is horrible, because I only have a week, then I'll be gone for two months. You'll spend that month with him, then Juliet is 'moving in' to our place until I get back, where it will be just us for a month until you get back. Holy shit. I talked to Sam. She's fine with watching Batman and Crow. I might reconsider and just have Sam 'move in' with Juliet at our place for the month we are both gone. I want new puppy, Batman, and Crow to get used to each other. They can just be kept in different rooms when no one is supervising."
"Hope. Relax. Breathe. Everything will work out just fine. You'll have an amazing time at the art school. The band will kill it during the tour. Then we will come home and rest for a while before even touching the wedding stuff. That's another stressful few months planning, but don't worry now. Everything will be fine. The world has thrown too much at us already. We can handle anything now. Ashley almost died, Batman was sick, I was having a mental breakdown, your ankle was broken, you had less than three days to redo your entire shop. We are literally superheros for not going insane. Well, I kind of went insane, but hey, everyone survived. Let's focus on the fact that we are getting a new puppy. A new, adorable puppy." What would I do without him?
"Thanks." He reaches over and holds my hand.
We arrive at the address and continue to hold hands as we walk up to the door. I slip my ring off, giving Andy a little nudge to tell him. Don't want it getting out that we're engaged.
"Hi! Welcome, welcome. Come on in. I'm Marcy, I was emailing with you, Miss Saxton. Is this your boyfriend?"
She leads us inside. We sit at her kitchen table. Two more girls walk in.
"Yes, this is Andy Biersack."
"Where have I heard that name?"
"He's the lead singer in a rock band." I offer up the information.
"Ah, yes. And I believe you know Carlie, and this is Donna. Donna works at the local shelter. She's been helping me adopt out the puppies."
"Nice to meet you. I'm Hope and this is my boyfriend Andy."
"Hi. I have the paperwork all ready for you to fill out."
Marcy speaks up again. "Well, we have your little guy all ready. Do you want to do the paperwork first?"
"Yes, that would be best."
Donna walks me through what to fill out and where to sign. It takes about a half hour.
"I think we are ready for you to meet the little guy." Marcy and Carlie get up to lead us across the house while Donna stays to organize the papers. "He's the one with the black collar. All of the other boys have been adopted, but Carlie reminded me that you also preferred a male, so he's all yours once you pay for him." Marcy is very cheerful.
"Hope, I'll go pay for him, you can start playing with him." He kisses me on the cheek before following Marcy back to the kitchen.
"High energy, isn't she?"
"Marcy? Yeah. So, can I pick him up?"
"Yeah. I think he'll fit you guys well. He loves to be active and play, but he's also a huge couch potato. He's a daddy's boy. Don't you have another dog?"
"Yes. I have a male Boston terrier named Batman and a tuxedo cat named Crow. The cat doesn't mind other animals, and Batman is great with dogs and puppies. It all depends on this guy."
"He's very friendly. He might follow around Batman. It's what he does to his dad. Think you have a name?"
"I think so, but I want to check with Andy."
"So, you guys are still just dating? How many years has it been since you met?"
"About 6 and a half years. Neither of us are really big into marriage. It's great though."
"I can tell. The band is going back out on tour soon, aren't they?"
"Yeah. They're doing 2 months around Europe. I'm actually leaving in a week to spend 2 months at an art school. I leave a month before the band, so the puppy will be with two of my very good friends for the overlapping month where both of us are gone. We've got everything figured out."
"That's good that you'll each have time to bond with him one on one, as well. What's the art school for?"
"They want me as an art consultant. I think they're trying out different candidates for a job, but I could never take it."
"Why not? Europe is amazing."
"Everyone I know is here. Andy's band is here. His whole life is here. My whole life is here. And I wouldn't be okay with packing up our entire lives. I love my job, he loves his, we've both got a lot coming up too."
"Then why even go if you'll just say no?"
"For the experience. Europe is beautiful and it'll be a new adventure. But that's all it is. It's an adventure."
"You would go anywhere for Andy's job, wouldn't you? You've packed up your life to go on tour with them for months on end. Why wouldn't he do the same for you?"
"The thing is that I know he would. But I don't want to. Europe is great for a little while, but I couldn't live there. I've traveled it with the band a few years ago, and it was amazing. I will never forget it, but two thirds into the tour, I just missed home. I missed my friends who were still in LA and I missed my job and my life. I don't want to move."
"Who want's to move?" Andy walks back in with Marcy trailing close behind.
"We were walking about Europe and how I could never move there because after a few months, I just missed my life too much."
"I feel ya. LA is home. Traveling is great, but I couldn't ever live in half the places I've been to." Andy takes the puppy from me, gushing over how cute he is.
"Okay... What do you think of the name Harley?"
"Harley? Harley... Harley. I fricken love it. Harley it is." Little Harley.
We talk to Marcy and Carlie a little longer before thanking them and carrying Harley back to our car. They also gave us his favorite toy, just so he'd have something that smelled familiar.
We get back home. Andy had locked Crow and Batman in the guest room and set out a pee pad and some food and water in the kitchen for the puppy. We need to give Harley a chance to adapt to the house before we fill it with another dog and a cat.
I set him on the ground and walk a couple feet in front of him. Andy brings me some puppy treats. I want to at least teach him his name and where to use the bathroom before I leave.
"I took the week off of work. I'm just having the stand in start early. He's coming to the shop in... fuck I have to get to the shop."
"I'll put Harley's food and stuff on the counter with a dish over it, let the two wild ones out of the small room, and you take Harley to the car. I'll meet you in the car in 5 minutes." I just go along with it.
In the car, I start calling his name if he isn't looking at me.
"Harley!" His ears perk up. I give him a treat.
"Are you trying to train him while we're in the car?"
"I want to bond with him. Why do you think Batman doesn't come when you call him? You never played with him when he was younger. He might even hate you. I think he likes Ashley better."
"All dogs like Ashley better because he feeds them too much. Why do you think his Pomeranians are so 'fluffy'?"
"Just drive."
"What brought up the conversation of moving to Europe?"
"The 2 month job I'm taking is the school trying to find someone new to hire in certain departments. Carlie asked why I was doing it if I wasn't going to take it seriously and I said for the adventure. I couldn't ever feel at home there with so much of my life being here."
"Don't go."
"What?"
"Don't go to the art thing. Cancel it. I know I'm the one who made you take it, but what if it does become home? What if you get the job and you love it and you don't want to come back? Come on the tour with me. We can bring the puppy and you can see more of Europe than just one city in the UK."
"Andy..."
"I'm serious. You don't work for a bigger company anymore, so you dictate your own hours. You can do tattoos in Europe still. You can have this guy just switch around when he works, or just give him all three months and take this month to really bond with Harley. You can come to the UK tour after all. Fuck the art school. You're a badass tattoo artist, not a consultant for modern art students. I know you, and that doesn't sound like you. I won't make you decide now, but will you at least consider it?"
"I'll think about it." He wraps his hand in mine and brings it to his lips.
Should I go on BVB's tour or should I go to the art school?
~Andy's POV~
I can't believe I just blurt all that out. I have been thinking it ever since she mentioned the art school. I can't believe I just spit all of that out. But what will she choose?
We get to the shop to see Sam talking with Ashley in the main lobby.
"What're you doing here, Purdy?"
"Getting a tattoo."
"Just don't make the decision to go up north without your phone and get in another car crash." Under her breath, I hear her add, "No one else can afford that again." The whole band and some friends chipped in to help Ash pay the insane hospital bill. Hope didn't tell me how much she chipped in. I do know it was more than anyone else. I know because Ashley hasn't stopped thanking her.
"Andy, stop asking, You know my mom... she's loaded. When she found out, she sent a little bit to chip in", is what she always said when I asked. And then she threatened to withhold sex if I didn't stop asking. That made me shut up because when either of us is sexually frustrated, there is no hiding it. We both have very distinct moods.
"Thanks again. You're a great friend, Hope."
"Stop thanking me. I didn't do anything."
"Ashley, just tell us, how much did she chip in? She won't say and you are being really weird about it. Put us out of our misery."
"So, you know the total amount?" Sam and I nod.
"Purdy, I swear to god, I will put you back in the hospital." Hope's threats are ignored.
"Half."
"Fuck you."
"Wait WHAT?!" Both Sam and I can't contain the shock.
"Hope, you paid half the bill? How did you even afford that? Not to be rude, but you're a tattoo artist in L.A. You make a lot, but not that much."
"Andy, don't act like you don't know how rich my family is."
"I'm not acting. You've never actually told me. You just say 'they're loaded so don't worry about it'. Are you embarrassed... What is it?"
"I'm not embarrassed, but my mom has given me almost all of her and my dad's money. She kept less than a quarter of it. I just feel weird having so much I didn't earn, so why not use it to help other people out. I don't have anything else to do with it."
"Give us the number of digits."
"Are you really going to make me..." We all nod. "Fine... 9, maybe 10."
"Holy fuck! What did your parents do?"
"I don't know, stop bugging me. And how have neither of you flipped out about the puppy I'm holding..." Ashley and Sam both look to Hope's arms where Harley is just chilling.
"So cuteee!!!!!" Ashley practically squeals at the sight. He likes dogs. A lot.
"Meet Harley." I introduce him formally.
"Oh, and I'm not going to the art school. I will instead be joining BVB on the European tour. The guy filling in will do three months instead of two. Sam, you and Juliet will be taking care of Batman and Crow. Batman doesn't do planes. I think you get to watch CC's and Ashley's dogs as well. I guess you can still host at our place. Crow might go crazy if we try and put him in a cage." I can't believe it. She agreed to come with me.
She looks over at me as Sam and Ashley are left thinking about all she just said.
"Really?" I mouth. She nods and smiles.
The guy that Hope is having fill in for her arrives. He's covered in tattoos. His hair is a blue similar to Blaze's.
"Holy shit, you guys are from BVB!" And he's a fan.
"Yeah. Hey, I'm Andy. Hope, the owner of the shop, is my girlfriend. Ashley over there might be in a relationship with Sam, the other girl over there, but no one actually knows. They might not even know, to be honest. This is Harley, the puppy that Hope and I picked up earlier today."
"Hi. I'm Evan."
"Nice to meet you. I really appreciate you doing this for me. So, the plans have changed, but if anything, it'll be great for you. I will not be going to the art school I mentioned in the email. I will instead be going on the European tour with BVB, so you can still work this month, but I'll still show up if I have any previously made appointments, but you are needed for an extra month. So, I'll leave next month and be gone for two months. It means more money for you, and the opportunity to ask any and all questions about the shop in the month I'm still here."
"I'm on board."
"Okay, now I just want to see you in action, so Ashley has volunteered to get a tattoo. Have you ever worked at a shop before?"
"About two years ago, I worked at one, but it got shut down since some of the other artists didn't clean stuff enough. I've always been a super germ freak, so I cleaned everything twice."
"Okay, good to know. So, Ashley has a drawing that Sam did. It's a pretty simple skull, but it has his initials in it because he's a narcissistic asshole, and I'll show you to the drawing area." Hope leads Evan to where the drawing area is.
"Evan, a heads up, everyone antagonizes everyone. Especially Hope, so if she just starts going off on one of her friends, it's normal. If I'm around and she starts going off on me, I enjoy provoking her." Evan laughs.
"I would argue, but it's true. So, this is where you can draw up ideas the customer has, you can scan a drawing they did if they want it in specific handwriting or whatever, and then you print it out on this printer. It'll print it like a temporary tattoo, but it does come off quite easy. The ink that is used is something I created and then put it through a system so that every tattoo shop in the USA has to use this. It's all organic and hypoallergenic. I'll just scan this, hit print, and there." She holds up the stencil for Ashley's skull design. "You can also use computer generated images, and if it's a picture they have, you have them send it to this email and then put it through this program, and print it from here." I didn't realize how much effort went into just getting a stencil printed off.
Hope has Ashley sit in the chair with his arm on the arm rest. "As usual, have them show you exactly where they want it. Let them place it where they want it and then remove the backing and put it on. Wet it like a temporary tattoo, and then it's on." She hands the stencil to Evan and has him put it on Ashley.
"Where do you want it?"
Ashley holds up his arm. "In this empty space. I had Sam draw it in pen the other day and I really liked it." Evan holds up the stencil to Ashley's arm in the direction Ash wants it before putting it on and checking that it's in the right spot. "Yep, it's good."
"Okay, now you've got to get all the supplies. Sam always comes in early to set everything in it's designated area. I have them all separated into bins. On long weekends, we put everything away. I'll go grab this station's bin of crap, just a minute."
I decide that I don't need to be here for this, so I set Harley down and play with him in the main lobby. He growls and wrestles with my hands.
A couple minutes later I hear the tattoo gun start up and a large intake of breath.
"Don't be a wimp, Purdy. You gave Sam a hickey in front of 8 other people when we played truth or dare a few days ago." I hear Hope antagonizing him again. I also hear someone get slapped, so I'm guessing that Sam hit Hope for saying that. "Don't hit me! We all know you enjoyed it, Sam." Wow...