Chapter 326: Grand Opening
*At the end of today, I’m having a big glass of wine. You go have a big glass of single dad. – Gertie*
As everyone set up their displays and wares, Shiloh worried that everything would go wrong. She already knew of at least one church that would be protesting. Ciara, the proprietor of the Wiccan bookstore, had assured her that they protested everything.
“If they protest your store, you’re doing it right.” Ciara grinned. “You should come see my Banned Book section.”
With that encouragement, Shiloh decided that she had made the right decision. The idea of the Saturday market was to give a place for those in the alternative world a place to gather. Shiloh knew for a fact that they were out there.
There were the Billie’s, such as herself. Rockabilly. Psychobilly. Gothabilly. Depending on her mood depended on which one she identified herself as.
Gertie was more of a vintage goth girl. She liked the Victorian style. However, since her hair cut, she had taken to the flapper style.
Shade, the bartender at Nightingale, was traditional goth. All dark clothes. Pale makeup. Bored expression.
Then there were the Burton fans. Even if they didn’t dress the part, they liked the t-shirts and novelties.
And the closet goth. They weren’t quite ready to take the plunge. But they liked the look.
Teens.
Shiloh smiled at the group of teens gathered around some of the dresses in Dark Moon. And bit back a laugh when one of the moms said that they used to buy clothes like that at a store in the mall. It was now trendier than goth and the kids didn’t believe it.
A lot of her business in Dark Moon would be from rebellious teens.
“This is absolutely amazing.” A woman in a green polo shirt for the greenhouse with a giant rose tattoo on her left arm.
“Thank you.” Shiloh smiled as she folded the shirts. “How is it going outside?”
“Really good. We’ve already sold everything that we brought.” She offered her hand. “Rose Lowery. My husband and his crew are doing the temporary tattoos.”
“Shiloh Montgomery.” She shook her hand. “Dino, Rocky and Gremlin. Right?”
“Yeah. I’m married to Dino. Ink and Tats are out there too.”
“Your husband has done several of my tattoos.” Placing the shirts in the bag, all black with silver writing and handles, Shiloh gave her the total.
Running her card, Rose laughed. “I swear my husband has had his hands on just about every woman I know.”
“Including my girls.” Pagan said as he stepped up to the counter.
Shiloh and Rose both busted out laughing as they looked at him.
“Are you saying that your husband did a bad job on my face tat?” he asked fluttering his lashes.
“He did a great job.”
“I’ve never met a man that could pull off a butterfly tattoo before. You do it well.” Shiloh told him.
“Thanks. I’m not supposed to know what it is. Don’t tell Alyssa that I could see it in a mirror.”
Rose snapped a picture of him. “That is so going on the wall at the Shack.”
“Molly and me, we live in a land of glitter.” He turned his attention back to Shiloh. “The glitter monsters sent me in to see if you had eaten lunch yet.”
“I did.” She handed the bag and receipt to Rose who was grinning broadly. “The café gave us several sandwich and cookie trays.”
“Hey,” Bonnie, one of her part time employees said rushing over from New Moon. “We’re out of garment bags.”
“Tell me where they are and I’ll get them.” Pagan offered.
“They’re in the storage room downstairs next to my office. In the old embalming room.”
“And where are the stairs?”
Shiloh smiled at him as another customer put her pile of goodies on the counter. “Bonnie, can you show him?”
“As long as I don’t have to go down there.” The teen gave an involuntary shudder.
“Nope. Just show me where to go.”
Shiloh scanned the UPC codes. “It will be on the left side of the room, all of Dark Moon supplies are on the right.”
She then turned her full attention to the customer and chatted with her. The woman said that she was thrilled to find all the baby stuff. Her daughter was doing her nursery in Nightmare Before Christmas, and all of this would be perfect.
Smiling as she gave the total and suggested that she check the booths outside. “I believe there is a woman who does quilts and blankets.” She began bagging the items. “And a man who knits. I already ordered a sweater from him.”
“Do you work on commission?”
“No, ma’am.” She tapped the tip jar. “We do accept tips, anything in the jar is split by my employees. If you hand it to Marilyn, I know nothing about it.”
“How…?” the woman asked confused.
“She’s obsessed with the baby items.” Shiloh said handing over the two bags.
“Thank you.” The woman said as took the bags and went to find Marilyn.
Four customers later, Shiloh realized that she needed bags also. Just as she started to wonder if Pagan was still around, he came around the corner with a box of bags and tissue paper.
“They were just about out of everything over there. Figured you probably were too.” He said setting the box down as he started to replenish her supplies.
“You’ve got yourself a keeper.” An older woman said accepting her bag. “Next time my granddaughter is in town, I’m bringing her here. Hope he’ll still be here, he’s easy on the eyes, too.”
“Yes, he is.” Shiloh agreed, handing over the receipt. “His company did all of our custom metalwork.”
The woman stepped over to the side to speak with a blushing Pagan. He gave her a business card for the fab shop for a fire pit that her husband wanted. It took a while, but Pagan finally got Shiloh pulled away from the register and outside to see how her market was doing.
“I didn’t know I embarrassed you.”
“I was wondering about another type of metalwork.” He admitted as he glanced at her chest.
She smiled at him teasingly. “Maybe you’ll have to see for yourself.”
“Daddy!” Alyssa called out as she grabbed his hand. “What are you doing with Miss Shiloh?”
“Asking her to have dinner with us tonight.”
“Yay! I’m going to go tell Ashlyn.”
“Now, you have to come because you are the *only* thing that they agree on.” Pagan was ready to beg if it kept his daughters from trying to kill each other.
And Barbie.
Monster High was now down a student after Frankie Stein flew out Alyssa’s car window this morning.
He was certain that he heard Ken begging Ashlyn for mercy.
Pagan was starting to think that he just needed to order a bunch of the dolls and keep them stashed away.
