Carter walks into the shop incredibly early the next morning. She's far too excited about the news to wait and come in on time to tell Pandora. Her expression is pretty neutral for the time that she's there, waiting for Pandora to come in for her shift. She wants it to be a surprise and smiling like an idiot will give it away fairly quickly.
It feels like a century passes before Pandora shows up and Carter's practically bubbling with excitement as she walks through the front door. She gives her a moment to set her things down before she prepares to tell her the news.
"Pandora, a word in the back, please?"
The woman who's long since become her best friend gives her a curious look and nods before following her back into their little 'conference' room.
"Is everything al-"
Carter doesn't let her finish, an excited squeal passing her lips as she throws her arms around her best friend.
"I made it! I got a spot!"
Pandora's eyes widen and her smile blossoms. She hasn't seen Carter so alive in years and the change alone is something to be happy for.
"Holy shit! That's amazing! When do you leave?"
Carter pulls away and fixes her shirt where it wrinkled, which makes Pandora laugh. "Next week. But you can't tell anyone until Wednesday. I need you to keep things up and running while I'm away. No screwing the clients, alright? Unless it's that Mark guy that you see often."
Pandora nods and salutes her. A loud laugh passes Carter's lips and rings throughout the shop. "I'm glad to know that you take me seriously."
Pandora grins, "Always! So, does your little boy toy know that you're leaving yet?"
Carter blushes and lies through her teeth because she knows that it will hurt Pandora's feelings if she knows that she wasn't the first one to hear the news. "No, I haven't told him yet."
Pandora lifts a hand to tilt Carter's chin up so that her face isn't hidden from the lights. "Is that blush I see?"
Carter turns her head quickly and puts on her usual façade, "Of course not, don't be stupid."
Pandora shrugs it off because Carter's always like this, off and then suddenly on, only to turn herself off again.
"Must be the lighting. I'm so happy for you, though! Even if you don't win, you're going to kick some major ass!"
Carter smiles at the encouragement, "I'd like to win, but yes, hopefully you're right."
Pandora's silent for a moment, her hand gripping the cool metal of the doorknob as a thought hits her. She turns around to face Carter again, "Can I ask you one of those personal questions that only I can ask you?"
Carter shifts rather uncomfortably. She has a good idea about the topic of the question, but Pandora's her friend and that means she'll at least consider the answer. "I suppose so."
"Why don't you give him a chance?"
She's thought about that exact question on more than one occasion, but the answer has always been the same. She wants to focus on her career and she doesn't want to risk her heart, so she'd rather just keep him at his present distance.
"Focus is elsewhere and I don't want to go through what happened the last time again."
Pandora looks at her with sad eyes and a slight frown. She deserves to have someone just as much as the next person, maybe even a little more, and it isn't good for her to be so cold to almost everyone around her.
"So, you like him, but you want to focus on your career and avoid getting your heart broken again?"
Carter harshly bites the inside of her cheek. She doesn't want to be having this conversation, but if she doesn't, Pandora will bring it up at some other time.
"I don't know what I want, okay? Can we please just stop talking about it?"
Pandora nods and offers her a soft smile. "Sure. Just remember that you know where to find me if you need me for anything."
Carter shakes her head and returns her smile. "I know. Now, get back to work before I have to fire you for harassing me."
Pandora laughs loudly as she leaves the room. Carter's really something else and she hopes that, maybe, with her spot on the show she'll open up a little more and start to see things differently.
Carter sits in the back until her first client comes in. Even so, her mind is still glued to that stupid, stupid man that she's gotten herself involved with.
She definitely wants him for sex, but can she open up and actually give him a chance? He certainly isn't bad or anything, but she just doesn't want to and she doesn't think that she's ready for that yet.
Internally, she curses Pandora for planting those thoughts in her mind, making her think of the entire subject of relationships in the first place.
She needs to clear her mind or she's going to lose it.
"I'm going out for a smoke. Pandora, keep an eye on things, please."
Carter stands slowly and reaches under the counter, digging through her purse for her cigarettes and her lighter. Pandora briefly looks up from her machine. Something's off about her, but she's not sure what and she doesn't want to put her in a mood again so she isn't going to mention it.
"Sure thing."
The cold air is far more than refreshing as she steps outside and into the city. Winter is her absolute favorite time of the year and she's so glad that it's arrived already.
She sighs contentedly as she blows out a cloud of smoke, the chill seeping through her clothes and into her pores. Carter revels in the blue tint that hangs over everything and the way that the sun's reflection bounces around from window to window in a calming manner.
In the time that she's been standing here, smoking and clearing her thoughts, she's gone through three cigarettes. She's just finished the third when she spots a familiar figure walking her way.
However, it's not Harry: it's Sam. She can tell by how sparse his arms are compared to his brother's and the arrogant way that he walks.
Carter sighs in irritation as she exhales her last cloud of smoke. "If you're here to get back at your brother for whatever it is that you think he's done, don't bother."
Sam returns her statement with a laugh. "I'm not here for you, I'm here for your art."
Carter stares at him for a good minute, checking to see if he's serious or not. "Fair enough. Come inside and then we'll talk."
She disposes of her cigarette and leads him inside without another word. He's an even bigger asshole than she is and she was hoping that she'd never have to deal with him again because he just complicates things and because he isn't a likeable guy in general.
"What do you want to get and where?"
Sam smirks, a devious glint in his eyes. "You and anywhere you'd like."
Carter scoffs and almost slams the notebook on the table. "Absolutely not. If that's all, you can leave now. The door is right there."
His smirk remains intact as he leans over the counter with his head on his hands. "You like him, don't you?"
Her expression is immediately a mix between quizzical and irritated. "No. I don't know where you got that from. I like the sex, not him."
Sam nods briefly. Carter rolls her eyes. "Stop loitering and get the hell out if you don't want a serious tattoo."
He laughs and stands up straight. "Feisty. Alright, I want a phoenix and you can place it wherever you want, just make it badass."
Carter resists the urge to roll her eyes. He and his brother are so different even though their appearance is damn near close to identical.
She scribbles what he's requested down on her notepad and tells him to help himself while she goes back to draw up a design.
Pandora catches her moments after she's started drawing the outline. "What happened to all of his tattoos? Is this some weird voodoo shit, because if it is, I don't know if I feel safe working for you."
Carter laughs lightly at the mention of witchcraft. She's still incredibly annoyed that she has to deal with Sam, but Pandora's lightened her mood a bit. "Nothing, that's his brother. Right asshole that one is."
"Wait. Mr. Walking Sex God has a twin brother? Why the hell was I not informed?"
Carter looks up from her drawing, a slightly amused smile playing at her lips. "Because you wouldn't want to sleep with him. He's God awful in bed and he's the epitome of the word asshole."
Pandora peeks into the waiting area before she returns her attention to Carter. "How would you know? He looks perfectly fine to me."
Carter sighs deeply and continues drawing, "I slept with him."
Pandora's eyes widen instantly and Carter actually wants to stab herself with her pencil.
"What!? Holy shit, Carter! You can't just do that!"
Carter stops drawing and stares at her friend in momentary disbelief. She's always talking about who she screws and their relations to other people and now that she's done the same thing it's suddenly a huge deal.
"I'm not seeing his brother; therefore, I can see who I want. Much like you do, and I didn't notice it at first, okay? I know. Alright, I fucking know, but I told him anyway. So at least I'm not as terrible of a person that I could be."
"You told him that you slept with his brother!?"
Carter nods and goes back to drawing, "Yes. I felt bad about it, believe it or not."
"And you two still fuck?"
She nods again, "Yes."
Of course they do. Like she said, they aren't seeing each other.
Pandora continues to stare at her in disbelief. She slept with his brother and he's still okay with sleeping with her. It's incredibly clear that he likes her, but she's not entirely sure if Carter's noticed.
"Carter-"
She holds up a hand as she closes her eyes and breathes deeply. This whole Sam thing has really gotten out of control and she doesn't want to talk about it anymore. And she knows that she's got something to say about how Harry's still sleeping with her after that and that's a subject she'd rather not broach today.
"I know, okay. I do. I just don't know what to do about it right now."
"But he-"
"Pandora. I know. Please, just let me handle things on my own."
Pandora wants to smack Carter upside the head because she's not talking about him having feelings for her. "Carter! He literally just came in and it looks like he wants to kill his brother. For Christ's sake, I wasn't talking about that."
Now she's gotten her attention. Carter's embarrassed now that she's clarified and she's angry because her shop is not the place to settle sibling disputes in. Their family problems can be addressed elsewhere and not in her shop.
Carter stands quickly and practically rushes out into the waiting area where the two twins are yelling. Well, Harry's yelling and Sam seems rather calm about the entire situation, a smirk resting on his lips as he pretends to listen.
"Whatever the hell is going on, stop it. Stop dragging me into it and do not start something in my shop, or I swear to God I will ban both of you." She points to Harry, "And I'll stop sleeping with you."
Harry looks like he wants to beat the living shit out of Sam and Sam is still wearing a smug expression. Pandora's still a little shocked, but now there's an undertone of amusement, and Carter is practically to the point of seething.
She's pissed off that Sam brought her into this little game that he has going on with his brother and she's pissed off with the fact that he's come into her shop in the first place. She's even more pissed that Harry's stupid enough to come in and try to start shit with him.
Harry stops shouting and looks at Carter with parted lips. He wants to say something, but he doesn't want to piss her off even more, so he shuts his mouth and keeps his thoughts to himself.
Sam laughs and Carter practically snaps, "Shut the fuck up."
Her harsh gaze flickers between the two men momentarily before she points to Harry again, "You, come out side with me right now."
She sounds like a mother, but she doesn't give a damn and she storms out the front door, angrily holding it open while she waits for him to follow.
Pandora's forcing herself not to laugh as Harry obliges and follows her out front and around the side of the building.
"What the fuck is wrong with you!? You don't go around starting fights like that! You're an adult, for Christ's sake, Harry!"
Harry ignores her yelling and kisses her hard. Carter slaps him and the sound echoes in the alley. He thought that it would calm her down some, but clearly it's done the opposite.
"Don't do that!"
He's risking getting his ass beaten, but he does it again anyway. This time she doesn't slap him. After trying to push him away to no avail, she gives in and lets him kiss her.
Now she slaps him.
"Don't ever come into my shop and start that shit ever again. I don't care if he's murdered your wife or whatever, don't come into my shop and start a fight."
Harry's looking at her with a small smile on his lips. He admires the way that her cheeks flush and how her eyes are a bit darker. She looks as beautiful as ever to him and he isn't particularly in the mood to pretend like she isn't.
"Stop staring at me like that and answer me, damn it."
He shoves his hands in his pockets and nods, "Alright."
The answer doesn't satisfy her and suddenly she can feel the cold air against her skin. She crosses her arms under her breasts and hugs herself tightly as she speaks, "No. Don't just 'alright' me. Tell me what the fuck is going on between you and him because I'm getting really fed up with being put in the middle of it."
Harry watches her actions carefully, wetting his lips before he sighs and averts his gaze to the street that's only a few steps away. "I honestly have no idea. He's just had this thing for ruining my relationships since the end of our A levels."
Carter looks at him quizzically. "What the fuck is an A level?"
Harry smiles softly as his eyes return to hers. "Essentially, the end of high school over here."
Carter's expression calms significantly. "Oh."
"Anyway, I don't even know what I did and he won't tell me. Instead, he likes to go on this drawn out quest to ruin my life and to make me want to kill him. I honestly just came in for a tattoo and to give you this," He reaches into his satchel and pulls out a medium sized bottle of vodka, "I thought I would replace what we drank last a night ago as a secondary congratulation."
She eyes him for a moment, her features softening briefly before returning to where they'd been before, and accepts the bottle. "I told you not to do things like this."
Harry's smile remains the same as he shrugs, "I know. But it's not like that. I genuinely felt bad about drinking so much of your vodka because I know it's the expensive kind."
Carter looks down to the bottle that she holds in her hands and finally releases a warm smile. It's not very big or bright, but she's let him see it and he knows what it means.
"Thank you. Please don't do it again."
She looks up and hesmiles, "Okay."