"They definitely pack a lot of action in such a small space," Lauren agreed. Her grandmother knew better than most how well Lauren could take care of herself, and even she'd called to check in. "But if you're careful, it's not so bad. Just like living in a big city without the actual big city part." Growing up in a relatively small community, Lauren had needed to adjust quickly to the pace of life in Vegas.
"There's definitely been an adjustment period," she acknowledged. "But I've got a good team and we've got a fairly steady stream of clients - recent days excluded - so I'm not worried. It's mostly a case of setting up my routines so I don't feel overwhelmed with everything that needs done." It'd helped that she'd been shop bitch during her apprenticeship the way all artists had to be when first starting out. A lot of the menial tasks she'd had to do - like inventory - meant that she was prepared to do it now that she owned the place. Maybe she ought to look into an apprentice to do the bitch work for her...
"So, how's the self-employed painting business these days?" she asked him. "If you don't mind my asking."