“No, you don’t.” I smile, slipping off to his kitchen and filling a water bottle. “You’ve been avoiding me,” I say loud enough so he can hear me.
“No, I haven’t.” Joey appears in the kitchen doorway in a sleepy state. His hair is wild and flops down onto his forehead, and he’s in only a pair of black boxers. He is skinnier than he should be for his size, skinnier than when I first met him. I always worry about him. He has no family here to look out for him after his mum passed away a few years ago, and his brother lives in the states. From what I can gather, he blames Joey for his mother’s death. Joey will rarely talk about it and I’m okay with that. Although I know he can look after himself, he’s happy being independent and I can relate to that. But that’s not to say it doesn’t get lonely.
We all need someone in life.
“You have but I forgive you. I did kick you out for Mason the last time you came over.”
He smiles up at me. “You did, I was pissed about that actually,” he says it as if he is only now remembering and I instantly know we are okay. “But that’s not why I was avoiding you. I really have been busy.”
“Are you eating enough?” I ask casually, tighteningup the bottle top. “You’ve not been up to mine for tea in the last few weeks.”
I’m smothering him and I can’t help it. It’s as if when Ellis isn’t here I look for someone to cling onto.
“Nina, it’s five forty-five. You aren’t lecturing me on food right now. We’re either running or sleeping.”
“Sorry, I’ve been up for hours,” I complain, turning and heading for the door. “Get dressed. I’m going to stretch.”
The benefit of not being able to sleep in has to be experiencing the city before it rises. Delivery men hustle to unload the trucks, clanking and clanging in their steel toecap boots, but otherwise, in the small little side streets, the city sleeps. With the cold morning air, not many fools venture out on the gleaming, icy pavements.
“I think I have a studio,” I blurt out, needing to run the idea by someone. I should speak to Lucy and Megan, but if I fail, they will smother me in their pity and I can’t stand it. I know Joey deals with knock backs all the time in the photography industry, so I feel a little more comfortable telling him. He won’t expect big things.
“Yeah? Where?”
“Above Logan’s gym.”
“Really? That’s great! Are you going to start teaching again?” We stop at a fountain, catching our breaths.
“Not yet. It needs some love. There’s painting to do and equipment to clear. The floors are a mess too. But it has potential.”
“When was the last timeyou danced?”
My heart seems to wake with his words, catching up with the rest of my body and beating a little harder than it did moments ago. “It was a few days after the studio sold, at the penthouse.”
“Shit. It’s been what? Over a year. You need to get back into it, throw yourself in, else you never will.”
“Joey, I told you about this because I trust you not to push me. Dancing is my passion, you know that, and I will dance again. I just need some time.”
“I know, I’m sorry.” He pulls me under his arm, walking us to the gates. “You want some help at the gym?”
“No, I need to do it myself.” Working on the studio will be good for me, it will give me something to do when Mason has Ellis. I thought about going this morning, but I feel like I should check with Logan before I just turn up.
And what’s the rush?
“To be honest, I couldn’t find the time. It’s been crazy since I sold my latest prints. I have people booking for next year already. It’s mind blowing to think it’s finally taking off.”
I smile up at him, proud of my friend and the hard work he has poured into the last year of his business. He is a phenomenal photographer. “You’ll have your pictures hung up in?—”
“In The National Art gallery one day. You’re an idiot, you know that?” He chuckles, releasing me from under his arm and pushing me away.
I always tell him he will make it big one day. He doesn’t believe in himself like I do.
“You never know, all it takes is one image.”
He looks down his nose at me, tipping his chin and smirking. “You’d be the one.”
“What?” I giggle, starting to jog again.
“If I were to make it big, you’d be my masterpiece.”
