"How did you solve the clue so quickly?" I blurt out, unable to hide my surprise.
Olivia titters—a sound so fake I want to cringe. "Olivia's cousin works at the contemporary art gallery in Denver. The minute we saw 'rainbow body,' she knew exactly what it was."
Ethan dangles their polaroid in front of us—a perfectly posed shot of them in front of the rainbow installation. "Better hurry. Emily and your dad are right behind us." He quips. "Oh, and by the way," he adds, leaning closer as they pass, "maybe try for a more original team name next time? 'Team Shortcake' is a little... juvenile, don't you think?
My cheeks burn with anger and embarrassment. Bash tenses beside me, but before he can respond, Ethan and Olivia are already sauntering toward their car, his arm draped possessively around her waist.
"That condescending—" I start, fury building in my chest. I grab Bash's hand, ready to drag him into the museum at top speed. "Come on, we need to hurry."
But Bash doesn't move. Instead, he tugs me back gently, turning me to face him.
"Hey," he says, his voice low and steady. "Don't let him get to you. That's exactly what he wants."
"But we're falling behind! And he's being such a—"
"Charlie." Bash places his hands on my shoulders, grounding me. "Take a breath. This is supposed to be fun, remember?"
I inhale deeply, trying to let go of the tension. "I just hate losing to him."
"We're not losing anything." He tucks a strand of hair behind my ear. "We're neck and neck, and we've got plenty of time. Besides, I've never seen this rainbow body thing, and I'd actually like to enjoy it instead of rushing through."
The tenderness in his eyes melts some of my competitive rage. He's right, of course. I'm letting Ethan's presence turn this into something ugly when it should be fun.
"Okay," I concede, exhaling slowly. "You're right. Let's actually experience the art."
Bash smiles, leaning down to press a quick kiss to my lips. "That's my girl."
Inside the museum, we're directed to the special exhibition on the third floor. As we step into the installation room, we're handed special white fabric booties to slip over our shoes.
"To protect the floor," the attendant explains. "The whole surface is part of the artwork."
I watch Bash struggle to balance on one foot as he pulls the bootie over his oversized snow boot, wobbling precariously.
"Need some help there, mountain man?" I tease.
He steadies himself against the wall. "I can snowboard down a double black diamond, but apparently putting on shoe covers is beyond my skill set."
Once we're properly outfitted, we step into the installation space and both stop short, awestruck.
The room is transformed into a kaleidoscope of color. Light projections cast vibrant rainbow patterns across every surface—floor, ceiling, walls—creating an immersive, disorienting experience. The boundaries between surfaces blur, making it feel like we're standing inside a three-dimensional rainbow.
"Wow," Bash breathes beside me. "This is... incredible."
I watch his face as he takes it all in, his blue eyes reflecting the dancing colors.
"The artist calls it 'the rainbow body' because it's supposed to represent the dissolution of physical form into pure light and color," I read from a brochure, then add from memory. "In some Buddhist traditions, the rainbow body is the highest state of meditation, where the physical body transforms into light."
Bash looks at me with surprise and appreciation. "Look at you, art expert."
I shrug, feeling a flush of pleasure at his admiration. "I minored in art history before the corporate world claimed me."
"Really? I didn't know that." He takes my hand, leading me deeper into the swirling colors. "Tell me more."
For the next fifteen minutes, we wander through the installation, completely forgetting about the scavenger hunt. I point out details in the light patterns, explaining how they interact with the architecture of the space. Bash listens intently, asking thoughtful questions and occasionally pulling me close when a particular combination of colors catches his eye.
"This is like being inside your mind," he says at one point, his voice soft.
"What do you mean?"
