And the fact he still held her hand.
She turned her head slightly to see his face. Heaven help her, his eyes had darkened to a stormy blue. Her heart rocked in her chest, disrupting her hold on those tremors.
His jaw clenched, and a second later, he abruptly released her and stepped back. “You might want to wash the glue off your hand.”
Unable to switch from aroused to indifferent as quickly as Ryder, she nodded and headed to the utility sink across the room. With distance between them, she regained control and the ability to breathe normally again.
That was batshit crazy.
As she washed and dried her hands, she pondered how to break it to the guy that they were on their own tonight. But since he was the one with the problem, and not her, she decided to treat it like it was no big deal. They were two adults working on a project. Turning around, she cleared her throat and walked back to her models, careful to keep the table between them, because…dammit, her body was still tingling. “Phoebe’s not coming.”
His brows furrowed and panic briefly skittered through his eyes. But he didn’t take flight. “Is she all right?”
“Yes.” She nodded. “They’re rehearsing longer tonight. But, I already have her schedule. It’s on the wall there by the door. So you and I can come up with a game plan that fits into your schedule. I’m easy. I mean, flexible. Wide open.” Dammit. Heat rushed into her face. “What I’m trying to say is I’m available…I can come anytime. Seriously? Just kill me now.” She slapped a hand over mouth and shook her head, noting a smile tugging his lips.
“Hey, are you Sophia and Ryder?” A teenager walked in, carrying a box of pizza and two bottles of water. “Phoebe told me to bring this to you.”
Her friend must’ve ordered supper for the troops.
“Yes. Thanks,” she said, and the boy set everything on the table by her, then left. “Well that was perfect timing.” She turned to Ryder and grinned. “I was getting tired of the taste of my foot. I’d much rather shove a piece of pizza in my mouth.”
Chuckling, he grabbed two folded chairs stacked against the wall and carried them over. “I thought it was cute.”
For the first time since she’d returned, he visibly relaxed. His shoulders and mouth were no longer stiff, and she was happy to adopt his friendly attitude. One should never underestimate the power of pizza.
Over the next hour, they shared dinner and a few more laughs while hammering out a schedule that worked around his job. It didn’t take long for her to remember what had drawn her to the guy all those years ago?his wit and intelligence. Yeah, he was also gorgeous, but she’d grown up around handsome guys her whole life. In her world, they were plentiful. Ryder stood out. He was…more. And like his good looks, his wit and intelligence had also matured and increased.
“These are amazing, Sophia.” He nodded to the sketches, plans, and models spread out on the table. “You’re very good.”
His compliments sent a wave of warmth through her chest. He had a way of making her feel alive. Vibrant. No one else had ever made her feel so good about herself.
“Thanks.” She wiped her hands off on her jeans, and stood. “I still have to work on elevations of each set.”
Rising to his feet, he frowned. “Scaled sketches?”
“Exactly. Once I finish those, then I can write down building instructions. There not just for you, though, they’re for everyone,” she rushed to explain.
He nodded, no signs of offense in his eyes. “I would imagine you need to use lightweight material so the sets are easy to move.”
“Yes. For the flats—backgrounds—we frame out paintable material like muslin.” She grabbed a pencil and paper and sketched out a quick diagram of a flat. After answering his questions about materials, she went on to briefly explain the construction of platforms and collapsible platforms, called parallels.
He tapped the paper with his finger and smiled. “These will be great for the kids to construct.”
“The college kids Phoebe mentioned?”
“Yeah, I have a few interning with me over the summer,” he said. “Wish I could pay them, but at least they’re getting experience.”
She nodded. “That’s how I started out in set design.” She’d worked for her father during the day, then spent hours at night volunteering her time and expertise at several theaters. “I was thrilled at the chance. Speaking of which, do you think you could find a few more who’d be interested in helping out?”
He straightened and faced her, surprise lifting his brows. “Yeah. I’m sure the college has several that’d be interested.”
“Perfect.” She smiled. “How about art students? I’d love to give a few locals the chance to tap into their skills and creativity, and help with the four backgrounds required in this production.”
“You’d do that?”
“Absolutely.” She grinned at the incredulity in his tone. “I’m so grateful for the opportunities I was given. And now, I’m excited to be in the position to pay it forward.”
An unrecognizable emotion flickered through his eyes, before a pleased expression settled in those mesmerizing blue depths. “That’s really great, Sophia. I’ll stop by the college this Friday.”
