Her eyes lift to mine. “Thank you.”
I twist the cap off the water but don’t drink. “I don’t want to mess this conversation up by changing the subject.”
“Then don’t.”
I laugh, but I stay quiet.
She looks down, then back at me. “The studio was beautiful. And thoughtful. I could see how much you noticed. The storage. The light. The back area for the water. If I was looking for studio space, I probably would’ve picked it too.”
“But it still hurt,” I say.
She nods.
“I know. I didn’t ask you. I saw what was stressing you out, and I built a whole solution without stopping to see if it was the one you wanted.”
Something in her face softens.
“I thought I was giving you space,” I say. “But I filled the whole thing with decisions before you ever walked in.”
“That’s exactly what it felt like.”
“I’m sorry.”
“I know you are.”
“I already talked to the leasing office. If I need to break the lease, I can. There’s a fee, but that’s my problem. Not yours.”
Her eyebrows lift. “You already asked?”
“Yesterday.”
“You didn’t tell me.”
“I didn’t want to make it your responsibility to comfort me because I finally figured out what I should’ve figured out before.”
She looks at me for a long second, then walks into the living room. I follow, stopping near the couch while she picks up a notebook from the coffee table.
“I made a list of the things I actually need help with.”
“Okay.”
She sits, and I sit in the chair across from her because sitting beside her feels like asking for closeness she may not want yet.
“I need help with emails. Booking requests. Scheduling. Social media. Inventory. Setup. Food.”
“Food?”
“I forget to eat before events.”
“Lily.”
“Don’t do that.”
I smooth my face out. “I’m listening.”
“Good.” She looks back down at the notebook. “I need someone who can help keep the business moving when I’m at work or when I’m creating. Someone who can post the content I already have sitting in my phone, answer basic questions, track sign-ups, pack supplies, remind me when I’m low on brushes and table covers. I need actual help, not a whole building I have to figure out.”
“So, an assistant.”
