She laughs again, shaking her head. “You seem to have my schedule figured out without me calling you.”
“Yeah,” I say, rubbing the back of my neck. “I’m trying to do less stalking.”
That gets a giggle out of her.
“I appreciate that,” she says. “And I’m glad you’re here, because I was already getting tired.”
“I still can’t believe you do this just about every day,” I tell her as I carry two tables in.
These things are heavy. I’m a big guy. I work out. Too much of this would have me struggling.
“When you helped me last time, you cut my setup time by a fourth,” she says. “It usually takes me about an hour and a half. It’s amazing what not having to move all this stuff can do for my timing.”
“Seems like having it all set up for you would save you a lot of time.”
“It probably would,” she says.
We set up the tables and chairs, and I start to get a feel for how she runs things. The setup isn’t that different, no matter where she is. Everybody just needs a clear view of her.
“You’re sticking around?” she asks once everything is ready.
“I can. I didn’t have any other plans.”
“Okay.”
She drops into a chair next to where I’m standing and leans back. “Well, now I have forty-five extra minutes.”
Past me would’ve had a very clear idea of what to do with that time, but that’s not where we are now. If we reconnect like that, it’s not going to happen at a paint and sip.
“Have you ever thought about renting out a space?” I ask.
She looks off for a second, like she’s really thinking about it. “A little bit. It would be convenient. It’s just not a cost I’m ready to take on. It’s not where I am in my business.”
“I get that. Rent isn’t light.”
“I mean, sometimes I get spaces for free,” she says with a shrug. “People use it as a chance to advertise since my popularity has grown.”
“You are a busy lady,” I tell her. “You stay booked.”
“Busy,” she says with a small laugh. “Very busy.”
I look at her for a second before I say it.
“Are you busy tomorrow?”
She smiles, already knowing where this is going. “I’ve got time. I don’t usually do anything on Wednesdays, so yes, I have time.”
She looks up at me with those eyes, and I feel it.
“What do you have in mind?” she asks.
Nothing.
I don’t have anything planned. I just want to spend time with her. I’ll figure the rest out.
“Well, if I told you, it wouldn’t be much of a surprise, would it?” I say.
She nudges me. “You don’t know what you want to do. You just want to spend time with me.”
