Tension eased from his shoulders, and I almost laughed. If I hadn’t already been head-over-heels for him, this would have done it. He could wave it away, but I’d never forget how much effort he’d put into making me feel welcome and supported. Maybe Vanessa was right.
“It might take me a while to get back in touch with that side of me, but this is such an inviting space. I’m more inspired than I’ve been in years.”
“Yeah?” his eyes lit up.
“I wanted to ask you something.” I forced myself to sound casual though my heart tried to jump out of my chest. “Would you go to the Desert Rose Arts Fest with me? There are a lot of fun activities, and it’s busy but not too crowded. Vanessa and I usually go together.”
“But she’s got her own show this year.”
“Exactly.”
“Sure, I’ll go with you.” He paused. “I don’t have to know anything about art, do I?”
“Not at all.”
“It’s in two weeks, right?”
“Yes. Sorry I waited so long to ask. I wasn’t sure I wanted to go this year.”
“Why wouldn’t you? It sounds perfect for you.”
Shame suffused me, and I stared at the floor.
“Beau thought it was a waste of time.”
“Oh.”
“Yeah.”
“Well, um, I hope you like the space,” he said awkwardly.
“Thank you, Jake. This means everything. I love it.”
He smiled at me, his real smile that made my knees wobbly. I had to call Vanessa. Damn Beau for making me so insecure.
As if he heard me, I got a notification from an unknown number. Beau.
“It’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen,” I gushed.
Vanessa’s laugh carried clearly over the phone.
“Your art space and reading nook, or that man’s ass?”
“Vanessa! You’re married.”
“And I’m madly in love with my husband, but that doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate art in all its forms. Your grumpy roommate is a work of art.”
“I saw him in nothing but a towel earlier.”
Vanessa gasped.
“What? Why am I only hearing about this now?”
“You have no room to talk, Miss I-Knew-about-the-Secret-Room-and-Said-Nothing.”
“Of course I didn’t tell you. You deserve to have someone spoil you. If I’d told you about it, it would have ruined the surprise.”
“‘Nessa, I’m so confused. On the one hand, Jake did this amazing thing for me. He gave me back part of my soul. I wanted to do something artistic with that space, but I held myself back. And he made it happen. Poof.”
