I was putting the final touches on the water on the canvas when my phone buzzed in my pocket. I wiped my hands on my already-paint-covered jeans and pulled it out. It was about time for me to round up Kaylee and get her ready to go home too so now was as good a time as any to wrap things up for the night. Luckily, the sugar high from our ice cream adventure had worn off after an hour at the playground before we’d come back to the studio.
Kayden:Sorry it’s been a few days. I finally finished your blueprints. I’ve been working on them round-the-clock trying to get them perfect. Do you want to hook up tonight?
I released a breath, relieved.He isn’t blowing me off. He’s just extremely dedicated to his work.I typed a quick response.
Me:I’m at my art studio and I have to drop off my friend’s daughter. Then I’m all yours.
Kayden:Can I come to your place again?
Me:Of course. Give me an hour.
I cleaned myself up, got Kaylee ready to go, and brought her to Olivia’s. When we arrived, Kaylee pushed open the apartment door, hugged her mom, and sprinted off to her ant colony. She’d seen one at the store last weekend and had become fascinated with it, asking all kinds of questions about ants. Of course, she’d talked her way into getting an ant farm of her own and she’d been eager to check on her ants every day after school this week.
“Do I have a weird kid?” Liv asked, watching Kaylee run to the plastic formicarium in the far corner of the living room.
“I’m too biased to answer that objectively,” I said. “She hung out with my mom for a bit today and Mom said Kaylee gave her a five-minute explanation of the solar system.”
“How does she even know that?” Olivia asked, eyes wide.
I shrugged. “Weird. I can’t answer. But I can say for certain she is damn smart, Liv.”
“Can’t complain about that,” she said with a laugh. “Do you want to come in and watch a movie tonight? I can cook for us.”
I put my hands in my pockets. “That sounds amazing,” I said, hesitating. “I can’t tonight though. I’m meeting someone.”
“Oh,” Liv said in a high-pitched voice that made me wince.
“It’s not—” I cut myself off.
Not what? Not serious? Not yet, but it might be. Downplaying it feels like a lie, that’s for sure.
I sighed. “I’m sorry.”
“You don’t have to be sorry, Jace,” she said while looking at Kaylee, before slowly turning her face toward me. “I guess the next time I see you will be at the office.”
I grinned, despite the awkwardness. I couldn’t wait to have her around all day. Just the thought of it made me eager for Monday morning. “I’m really looking forward to it.”
“Are you sure it won’t be weird? You telling me what to do all the time?”
I scratched my beard. “I’m pretty sure we can handle it. Besides, you’ll mostly be tellingmewhat to do.”
“Oh, well, now I’m looking forward to it too,” she said with a teasing smile. “Can’t be as weird as the fake date I roped you into, right?”
Only because I wish it was a real date. I pushed the thought from my mind, because as true as it was, I was also about to go spend the night with someone else who I very much wanted to take on a date someday.
“We are going to fake-date like pros. Everyone in that room will believe I’m infatuated with you.”
Because I am.
She laughed. “You’re a way better friend than I deserve. You realize I’ll either need to come clean to my mother or we’ll need to stage a fake breakup that allows us to still be exceptional friends, right?”
“Should be easy. Nothing could ever make me not want to be your friend, Liv,” I said, my chest tightening. I glanced at my watch. Kayden would be at my place soon and I needed to get home and shower first. I glanced at the door. “I should go. See you Monday?”
“I’ll be there,” she said.
“Don’t be late,” I joked, earning myself an eyeroll as I scurried out the door.
I’d just gotten outof the shower and pulled on a pair of gray sweatpants when I heard a knock at my door. I decided to forgo the T-shirt I’d left on the bed and headed out into the living room to let Kayden in.The man clearly has a thing for my ink. Who am I to deny him an opportunity to appreciate it?
