Page 31 of Painting Celia

“Thanks for these,” he said, moving forward to take the bedding. “And for the food.”

“It’ll taste better tomorrow,” she said, chin raising slightly. “You know everyone’s coming over?”

He nodded, and she went to open the sliding door for him.

“Um,” she said as he edged out sideways. “I asked about towels because you keep hanging one on the pool house door. Does that mean you need more?”

He gave her a grin. “No. That means I’m working. Do not enter.”

“Oh,” she said. “Of course.”

“Text if you need to come in, though. It’s still your place.”

She nodded solemnly as he left.

•••

Celia hadn’t been exaggerating about her food. The curry did taste better the next day. Andrew and the rest demolished the meal around the firepit, joking and laughing. Celia didn’t lean back into the shadows as much but didn’t join in their high spirits.

León’s face smoldered at her in the firelight, frowning every time the group laughed, and she didn’t. He was sitting across from her, for once, not jumping out of his chair every few minutes. Still, his knee bounced, and he turned his fork over and over in his hands, the silver flash bouncing onto her rhythmically.

Why was he annoyed? What had she done?

She was quick to follow Andrew and Trevor into the house when they carried dishes up for her.

“So,” Trevor said, “how are lessons from the new tenant?”

She decided to be charitable. Her practice hadn’t gone well, but she’d learned a little.

“We’ve only had the one, but I think it went okay. You were telling me about putting emotions into art, but he’s showing me the steps. Slowly. Here, wait.” She went to get the painting León had made of her little emotional story. Both Andrew and Trevor gathered to look.

“You painted this?” The surprise was slightly insulting, but Celia shook her head, accepting it.

“León did, but the lines and colors were from me.” Finally, having a painting she was partially responsible for sparked a little excitement. “Can you tell what it is?”

Trevor smiled. “Abstract art isn’t objects you identify. It’s ideas. But I will say this is two figures, one in motion, maybe running away?”

Andrew nodded.

“Definitely motion. Running toward? The blue lines have energy, and the yellow line here is like stability. So, is this one León?” He pointed to the energetic line.

Celia laughed. “Nope! I’m the one with energy this time.”

It was funny to see her friends bemused. She wasn’t always predictable!

•••

“Celia’s right,” Kelsey said, waving her phone toward the house. She didn’t seem to put it down often. She was draped sideways in her chair again, looking over her feet at León.

He turned from the house and raised eyebrows at her. He didn’t know what to make of Kelsey yet. She acted chirpy and affected, but no one treated her that way.

“You look at her a lot,” she said.

León snorted. “I look at everything.”

“Not me.” The firelight illuminated her amused smile.

Oh, it was like that? “I’m not here to look at girls. I’m here to work.”

---