Page 73 of Picture Us

With a smile, Drew inched closer on the couch. “I would like to go out for the Tennis job alone. I’m just a little hesitant to wrap up all my work in,” they gestured to the space between them. “This.”

Taking in a deep breath, Rose shrugged. “Okay. I can live with that.”

Drew smiled and leaned in, planting a kiss on Rose’s soft lips. “Thanks for understanding.

It was fair. Rose knew it was a risk to tie work to someone you were seeing. As she opened her laptop, she tried to remind herself that it was a normal boundary. But her brain wouldn’t shut up. “Okay, can I ask something crazy?”

Drew laughed, looking up from their laptop again. “Of course you can.”

“It’s not because you hate me?” Wincing, the words left her mouth before she could stop them.

A smirk grew on Drew’s face, reaching a hand out to her knee. “I do not hate you. I think you’re very talented and a tough competitor. And I really, really, love… hanging out with you.”

Rose tilted her head. Was that hesitation a slip? She tried to go back to her work, not wanting to alert Drew. But just as Drew was back to typing, Rose interrupted them again. “Have you heard from Tommy yet?”

“No,” Drew laughed. “But she’ll reach out to whoever’s portfolio she likes best. And if that’s you or me, I’ll be happy with that.”

It was a little hard to believe. Drew was one of the most competitive people Rose had ever met. But, maybe they really would just be happy for Rose. Even if that was hard for her to understand.

“Now I have a question for you.” Drew turned their attention to Rose.

With a giddy smile, Rose nodded. “Shoot.”

“Are you going to let me work?”

She pretended to consider the request for a second but slowly shook her head. Getting closer to Drew, she wrapped her arms around their neck. Their hazel eyes looked up at her, something soft in them that Rose was getting used to seeing. “But, I will tell you all the details for the wedding.”

Closing their eyes, Drew sighed and closed their laptop. Why fight it?

“So, the wedding is in about two months… really a little less. Around mid-September. So I think maybe a mix of Color and Black and White. The leaves will be changing around then. They’ll be a separate videographer but they’re just shooting the wedding and the reception.” Rose was like a fountain that just got turned on for the first time in a decade, pouring out details.

Doing their best to keep track of everything, Drew made mental notes as much as they could. But as Rose talked, their smile grew. With every word, their lips curled further.

After a minute, Rose blushed. She must have said something strange. “What?”

Drew shook their head, “Nothing.”

Getting closer, Rose shook her head. “No, come on. What?”

They placed their hand under her chin, leveling her eyes with theirs. Feeling a pulse of electricity through her core, Rose waited to hear what they might say. Eventually, they shrugged. “You’re just really pretty.”

Rose covered her face, somehow embarrassed by the compliment. “I’m just giving you details”

Grabbing her hips, Drew pulled her onto their lap. “And you look adorable while you do it. Now, tell me more. Why are they so rushed?”

“This is a great question!” Rose sat up slightly and kept talking. Something about the way Drew watched her made Rose feel as if she was allowed to gab for as long as she wanted. That no matter how much work they had, they would close their computer to listen.

The more Rose thought about it, the more she realized she’d never had that in a partner. Not that she had been in many, if any, long term relationships. But still. They were just seeing each for a few weeks and Drew was better to her than anyone else she had been with.

After she explained why Ellen and Fin just couldn’t wait any longer to get married, Drew planted a kiss on her, tugging on the fabric of her sweatpants.

“Make me an audiobook explaining your friend group’s complex dynamics, and I’ll listen to it while I go to sleep.” Drew whispered into her ear.

The breathy words sent a shiver down her spine. “I think you should take me to bed.”

It was all Drew needed to hear, grabbing her legs and throwing her over their shoulder. Rose squealed as Drew lifted her, her center throbbing with anticipation.

“What the lady wants, the lady gets.” Drew winked as they brought her to the bedroom

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