Page 7 of Curvy Crush
He doesn’t laugh or anything. He just stands stiff and watches me with confusion.
“Okay, well…I guess I better go.” I sidestep around him.
“Wait?”
“Yes?” I spin around, feeling my blood boil with embarrassment.
“I wanted to ask you how many hours a week you are available. This job sort of has a time crunch.”
“Oh, um. I only have a few appointments a week right now, so I’ll have plenty of time.”
He nods. “And how many hours do you think it will take to finish the job?”
“How many canvases are there?”
“Over a hundred. About one-hundred and sixty, I’d guess.” He shrugs.
“I could do a few hours a day and have them done in a week. Two tops.”
He nods. “Okay. That is all the questions I have for you. I will take some time to consider my options and I’ll be in touch.”
“Okay, thanks and nice to meet you. And please, forgot me talking about your, er… um… brush. Goodbye!” I turn and bolt from the studio faster than I ever thought possible.
Chapter Six
EVAN
Istand back and watch as she nearly runs out of the studio. Again, the door slams behind her and the loud sound echoes through the almost empty building. The sound is loud and makes me flinch. The sound of that door slamming is one of those sounds that just get under my skin. It’s like nails on a chalkboard or a fork scraping off a plate. It sends a chill through me, and then the heat of anger singes it away.
Lola and I aren’t much alike and it’s too bad, too. I had high hopes for her after seeing her portfolio. Not to mention, she was nice to look at. Her red locks looked soft, and the rings on her curls shone in the light. Her blue eyes were wide with nerves, but they were a color that I’ve never seen before. The inner circle was almost icy, and the shading darkened toward the edges. They reminded me of swimming in the ocean. The top of the water is a deep, dark blue; the deeper you swim the colder the water.
I couldn’t take my eyes off her curvy ass as she ran away from me in those red high heels. Those shoes didn’t look comfortable for walking, and yet she made running in them look easy and even elegant. Her works speaks for itself. It was easily the best work I’ve seen all day, but I wonder if our personality differences would work together. I clearly meshed better with the other people I interviewed, but their work was nothing compared to hers. I could pick the person I get along with best who doesn’t have the best portfolio, or I can choose the person I got along with least and let her work make up for it. I decide to take a few days to think about it, and get back to the painting of the Victorian bed and breakfast.
When I look away from the canvas several hours later, it’s dark outside and my stomach is growling. I wash up and put things away, then turn out the lights and lock up for the night. I climb behind the wheel of my truck and drive out to the edge of town where my cabin is. I love living out in the country like this. I like being out here all alone where it’s quiet. Even in a small town like Loveville, it’s not as silent as I’d like it to be. There is always the rumble of a car driving by, people talking to one another on the street, and the occasional trash truck with its hydraulics pumping. Outside of town, all you’ll hear is the scurry of a critters, the songs of birds, and the breeze blowing through the treetops.
I park my tuck under the big oak tree that hangs over the gravel driveway, and I climb out, walking across the front yard and up onto the porch. I slide the key into the knob and the door opens easily to the dark living room. I shut the door behind me then walk over to the end table and turn on the lamp. The room floods with light, and I move over to the fireplace and start stacking logs to warm the place up. Even though it’s spring time, the nights are crisp, and my place almost always stays cool anyway with it being nestled into the mountain side.
Once the fire is roaring, I shrug out of my jacket and hang it on the hook by the door before moving into the kitchen and digging around for some dinner. I find the ingredients I need to make a taco salad, so I pull out the ground beef and get to work. I toast the shell in the oven to make a bowl, and I chop lettuce, tomato, and onions while the beef browns. In the end, I top everything with cheese, salsa, and sour cream. I grab a beer from the fridge and take everything to the living room to eat in front of the fire. I set my plate on the arm rest on the couch and open the book I’m halfway through. I eat with one hand while I hold my book with the other.
After I finish eating, I clean up the kitchen and take a beer out on the back balcony and look out over my back yard. There’s a deer, lapping at pond water, and I watch so quietly that he doesn’t even know I’m here. Birds are flying from tree branch to tree branch, and bunnies and squirrels are scurrying about. This is one of the things I love so much about living here. It’s quiet, serene, and even when you’re alone, you’re never truly alone. I feel at one with nature here. It’s relaxing and there’s no place I’d rather be.
Once my beer is finished and most of the animals have ran off, I go back inside and lock up the house before going to shower. Paint stains my hands and clothes, which isn’t anything unusual.
I like to use the downstairs bathroom. It’s small enough that after only a few minutes, the whole room is filled with steam. It’s like going to a spa. I take my time showering, not in any hurry. It’s not like I have any plans anyway. My big plans for the evening are to finish reading my book in bed before going to sleep early.
I pull on a pair of sweatpants when I get out, and I run a brush through my hair. I grab my book from the living room and take it to bed. I sink beneath the blankets and fall asleep before I can even open the cover.
I wake at four in the morning, my usual time, and I go downstairs to prepare some breakfast. I make a bowl of oatmeal and top it with some fruit and granola. I make a pot of coffee and sit at the kitchen table to eat in silence. When I finish, I clean up my mess, get dressed, and head out for the day. I get to the studio before five, when it’s still dark outside. The town around me is quiet and, finally, I feel like I can get some real work done on this painting.
Hours pass where there is no noise and I’m able to give my painting one hundred percent of my attention. My painting is complete by around eight in the morning, and I step back to look at it. Everything looks just as I envisioned it.
I clean up and head out to the bakery. I grab a cup of coffee and a croissant and take both with me back to the studio. I sit behind my desk and recharge my depleting energy while I snack on my croissant and look over the applications again. I still can’t deny that Lola is the best candidate for the job, but we’re so different.
Maybe we won’t have to work that closely after all. I prefer to work in the wee morning hours, and I highly doubt she would come in that early. Or maybe I can just deal with it, since the job isn’t permanent. She said it would only take her a week or two to shoot everything. Either way, I need to keep my head in the game for right now, at least until I’ve finished the paintings for the school. Once those are completed, then I’ll hire the right person and get stuff ready for the website. I finish my coffee and get back up to start the same process on the next painting.
***
The week passes by quickly. Before I know it, the project for the school is finished, and I’ve been offered another from the city for the visitor’s center. Before I can tackle the new project, I need to get the website rolling… and that starts with hiring a photographer to take the photos I need. The time has finally come to sit down, look at all the options, and make a decision. Something in my gut is telling me that Lola is the way to go, but it’s hard to silence the thoughts in my head that say we won’t work well together. I wish there was another option, but this is a small town and I’m probably lucky I got as many offers as I have. With all the portfolios in front of me, I slowly and carefully look through each one, checking and double checking the samples of their work. One stands out above all else, and I know exactly what I have to do.
