Page 9 of Curvy Crush
I make it to the restaurant a little early. I don’t know if he’s here yet, and I don’t want to sit at a table all alone until he shows up. I wait out the clock in the car, scrolling through my social media pages, singing along with songs on the radio, and checking and double checking my appearance before climbing out and walking inside.
Chapter Eight
EVAN
Iget to the restaurant a little early just so I have time to prepare myself. I’m nervous about offering Lola the job. Her portfolio is amazing, but we’re so different I’m not sure it will work, so I have included atermination at any timeclause just in case. At least if I find that our personalities don’t vibe well together, I’ll be able to get out of the contract and find someone else.
When I get to the restaurant, I’m seated immediately, and I order a bottle of wine and a sampler platter for the table. The wine is brought over and the waiter pours me a glass. I sit, sipping at my wine and looking over the paperwork in the file folder. I’ve read over every page multiple times, but I want to make sure I’ve covered all my bases. It looks ironclad thanks to my buddy, Shepard, who spends his life working around contracts.
I close the folder and finish off my wine, pouring a fresh glass. When I look up, Lola is standing at the hostess’s podium and the hostess is pointing her in my direction. I think my jaw nearly drops to the floor. Her jeans are tight around all her curves, and her white top is striking in comparison to her warm skin tone. Her red hair is silky and smooth-looking and her bright red lips are drawing me in. I’ve never had this happen to me before, never been attracted to a woman who I couldn’t be any more different from, personality-wise.
I watch as she walks over to the table and when she approaches, I stand up and shake her hand. “I’m glad you could make it. Please, have a seat.”
“Thank you.” Her cheeks turn a light shade of pink as she tucks a stand of hair behind her ear. She hangs her purse on her chair and sits down. “I’m so glad you called. I’m really looking forward to checking out all your work.” She forces a smile into place, but it’s as bright as a natural one. It even pulls a little grin out of me.
“Before anything is finalized, I’d like to go over everything just to make sure we’re on the same page.”
She nods. “Perfect.”
The waiter comes over and pours her a glass of wine. She thanks him and takes a sip, leaving behind a red lip print on her glass.
“As I mentioned before, there is a bit of a time crunch. I’ve hired a website designer a few weeks ago and he’s all but ready for the images to insert. If I don’t have them to him in two weeks, he’ll have to postpone my design to move on to the next person in line. It is absolutely necessary that your job is done in exactly two weeks.”
She nods. “That’s not a problem. I have an appointment or two booked nearly every day, but I can always come in on my lunch or before business hours to get my time in.”
I nod. “And equipment. I trust you have everything you need already?”
“I do. I have the camera and lights. I also have backdrops, so you don’t just see the big, empty studio behind the image.”
“Okay,” I say, trying to think of the next thing that needs addressed.
The waiter is back and he’s putting the platter and two plates in front of us. I motion toward it. “Please, help yourself.”
She offers up a tight-lipped smile, but doesn’t move to eat.
“I’m a little picky when it comes to working. I find it very hard to work if there is excessive noise or a lot of movement going on. You’re free to use your time how you see fit, but if I am working, I need you to be as quiet as possible. No slamming doors, no movement that I can see. I need my focus on the canvas I’m working on, and that’s it. If I get knocked out of my zone, it takes way too long to get back into it. Usually the day is shot.”
Her blue eyes are wide as she nods. “Okay, that understandable.”
“With that being said, I have a contract here for you to sign. It just covers everything we’ve already gone over with your word that you’ll have the work completed by the due date.” I hand her the file folder and a pen.
She takes it, places it down on the table, and opens the file. I watch as she starts reading over it. She’s a fast reader, and I don’t have to wait long for her to read the three-page document. In the end, she signs the contract and hands it back.
“Here is a key to the studio. You’re free to come and go as you please, but I’m typically there from five A.M. until around five P.M. I sometimes leave for breakfast and lunch, but I always lock up behind me. I expect the same from you.”
She nods. “I completely understand.”
“Okay then. I guess since business is taken care of, this is where I’ll leave you. I hope you have a good evening and thank you for meeting with me on such short notice.” I stand and she stands with me. She holds out her hand, and I shake it, noticing how it makes my hand tingle. “Have a good evening.”
“Thank you. You, too.”
I stop and pay the bill on the wine and appetizers before heading for the door. I turn to look back before pushing out. She’s standing up and removing her purse from the chair. I turn and walk out, heading for my truck in the parking lot. I climb behind the wheel and start toward the house, knowing there’s nothing that I need to do at the studio this late in the evening.
It’s my first time getting home this early in a long time, so I decide to take advantage of it by taking the boat out on the pond for some fishing. I pack a small cooler of beer and push out. I row to the center of the lake, bait my hook, and throw my line in. As I wait for a bite, I crack open a beer and look around the property. There are the usual deer, squirrels, birds, and rabbits moving about. I look back at the house and think about what a waste it is living here alone.
When I bought it, I was still with my ex, Stephanie. I bought it thinking it would be our forever home. I thought we’d get married here. I thought we’d have children and watch them grow up here. Now it’s just an empty house with too many rooms. I thought about selling it once upon a time, but then decided against it. I love this house, even if it is too big for me. I love this land. It’s like my one spot in the entire world. I just wish I had someone to share it with. That wish will go unanswered, though, I’m sure. I’m too jaded and broken from the last relationship. No way am I bending over backward to get into another.
I push all thoughts away and just focus on catching a fish. I give up when the sun finally starts to set. It grows dark, and I paddle back to shore. I didn’t catch anything but a buzz, but sometimes that’s all it takes to put things into perspective. I walk back up the back yard and enter the back door where I kick off my boots and hang up my coat. I lock the door behind me and head to the kitchen for dinner. I guess I should’ve eaten at the restaurant, but I was too focused on Lola and getting to the bottom of everything.
