Page 107 of The Story of Us
The art roomlooked the same as normal except in the corner where big sheets of plastic hung over the door to the new extension. Eloise smiled as she stepped through the door Nate held open. The faintest whiff of fresh paint hung in the big space, and an easel was set up in the middle, a sheet of cream-coloured paper already in place and a box of her preferred charcoals waiting.
“Seems only fair you get to be the first person to create something in here.” Nate linked their hands together and led her past the couch they’d donated from their house and the other boxes of supplies she hadn’t had a chance to unpack yet. Thinking about everything that needed to happen before the grand opening next week made her head hurt a little bit but today wasn’t about that. It was about the man in front of her doing his best to make her smile. Just like he did every day.
“But what are you going to do while I draw?” she asked.
Nate dropped her hands and looped his arm around her shoulder, twisting her slightly. “I’m going to build the bookshelves because I know you’re itching to get this place set up properly.”
“That hardly seems fair,” Eloise murmured, doing her best not to get lost in his eyes. But like always when she was caught in the full weight of Nate’s attention, she wanted nothing more than to set up camp and stay there forever.
“Today’s all about you, Tiger.”
An idea appeared in her mind. Something that Joanie had been saying for years. Eloise licked her lips, and Nate’s gaze darkened.
“I know that look,” he said. “Come on then. Out with it.”
“I’m going to feel bad if I’m relaxing and you’re doing all the hard work. So bad I probably won’t be able to come up with a single thing to draw.”
Nate scoffed, and she loved how he wasn’t buying what she was selling. How he knew she was teasing him.
“And that got me thinking. You know what we’ve never done here?”
Notthat.They’d done that in her office a couple of times. Always with the door locked and the blinds drawn and when the main homestead was empty because everyone was outside at one of KP’s events. Let’s just say she and Nate had missed the New Year’s fireworks on more than one occasion.
“Does that door lock?” She kept her tone even as she fluttered her eyelashes at Nate. So much of their early relationship had been full of angst and uncertainty. Being well and truly in their safe, committed, fun era was so much better.
“It does.”
“And all the blinds were installed last week.” They were even down right now. Really, it couldn’t be more perfect.
Nate put his hands on his hips. “What are you thinking?”
“I’d quite like to try my hand at drawing a nude. I’ve never done that before.”
Nate’s laugh boomed around the room. “Let me guess. I’m the one getting naked?”
She tapped her fingers against her lips. “Youdidsay it was all about me today …” Eloise’s voice trailed off when Nate pulled his shirt over his head. He reached into the pocket of his jeans and pulled out another little envelope, tossing it to her. “This is for after,” he said.
“On the couch, please,” she replied and picked up a piece of charcoal.
* * *
“Huh.”Eloise paused in the doorway of the dance studio. She hadn’t been here since the disastrous lessons for Charlie and Sera’s wedding. “Why are we here?”
She lifted the second note he’d given her and read it again.
Let’s go back in time and get in formation.
Nate’s hand brushed her hip as he walked into the room and over to where the big speaker was. She waited while he connected his phone, some of her confusion about why he’d brought her here disappearing when Nate’s favourite album started to play. It was the Spanish guitar one that he’d first introduced her to at the meet-the-families dinner her parents’ had hosted.
“I always hated being here,” he said, turning back towards her.
“It’s not my favourite place either.” And there were lots of different reasons why. Firstly, watching Nate dance with Bianca hadn’t been fun, and then there’d been that whole drama with Ryan too.
“But I figured if we were going to do a trip down memory lane, it couldn’t just be all the good stuff because that’s not real life, is it?” Nate held his hands out to her, and she let him pull her into his arms. “And it’s a really good opportunity to fix something too. Maybe make a new memory here.”
“Please don’t make me attempt that choreographed dance,” she whispered.
“Pretty sure everyone remembers how terrible I was at that,” he murmured softly and repositioned their bodies so they were in a standard dancing position. “But I did always want to dance with you when we were here. No one else.”
