Page 27 of Becoming His Muse
She immediately shook her head. “Oh no. I like my space, and I know she does too. We shared almost everything as kids because we were always together. Even when we went off to college, we shared a living space, since financially it was easier on our parents. Now, we like our own space. Not that we still don’t sleep over now and then.”
Elion nodded in understanding. He and his sister hadn’t done everything together growing up, but he’d still been ready to get out on his own, spread his wings, and live by his own rules.
“Your turn,” Olani stated. “Tell me something I don’t know about you.”
“I wasn’t always this upstanding sculptor.” When Olani raised a brow at him in confusion, he continued. “I used to be a pretty big tagger as a teenager. I was infamous in my city.”
“So, how did you go from tagging to sculpting?”
“Believe it or not, it was sort of an accident that I became a sculptor instead of a painter.”
Elion told her the story of how he started tagging to express himself and share it secretly with the world because he hadn’tbeen ready to let anyone see his paintings, but he’d taken a few sculpting classes as a kid and did small sculptures. He liked the feel of it but it wasn’t the expression he’d been looking for. One night, instead of tagging an old building as he’d planned, he’d decided to make a sculpture out of some things lying around and something clicked. The reception for it was positive, and then, as a young adult growing out of that infamous phase, he’d made it his career.
“That’s insane, but you give me bad boy artist vibes at times.”
“Only at times?” he questioned teasingly.
The two finished their desserts and returned to his vehicle. Elion drove her back to her car and before allowing her out, he leaned over the console and captured her lips in a kiss. When they pulled apart, he walked her the few steps to her car door since he’d parked beside her, telling her he’d see her on Saturday.
He watched her drive off before getting back into his own vehicle and heading home. It was a little after ten o’clock and he was sure by the time he got home the house would be quiet. Clara’s studying had been causing her to go to bed much earlier than she normally did. So, he didn’t bother to call and ask if she wanted him to bring her anything.
As he headed home, he thought about the fact that in a little over a week, he and Olani would be off somewhere under the same roof for forty-eight hours.
13
It was going on eight-thirty in the morning as Elion sat in the parking lot of a closed restaurant. He was waiting for Olani to arrive. They were going on their weekend trip, and she’d asked him if they could leave Friday morning. Elion didn’t have a problem with it as long as she was okay with missing that workday. It would give them an extra day together, so he would not complain.
He’d suggested they meet somewhere because her coming out to his house would have her going in the opposite direction they needed to, and he didn’t want her to feel uncomfortable about giving him her address.
At eight-thirty on the dot, a car pulled into the parking lot, but it wasn’t Olani’s. He’d seen hers enough to know. It parked beside him, and he watched Olani get out of the passenger side. Elion got out of his vehicle and went around to her.
“Hi,” she greeted, smiling up at him.
“Hey, Sweetheart,” he responded, leaning down to kiss her.
They pulled apart, and she pulled the trunk open. When she reached in to retrieve her suitcase, he stopped her. Elion pulled it out, walking the few steps to open his trunk and placing it inside with his own.
When he turned back to her, he found her hugging a woman who demanded that she let her know when they made it and to have fun.
“I will,” Olani responded as they pulled apart. She then turned to him. “Elion, this is my cousin, Xola. Xola, this is Elion.”
He held his hand out. “It’s nice to meet you. I’ve heard a lot about you.”
Xola smiled, taking his hand. “Same.” She turned her attention back to Olani. “You said he was an artist, and I thought button-up shirts and khakis. Not tattoos, biceps, and what will probably be a good time for you.”
“Xola, stop talking and go to work.”
Elion chuckled, going to open the passenger side door.
“Fine,” Xola stated. “Have a good time, but be careful. I love you.”
“I love you, too.” They hugged again before Olani slid into the passenger seat, and Elion closed the door. He waited for Xola to get into her car and back out before he got behind the wheel.
“Before we go, I remembered you saying you rarely ate breakfast,” he stated, reaching into the back seat. “But I got you a fruit bowl, some yogurt, and some orange juice for the ride.”
Olani smiled at him, leaning over the middle console, and he met her halfway, dropping a kiss on her lips. “Thank you, babe,” she stated against them before pulling away.
Elion put his seat belt on, waiting for Olani to do the same and get comfortable. He backed out of the parking space and pulled out onto the street. They were heading to Roswell for the weekend. When he’d told her she could choose for them, hefigured she would pick Las Cruces, since it was the closest of the three options. He didn’t mind taking a longer drive, and Roswell was only three and a half hours from El Paso.
