Page 131 of Don't Make Me Beg
I shake my head. “No. We got home late after we stopped by the police station, and I haven’t even looked at my phone.” Honestly, I’ve never had much of a reason to in these last few weeks with Luka and I working so closely together.
I glance down at the screen, realizing my silly little account with barely two hundred followers has grown well into the five figures overnight.
Not to mention all the email requests asking if I’m taking new commissions.
I swallow a gulp as I look back up to find Luka watching me. A small smile pulls at his lips as he takes another sip of his coffee. “And you tried to tell me that being an artist wasn’t a real job.”
I roll my eyes as Luka pours me a cup of coffee, stirring in a generous amount of cream and sugar. He slides the cup to me. “Drink up, Girl Scout. Looks like you’re going to need it.”
“Well,” Jett says, still standing there awkwardly. “I just wanted to stop by and let you both know I’m grateful for what you’ve done. And… It’s nice to see how happy you are. I’m glad things worked out.” He gestures over his shoulder. “I’ll give you two some time to look over the menu.”
Without another word, he turns and makes a beeline straight to the kitchen, and Luka and I burst into laughter.
“How painful do you think that was for him?” I say, wiping a tear from my eye with my napkin.
“Had to be brutal. I can honestly say at no point did I know where that was going.”
“Hey, look who it is.” A male voice catches my attention, and I look over my shoulder to see Hank approaching. “I didn’t get a chance to tell you yesterday… Well, because all hell broke loose… But you two did an amazing job with the festival.”
“It was all Luka,” I say, truthfully, loving that I get to watch him get the appreciation and respect he deserves.
“Thanks, Hank. That means a lot.”
“Yeah, well, you two make a great team. Maybe you should consider taking over the festival permanently.” He taps the table, then turns to leave, not giving either of us a chance to argue. “Just think about it,” he calls over his shoulder as he walks away.
“Wow. If I’d known we’d be this popular, I would’ve voted to stay in,” Luka says as he refills his coffee.
No sooner do the words leave his mouth then Colleen’s voice cuts through the room. “Just the man I was looking for!”
I look up as Colleen and her husband, Melvin, approach our booth. “I wanted you to know that my phone’s been ringing off the hook all morning. Hasn’t it, Melvin?” She looks at her husband, who gives us a quiet nod and a thumbs up. In the twenty-plus years I’ve known the man, I think I’ve maybe only heard him speak a handful of times. “Inn’s been booked solid for the next six months. Can you believe it?”
“Wow, Colleen. That’s great.”
“You know, it’s a rare thing for me to be wrong about someone,” she says, looking down through her bifocals. “But I owe you an apology. I’m sorry for how I treated you, for how we all treated you. That wasn’t fair of us.”
“Thanks, Colleen,” Luka says, his voice genuine as he places a hand over hers. “That means a lot.”
“Oh, and Scout,” she adds, and I perk up at the mention of my name. “Do you think you could stop by Inn one day next week? I’d like to talk about you designing something fun and Phantom-themed for a few of the larger suites.”
“Yeah, Colleen, of course. Does tomorrow work for you?”
“That’ll be perfect.”
We say our goodbyes, and we’re both quiet as we watch them leave.
“Is the coast clear?”
I carefully glance over my shoulder, noticing the crowd has thinned out quite a bit over the last half hour. “I think we’re good.”
Luka lets out a sigh. “Thank God. Don’t get me wrong, I love hearing everyone’s apologies, but I’m still trying to wrap my head around your art going viral.” He flashes me a proud smile. “Looks like you’re about to be busy. Are you excited?”
The smile that stretches across my face doesn’t do justice to how giddy I feel. Not only do I have an inbox full of potential commissions, but it seems like there’s plenty of local interest, too. I’ve never really given myself the freedom to consider what a career in art could look like, but it seems like I’ve got plenty of options to pursue.
“Yes. I can hardly believe it,” I say truthfully. “It’s all so overwhelming to think about.”
“Hey, take a breath.” Luka leans in, his voice low and calm as he places a steady hand over mine. “Just take it one step at a time. You don’t have to figure it all out right now.”
His reassuring words reign in my overthinking mind, anchoring me back down to earth.
