Page 58 of Who's Playing You
I chuckled, “Is that a question, because I believe mine was a statement.” I looked at her and I could see the wheels turning in her head. She was fragile after everything that dickwad had done to her and I was putting a lot of pressure on her, dropping truth bombs on her left and right, showering her with nothing but attention and praise.
My Scottie was a warrior. But she had always, sadly, been a soloist. Don’t get me wrong, in her element, she was the best kind because she shone so bright. Her artwork didn’t need any counterpart, it only needed an audience. But when it came to life, like the actual living of life, Scottie had gotten the shit end of the stick.
Like having my sister as her best friend.
I love my sister and she can be a good person and certainly has her moments, but the truth was that no one was good enough for Scottie.
Except me.
“Yes, I like you. Listen, I just wanted you to know. You can do with it what you like, I just hope it doesn’t change us spending time together. Getting to know one another. There’s absolutely no pressure or expectations,” I tried to assuage her, however, every word tasted like acid because there was no option but for her to reciprocate.
“Okay? I don’t want you to feel awkward. I just…” I shook my head and chuckled at myself. “You’ve opened my eyes, Scottie. You’ve made me see the world like I’ve never seen it before, never could have imagined it. I feel like you’re bringing me to transcendence’s door.”
She kind of chuckled, “Transcendence’s door?”
I stepped closer to her once more and brushed my favorite lock of her hair away from her beautiful face again. This time I tucked it behind her ear. “Yeah, you have transcended my very existence, Scottie. It feels like I wasn’t seeing, hearing, tasting, breathing before you. Seeing life through your eyes and through your experiences is… transcendence.”
“Wow…” she choked out on a gulp of air that disguised her faint sob. “That’s the biggest compliment anyone’s ever given me,” she said sincerely and I gave her a toothy smile, which she returned with a smile of her own. “Could you like, write that in a Google review for me?” she laughed.
“She’s got jokes too! Come on you, let me show you the studio.”
“Studio?” she questioned.
“Oh-yah,” I drawled as I intertwined our fingers yet again and pulled her after me toward the mudroom where we’d exit into the barnyard. “There’s a whole studio out there, just begging to be used.”
“Wow, lucky you,” she whispered on an exhale meant only for herself. But the truth was, she was absolutely right. Lucky me, indeed. Lucky to have her, to get to watch her do what she did best, to witness her creative genius.
Lucky me.
“Are you for real right now, Nicholas? Oh my gosh! What even… this is the most amazing studio I’ve ever seen!” she exclaimed as she spun around her new studio space.
I slid the barn door closed behind us as she walked further into the space, devouring every detail of the interior and all of the pieces that now made up her studio.
“This is like an artist’s wet dream,” she said but quickly spun around, covering her mouth. “I mean… dream. This studio is a dream.”
I chuckled as I brushed the bristles of some little detail brush against my palm. “I’m sure this space might get us a standing ovation or two,” I replied while her cheeks pinked slightly. “Oh come on, that’s funny!” I teased her. “I can put that in the Google review too if you want.”
She snorted out a laugh in response to that and I just grinned like some dopey love-struck fool. “So, will this do?” I asked her in regards to our session, which was the reason (that she thought) she was here. I had just used it as a means to an end though.
Obviously.
“Will this do? Are you insane? Of course this will do. Let me just run out to my car to get my sketchbook and supplies though,” she began walking toward the door but I quickly stopped her.
“That won’t be necessary. This is an all-inclusive studio space. I got you covered, honey, all you need is right here,” I said as I gestured around the space to her.
Her eyes scanned her surroundings where she found a stack of sketchpads, of all sizes with different types of papers too,containers of charcoal and charcoal pencils, on the far wall by the easels were canvases ready and primed that leaned up against shelving that had every form of paint and paintbrush known to man.
“Are you sure?”
“One million percent,” I told her with finality. “So, get what you need and then order me around. Tell me where you want me.”
She looked bashful all of a sudden.
In a quieter voice she replied, “Alright, just give me a moment.”
Within five minutes she had herself set up. “This barn really has the most incredible lightning,” she said more to herself.
“That’s exactly why I picked this space for you,” I replied but not loud enough for her to hear.
