Page 47 of Sharkbait
Relaxed?
Like myself?
I settle on, “Just... thanks.”
“Anytime.” He pauses, then nods toward Ralph’s phone lying face up on the bar. My painting is still lit up. “For what it’s worth... your work? It’s really beautiful.”
My cheeks heat. As do other parts of me.
“Thanks,” I say one more time, then turn and push through the door.
I stand outside for a moment and tip my face up, letting the cool raindrops land on my skin.
After a few deep breaths, I look back through the bar window and see James holding Ralph’s phone.
He looks closer.
Closer.
Even closer.
He smiles.
And just like that... I want to paint again.
And I know exactly who my new muse is going to be.
Chapter Eleven
Louise
"Hey, beautiful,” I say as I set up my easel next to the rehabilitation tank. “Mind if I join you?”
Dana never specifiedhowI should spend time with Meilani, just that I should feel free to keep her company whenever I could.
And ever since last night, I can’t stop thinking about painting her.
So I’m going to give it a go.
Meilani swims right over to the glass and looks me squarely and securely in the eye.
A sensation of calm washes over me, just like it did the other day when we first met. I can’t explain it.
But I guess I don’t have to.
All I know is my breathing gets deeper.
My heart seems to beat slower.
She feels like home. Just like Muse did back when I was a kid.
I dip my brush into the paint and touch it to the canvas.
Meilani responds with a twirl, like she knows progress is being made on my side of the glass.
Like she’s proud of me.
Pretty sure I’m projecting, but whatever. If I learned anything from my time studying marine animal psychology, it’s that they are sensitive creatures. The way they experience loss, love, and connection isn’t as different from humans as we may initially believe it to be.
