He kept replaying the night in his head. He remembered telling her that it was a mistake, and she brushed it aside because they both wanted it. She knew the score. It looked like he’d have to have one of those stupid conversations where they needed to go back to being strictly in the friend zone. If she was able to do it with her ex-boyfriend, she should have no problem doing it with him. They hadn’t dated and they only slept together once, while they were drunk.
Not really drunk. It was sad that he was looking for excuses for his behavior.
He pulled out his phone and called Reese’s number. Of course, it went to voice mail. She was dodging him.
“Hey, Reese. I just wanted to talk about last night, make sure things are really okay with us. We were both drinking, and like I said last night, we shouldn’t have done that—not that it wasn’t great. It was. I just don’t want to complicate things. Let me know when you’re free to work on the next story together. Call me.”
When they took a break for lunch, he finally got a text from Reese.
I told you we’re fine. We had some great sex. So what? I’ll send you the next story as soon as it’s done.
He wanted to hear her voice, not just read some words on the screen. It was easy for her to lie like that. She was a writer after all.
She wanted more space. He could give her that. Space would give them both perspective to clear their minds and recoup. Then they could get back to normal.
Chapter 11
Reese stared at the screen and couldn’t believe her eyes. Their campaign went live less than two days ago. She posted synopses of the first stories and a couple of Adam’s pictures. Then she and Julie hit social media and begged people to spread the word.
This, however, was unimaginable. She blinked and rubbed her eyes. Not only had they met their goal within the first forty-eight hours, but they had far exceeded it. Julie called her at the ass-crack of dawn and told her to get online. She still held her phone, albeit not by her ear.
Julie had started prattling on about offering additional packages that would include things like signed artwork or rough drafts. Reese just hit the end button and disconnected. She couldn’t wrap her head around this, much less think about expanding.
She stood and went to the kitchen, where her mom already had coffee brewing. After a dose of caffeine, it would make more sense.
Her mom came around the corner from the bathroom. “Hey, honey. What are you doing up so early?” She squinted at her. “Or are you just getting to bed?”
“Up. Julie called. My project is a success.”
“Already? I thought you said it would take weeks to find enough investors or whatever.” She walked around Reese and filled her cup.
“I thought it would. I’m not sure how it happened. That’s next on my list. Right now, I’m just taking a minute to enjoy the fact that all the worrying and obsessing was worth it.” She sipped her coffee and smiled. While she still had some concerns that people would be disappointed in the final product, overall, she felt relieved.
With her cup in hand, she went back to her computer and Googled herself as well as the comic. “Oh, crap.” Her hand flew to her mouth. Somehow, the biggest geek and pop culture sites had picked up her story from Facebook. She was all over the Internet.
Her phone rang. “Hello?”
“You hung up on me.”
“Yeah.”
“Are you done freaking now?”
“Kind of. We’re everywhere. Have you seen this?”
“Of course. Now that people know who we are, we need to expand. We don’t have time to mess around.”
In her usual efficient nature, Julie had a list of things prepared. She was going to handle the updates to backers and the organization of the additional packages. Now that they had their funding, they could play around with other ideas.
Unfortunately, all of them put Reese squarely with Adam. She’d successfully avoided him since the party. Julie had asked how the dress worked and Reese barely prevented herself from crying. It had been a stupid move. One that she almost regretted. Being the good friend that she was, Julie let it drop.
“I need some more background for the next update. People are going to want to know how far along you are, how you’re developing things, where Adam gets his inspiration. Those are all posts that people will eat up. We want to keep our momentum going.” She paused. “Are you listening?”
“Yeah. More information, behind-the-scenes stuff.” Reese’s stomach flip-flopped. Behind the scenes meant exposing her interactions with Adam. She’d only gotten this far because of his help. Bouncing ideas off each other was what worked. She just didn’t think she was ready to face him. “I’ll get you a post by the end of the day and I’ll send you Adam’s info so you can ask him.”
“So you’re still hiding, huh?”
“Not hiding. Just reassessing.”
“Liar.”
“Whose side are you on?”
“Yours. Always yours. He’s an idiot if he doesn’t want you.”
“Thanks. I’ll get this done and I should have the next synopsis for you later. We’re in good shape.” As she spoke to Julie, she sent Adam an e-mail with the script of the next comic. Her message was professional and to the point without being bitchy. She invited his input. And she really wanted it; she just didn’t want to be face-to-face to get it.
Then she went to work on the synopsis for the story she sent Adam. A half hour later, just as she was settling in for a nap, she got a text from Adam.
This looks pretty good. I have some ideas. Free tomorrow?
Damn. She couldn’t catch a break. She needed him to continue, which meant that she couldn’t let him know how hurt she was. She didn’t even know why she was hurt. What had she thought? That if Adam hit on her, took her to bed, that he would fall instantly in love with her? No, she had been testing his attraction, making sure it hadn’t been all one-sided or in her head.
He was attracted to her—at least when she looked like Julie. She, however, couldn’t be Julie. She couldn’t sustain that look, not that she wanted to. At least she knew where she stood with him. Time to put it away and go back to being productive.
No matter how she looked at it, they were better together. She shot back a text.
I’m working until two. You want me to come to the shop?
See you then. Bring me a magic coffee?
She couldn’t help but smile.
Of course.
Reese curled up under her blanket and closed her eyes. She had a little over a day to figure out how to work with Adam and not think about him naked and kissing her.
Sure, no problem.
Adam sped through the work he had to do and hoped that they wouldn’t have too many customers. Of course that was bad for his mom’s business, but he needed time with Reese. He needed to be able to talk with her without a million interruptions. He would’ve suggested meeting at her apartment, or even his, but since she’d e-mailed the last story to him, he didn’t think she’d be receptive to the idea of being alone with him.
It was probably a good idea for them not to be alone together. He wasn’t very good at controlling himself. For days, every time he closed his eyes, all he saw was Reese’s body, bare but for his mark tattooed over her shoulder. No matter how he tried to replace those images, nothing worked. He was resigned to fantasizing about her indefinitely.
After a late lunch, he began sketching out ideas for the next story, marking where he had questions. When the bell over the door chimed, he was so engrossed in drawing that he didn’t even realize it was Reese.
“I’m not sure I like that look,” she said. As she approached the desk, she reached out to hand him a coffee.
He smiled. He’d totally forgotten he’d asked her to bring him one. He’d only asked as a test to make sure they were okay.
“The story’s good. I’m not sure where you’re going with it, though. It seems darker than the earlier issues.” He sipped the special brew she’d made
for him.
“Before we get into that, I need to update you on the campaign. Have you checked it at all?”
He shook his head. “It’s your project. I’m in charge of artwork, not financing.”
“We funded our goal. In less than two days.”
“Okay.”
As she shimmied out of her jacket, she said, “That’s not okay. It’s amazing. We’re all over the Internet. People love the concept. They’re raving about your art.”
He paused mid-sip. “My art?”
“I uploaded a few images for people to see. We’re nobodies. Why would anyone offer us money without an idea whether the finished product will be any good? I gave them a sneak peek.”
“It’s fine. I didn’t realize it would be posted already.”
She huffed. “You really haven’t looked at anything, have you?”
“I’m in this for the art. I don’t much care about the rest.” He set his cup on the counter, away from the sketches. “Ready to talk about this?”
“Not yet. Julie thinks we need to expand our offerings, which would generate more money.”
“I thought this was about your grade, not money.”
“It’s about both.” She waved a hand. “Anyway, Julie will be e-mailing you with details of the stuff she’d like you to do. It’s up to you to decide what you agree to.” She stopped talking and for a minute, just stared at him.
Questions swirled behind her eyes, and he feared what might pop out when she next opened her mouth, so he tried to steer the conversation to safe regions of their friendship. “It seems like you have Gunner pulling away from Alexis in this issue. I thought you wanted to get them together.”
“So did I. But that’s not where the story led me.”
Crap. So much for avoiding this conversation. She had their relationship reflected in her characters. With his luck, she’d start killing people off, starting with Gunner. “How can he be a mentor if he runs away?”
“He needs a reason to stay.” Her response was barely a whisper.
As much as he didn’t want to have this conversation, he pushed forward. “We need to talk about New Year’s Eve.”
She shook her head and blinked rapidly. “We’re fine. We were both drinking, I wasn’t looking like myself, and it made it easy for things to be different between us. I get it. It was a onetime thing. I’m not your type. Julie has her dress back, and I’m once again in cargo pants and T-shirts. You’re safe.”
He fucking hated it when women were cryptic. He took a second to try to decode what she said. “Do you think I slept with you because of the dress?”
“You did.”
He pinched the bridge of his nose. “Don’t get me wrong. You were fucking hot in that dress, but I don’t randomly pick up hot women to sleep with. I had sex with you because you turn me on.”
Her face filled with confusion. Her jaw set tight. “Then why do you keep saying we’re a mistake?”
“Because as a couple, we would be.”
“You make zero sense. We like each other. We laugh and have a great time together. You just got done telling me that I turn you on. Where’s the problem?” She crossed her arms.
There was no pleasant way to say this. No matter what, he was going to sound like an asshole. “I can’t date you because you’re white.”
As soon as the words left his mouth, a customer came in. The worst damn timing. He greeted the customer, moving as far from Reese as he could. The words he’d left dangling between them wouldn’t be enough. He knew he needed to explain. Luckily, the customer was only picking up his preorder so he was gone quickly.
When Adam turned back to Reese, her cheeks were pink and she glared at him. “Did you honestly just say that you can’t date me because I’m white? Your mom is white.”
Her fire had a bizarre effect on him. He was both angry and getting turned on. “I’m aware.”
Before he could continue explaining, she launched at him again. “How can you define people by their race and accuse me of being naïve? When I invited you to my game night, did I tell you about my friends by describing their race?” She angled her head and stiffened the tone of her voice. “It’s Lee’s apartment. He’s a big black guy. Chris is my Korean American friend, but his girlfriend, Kim, looks like she belongs on the Swedish volleyball team. And let’s not forget my Puerto Rican ex-boyfriend.”
She had him there. Game night was like the United Nations of friends.
She jabbed a finger in the air at him. “No. I told you who they were, what they did for a living. I judge people by how they act and how they treat me, regardless of skin color.”
“So do I. You don’t understand what it’s like to get those looks.”
Her arms flailed at him. “You’re right, Adam. I’ll never fear for my life when a cop stops me. But don’t assume that I don’t know what it’s like to be discriminated against. By virtue of not being born with a dick, people often assume I am less than—less intelligent and less capable.”
He sighed. This was all so wrong. “I don’t mean that.” He swallowed hard. “Even your mom gave me a worried look when I was at your place watching a movie with you in the dark.”
She took a step closer. “My mom didn’t look at you with distrust because you’re black. She looked at you that way because you’re a man. She distrusts all men because she was abused. But she trusts me to make better choices than she did.”
The door opened again and Bonnie walked through. She took in the sight of the two of them, agitated and on edge. No way could he have this conversation in front of his mom. He pulled his car keys from his pocket and shoved Reese’s jacket at her.
“I’ll be back in a little bit,” he said to his mom. Then he grabbed Reese’s hand and dragged her across the store and out the door to his car. He should’ve put on his own damn coat. It was fucking freezing out. He unlocked the door and opened it for Reese.
She stared at him with her arms crossed, still holding her jacket.
“I’d like to finish our conversation. Please get in.”
She climbed into his car, and he ran around and got behind the wheel. He started the engine and turned up the heat. Reese slid her arms into her jacket while he shivered.
“I’m not trying to hurt you. I just want you to understand.”
“Well, I don’t.” She crossed her arms again. “I think it would’ve been easier to keep believing you weren’t attracted to me. That you liked me only when I was dressed up like Julie. Because at least then, I had some control. I could change if I really wanted to, not that I do. But you’re holding something against me that I have zero control over.”
“It’s not you.” She snorted and he stared out the windshield at the front of the shop. “I was born into an interracial family. I obviously get my skin color from my dad.”
“You never talk about him.”
“He’s not a big part of my life. He lives in Ohio now. My parents loved each other. I remember that when I was little. They smiled and laughed and were happy. But I also remember the way people would stare at us, the comments they made. My dad couldn’t handle it, so he left.”
From the corner of his eye, he saw Reese lean closer and open her mouth and then snap it shut again.
“He’s not a bad guy. He always supported me. He didn’t move to Ohio until I graduated high school. He was around, but I never felt like I’d be really close to him because I’m a lot like my mom.” There. He said it. It wasn’t nearly as bad as he’d thought it would be. He stole a peek at Reese.
Her eyes narrowed again. “So even though you like me and you’re attracted to me, you won’t date me because people might say mean shit?”
The incredulity in her voice irked him. She still didn’t understand, just like he thought.
“No. People are going to say shit about me and I know that.”
“Are you worried I can’t handle it?”
Was he? Sure. But he knew better than to say that. She’d finally calmed down e
nough that smoke stopped streaming from her ears. That kind of honesty would bring it all back. “I don’t think I can handle people saying shit about us. And if I can’t handle it, you’ll end up getting hurt.”
She laid a hand on his arm, warming his chilled skin. He turned to face her. She licked her lips and all he could think about was kissing her.
“So, if I’m understanding right, you’re afraid you’re like your dad. That you’ll run from happiness because outside forces make it hard.”
That was it in a nutshell. He gave her a stiff nod.
“I wish you could understand that you have choices too. By your way of thinking, I shouldn’t date anyone because I might be like my mom and choose someone who’ll beat me. We get to choose who we are, Adam. It’s sad that you don’t know that.” She gave his arm a little pat and opened the car door. “Shoot me a text when you have the sketches done and we’ll talk.”
He watched her walk through the parking lot without a glance back. She wasn’t running away or cutting him off. She still wanted to work with him.
What about when the comics were done? Then what? Would they just not see each other again?
She’d get over it. If she could continue to be friends and hang out with her ex-boyfriend, surely one night of sex wouldn’t ruin everything for them. He turned the key in the ignition, but continued to stare at the store. His mom would ask questions. He wasn’t sure he was ready to face her.
He shoved out of the car and ran back into the store. His mom stood behind the register and glanced behind him. “Where’s Reese?”
“She left.”
“Are you two fighting?”
“Kind of.” He walked to his desk and gathered his papers. He glanced over the sketches he’d done of Alexis as Lyrid and Gunner watching her. Adam hadn’t gotten the chance to tell Reese why he thought the story was going in the wrong direction.
“Business or personal?”
“Huh?”
His Work of Art Page 10
