“Look,” he said at last, quieter and less like a sales pitch, “I don’t know what you’re upset about, but nothing’s ever as bad as it seems.”
“Easy for you to say.”
“Yeah, but I know how it is, man.” He waited and then went on, “Come to Atlanta. It’s a small party, just the four of us.”
“I dunno, Mark.”
“Leah would love to see you. So would I. Even Erin said she misses you.”
“Erin?”
“Your sister?” he teased. “About 5’4”, blonde, kinda looks like you, only prettier.”
I laughed in spite of myself.
“Whaddya say, man. Will you come?”
“Yeah, okay. I’ll be there.”
I wanted to avoid Christy until I left for Atlanta, but living in the same house made it almost impossible. I was working in my studio when she came to find me. I could tell it was her. I’d heard her come up the stairs and hesitate outside my door. I closed my sketchbook and waited for her to knock, which she eventually did.
“Come in.”
“It’s Christy,” she said through the closed door.
“I know.”
“Can I still come in?”
I tried not to smile. I wasn’t an ogre. “Yes.”
“Are you sure?” She opened the door a crack and peeked around it.
“I won’t bite your head off.”
“Serve me right if you did.”
“Yeah, probably.”
She opened the door a bit further.
“So,” I said, as lightly as I could, “is this normal Christy or jump-to-conclusions Christy?”
“Um, normal… I hope.”
I nodded at the other chair. “Sit down?”
“D’you mind? Standing makes me feel like I’m in the Principal’s office.”
“You only go to the Principal’s office if you’ve done something wrong.”
She stopped halfway into the seat. “Maybe I’d better stand.”
“Sit down,” I said with a laugh.
“Thanks.”
I waited.
She fidgeted.
I looked at her expectantly.
She fidgeted some more.
I settled in for a long silence.
“I never know how to apologize…,” she said eventually.
“Maybe you should stop doing things you need to apologize for.”
She laughed, dark and humorless. “You sound like Nobu.”
I thought I sounded like Susan, which made me smile inside.
“I’m… sorry.” She took a deep breath and mustered the courage to look me in the eye. “I’m sorry I accused you of… you know.”
I raised an eyebrow.
“You’re going to make me say it?”
“I’m not sure
“A forgiving one?” she said hopefully.
“I am, but you need to understand something about me.” I tried to find a delicate way to put it. “I’m a guy, sure. And
“I know.”
“In other words, I don’t think about sex all the time.”
“But I thought all guys…”
“We don’t. Then again, I’m not like all guys.”
“
“Not because I want to seduce you or anything. I did it ’cause…” I searched for the right word. “Well, because you inspired me.”
She blushed and looked at her hands. “It’s very flattering.”
“I didn’t do it to flatter you or anything like that.”
“I understand. Besides, if you had— I mean… Um…”
“No, what were you going to say?”
“Promise you won’t get upset?”
“Cross my heart.”
“Well… they weren’t very good.” My eyes must have bugged, because she hurriedly continued, “The sketches, I mean. Of me. The building was great! But the drawings of me…”
I laughed in a sudden release of tension.
“Sorry. I hope that doesn’t make you angry.”
“Not at all. I’m an architect, not an artist. And I’m definitely not as
talented as you.”
“Thank you.” She lowered her eyes but then looked up. “But you
“Boy, you really know how to flatter a guy.”
“I mean you’re awesome at drawing buildings and landscapes. Yours are just… amazing! But… you can’t draw people.”
“I never learned how.”
She looked at her hands and fidgeted again. “I could teach you.”
“Would you?”
“Yes. You’re really very talented. You just haven’t had the training.”
“Thank you.” I chuckled at a thought. “Then I accept. On both counts.”
“Both?”
“The apology and the offer. I accept both.”
Her smile lit up the room. “Awesome! We can start tomorrow.”
“What about Monday instead?”
The room seemed to darken.
“I’m going home for the weekend,” I explained.
It brightened again, but not as much as before.
“Oh, okay.” She mustered a smile. “So we’ll start Monday then.”
“Yep. Monday it is.”
Wren came upstairs a little while later. I silently grumbled that I’d need a waiting room for all my visitors. She pulled the door closed and sat in the empty chair.
“So,” she said without preamble, “Christy said she talked to you. She apologized?”
“Mmm hmm.”
“She was totally unfair.”
“I thought so too.”
“But… um… maybe it wasn’t entirely her fault.”
I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. “Lemme guess,” I said at last,
“you were matchmaking again?”
“Maybe just a little.”
“Seriously? After I asked you not to?”
“Hear me out… I wasn’t trying to get her to go out with you or anything.
