Overture (Rain Dance, Book 1) (Rain Dance Series) (23 page)

     
"I'll take
lots of pictures, probably. Ah, I want to do the ceiling, too," I said as
I pointed up. "But that's a secret, so don't tell anyone."

     
He looked up at
the glass and whistled. "What's this room supposed to be used for?"

     
"I don't
know. As of right now, it has no use."

     
Dale frowned
for small second, possibly wondering why someone would request something like
this without having an actual use for it. But soon he returned his focus to the
angel in front of him. "She's kind of hot."

     
"Her name
is Marina."

     
"Marina.
How you doin'?" He smiled and winked at the painting.

     
I laughed,
"Can we eat now?"

     
I took him into
the break room. For the next twenty minutes, I explained everything that had
happened between Ethan and I - all while leaving out the more explicit details,
of course.

     
"Okay,
give me a minute." He finished the last few bites of his third burrito and
then wiped his mouth with a napkin. "You bump into this guy. You don't say
a thing. You just stare for maybe two seconds."

     
"Probably
more, maybe less...I don't know, it felt like forever."

     
He nodded.
"He likes your painting of the building and buys it. One week later, he
commissions you to do a mural. Whatever you want, however you want. There's no
real reason for the job aside from the fact that he just wants your artwork in
his building. On the top, most private floor of his building, far back in the
private corners of the floor where no one else is allowed."

     
"Well, it
sounds weird when you say it like that."

     
"You know
I prefer to withhold all judgment, Babydoll. But it hasn't even been a full
five days, yet you guys are spending nights together like an old married
couple. Have you even gone out on a date? Are you sure he's not…I mean…Look,
please don't take this the wrong way. But are you sure he's alright? In the
head, I mean."

     
"I know. I
know it's really weird. But Dale…" It came back to me, Ethan's word from
the other night. Limerence.
Is that really all it is?
I looked at my
friend, pleading with my eyes for him to understand. "He's the same. As
the ocean, I mean."

     
Dale leaned
back in his seat. He understood.

     
"I don't
know how to explain it," I continued. "It just feels…
right
when we're together. And it's so…so incredibly
easy
to be near him. To
talk to him and still feel comfortable. I can be myself and not panic whenever
he touches me. Look, things don't have to work out between us. I have no
expectations. I'd just like to enjoy what we have right now, even if it isn't
normal."

     
After a moment
of contemplation, Dale let out a heavy breath and shook his head.
"Alright." Leaning forward, he took my hand and squeezed it. "I
know you. And I know you wouldn't do anything unless it
did
feel right
to you. So unless he proves otherwise, I'll believe that he is nothing less
than the person you expect him to be. And I know you would never settle for
anything less than perfect."

     
I smiled at him
gratefully, so glad to hear those words from him.

     
"But," he continued, "as your long-time friend who only
wants you to be safe, I do have to ask…Are you absolutely positive he doesn't
just wanna get into your pants?"

     
"Of course
he wants that," I replied automatically, causing Dale to frown. "I
mean, that's normal, right?"

    
 
"Well…" He looked around
nervously. "It's none of my business. We're all adults. And I know that
you've been living on your own for years. But I also know that you're not like
Jilly, running off with quarterbacks and band members and doctors…Just tell me you're
being safe?"

     
I laughed.
"Dude, we took sex ed together, remember?"

     
"Just
promise me, please."

     
"We aren't
doing anything to warrant that kind of safety." Yet. "But I promise
never to come home crying about how I got knocked up. Anyway, I've been playing
it extra safe for years, y'know?" I was technically a virgin, but living
on my own for years and having to walk home late at night had taught me that it
was better to be safe than sorry.

     
"Right." He smiled at me.

     
I exhaled,
relieved. The worst was over with. For now. "Alright, enough about me. Now
tell me how this project went."

     
Dale had been
tasked with leading the construction of a small hospital in Missouri. It wasn't
an easy job, by any means, but you could tell he loved it just by listening to
him. He lived to build things, something he had been doing ever since the first
time I'd met him.

     
We continued
talking for about another twenty minutes. Keeping his promise from two weeks
ago, he shared a few spooky occurrences that eventually led his crew to
believing the grounds were haunted. One of the guys was convinced it was
extraterrestrials due to the strange noises coming from the sky. In the end,
they discovered that the sounds were actually caused by underground
tunnel-boring machines. When I noticed that his yawns were becoming incessant,
I suggested he go back home to sleep.

     
Part of me
wished he didn't have to go. I wasn't exactly sure what Ethan wanted to talk to
me about, but his expression had left me a little afraid of what was to come.

     
As I was
walking Dale to the elevator, he randomly asked me, "What do you know
about the girl at the front desk?"

     
"…Samantha?"

     
He nodded.

     
"Not too
much. She's really sweet. And very organized. She was super helpful when I had
to get set up here. And she's drop dead gorgeous, obviously. I wouldn't mind
painting her one day." I peeked up at Dale, who was now lightly smiling to
himself.
I guess she captured his fancy.

     
Dale had gone
out with his fair share of girls in the past. But he had never stayed with
anyone for more than a few months, if that. Not because he was a player or
anything. That was far from it, actually. He'd just been too busy with school.
Landing himself a good career was always his main focus. I was fairly certain
that all, if not most, of his previous relationships ended on friendly terms.
Honestly, it always seemed to me that he would make a great family man. He was
loving, kind, protective, and extremely loyal. He never talked about it, but I
always got the feeling that he wouldn't mind settling down early.
I would be
well out of his way when that happened, of course.

     
We reached the
elevator and I hugged him. "Thanks for the lunch, Coops."

     
"No
problem. I'll see you at home." After one last pat on the head, he stepped
through the double doors and hit the button for the lobby. "Don't let him
bully you, Babydoll, no matter who the hell he might be."

     
I grinned and
waved goodbye.

     
He was right. I
wouldn't allow myself to become fearful over something as silly as one of
Ethan's looks. After all, I had nothing to fear from him. With that thought in
mind, I headed back into the break room to wait for him.

     
He came not
even a full ten minutes later. I was seated, looking over one of the magazines
from the rack, when he walked in and closed the door behind him, locking it
this time.

     
I raised an
eyebrow at the locked doorknob and set the magazine down onto the table before
sitting up straight, crossing my legs and folding my hands in my lap.

     
"What is
it you needed to speak to me about, sir?"

     
His walk was
slightly different. It was authoritative - more so than usual. I'd be lying if
I said that part of me wasn't excited. I didn't understand why, but I almost
wanted to piss him off just to see what he would do. That being said, I wasn't
one to play with people's emotions.

     
Ethan stood
staring at me, his gaze piercingly harsh. I wondered if this was where the
scary
had come from. Did he use that look to scold his employees? I had no doubt that
he did. I waited for him to speak, but he remained silent.

     
"…Ethan?"

     
"Coops is
a man," he stated quietly. Too quietly. "You're living with another
fucking man."

     
Oh
. I
could literally feel the anger seeping off of him. I wasn't excited anymore.
Now I was just sad. "Why are you so angry?"

     
His sharp gaze
turned into a deep scowl. "How the fuck could I
not
be angry? Why
did you hide it from me?"

     
"
Hide
it? I've never
hidden
anything from you."
Technically.

     
"No, not
outright. But you constantly fail to admit things that might be
important."

     
"So he's a
man, why is that important?"

     
He took a deep
breath and lowered his voice again. "Were you ever together?"

     
"...What?
Ew, of course not! He's family."

     
"Family.
Right. Because family members normally speak to one another like that."

     
I leaned back
into the sofa, carefully studying him. "…Are you
jealous
?"

     
"What the
fuck is
Babydoll
?" He wasn't shouting, but it was the loudest I had
ever heard him speak.

     
Taking my own
deep breath, I pinched the bridge of my nose with my fingers, trying not to
raise my own voice. I hated yelling. Yelling made me incoherent, and when I
couldn't express myself accurately it usually led to tears. One of the many
reasons I avoided life. "A nickname. The kids back in grade school used to
call me Baby. Jillian still calls me that, too."

     
"And you
expect me to believe that there's nothing going on between the two of you? That
you've never even considered it?"

     
"You
will
believe it because it
is
the truth! I may refuse to tell you certain
things and skim around certain details, but I will never lie to you outright.
Do you not believe me?" I snapped, standing up. "Tell me right now.
Do you trust me? Because if you don't, I can't…I
won't
do this." I
gestured towards the space between us.

     
Raising his
hands in surrender, he answered, "I believe you." After a moment, he
swallowed and took a long, tired breath. "You have to understand. What if
you
just found out that I was living with a woman?"

 
    
I considered it for a second. "I would
feel…Well, I wouldn't be happy about it." He nodded and I continued,
"But if I liked her well enough and I knew she wasn't into you like that -
and that you guys had grown up together without ever having known each other
intimately, I think I wouldn't mind as much."

     
He let out an
exasperated sigh and sat down. "I think you may be a little too
understanding for your own good. Were you sheltered growing up?"

     
Was I?
"I only had two friends, and when I wasn't with them I was locked up in my
room."

     
"Then you
really are that innocent."