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I’d ordered takeout before we left the foundation, but the restaurant I’d ordered from is notorious for being busy. It probably won’t be ready for a little while.
“Wine?” I offer, striding to the kitchen and pulling two wine glasses from a cabinet.
“Yes, thank you,” Lilly says.
“Red or white?” I ask.
She purses her lips in thought. “White,” she decides.
I pour two glasses and lead the way into the living room, settling in on the couch. Lilly takes a seat beside me, and I hand her a glass.
She takes a sip. I find myself unable to stop glancing at her. At the way her hair frames her face, the way her nose crinkles when she smiles.
“Your art,” I finally ask. “Were you always a painter?”
She twirls the wine gently in her glass. “Pretty much. I played with colored pencils as a kid, and as soon as my parents trusted me with paints, I’d spend pretty much every afternoon doing just that.”
I nod. “Well, it shows.”
She shoots me a shy look and then shrugs. “It’s just for fun.”
It’s my turn to shoot her a look. “It doesn’t have to be just for fun,” I press. “You’re good enough to be an actual artist. To get paid for it. Recognized.”
She shakes her head. “No. But that’s okay, really. I’m happy just doing it.”
I want to press her on it, make her realize how good her stuff really is, but I drop it for the moment.
“How about your mom?” Lilly asks. “I know the foundation was named after her and that she enjoyed the arts. Was she an artist too?”
The memory of Mom settles over me. While it used to make me sad, it’s simply bittersweet now. I nod. “She painted too. Well, she did just about everything.” I laugh. “Painting, sculpting, knitting—if it was artistic, she did it.”
Lilly smiles.
I stare down at my wine. “She’d be happy to know the foundation is doing good.”
Lilly’s expression softens. “So you do think it’s doing good? You believe that? After all your research through our expenses and files?” She chuckles softly, but I can tell it’s a genuine inquiry.
“I do,” I admit honestly. “The testimonies from college kids we’ve given scholarships to. The community it’s created for kids and families.”
Lilly smirks. “You said you only cared about the financial records.”
I roll my eyes. “I do care about the financial records. Doesn’t mean I didn’t look through the file you emailed me labeled Student Success Stories.”
Lilly laughs, setting her drink down on the coffee table. “I suppose that was a bit heavy handed.”
I shrug. “It got the job done.”
“And what about you?” Lilly asks. “Any artistic tendencies get transferred to you?”
I snort. “Not an iota. I’m all math and business. I suppose that’s part of why King Tech got to where it is.”
Lilly cocks her head. “You’re probably right.” She tucks her knees up under her, leaning over and snuggling against me. Butterflies clamor in my stomach, and I reach my arm around her, tucking her closer to me.
I gaze down at the top of her head, reaching up to gently run my fingers through her golden hair. We stay like that for a few moments, Lilly leaning against me while I play with her hair.
After a while, she angles her head up to meet my gaze, and I see something in her eyes. Something I can’t quite identify. Nerves? Excitement? Both?
“You know,” she says softly. “You didn’t let me return the favor last night.”
