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“Of course not. I’m having a great time.” She leaned in to give him a chaste kiss on the cheek, mindful of all the families around them. “Even if there is a disappointing lack of dinosaurs here.”
She’d always been more of a natural science museum person than an art museum person, but she was enjoying the Michelangelo exhibit. She’d already learned that Michelangelo was one of the few Renaissance artists to examine corpses and participate in dissections to further his understanding of the muscles and bones of the human body. It was fascinating to see his grasp of human anatomy reflected in his practice sketches for what would eventually become his masterpieces.
Although truthfully, she’d probably be having a good time with Dylan even if they were changing the oil in her car. Brooke felt so happy, it made her wish he didn’t have to go back so she could have more of him.
As soon as the thought drifted through her mind, she warned herself not to go there. That was the sex-high talking. Those feelings wouldn’t last once the endorphins wore off. On Sunday Dylan would leave, and Brooke’s brain chemistry would return to normal again. She’d miss him for sure, but ultimately she’d be glad to have her normal life back.
After the Michelangelo exhibit, they strolled through a gallery of black and white photographs, and Dylan impressed Brooke by pointing out things she wouldn’t have noticed on her own, like the use of positive and negative space, the rule of thirds, and the golden ratio.
“When did you turn into an art connoisseur?” she asked him.
He shrugged, looking faintly embarrassed. “I took a couple continuing ed art classes.”
“I didn’t know that.” She regretted not keeping up with him more after she’d left for school, and vowed to do a better job from now on. No more letting months go by in between texts or phone calls.
“It was after you left for college. I thought it would help with my Instagram photography.”
“I’d say it worked.”
“Yeah, I guess.” He pulled his phone out of his pocket and checked the screen. She’d noticed him checking it repeatedly throughout the day with what seemed like an increasing sense of impatience.
Ever nosy, she leaned in for a peep, but there was nothing to see on the screen. “Is your agent bothering you again?”
He slipped his phone into his pocket and returned his attention to Brooke. “No, he gave up, finally.”
“Then why do you keep checking your phone?”
“It’s nothing. I’m just expecting a call.”
“About what?”
Dylan kissed the tip of her nose as he brushed a wisp of hair off her face. “Just boring work stuff. It’s not important.”
She didn’t believe him.Somethingwas important enough to preoccupy him, and the fact that he didn’t want to tell her what it was bugged her a little.
See? This was exactly what happened when you were in a relationship. Reality poked its ugly head into the fantasy, throwing little frictions and annoyances into the works that built up over time, until eventually you couldn’t stand the sight of each other anymore.
It was agood thingshe and Dylan wouldn’t have to go through that. Missing him was far preferable to watching her feelings for him twist into something ugly and unpleasant.
Whatever had him distracted washisbusiness. If he didn’t feel like sharing it with her for whatever reason, that was his business too.
Brooke rose up on her toes to run her fingers through his hair as she brushed a kiss across his lips. “As long as everything’s okay.”
He smiled as he rubbed his nose against hers. “Everything’s perfect.”
After another hour of walking through the museum, they found a patch of grass on the lawn outside and lay on their backs, holding hands and gazing up at the clouds.
“That one looks like a koala,” Dylan said, lifting up both their hands to point.
“How is that a koala?” Brooke asked.
“You have to turn your head and kind of squint.”
She turned her head and squinted. “Looks more like a blob to me.”
“You’re not playing right. You have to use your imagination.”
“Okay, fine,” she said, pointing. “That one looks like a nudibranch.”
