“I’m not that bad.” She took a sip. “But I do like the way you think.”
The elevator doors opened, and they stepped out into his art studio. “Do you need some breakfast?”
“No. Coffee is fine.”
He shrugged it off. “Not even peanut butter toast? I make exceptional peanut butter toast.”
“I can even make that.”
“And you said you couldn’t cook. What else are you going to surprise me with?”
“I have a few tricks up my sleeve,” she said playfully.
“Me too. Come with me. I want to show you something.”
She followed him toward the far end of the room. He stopped right next to a large canvas propped on a wooden easel in front of the windows.
“What do you think?” He moved to the side, and she stepped around to see what he’d been working on.
“Matthew!” She set her coffee down on a stool nearby. “This is more beautiful than the little painting you already gave me. This is for Chloe’s room? You’ve changed it. Look what you did with the tree house.”
“The more I got to know you, the more personal that project became. Do you like the changes?”
“Yes. So much. Look at the fun details. It’s like an adventure. There’s so much to see.”
“I’ve got your assignment ready,” he said.
“Uh-oh.”
“You have to help me,” he said. “It’s part of the deal.”
Her shoulders drooped. “Why did I let you talk me into that? I’m terrible at art.”
“No one is terrible at art. And you’ll help, because this is important to you.”
“And you took advantage of that.”
“No, I used it to my advantage so the project will bring us both joy. That’s totally different.” He grabbed an apron from a hook on the wall and looped it over her neck. “This will protect your clothes.”
She tied the strings around her waist and posed. “How do I look?”
“Like an artist.” He lifted a palette and tapped the tips of several brushes before settling on one. “Okay, my little artist, today you paint.”
She let out a huff. “I’ll do my best, but I’m worried.”
“I’ll help. You’re going to fill in the sky.” He dabbed the brush in blue, then in white, and smeared it until it created a new color. He spread the pigment across the tray and then added a little yellow, and right before her eyes he had made five shades of blue for her. “See? Easy.”
“You’re amazing.”
“I’ve done it a time or two.” He handed her the brush. “Now look out the window, see how beautiful the sky is?”
She nodded. It was a perfect blue-sky day.
“Notice that it’s not all one color.”
She wasn’t sure she really saw that.
“I already put a base coat down when I prepped the board, so we’ll concentrate on the sky.” He crouched a little to get low enough to rest his head near her shoulder. “See how the sky is lighter along the top of the buildings, but as you move your eye up, the blue becomes stronger?”
