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Ignoring the look, I only respond to our evening plans. "Yes, movie night sounds perfect. I'll make more popcorn and you pick the movie." I know Hailey has to leave me in a couple of days, and I am dreading that very much. It has been so nice having her here, making me feel less alone.
If anything, this outing?that I’m refusing to call a date?with Cooper will be helpful in my mission to make friends. I should also ask Megan about going out one evening. I really enjoyed spending time with her and the other girls at the barbecue. I could absolutely see us becoming friends which is new for me as I don't usually make friends easily.
* * *
I wakeup the next morning, and as soon as my eyes open, I remember I'm seeing Cooper today. I hope I'm not a complete dunce when I see him. I enjoyed hanging out with him and the rest of his friends, so if I make things weird tonight, it will ruin any chance I have of fitting in with a group of genuinely great people.
I roll my eyes at myself. This man has turned me into a melodramatic child, and Hailey was right the other day. I need to pull up my big girl panties and make some friends. At the very least, I can go into this with that goal in mind.
I get out of bed since there is no hope of me falling back asleep. I put on some painting clothes and go downstairs to make some coffee. Getting lost in a painting will keep me from ruminating on my outing this evening which is just what I need to get through the day.
With my coffee in hand, I walk into my favorite place in the whole world. Set up along the right wall of my studio is a reclaimed door I found at a flea market. I had it customized to lay horizontally like a table. I put a storage unit underneath to hold my tubes of paint and a piece of plexiglass on top so I can mix and blend my colors. I hung bins on the wall above the door to keep all of my brushes organized and clean, and my easel sits to the left of my paint station.
The left side of the room is set up as a comfy reading area. The floor-to-ceiling bookshelves run along the entire back wall and are packed with books. I have two wingback chairs set up in front of the windows and a soft grey and yellow rug underneath. The room is the perfect combination of the two things I love to do the most.
I dig through my paint baskets trying to decide what I want to paint today. After I lay a few tubes on my worktop, I squirt a few colors on the glass and start combining them.
Mixing paint is one of those mindless tasks that also takes every ounce of concentration you have. If you use too much of one color then you end up with something totally wrong but add just the right amount and you've created something brand new.
Once my brush hits the canvas, I'm gone. The feel of the paint as it glides across the woven fabric lulls me into a place where my imagination takes over. A place that comforts and guides me, never seeming to let me down. It's beautiful and raw and something I have missed terribly these past few years.
I'm brought out of my musings when I hear the french doors open and turn to see Hailey come into the room. She's wearing running shorts and a tank and is still breathing heavily.
"How was your run?" I ask, setting my paintbrush down on my worktop.
"Pretty great, actually. The scenery is much better here than in New York, but I do miss running in Central Park. How long have you been up?"
"A while now. I woke up early and couldn't fall back to sleep, so I decided to paint." Hailey walks over to my canvas, and I step back to look as well. I don't think I even realized what I was painting until this moment.
"Quinn, this is amazing, and the colors are beautiful. You started it this morning?" Hailey asks, and I nod.
"Thanks, it just sort of came out of me." I take in the browns, yellows, and golds across the canvas. The realization of what I painted makes me feel a little uneasy, but I've also been seeing them in my dreams.
"You've recreated his eyes beautifully, Quinn. You captured the light and sparkle of them while keeping the soulful wisdom he exudes. It's brilliant."
Cooper's eyes shine off of the canvas. They are so different from any others I've ever seen, and he's taken up a lot more of my brain space than even Hailey knows about.
He's captured me.
"I didn't set out to paint them, but it seems my brain needed an outlet. Now that I step back, it feels a little creepy," I tell Hailey.
"It’s not creepy, you’re capturing something beautiful. Are you about done, or are you going to keep going?"
"I think I'm done for today. I'll let this dry for a while, but I don't want to add anything else." I look at the painting I've created. I've only painted his eyes and it’s unfinished around the edges. I've never been one to paint portraits, so finishing this one won't be likely for me.
"How about I go make us some pancakes while you finish up here?" Hailey starts towards the door.
"Sounds great. I'll be out in a minute." I set to work cleaning my brushes in the little sink my grandpa had installed long ago. My grandmother wouldn't allow me to bring my paints out of this room, so we installed the sink to not drag paint through her house.
Once everything is cleaned, I walk out of my studio and into the kitchen. Hailey is standing at the stove with an apron covering her clothes and a spatula in hand. There's a stack of pancakes sitting on the counter and more coffee in the pot.
"Get 'em while they're hot!" Hailey says with a flip of a pancake. I refill my coffee cup and grab a plate with some pancakes. I load them with butter and syrup and sit at the counter to eat.
"What should we do today?" I ask Hailey as I shovel the delicious morsels of cake into my mouth.
"I was thinking we should check out the shops in town. There were a couple of cute boutiques I saw when we went furniture shopping. Maybe we'll find a cute outfit for you to wear tonight."
"I love that idea. It's a nice day, too, so we can eat lunch on the patio of the café," I add.
