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“You want to run an idea by me?” she asked.
“What?”
“Your idea.” Noah waved her hand, trying to look impatient, but I saw the curiosity blooming in her eyes. “You gave me some advice, so it’s fair I offer the same.”
“I don’t think so.”
Her expression clouded. “You don’t think I can offer advice that’d help?”
“I didn’t say that.”
“You didn’t have to; it’s infused in every look you give.”
“I’m thinking about writing a sci-fi story about isolation,” I surprised us both by saying. “In my traditional style of an ensemble, because I’m good at it.”
Noah tilted her head to the side and pretended to consider, even though she knew it was the truth.
“Thinking it’ll take place on a freighter in deep space.”
“You haven’t drawn sci-fi in a while.” She cleared her throat, realizing how excited her tone had been. "Your readers will be thrilled."
Her interest made a wave of pride surge through me. “Might throw in some murder mystery. Seven characters, one dead, no one responding to comms.”
She leaned in closer. The duck continued to hover close too, following her lead. Now that Noah was invested, he was invested. I didn't come out here to win over a woman and a duck, but I was well on my way to doing so. It actually felt good.
“Sounds…interesting. How many chapters?” Noah asked.
“I want it done when the competition ends.”
She raised her brow. “Really? With a chapter a week, you’re looking at finishing it in, what? Twenty-four weeks?”
“Exactly.”
Noah mindlessly traced her pinky along her bottom lip as she considered my words, and I’m instantly distracted by the gloss and how it might feel against my fingers. My heart pounded.
What the hell is wrong with you? You’re trying to learn more about her to beat her, not…whatever this is.
“That’s tight,” Noah said.
“It is.” I nodded and yanked my mind back to safer things, like being on the opposite side of this fence we'd built. “Think I can manage it?”
“The pacing is going to be insane. Seven characters you said?” Noah picked at the last of her grapes, tossing them into the grass for the duck.
“That’s right."
“You’re wild, you know that? How many pages?” She moved closer, tucking her legs up on the bench as her skirt flowed off the side. Curiosity was a rope between us, and I reeled it in.
“I’m thinking twenty per chapter.”
“You’re going to draw twenty-page chapters a week on top of everything else? Sage, that’s…” Her eyes were wide as she tried to process the feat.
“Full color,” I added.
“Oh, now you’re just showing off.” She laughed, and I reveled in it. How many more ridiculous claims could I make in the next few minutes to get her to do that again?
“You know what? I’m looking forward to reading it,” she said. “Because if you pull this off, it’s going to be epic.”
“Don’t I know it,” I agreed. “Aren’t you glad you have a front-row seat to genius?”
