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“That sounds like a lot of work.” I eyed his plate of waffles, biscuits, and sausage gravy. It wasn’t fair that he was thin as a rail. I gestured to my bowl of fruit salad. “Are things like strawberries and melon okay to eat?”
“You’d better hope so.” He gave me a mournful look. “Take care of your body, Starcomet. You need it to make your beautiful journey through the cosmos of expression—”
“I’ll be fine, Goodluck.”
“Why do you keep fidgeting and rubbing your eyes? They’re red, by the way. Did you get enough sleep? All our bodies need hours and hours to dream.”
I was lost if he started talking about dreams, so I blurted out, “Here’s the thing, Goodluck. I met someone. A guy. A man, and we hung out last night. I was out late, that’s why my eyes are red.”
“You met someone?” He looked astonished.
“I do occasionally interact with people who aren’t you. I know it’s shocking.”
He shook his head. “I didn’t mean that. It’s just…after Keith… Well, are you dating this person? Because your last relationship didn’t end well.”
“He’s nothing like Keith.”
“Thank God. So he’s not a corporate scarecrow with a dead, desiccated soul?”
“He’s a little bit corporate,” I admitted. “But he does other things, too. He came to your gallery opening.”
“Oh! Then I approve. How do you think he feels about eagles?”
“He loves eagles.” I ate a possibly toxic blueberry, then a grape. “You remember that advertising campaign for Sinclair watches? The ads that your photos appeared in? He was also involved with that.”
“Listen, Powerstar.” He reached across the table for my hands, pushing my fruit salad out of the way. “I care about you very much. I don’t want you to be hurt again. You’re a sensitive soul, like me, and we have to be very careful when choosing our lovers. Tonight, before you go to bed, perhaps you should meditate for a few minutes.”
“Oh, that’s a good idea.”
He let go of one hand to gesture toward the ether. “Think about who you are and what you want, and what this new relationship means for your soul. Then I want you to refocus your attention on me, because you work for me and I really need you to keep the business side going. If you start to slack, my agent will start to slack, the gallery owners will slack, they’ll all start to slack.”
“That went from comforting to scolding very quickly, boss.”
He rubbed his temple. “I know. Please don’t make me scold you again. I’m not good at it. Punishment has no place in artistic expression.”
My eyes flew to his. Did he know something about Fort and me? Were my bruises showing? No, he was just spouting more kooky stuff.
“You know what else has no place in artistic expression?” he added. “Complicated relationships that drain your spirit and energy.”
“Still scolding,” I said. “Haven’t you ever fallen for someone?”
“No. Art is my mistress. And my photographs, well…” He took my hands again, squeezed them. Hard. “They’re my lifeblood. I need you to keep all of it rolling. All my balls flying in the air.”
Oh God, why did he have to mention his balls? I smothered a laugh.
“If you’re worried this new guy is going to steal me away from you and your art, you can stop now,” I said, gently extricating my hands. “He’s dead set against romance and falling in love, and right now, I am too.”
“Ah. Thank God.” His pinched, pale expression relaxed into a smile. “I’m so happy to hear that.”
“Really, you’re happy?” I scowled at him. “I thought you were all about the spirit of love. I thought you wanted me to be happy.”
“I do. I want you to be a happy Boundless Art business manager. I’m not so concerned about the rest.”
Ugh, so rude. I could have gotten another job. I probably should have gotten a different job years ago, but there was something about Goodluck’s rabid self-interest that reassured me. I knew he didn’t have the ability to be devious or two-faced. Maybe his sincerity was what drew people to his art.
It occurred to me that Fort was a lot like Goodluck, in that he told me the truth. He’d told me the truth at the Ivy, even though it made me storm out on him. He told me the truth in the back room at the gallery, with his words and his body. He told me the truth when we embarked on our perverted interactions. No relationships. No drama. He laid it all out there, right at the beginning.
And if I felt a little too much for Fort already, well…
