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“Let’s swap links. I’ll send you some of my favorites.” Again,he was struck again by how easy this was. Effortless, like lolling in a warm bath.
“That would be amazing,” Iris said. “Okay, so if dance videos are a yes, what about dancemovies?”
“Yes, please,” he said promptly, earning another of her dazzling smiles. “I can’t dance at all myself, so I live vicariously.”
“Have you tried taking lessons?”
He shook his head. “No, I figured there was no point.”
“But…nobody is born amazing at anything. Babies are terrible at almost everything,” Iris pointed out.
He moved the ladder and kept painting as he considered her comment. “That’s a good point. I guess I tend to live in my comfort zone.”
“Hmm. I saw a flyer on the way out of the hardware store on their community bulletin board. We should totally take ballroom dancing lessons together.”
Eli almost dropped his roller. “What?”
This had to be a dream.She didn’t really ask me to do that with her, did she?Because it felt like a fantasy he wouldn’t even have been able to dream up on his own.
“Sure. If we go together, we get a discount! And if we use the code from the flyer, it’s even cheaper.” When she named the price, it did sound like a deal, but that wasn’t the point.
No, the point was he’d be dancing withIris.For six weeks. Up close and personal.
Eli didn’t even need to think about it. “Absolutely, sign us up.”
CHAPTER EIGHT
Iris did the math.
And shehateddoing math, but this was simple enough. If they went in as a couple, it would cost about the same as a weekly latte to take the lessons. It wasn’t like she had cash to burn, but it soundedsofun. She could put on low heels and one of her swirly romantic dresses that she never got to wear. Dancing with Eli would be frosting on the cake.
“I will. Later, though. Once we stop for the day.”
With his help, the work was going much faster than it had in the main bedroom. Within a couple of hours, the first bedroom was covered completely and Iris cracked the window, though this type of paint was supposed to be low odor. Low didn’t mean none.
As she took care of that, Eli transferred their supplies to the next room.
She was a bit hungry, but not enough to stop working. Since she knew herself, if she relaxed and filled her belly, she wouldn’t want to get back to work. Inertia was seductive, and she’d end up watching something in her room, reading, or sketching, andthe walls wouldn’t get painted. If Eli was willing to help out, she should throw herself into the task as well, even if she ended up exhausted and sore.
I can’t believe he can turn into a hawk.
That was just cool as hell. She’d never told anyone about her family either, but something about Eli made her want to trust him. It gave her hope that they could become real friends, not just housemates. It would be nice to have someone who stuck around too. Who didn’t find Iris inadequate or exhausting or both.
Iris turned the music on again and lost herself in the peaceful repetition of rolling paint on the scuffed walls. It felt good, as if they were bringing the place back to life. Hours later, she stretched and slid her roller across the last untouched spot.
“Done,” she said.
“For today.”
She aimed a playful scowl at Eli. “You couldn’t just let me have that?”
“We’ll be done with the bedrooms tomorrow. It went pretty fast because the rooms are small.”
“You think one more day to do the front room?” she asked, stretching to relieve some of the stiffness in her shoulders.
“If Henry Dale helps us with prep? Absolutely. In fact, you could start on the painting while I put up the paper, and then I’ll switch to painting when I’m done.”
“Sounds like a plan. I’ll shower first, then you can. I owe you food, I believe. I’ll get started on dinner while you wash up.” Even to Iris, that sounded… Well, it sounded like they were more than roommates.
