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Alina whined. “But I don’t want to.”
“You don’t have a choice,” Dereck said before pausing. “Think of it this way. The sooner you finish, the sooner you get to call me back. Maybe I can even pass by. How does that sound?”
“Great,” Alina said.
Dereck ordered, “Now go paint me a masterpiece.”
Dereck’s words echoed in Alina’s head as she sat in front of a blank canvas again. Whenever she thought of him, the sparkle in her eyes dazzled even brighter. Her cheeks became full and flushed and knowing that this man cared deeply about her inspired her to outline the face that was his.
Alina took her time, angling her push in awkward positions to draw the lines capturing the contours of Dereck’s jaw and the deep grooves of his eyes. She worked for hours, only stopping to refill her cup of coffee. Alina dabbled with the colors, creating the perfect contrast of the light hitting the corners of his cheek. Every time she finished a section, she stood away from the painting to access it, then she eased closer to fix the minor imperfections.
Hours passed easily as Alina put all of her concentration into her painting. If she only knew a conversation with Dereck was all she needed before painting to feel inspired, then she would have tried that method a long time ago.
Alina was almost finished with her art when her doorbell rang.
She ignored it as she used a clean brush to clean some blurred lines. Then her cellphone started rattling the table and irritating the hell out of her.
“Alright, I’m coming,” Alina yelled and went to the door, not even bothering to answer her phone. She had a good suspicion that whoever was on the other end of the call was also at her door.
In her annoyed mood, Alina swung her apartment door wide open as a rush of wind slapped her in the face. “This better be good,” she told her visitor before realizing that her muse himself was standing before her, a large paper bag in his hand that smelled suspiciously like Chinese food.
“Oh, Dereck,” she said in a quieter voice. “Sorry, I didn’t know it was you.”
Dereck took in her appearance, her disheveled hair that hadn’t been combed since she woke that morning, her multi-colored overalls, and the brush in her hand. “I take it your painting is going well.”
Alina smiled and visibly dropped her shoulders. “It is. In fact, I’m almost finished.”
Dereck was still standing at the doorway, unsure of whether he should interrupt Alina when she was finally progressing.
“Come on in,” Alina said, moving backward so her lover may enter.
“I know how you artists are when you’re consumed with a project. So I brought food. In case you haven’t eaten.”
Alina looked at the clock on the wall with four rows of mosaic tiles outlining it. It was almost eleven. She shook her head, “No. I haven’t eaten all day.”
Her stomach growled at that very moment, and Dereck laughed. “I’m going to get the food ready,” he said, making a path to the kitchen. Alina went to the bathroom to wash her hands, and for the first time all day, she took in her appearance.
“Oh, my goodness,” she whispered to herself and hurriedly tried to make herself look presentable. At least decent enough for Dereck she was dating not to think she was a beast. Alina brushed her hair backward and held it in place with a bandana after washing her face free of the little flecks of paint that found their way there.
Before Alina made her way back into the kitchen, she ensured that the door to her painting room was closed. Dereck noticed when she locked it.
“So, you really do paint porn?” He joked.
Alina sat at the table and grabbed a fork, diving into her portion of pork fried rice. “No,” she said with a full mouth. “But you can’t see the painting until it’s finished. It’s a surprise.”
“Hmm,” Dereck widened his eyes. “Now you’re just making me more curious.”
“Too bad,” Alina said, taking another mouthful. “You’re just going to have to wait.”
Dereck poured two glasses of orange juice and placed one down at Alina’s side. “Well, you have to eat quickly so you can return to painting because the suspense is killing me.”
Alina smiled at Dereck as he occupied the seat next to her, but engaged in no more conversation with him. She simply concentrated on eating – one gigantic fork full at a time. By the time Alina was finished, Dereck was only halfway through his serving.
“Satisfied?” Dereck asked Alina, who nodded her head and rubbed her stomach in response. “Now get back to work, young lady. I’m dying to see that painting.”
Instead of doing as he instructed, Alina scurried over to sit crossways on her boyfriend’s lap. “How do you expect me to paint when you’re in the next room?” She placed a kiss on Dereck’s lips before trailing to his cheek and then his neck.
Dereck closed his eyes and moaned. “I think you need to go paint before it’s too late.”
