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“And we’ll talk about some terms.”
“Terms?” Sonya shut down. “You’re not paying rent, Cleo. I don’t pay rent so you don’t.”
“I get that. I do, and it’s appreciated. But I will contribute. I’ll do the grocery shopping—we’ll make weekly lists—and buy the food. I’m a better cook than you, which isn’t saying much about either of us, so I’ll handle dinner—let’s say five nights a week. Roughly.”
“We’ll work it out.”
“Yeah, we will.” Cleo grinned as they started downstairs. “It’s what we do.”
Chapter Thirteen
At Cleo’s insistence, Sonya “duded up” after brunch. It seemed wasteful, since she’d probably help move furniture, but at that point in time, if Cleo had asked her to do handsprings in the foyer, she’d have tried it.
So in rust-colored suede pants and a stone-gray turtleneck she guided Cleo through storage areas again.
“This desk.” Sonya had to maneuver her way back to it while Cleo cooed over a floor lamp shaped like a mermaid holding a crystal ball.
“I want this lamp in the studio.”
Sonya swiped at her hair, nodded. “I should’ve known that.”
“She’s perfect. I’m doing a book on mermaids.”
“Did I know that?”
“I haven’t started yet. It’s the Monday meeting. An adult book.” She circled the lamp. “Coffee-table, illustrations depicting various lores, various cultures.”
“That’s your wheelhouse.”
“It is. The desk. Oh, oh, oh!” She danced to it.
“It’s going to weigh a ton,” Sonya predicted. “And it’ll take some work to get it down there, considering the L-shape extension.”
“Where there’s a will. It’s gorgeous.” Reverently, Cleo ran a hand over the surface and its leather insert. “I wonder what kind of wood it is.”
“No clue. But drawers for supplies, room for your monitor, and you could use the extension for hand sketching.”
“Well, I want it, and the mermaid. I can bring my own desk chair, it works for me. Same with my desk lamp. I could probably use a small couch, settee, divan. Something curved would be nice, considering the shape of the studio. At least one chair for when my best friend hangs out up there.”
Laughing, she looked around. “God, Sonya, it’s like shopping for free in a fabulous antiques shop.”
A board creaked overhead.
“Attic space,” Sonya murmured.
“I remember—the trunks of clothes and more. Let’s go see.”
Hedging, Sonya slid her hands into her pockets. “It’s pretty chilly up there.”
“I remember from yesterday. I didn’t really get a good look.”
They went up now, and Cleo pointed.
“I wanted a small, curved sofa, and there it is.”
“You know that was covered with a sheet yesterday—and when I went through before that.”
“Well, it’s not covered now, and it’s just right.” Beyond delighted, Cleo circled it. “I love this deep royal blue color. It’s velvet, and look at the hearts carved in the frame. So sweet! It’ll really work in there. A chair, a couple tables, and kaboom, a sitting area, a work area, that view, and room to paint when that mood strikes.”
