her,
after all. It was true she hadn’t noticed him put his book down. She decided
not to press it, because if he had a picture, she certainly didn’t want to see
it.
A rumble in her tummy made her look at her watch. It was
nearly three o’clock, and she hadn’t eaten anything since he’d picked her up
and had only had some jam on toast for breakfast. The worst thing was the lightheadedness
she felt when she realized it. She knew that she had the same amount of blood
sugar before realizing how late it was as after, and yet somehow she didn’t
feel like it, and she hated that as a weakness. It always happened, and getting
lost in her art was nothing new.
His face went serious. “You okay, Zoe? You look kind of
pale. Something happen?”
She bit her lip. Pain usually helped wake her. “Nope,
nothing. I’m betting the zoo has outrageously priced food.”
He shrugged. “No worries. I’ll treat. The real question is,
do you want to do more painting here at the zoo, or even have a wander? If so,
it doesn’t really make sense to leave to eat, even if it is a bit more.”
She glanced back at her painting of the platypus. She had
put everything into it, and she felt drained by more than lack of food. “No, I
don’t think I’ll be painting anymore today.” She’d pushed on before, when she’d
finished something she felt that passionately about, and she was never happy
with the results.
“Maybe we could have something here, something to tide us
over?” She wasn’t going to eat as much as she wanted, not with him paying. She
already felt indebted to him. It seemed each time they’d gotten together, it
was all about her and what she needed. Her need to get home, her pleasure, her
painting. She didn’t get a chance to give of herself, and she wanted that.
But she knew he still wanted time in private with her, and
that still scared her.
He stood up and offered his hand. She took it and let him
help her up. She carefully picked up the two paintings that had been sitting on
the bench. The sun was high overhead and had been shining on them quite
directly, and they were adequately dry. She let go of him for a moment to pack
them up carefully, and then took his hand again to walk with him.
His hand felt warm, and she almost regretted it when food
turned out to be quite close. But having expected rather plain fare, the
heaping plate of pad thai she ended up with was most welcome. “This is
delicious!”
He smiled, a steaming plate of the savory noodle dish in
front of him as well. “Glad you think so. I’m hoping it’s not so good it
dissuades you from having dinner with me.”
“Mr. Carrady, keep this up and I might get the impression
you actually like me.”
“Whatever it takes to get it through to you.”
“Why?” Couldn’t he see that she was damaged goods? Scarred
physically, afraid to be with him alone?
“You’ve got spunk. You tell me what you want and don’t want,
and I get the feeling someone tried very hard to beat that out of you. I’ve
always had a lot of respect for people who get knocked down and get right back
up again. And I admit I have an ulterior motive.”
“You want to sleep with me.”
“Sleep?” He grinned broadly. “Yes, I guess sleeping would be
nice too. But I was also hoping that after dinner you’d let me take you back to
Indigo.”
“I thought it only ran the two nights.”
His eyes twinkled. “Yeah, that’s all they tell people about
in the papers. Lots of new people come every year, and that’s a good thing, but
those that hang back and watch or act like assholes generally don’t find out
about the third night. It tends to wind down earlier too, although there’s
always a few who stay until late. Most of us have to get up Monday morning and
go to work.”
“You’ll want more than you got last night.”
“I’ll want to explore something different, for sure. You’ll
have to trust me, and I know that trust doesn’t come easy to you. I don’t
after all. It was true she hadn’t noticed him put his book down. She decided
not to press it, because if he had a picture, she certainly didn’t want to see
it.
A rumble in her tummy made her look at her watch. It was
nearly three o’clock, and she hadn’t eaten anything since he’d picked her up
and had only had some jam on toast for breakfast. The worst thing was the lightheadedness
she felt when she realized it. She knew that she had the same amount of blood
sugar before realizing how late it was as after, and yet somehow she didn’t
feel like it, and she hated that as a weakness. It always happened, and getting
lost in her art was nothing new.
His face went serious. “You okay, Zoe? You look kind of
pale. Something happen?”
She bit her lip. Pain usually helped wake her. “Nope,
nothing. I’m betting the zoo has outrageously priced food.”
He shrugged. “No worries. I’ll treat. The real question is,
do you want to do more painting here at the zoo, or even have a wander? If so,
it doesn’t really make sense to leave to eat, even if it is a bit more.”
She glanced back at her painting of the platypus. She had
put everything into it, and she felt drained by more than lack of food. “No, I
don’t think I’ll be painting anymore today.” She’d pushed on before, when she’d
finished something she felt that passionately about, and she was never happy
with the results.
“Maybe we could have something here, something to tide us
over?” She wasn’t going to eat as much as she wanted, not with him paying. She
already felt indebted to him. It seemed each time they’d gotten together, it
was all about her and what she needed. Her need to get home, her pleasure, her
painting. She didn’t get a chance to give of herself, and she wanted that.
But she knew he still wanted time in private with her, and
that still scared her.
He stood up and offered his hand. She took it and let him
help her up. She carefully picked up the two paintings that had been sitting on
the bench. The sun was high overhead and had been shining on them quite
directly, and they were adequately dry. She let go of him for a moment to pack
them up carefully, and then took his hand again to walk with him.
His hand felt warm, and she almost regretted it when food
turned out to be quite close. But having expected rather plain fare, the
heaping plate of pad thai she ended up with was most welcome. “This is
delicious!”
He smiled, a steaming plate of the savory noodle dish in
front of him as well. “Glad you think so. I’m hoping it’s not so good it
dissuades you from having dinner with me.”
“Mr. Carrady, keep this up and I might get the impression
you actually like me.”
“Whatever it takes to get it through to you.”
“Why?” Couldn’t he see that she was damaged goods? Scarred
physically, afraid to be with him alone?
“You’ve got spunk. You tell me what you want and don’t want,
and I get the feeling someone tried very hard to beat that out of you. I’ve
always had a lot of respect for people who get knocked down and get right back
up again. And I admit I have an ulterior motive.”
“You want to sleep with me.”
“Sleep?” He grinned broadly. “Yes, I guess sleeping would be
nice too. But I was also hoping that after dinner you’d let me take you back to
Indigo.”
“I thought it only ran the two nights.”
His eyes twinkled. “Yeah, that’s all they tell people about
in the papers. Lots of new people come every year, and that’s a good thing, but
those that hang back and watch or act like assholes generally don’t find out
about the third night. It tends to wind down earlier too, although there’s
always a few who stay until late. Most of us have to get up Monday morning and
go to work.”
“You’ll want more than you got last night.”
“I’ll want to explore something different, for sure. You’ll
have to trust me, and I know that trust doesn’t come easy to you. I don’t
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