Page 147 of Losing Faith

“Hey, I was just asking.” She rests a hand on my leg. “I like knowing all of your OCD tendencies. It’s notbadif it was.”

A smile touches my lips but then she lets out a loud gasp, I nearly stop the car.

“I could get an art studio,” she exclaims, grabbing my arm in excitement.

“Okay, one step at a time, sweetheart.”

“Oh my god. This is great, that way I can have more space.” She gasps again. “What if I open an art store and sell my prints there? I can have the grand opening the week before Christmas so people can getgifts. It’ll be a cute two-story place and I can even put my prints on like tote bags and—”

“Lisette,” I cut her off. “How about you ship out the orders you got today first?”

I steal a glance at her and she rolls her eyes at me. “You and my brother are being such Debbie downers.”

“I’m being realistic. I think it’s great to have that goal forsome day,but to have this up and running inthree weeks?That’s not happening, love.”

“I can make it work,” she says confidently.

“In three weeks?”

“I’m getting tengrandoff of one painting,” she says as if that explains enough.

“Do you know the logistics of opening a business or even renting out a space?”

She hesitates now. “Sire and August have a whole batting cage. Iftheycan do it, anyone can.”

“Right… and how long did that take them?”

“Well, I’m not going to have as many renovations as them.”

“Okay, so let’s say you find a space that needs no work, which is highly unlikely because I’m sure you don’t wantwhite wallsin your art store. What’s your credit score? Will you be approved for this space? You just said you want two stories, that’s not a small space.”

She doesn’t answer.

“Do you know what kinds of permits you’ll need for your store? You don’t want to work all day. Will you hire staff? Do you even have enough paintings? Are you going to be able to make all these prints and tote bags to fill a two-story store inthree weeks? Do you understand what an exit clause is? Will you hire someone who understands that and runs things with you? Who will you hire? How—”

“Alright alright, I get it. I’m not getting my art store.” She sinks in her seat and it crushes me to break it to her.

I rest my hand on her thigh. “You can get your art store, reina. Just not before Christmas.” I steal a glance at her and she’s pouting.

Biting back a laugh, I squeeze her cheeks.

She rolls her eyes before turning to me. “Doyouknow what an exit clause is?” Her words come out muffled since I’m still squeezing her face.

I nod before stealing a kiss and turning back to the road.

“How aboutyoudo the logistics for me, and I make the paintings and sit with a pretty face at the cash register?”

My laugh fills the car. “It’s a lot of logistics. Are you planning on paying me?”

“You’rerich.”

“You’re not a charity case.” I bite back a smile as I steal a glance at her and she’s narrowing her eyes at me. “You’re the one who said you’ll be rich by the end of the week.”

“I have ten grand. Take it or leave it.”

I break into another laugh. With the way she plans things, she’d probably lose three thousand dollars every month at her store and see no profit, yet, I’ll gladly run the logistics for her and fund this shit show if it’ll make her this happy.

“If you find a space and find staff to help you run the place, I’ll take care of the rest.”

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