Page 277 of His Virgin Romance Series

“I guess I am a little.” Gabby nodded. “You just don’t look the type…”

“I don’t?” I asked, raising my eyebrows.

She blushed again, and I saw her getting nervous. “I… that is… what I mean is… you look more like a firefighter and I mean that as a compliment.”

“Well then… thank you,” I said, bowing my head a little.

“So… what’s your medium?”

“I paint and draw,” I replied. “But I’ve also incorporated photography into my art before. I don’t like to stick to one thing; I like experimenting.”

“And what subjects do you like to focus on?”

“Mostly portraits and scenic paintings… but again I don’t stick to just those subjects. I like to dabble… I draw inspiration from everywhere and everyone.”

“I always wished that I could draw,” Gabby admitted. “I thought it would be the most wonderful thing in the world to be able to imagine something in your head and then bring it to life on paper.”

“Funny,” I said. “I used to wish that I had some musical ability… I always wanted to play guitar.”

“You can still learn.”

“I’m not patient enough.”

“Don’t you have to be patient to paint?” Gabby asked.

“Not really,” I said. “When I’m working… it’s like I enter this other world. I’m building slowly on this story I can see in my head, and my mind is on and completely alert. Then I finished working, snap out of it and see that hours have passed and it’s only felt like minutes to me.”

“Hey, I have that too, that’s what happens to me when I’m composing,” Gabby said excitedly. “It’s almost like the rest of the world—”

“Fades away—”

“And there’s only you—”

“And the work.” I nodded. We stared at each other for a second, and I let out a little chuckle.

“What is it?” Gabby asked.

“I just think it’s interesting that we met a few minutes ago and we’re already finishing each other’s sentences.”

“We have a lot in common,” Gabby said. “We’re both storytellers. I just tell my stories through music, and you tell yours through pictures.”

“True.” I nodded. “Maybe we should put the two together and see if that works?”

It wasn’t a very subtle line, but I had to say it. Gabby looked amused, but she didn’t address it. There was something about this girl, and it wasn’t just that she was beautiful. It was more than that. Maybe I recognized something in her that was similar to me. Maybe it was just a question of kindred spirits. Or maybe the artist in me was reading too much into a beautiful face, but I couldn’t ignore my feelings. It wasn’t like I could describe them accurately, but I knew it was different from anything else I’d felt in the past.

“You’d have to show me your work first,” Gabby said. “I’d really love to see what you do.”

I was never self-conscious about showing people my work, but somehow, I got nervous when Gabby asked. I realized that her opinion mattered to me. If she didn’t like what I did, it would actually upset me.

“How about we strike a deal?” I asked. “You play for me, and then I’ll show you my work?”

“Uh, no deal,” Gabby said immediately. “You have to go first.”

I laughed. “Well then… we have a bit of a problem.”

Gabby shook her head. “I’m being silly… I play in front of people all the time. I’ve played concerts too. I don’t know why I’m so nervous to have you listen to me.”

I realized she was feeling the same thing I was, and it gave me confidence that this was not a one-sided connection.

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