Page 153 of Crystal Iris
“How did you… convince him?” he asks me.
“We talked.”
“He told me you kissed.”
“He kissed me, but it’s over. Really over.”
“I thought it had been over between you two for a long time now.”
“It has. Only… I think he finally understood.”
“You know what he said? After he told me you two danced and kissed on a boat? He said, ‘Good luck.’ He said that after a couple years in the country, your soul will die, that you’ll blame me for it. That the art world you love can’t be bought.”
I let the words sink in.
“Iris, is he right?”
“I don’t know. Maybe. We have… no plans, Hoyt. I don’t know. Do you want me to move to Montana?”
“Iris! Of course I want you to move to Montana. I live there. I own horses and land. I’m… not a businessman like Aaron, or a history buff like James. I’m a fucking nobody. I’ve never even been to college.”
“Hoyt, I don’t care about any of that. I fell for you because of who you are.”
He looks away from me. I hate that I can’t turn him around, can’t grab his hand.
“Hoyt, I mean it. Aaron doesn’t understand because… this part of me, he never met.”
He turns to me. “What part?”
“The part that loves the countryside, the smell of grass, the taste of hot coffee in the cold mountain air, the part that loves the feel of a horse’s soft hair, the part that can’t wait to spend nights by the fire. It’s all new to me, too. I don’t know if I can leave the city, my job, the museums. I honestly don’t know. But I’m willing to try. For us.”
“I don’t want to be the reason you’re away from what you love.”
I look him in the eye. “You are the reason I’m in love—with more than just art.”
He walks closer. “You…?”
“Yes, I think I knew it was love since my prism took me to you.”
He comes as close as he possibly can. “How am I supposed to not kiss you right now?”
“I don’t think we’ll fit in my shower,” I smile, but I’m honestly considering trying.
“Let’s get out of here.”
“And go where?”
“Pack a bag.”
Thirty-Two
“Surrealism is destructive, but it destroys only what it considers to be shackles limiting our vision.” – Salvador Dalí
The elevator door opens to the rooftop room, and my eyes can’t take in the entire place with one look. It’s enormous, luxurious, beautifully designed, and most importantly,ours for the night.I walk straight outdoors, passing the bar, the indoor jacuzzi, the giant bed. I look up at the pool—so blue. The water features are turned on, including a little cascade on the right side, all perfectly lit. Just like the city in front of us. No stars above, the lonely crescent moon stealing the night.
“This place is incredible,” I say as Hoyt joins me.
I can almost feel his heartbeat.
