Page 82 of Take My Heart
It takes all afternoon to finish the room and I only got one coat done. But when I’m finished I feel much more relaxed than I did this morning. I even feel happy, which is not how I should be feeling with everything that’s going on. How couldsomething like painting, which most people consider a chore, bring me this much joy? I wish my job made me feel this way. If it did, I wouldn’t dread going back to it.
At seven, Brody returns. ‘I got everyone’s driveway plowed that was on the list, along with four of the people who were on tomorrow’s list.’
‘Brody, that’s great!’ I give him a hug but make it quick, remembering we’re not dating. We’re just friends, maybe not even that. I don’t know what we are.
‘Yeah, and I called the people on tomorrow’s list and confirmed I’d be there in the morning.’ He gets a proud smile on his face. ‘I feel all professional, like I actually know what I’m doing.’
‘What do you mean?’ I say with a laugh. ‘You know what you’re doing. You said you’ve been doing this for a couple years.’
‘I’ve been winging it and hoping I make money.’ He takes off his coat. ‘What smells so good?’
‘I made dinner. Spaghetti. It’s all you had.’
‘You didn’t have to make anything. We could’ve gone out. The roads are better now.’
‘I didn’t mind making it, and I wasn’t sure if places would be open tonight.’
‘Yeah, that’s true. A lot of places are still closed. Sawyer opened the brewery. The place was packed when I drove by.’
Brody has a picture of him and Sawyer and the rest of his family taped to one of the walls in the living room. I cringed when I saw it, not the picture, but the tape he used to hang it. Who hangs pictures that way? Brody needs serious decorating help.
‘I’d love to go there sometime,’ I say. ‘To Sawyer’s brewery.’
‘We could do that.’ Brody walks to the table where I have dinner set up. ‘This looks great. If I were alone I’d be eating a peanut butter sandwich off the counter.’
I roll my eyes. ‘You’re such a bachelor.’
He sits down across from me. ‘So what happened today? With your parents?’
I tell him about the lawsuit and how my parents are insisting I live with them, then I tell him about Cam and how we wants my stuff out of his apartment this week and that he’s hiring a tow truck company to come get his car and sending me the bill.
‘And you were going to marry this guy?’ Brody shakes his head. ‘I don’t get it.’
‘He wasn’t always like that. We used to get along great, but then he moved to DC and we grew apart and now it’s like we’re strangers. That’s why I couldn’t marry him.’
‘But you almost did.’
‘Because I thought it was too late to back out. And everyone kept telling me how lucky I was to be marrying Cam and what a great life we’d have. I listened to them more than I listened to myself. Calling off the wedding was the first time in a long time that I did what I wanted instead of what other people wanted me to do.’
‘Maybe you should be doing more of that.’
‘More of what?’
‘Doing what you want instead of what other people tell you to do.’
‘It’s not that easy. My parents are very controlling.’
‘Only if you let them.’
‘Yeah, I guess.’ I smile at Brody. ‘Thanks for letting me vent. I feel a lot better saying all that. You’re the only person I can talk to about this who will listen instead of telling me I’m wrong.’
‘Anytime.’ He points to his empty plate. ‘And anytime you want to make spaghetti again, go ahead. That was really good.’ He looks around. ‘The house looks good, too. Best it’s ever looked. Thanks for cleaning it.’
‘I didn’t mind doing it. Like I said, it helps me relax.’ I get up. ‘Hey, let me show you the room I painted.’
We walk down to my room.
‘You did a good job,’ Brody says. ‘But damn, those paint fumes are strong. How are you going to sleep in here?’
