Page 7 of Built to Last
“You’ve known each other a long time then.”
“Not that long.” I feign offence.
“Oh, no. I didn’t mean?—”
“I’m just messing with you.”
His shoulders sag with relief and he shakes his head at himself.
“Of course you are.”What was that supposed to mean?Before I can put my foot in my mouth again, Aria reappears.
“You two already discussing the project?” She settles into the chair next to Phillip.
“Just getting to know each other,” Phillip answers with a pleasant smile. It’s not the smile I’ve already come to expect from him. This one is too polite, lacking any mischief. I don’t like it.
“Alright, our order will be over in a minute. Why don’t I start talking both of you through the details of the project and the timeframe while we wait?”
I’m not sure how much she and Phillip have already discussed, so this seems like a good way to make sure we’re all on the same page. While I already know what the show is about,I have no idea what timeframe she gave the previous artist. Probably should have asked about that before agreeing to help. All I know is Aria has already set up a handful of bookings for the Spring term and wants time for the performers to rehearse with the sets before then.
As Aria breaks down the timeframe, I start to panic. Violet brought over our drinks and some muffins, and the few bites I’ve had now sit like rocks in my stomach. Despite living with me for years, she clearly hasn’t considered how long paint takes to dry. While it’s doable, the deadline is tighter than I’d like, especially since I can never predict when I may have a flare-up. I prefer blocking out a slightly bigger window for projects than I might actually need—customers don’t get mad when things are finished early but they sure let you have it if you’re behind schedule. Phillip smiles and nods along, asking a few questions here and there, shooting concerned glances my way when I remain suspiciously silent.
“How does that sound?” Aria asks, done with the project breakdown. While I don’t love the tight deadline, it’s not impossible. With Phillip and me working together we should be able to manage as long as he’s capable of being a team player. When my options are either telling Aria the deadline’s too short and spoiling her business plans or buckling down and working as hard as I can for the next few weeks, there’s really no choice at all. Aria’s worked incredibly hard to make Dreamer Entertainment a success and she’s always been there for me. Now it’s my turn to be there for her.
“Sounds like we’d better get started,” I announce with confidence I absolutely do not feel.
“Can’t wait.” Phillip grins broadly. Aria cocks her head, trying to figure out what’s going on between us but I keep my expression innocent. I’ll tell her everything later, she doesn’t need to worry about it right now.
“I guess we’re done here.” Aria smiles brightly. “Phillip, it was nice meeting you.” They both stand and she reaches over to shake his hand again before heading towards the door. I offer Phillip an awkward parting bob of my head which he returns, then I catch up with Aria.
“Oh, hang on a sec,” I tell her, walking back to our table where Phillip is putting on his coat. “We should exchange numbers so we can plan next steps.”
Phillip
Thrown off-balance by running into Rose again, never mind the revelation that she’s the artist I’ll be working with, I watch in stunned silence as she leaves. Pretending I’m not staring after her becomes impossible when she suddenly turns back towards me. Leaving Aria by the door, Rose marches over and announces we should swap numbers.
Usually a gorgeous woman asking for my phone number would be cause for celebration, but Rose looks like she’d rather take a bath with eels than spend another minute in my presence. For a moment I simply stand there, staring like an idiot, the symphony of milk frothing, coffee beans grinding, and the gentle hum of conversation from the other customers the only sounds infiltrating the silence between us. She looks at me expectantly, and instead of answering like a normal person, I blurt out the first thing that comes to mind.
“You don’t really want to be here, do you?” Rose’s already stiff posture tenses even further and I panic, thinking I’ve made matters ten times worse. Mind racing to come up with something,anything, else to say before we reach new heights ofawkwardness, I’m saved from my own idiocy when she releases a long sigh, shoulders drooping in defeat. Something tightens in my chest over seeing her this way. The realisation I’d rather have her yell at me again than fold in on herself like this rocks me. I shouldn’t be having these kinds of thoughts about a woman I just met. Before my eyes, she reinforces her shield, straightening up and locking her gaze with mine.
At a glance, Rose may seem soft and approachable with her gently cascading curls and jade-green eyes, but behind the plump bow of her pink lips there’s one heck of a bite. There is a lot more to Rose than first meets the eye, that’s for sure. I only hope she doesn’t bring out her thorns when she realises I’m not looking away.
“It’s not that.” She takes a seat and I follow suit. “I just… the deadline makes me a little nervous. It is a pretty big job and neither of us really knows what we’re doing.” A wry laugh escapes her and, even though it’s self-deprecating, her small smile steals my breath. Momentarily stunned, I watch her fiddle with the sleeves of her jumper, a nervous habit of hers I noticed during the meeting.
“I’m not entirely clueless you know,” I reply with a teasing grin. “Like I said before, I’ve built plenty of custom furniture alongside my other building work. Aria explained to me what she needs for the set before today and I promise it’s nothing I can’t handle. You focus on the design and I’ll make sure to keep it practical so we’re not biting off more than we can chew, alright?” Eric tells me I excel at giving pep-talks. I’ve always laughed him off, assuming he’s poking fun at me, such is his right as older brother. Watching the lines between Rose’s brows smooth away, it seems like there may be some truth to his words after all.
“Are you for real?” She shakes her head. “Sorry, that was rude. I didn’t mean—” She takes a breath and tries again. “I’mjust not used to people being so…nice.” She says nice like it’s an unfamiliar concept.Who the hell isn’t being nice to her?
“People aren’t nice to you? I find that hard to believe.”
She snorts and her blush over the undignified sound is too fucking cute. “That seems a little silly, I did yell at you when we first met,” she teases, offering me my first glimpse of the real Rose behind the prickly curtain.
“True. But that’s not who you really are, is it?” I hold her gaze until she looks away, shifting awkwardly in her seat.
“I don’t know. Aren’t we all the sum of our actions?”
“I guess that’s true. Even then, I’d say you’ve got a lot going for you. Stepping up to help your friend even though you’re nervous is no small thing.”
“I’m not nervous.”
