Page 32 of Faking All the Way
I have a sudden vivid image of her waking up with messy hair, her face soft and relaxed from sleep, her skin warm from being under the covers. Maybe wearing one of those tank tops she seems to favor at night, the fabric riding up slightly to reveal a bit of her stomach…
I adjust myself and finish drying off with the towel, pulling on fresh boxers and gray sweatpants. Maybe that dream from last night is still affecting me, because my body is reacting to thoughts I definitely shouldn’t be having about someone I met three days ago.
ME: What’s your bedtime routine then, if not a shower before bed?
I walk back into the bedroom as I text, toweling my hair one more time. I can see her moving around in her room across the way through the window. We’re both doing our bedtime routines while we keep texting, which feels nice, in a weird way. Like we’re together even though we’re in separate buildings.
KAT: The usual boring stuff. Brush teeth, wash face, floss even though I always forget and feel guilty about it. Then I’ll usually either read or draw before I fall asleep. Depends on whether my brain will shut off or not.
KAT: I get a lot of my best ideas at night—even right when I’m falling asleep, for some reason. I keep a sketchpad by my bed just for those moments when inspiration strikes at weird times.
I glance over toward her window and can actually see the sketchpad on her nightstand. I also see Kat, who’s changed intosleep clothes now. Nothing revealing, just a simple tank top and what look like soft cotton pants—but still, the sight knocks me on my ass a little, and I look away before I get busted for staring.
ME: I’d love to see some of them sometime. Your middle-of-the-night inspiration sketches.
KAT: My rough sketches aren’t really meant for public consumption. They’re messy and half-formed, just ideas I’m trying to capture before they disappear. But I could show you some of my finished work sometime if you’d like.
ME: That sounds great. I mean it.
ME: What’s your favorite piece you’ve ever done? The thing you’re most proud of?
There’s a longer pause this time, like she’s really considering the question instead of just firing back a quick response.
KAT: That’s a hard question. There are a lot of pieces I’m proud of for different reasons. But probably my first paid commission. I really wanted to use watercolors for it, which I wasn’t as familiar with at the time. It was for a children’s book about a fox who goes on adventures. I worked so hard on it, spent weeks getting the style right, the colors perfect. And it turned out amazingly, exactly how I’d envisioned it in my head.
KAT: The book didn’t end up getting published, which was a huge bummer. The publishing house went under before it could go to print. But I’m still really proud of the work itself. It proved to me that I could do this professionally, that I wasn’t just fooling myself about having talent.
ME: It sounds amazing. And for what it’s worth, I’m sorry the book didn’t get published. That must have been disappointing.
KAT: It was. But that’s the industry sometimes. You can do everything right and still not get the outcome you wanted.
ME: What’s your favorite medium to work in? You mentioned watercolors, but what do you usually use?
KAT: It depends on the project and my mood. Usually I’m a pen and ink kind of girl. I love the precision of it, the way you can create so much depth with just black lines. But I like to mix it up too, experiment with new things. Watercolors, colored pencils, digital art. It keeps the work from getting stale, keeps me from getting bored.
I’m impressed by that. By her willingness to keep pushing herself, to try new things even when they’re outside her comfort zone. A lot of people find something that works and stick with it forever, but she’s clearly not content with staying in one place.
ME: That takes guts. Trying new techniques when you’ve already got something that works.
KAT: Or it’s just restlessness. I’ve never been great at staying still, even with my art. I always want to see what’s around the next corner.
I turn off the light and settle into bed, pulling the covers up and arranging the pillows the way I like them. Across the way, Kat does the same. Her room goes dark, and I can barely see into it anymore, but she left the curtains open. I watch as she climbs into bed, her silhouette visible against the faint light from the hallway.
The sight hits me harder than it should. There’s something about watching her get into bed, knowing she’s settling in for the night just like I am, that feels too intimate for whatever this arrangement is supposed to be.
ME: So you’ve got “get a tree” checked off the holiday list. What else do you have planned while you’re back in town?
KAT: The usual family stuff. Holiday parties, Christmas shopping, a few more dinners and stuff with my parents. You’ll probably get conscripted to join for some of that if you’re okay with it.
ME: Yeah, of course.
KAT: Thanks. Oh, and I HAVE to go to Li’l Dippers while I’m in town. That’s non-negotiable.
ME: What on earth is Li’l Dippers?
KAT: It’s this diner downtown that’s been there since the 1950s or something. They have the most amazing grilled cheese you’ve ever had in your life. It’s practically a religious experience.
ME: That’s a bold claim. What constitutes an amazing grilled cheese in your mind?
