Page 20 of Paint Our Song (Cloverlily #1)

D ays pass by so quickly and when they’re not hanging out, Miles is actually able to sketch. It doesn’t feel like a chore to actually make art, and it’s all thanks to Calvin.

Though it would probably be better if he could sketch anything other than Calvin and cats. If he could work on the painting of the band, and of other pieces for the gallery, that would be great. Still, it’s progress.

Sadly, the band’s leaving that weekend because of a gig, and Miles would rather not think about that yet. That’s two more days with Calvin in town. He at least knows that whatever this is will change as soon as Calvin leaves town, and they’ll no longer be in their small little bubble.

For now, Miles is going to enjoy it.

He must have spaced out because he’s thinking about Calvin’s stupidly hot, tattooed arms when Gabby snaps her fingers to get his attention .

“Can you go downtown today?” She points at the seventeenth item on the wedding checklist. “I can’t reach the contact person for the wedding rentals. It says their phone’s out of service. I want to make sure they’re going to deliver it right on time tomorrow.”

“Yeah, sure.”

“Be sure to be here tonight. Need to make sure their rehearsal dinner goes great. So, don’t spend all day with Calvin again, maybe.”

“Shhhh.” His face heats.

Miles yelps when she punches him on the arm. Gabby seems to have more to say but then the main door opens and she stands on her tiptoes and peers over his shoulder. “Hi, Matthew! Hi, Meg!”

“Hey,” Matthew calls out. He’s got boxes in his arms that go up to his nose, and so does Megan. Gabby and Miles immediately get up to help them out. The boxes smell great—sweet and tart.

Greeting them, Megan pulls her laptop out and takes a seat as the rest of them get right to work setting up the dessert display. Miles moves quickly and energetically, much more than usual, and Matthew studies him a second too long as he passes him boxes to put away.

Miles’s phone buzzes, and he quickly pulls it out, his face splitting into a grin. It’s a text message from Calvin, asking what he’s up to today.

Me: Need to run errands downtown :’D

Cat-Vin: Can I tag along?

Peering at him from over the dessert display, Matthew smirks. He asks, voice low enough so Megan won’t overhear, “You’re seeing someone.”

He splutters uselessly, staring at Matthew in alarm. Gabby, who’s next to Miles, snickers.

“Are you going to share with the class?” Matthew turns to Gabby. “I take it you already know.”

Gabby winks. “I neither confirm nor deny the allegations.”

Matthew guffaws. Miles finds it weird, talking about this with Matthew. It’s weird and also nice. There doesn’t seem to be any bitterness in Matthew’s expression. Maybe they really have moved on from each other and are in a much better place.

“Good for you, Miles,” Matthew says, too sincere.

“Thanks,” he mumbles, going back to his phone to see if Calvin’s replied.

Gabby peeks at Miles’s phone. “You need to change Calvin’s name on your phone. It’s not as funny as you think.” And just like that, she’s exposed who he’s texting, and Matthew’s eyebrows raise by a fraction. She snaps her head up when she realizes her mistake. “Shit, I’m sorry, Miles.”

“It’s cool,” Miles says with a shrug. He is, however, thankful that Megan’s still engrossed in her own work and oblivious to their conversation. At least she’s not part of this. “Stop teasing me so much, though—geez.”

“Okay. My bad. You do need to change his name, though.”

“Why? I like it.” Calvin probably has him saved as “Miles Curtis from Hannah’s Inn”, which makes the silly Cat-vin nickname even funnier to him, only because Calvin seems like the type of guy to be that formal. Then there’s Miles, who has his contact saved under the most juvenile nickname he could think of .

Across the lobby, the elevator doors open, and Calvin steps out. Miles stands up straighter, his heart jumps, and a grin spreads across his face. He doesn’t miss how his friends smirk at each other.

Whatever. He’s totally gone for Calvin, and he realizes he doesn’t actually care if his friends will tease him about it. How can he not be, with how good he looks in those adorable glasses?

“Calvin,” Megan gestures at Calvin to come over. “Look at these photos of some of the hiking trails… You think you can post some of them in your stories today? I’ll clear them with Chase and Gil, too. Ooooh, we should create a group chat together. That might make it easier.”

“Sure,” Calvin says, approaching her. He hovers behind her until she pulls out a chair, inviting him to sit.

“Matt, Meg,” Gabby says, voice loud enough for both of them to hear even if they’re on opposite sides of the small cafe. “You two are going to be here for tomorrow’s wedding, right?”

“Yeah, I’m going to take videos for social media,” Megan says.

Matthew shrugs. “Yeah. They ordered the cake from my shop.”

“You need to stay longer than that.” Gabby says, rather-of-factly. “We need all hands on deck. I’m not sure the temps can pull their weight.”

“Am I going to get paid?”

“I’ll treat you to dinner.”

Matthew makes a face. While Matthew and Gabby talk a bit more about the logistics of the wedding and how they need more wait staff, Miles’s gaze drifts over to Calvin, who’s nodding along as Megan shows him her laptop. Calvin catches his stare and his expression softens.

Done with setting up the pastry displays, Miles approaches Calvin. He stands behind him to get a look at what Megan’s showing him, which is a gallery of hiking spots in the small lake-town.

Gabby and Matthew continue to argue.

“You should pay me an hourly rate like the temps,” Matthew says, though his tone is light and unserious.

Gabby puts a hand on her hip. “Dahlia practically treats you like a son. You should do this as a favor to her!”

Chuckling, Megan quips, “Ex son-in-law, rather.”

Miles freezes. His friends don’t hear her comment and continue to bicker. Calvin, though, heard it. He asks, “Ex son-in-law?”

“Miles and Matthew dated for a very long time,” she says. “Honestly, Miles is practically another annoying older brother to me. Everyone thought we were all siblings with how all our names started with M, but also because these two dorks were joined by the hip.”

“Meg,” Miles says, too weakly for her to hear. Suddenly, he wishes she had heard the earlier testing, if it would have avoided this.

Frowning, Gabby turns to Miles and waves toward the door. “Miles! Go downtown.”

“Geez, you’re bossy.”

“Someone has to be!”

After Megan sends the photos to Calvin, the two of them head for the door. Calvin’s looking at him oddly, most likely because of Megan’s innocent slip-up. Miles doesn’t blame her. His past relationship with Matthew has never been a secret; he’s simply never thought to bring it up with Calvin .

Before Calvin can ask about it, Miles asks, “Where are Gil and Chase?”

“I think they went hiking,” Calvin says. “I never know with those two.”

The entire drive downtown, he deflects and talks about anything other than Matthew. He’s not even sure why he doesn’t want to have the conversation with Calvin. It happened a long time ago and both he and Matthew have moved past it.

Maybe it’s because he’s not proud of how he had shut down years ago, which was why he and Matthew fell apart.

He parks in front of the table rental store, and Calvin goes inside with him. It’s a small business, and the owner is an elderly woman who appears confused by Miles’s presence. The elderly woman says Hannah’s Inn isn’t on the schedule, and Miles almost faints, because what the fuck?

“Sorry,” a much younger woman says, walking over to them. She’s got a tablet in her hand. “Let me take over. How can I help you?”

“Hi,” Miles says. He vaguely recognizes her. In a small-town like this, everyone’s familiar. “I’m from Hannah’s Inn. We’re supposed to rent table sets from you for tomorrow. We’ve been trying to reach you to make sure everything’s good, but your phone’s out of service.”

She blanches and rummages through the counter near the door, taking a cellphone from it and peering at the screen. “Gram, did you turn this off?”

“Yes,” her grandma says. Miles makes a bewildered look at Calvin. “It was ringing and ringing, and I couldn’t hear myself think. ”

Exhaling deeply, the young woman pinches the spot between her eyebrows. She switches the phone on, puts it back on the table, and an array of beeps comes. Notifications which were waiting to be received. She turns back to Miles and says, “We’ve got you for tomorrow. First thing in the morning, and we’ll be there.”

After thanking her, they step out of the store, and Miles gives a huge sigh of relief.

“What else do you need to do?” Calvin asks.

“That’s all I needed to check for Gabby.”

He glances around the empty street. There are rows of shop-houses and small cafes, all of which are deserted right now. “Want to check out the shops? You could get something for Chase and Gil. Or your family.”

Was there anybody else in his life who’s as important? He wants to know everything there is to know about Calvin.

Calvin shrugs. “Sure.”

“We could go to the gym, too.” It’s nearby, isn’t it? Calvin, all sweaty and panting, is a view he wouldn’t turn down.

“I’m not working out in jeans. Do you even know where it is?”

“Sure,” he lies. Miles isn’t actually all that interested in going to the gym. He’s not as dedicated as Calvin is, with his toned arms and narrow hips, and those strong legs, and—

“Miles?” Calvin asks. He’s already a few feet away, holding the door to a souvenir shop. “You okay?”

“Yes!” Miles chases after him.

Calvin ends up buying too many cat keychains that he insists are for his sisters. He blushes when he notices Miles staring and shoves the keychains in his pocket.

“Do you have a pet cat?” Miles asks.

“No. We had one when we were young that always followed me around, and ever since, my dad’s been convinced I’m obsessed with them. He keeps buying me everything to do with cats. Just got into the habit, too, I guess.”

“It’s cute,” he says, before his brain can catch up with his mouth.

“It’s not—” Calvin turns away. “Shut up.”

The next store they head to is a small thrift store selling clothes. They both browse around without the intention of actually getting anything, and the young lady behind the counter recognizes Calvin. She snaps a photo of him when he’s not looking, but Miles notices.

The two of them stare at each other for a moment, and she sheepishly puts away her phone. Miles doesn’t blame her, though. He would’ve done the exact same thing—still does. When he thinks Calvin won’t notice it, he takes pictures of him. Miles even has a picture of him half-asleep in the inn’s lounge.

The next store they step into is a music store. It’s small and crowded and has rows of guitars, keyboards, and other equipment. Miles wonders if this is the type of place Calvin likes hanging out in, but he has the same uninterested expression he did with the thrift store. Still, he strolls around, glancing at everything.

“Hey!” A young boy who barely reaches their elbows walks right up to Calvin, squeezing between the narrow aisles. He almost knocks a guitar over. “I know you!”

Calvin’s hand freezes over an electric guitar he was checking out. He turns to the boy, recomposes himself, and his shoulders slacken. “ Hello. How are you?”

He smiles, and it’s so much softer and so much less-guarded than it usually is. It’s different from how he is when he’s suddenly ambushed by multiple people, asking for his photo.

Calvin clearly likes kids, and it does a stupid funny thing to Miles’s heart. He watches from the other end of the aisle. The boy is talking too fast, waving his arms excitedly, and he holds his fist out. Calvin knocks it with his own fist, and Miles can’t take it. His chest is going to burst, so he turns away and makes his way to a shelf of guitar picks. Maybe there’s one with a cat design.

He finds a wooden pick engraved with the silhouette of a cat, and that works.

Miles takes it to the cashier where there’s a man leaning his arms against the counter and carefully watching Calvin and the boy.

“Your kid?” Miles asks.

“Nephew.” He slides the guitar pick across the counter, back to Miles. “On the house.”

“Thanks?” It doesn’t cost much, but he’s still caught off-guard.

“Haven’t seen him this excited about something since my brother passed.” He smiles in a way that Miles has smiled many times before, trying to put on a brave face because the world’s not going to stop for him. “Kid’s obsessed with your friend’s band. It’s cool that he’s giving him the time of day.”

Yeah, it’s really cool. Miles thanks him again, pockets the pick, and stands there, waiting for Calvin and the boy to finish their conversation. The boy’s slowly inching nearer and nearer to Calvin, pointing at his phone and beaming. The video he’s showing ends and Calvin notices Miles waiting.

He nods at Miles, and Miles wishes he could tell him that it’s fine. Don’t stop for him. Take all the time he needs. The kid needs this.

As if reading his mind, Calvin turns his attention back to the kid.

The guy behind the counter asks, “Your friend’s good with kids.”

“He is.”

“Is he going to be in town for a while?”

“No,” Miles says, before he realizes he shouldn’t actually be giving out that information. The guy seems harmless, though.

“Oh. I was thinking you should tell him that the local school’s looking for guitar teachers for some camps. Doesn’t pay much, but he might want to.”

Calvin? Teaching at a music camp here in Ridgeford? Miles can’t say he hates the idea.

But, no.

Calvin’s heading back to the city this weekend, and who knows what happens after that? Him teaching at camp, here of all places, doesn’t seem all that plausible. Especially considering he’s a popular guitarist from a well-known band.

If there was a reason for Calvin to head back to town and stay longer, though—

Miles shakes his head. There’s no reason for him to get his hopes up.