Page 29 of Who’s Playing You (In The Nick of Time #1)

NICK SOBA

I got way too excited. Way too comfortable. I almost blew this whole situation up.

I needed to calm myself down before I spilled everything to her and scared her away. Like, really scared her away and came off like some sort of obsessive psychopath.

I mean, I was obsessive. Obsessive over her. But in due time she’d learn more about that. Now wasn’t that time though. It was too soon. She’d run for the fucking hills.

“Nicholas, as flattering as that may be…” she got my attention back after my self-reprimand session. “You do realize I’m not some sort of interior designer or decorator, right?”

“Of course I know that Scottie. You’re an incredible artist,” I stated simply, which almost caught her off guard.

“Oh, well… thank you. I just… I’m sorry, I guess I’m just a bit confused,” she shared.

It was time for me to try to diffuse this situation so we could move on.

We would revisit the furniture and decor at a later date, this little exercise just proved that she wasn’t quite where I was.

“Sorry, Scottie. It was just a slip of the tongue - I guess I was just thinking, hoping, that you might have some suggestions considering your artistic eye for the house and the vibe, that’s all. ”

“Oh. Well, I’m flattered you think so highly of me in that regard, and not just for painting,” she said in a quieter voice.

“I consider you in the absolute highest regard. If that wasn’t already clear, I want to make it crystal right now. As for the decor, it was stupid… Let’s not worry about it for now, alright?”

“Oh, okay, sure. But you also said that you… er… that you like me?”

I chuckled, “Is that a question, because I believe mine was a statement.” I looked at her and I could see the wheels turning in her head.

She was fragile after everything that dickwad had done to her and I was putting a lot of pressure on her, dropping truth bombs on her left and right, showering her with nothing but attention and praise.

My Scottie was a warrior. But she had always, sadly, been a soloist. Don’t get me wrong, in her element, she was the best kind because she shone so bright.

Her artwork didn’t need any counterpart, it only needed an audience.

But when it came to life, like the actual living of life, Scottie had gotten the shit end of the stick.

Like having my sister as her best friend.

I love my sister and she can be a good person and certainly has her moments, but the truth was that no one was good enough for Scottie.

Except me.

“Yes, I like you. Listen, I just wanted you to know. You can do with it what you like, I just hope it doesn’t change us spending time together.

Getting to know one another. There’s absolutely no pressure or expectations,” I tried to assuage her, however, every word tasted like acid because there was no option but for her to reciprocate.

“Okay? I don’t want you to feel awkward. I just…” I shook my head and chuckled at myself. “You’ve opened my eyes, Scottie. You’ve made me see the world like I’ve never seen it before, never could have imagined it. I feel like you’re bringing me to transcendence’s door.”

She kind of chuckled, “Transcendence’s door?”

I stepped closer to her once more and brushed my favorite lock of her hair away from her beautiful face again.

This time I tucked it behind her ear. “Yeah, you have transcended my very existence, Scottie. It feels like I wasn’t seeing, hearing, tasting, breathing before you.

Seeing life through your eyes and through your experiences is… transcendence.”

“Wow…” she choked out on a gulp of air that disguised her faint sob. “That’s the biggest compliment anyone’s ever given me,” she said sincerely and I gave her a toothy smile, which she returned with a smile of her own. “Could you like, write that in a Google review for me?” she laughed.

“She’s got jokes too! Come on you, let me show you the studio.”

“Studio?” she questioned.

“Oh-yah,” I drawled as I intertwined our fingers yet again and pulled her after me toward the mudroom where we’d exit into the barnyard. “There’s a whole studio out there, just begging to be used.”

“Wow, lucky you,” she whispered on an exhale meant only for herself. But the truth was, she was absolutely right. Lucky me, indeed. Lucky to have her, to get to watch her do what she did best, to witness her creative genius.

Lucky me.

“Are you for real right now, Nicholas? Oh my gosh! What even… this is the most amazing studio I’ve ever seen!” she exclaimed as she spun around her new studio space.

I slid the barn door closed behind us as she walked further into the space, devouring every detail of the interior and all of the pieces that now made up her studio.

“This is like an artist’s wet dream,” she said but quickly spun around, covering her mouth. “I mean… dream. This studio is a dream.”

I chuckled as I brushed the bristles of some little detail brush against my palm. “I’m sure this space might get us a standing ovation or two,” I replied while her cheeks pinked slightly. “Oh come on, that’s funny!” I teased her. “I can put that in the Google review too if you want.”

She snorted out a laugh in response to that and I just grinned like some dopey love-struck fool. “So, will this do?” I asked her in regards to our session, which was the reason (that she thought) she was here. I had just used it as a means to an end though.

Obviously.

“Will this do? Are you insane? Of course this will do. Let me just run out to my car to get my sketchbook and supplies though,” she began walking toward the door but I quickly stopped her.

“That won’t be necessary. This is an all-inclusive studio space. I got you covered, honey, all you need is right here,” I said as I gestured around the space to her.

Her eyes scanned her surroundings where she found a stack of sketchpads, of all sizes with different types of papers too, containers of charcoal and charcoal pencils, on the far wall by the easels were canvases ready and primed that leaned up against shelving that had every form of paint and paintbrush known to man.

“Are you sure?”

“One million percent,” I told her with finality. “So, get what you need and then order me around. Tell me where you want me.”

She looked bashful all of a sudden.

In a quieter voice she replied, “Alright, just give me a moment.”

Within five minutes she had herself set up. “This barn really has the most incredible lightning,” she said more to herself.

“That’s exactly why I picked this space for you,” I replied but not loud enough for her to hear.

“Sorry? You said something?”

“Oh, no. Nothing. Just that you’re right, terrific lightning. So where do you want me?” I asked her as I tore off my shirt and threw it over the chair that sat idly in the corner.

She looked from my torso over to the discarded T-shirt, then back again. I was starting to unbutton my pants and was pulling the zipper down when she halted me, “You can keep your pants on… we don’t need…”

I just gave her one of The Diva’s famous smiles, but for the first time, I meant it.

“Nah, honey, you wanted the full monty, and that’s exactly what you’re going to get,” I teased her as I let my jeans drop to the ground.

She tried to be a perfect lady and not stare, but her eyes deceived her, time and again because they kept dropping down to my semi-erect dick, which was beyond excited to finally be in her vicinity and under her watchful eyes.

I’d spent years controlling my urges though, especially when it came to her. So the fact that he was only semi-erect was a miracle and was testament to my willpower. But I’d had plenty of experience when it came to self-control as it pertained to Scottie Anderson.

“You’re… pierced,” she stuttered.

“Sure am,” I replied. “Just a couple of rungs on my ladder,” I replied as I gave him a gentle squeeze and then a tug. “Is that a problem?”

“Oh, no no, just… an observation,” she said embarrassingly. “I’ve just…”

“Never seen one?” I finished for her.

“That’s embarrassing and awfully intimate, but yes.”

“Nothing to be embarrassed about,” I told her simply.

“I’m not embarrassed so I hope you’re not either.

This is how God, or evolution or whatever you believe in, created us and I just enhanced mine slightly.

I’m proud of who I am, and that includes my body, and I have no qualms sharing it with - you.

As for the state of him ,” I said and gestured to my second in command, “sorry about his semi-salute. He’s in a perpetual state like that. Not much I can do about it.”

But the longer I stood there and watched her take in every naked inch of me, the more blood rushed to him. It was a testament to my will power, yet again, over the fact that I was able to keep him from truly pulling a full monty.

“Yeah, no, that’s…” she closed her eyes and took a fortifying breath to collect herself. “No need to apologize. Believe me,” she said as she took one more perusal of my body. “You’re going to give me plenty to work with.”

I laughed at that while I struck a pose for her. “Paint me like one of your French girls, Scottie,” I laughed.

Scottie couldn’t help but let out the most natural laugh I’d ever heard. “Oh my God, you did not just quote Titanic to me!”

“I could even do the same pose as Rose did, if you want,” I just grinned at her.

“That won’t be quite necessary, but I do want you to get comfortable because you’ll need to hold the pose for a little while,” she said while she walked around the big open space in the middle of the studio and examined how the light hit her body.

“I could use this stool and strike a Thinker pose for you if you’d rather, look,” I said as I placed my closed fist to my forehead and struck the pose of the Thinker .