Page 15 of Calculated Risk
"Come on," I say before I can do something stupid like kiss her. "Let's get back to work. That sculpture won't finish itself."
"So pragmatic."
"Someone has to be."
Chapter 6
Lilah
By Friday,we've completed six of the twelve pieces I need.
It's not enough. It's also more than I thought possible.
"You're a miracle worker," I tell Marcus around midnight as we clean up the studio.
"I'm a planner. There's a difference."
"No, you're more than that. You've been here every night this week. Helping me rebuild. Keeping me sane. That's beyond planning."
"I told you I was committed."
"You did. I just didn't believe you'd actually follow through." I wipe paint off my hands. "Most people say they'll help and then disappear when it gets too hard."
"I'm not most people."
"No. You're definitely not." I study him in the fluorescent light. He's rumpled, unusual for Marcus. His shirt has paint stains. His normally perfect hair is messy from running his hands through it. He looks human instead of polished.
I like it. Like him.
Which is dangerous because we're partners. Working together and adding feelings to the mix would complicate everything.
Except I already have feelings. Have had them since freshman year when he looked at my painting and said it made him feel things he didn't have words for.
"Stop," Marcus says.
"Stop what?"
"Looking at me like that."
"Like what?"
"Like you're thinking about kissing me."
My heart stops. "How did you?—"
"Because I'm thinking about kissing you. Have been all week. And if we don't talk about it, I'm going to do something impulsive and ruin our partnership."
"What if I want you to do something impulsive?"
"Lilah—"
"I'm serious. We've been dancing around this for three years, Marcus. Avoiding each other, then avoiding talking about why we were avoiding each other. When does it end?"
"When your show is done. When the crisis is over. When we're not working together under deadline pressure?—"
"When it's convenient? When it's logical?" I move closer. "That's very you. Very safe. Very planned."
"Safe is smart."
