Free Painted Memories by Loni Flowers Page A

looked around the room. “I think this is it. I'm going to do it. I’m going to make an offer.”
    “Really? There is still a couple more on your list. You sure you don't want to check them out first?”
    “No, I don't think so. The upstairs seems solid and it’s one big, open room. The possibilities are endless, the way I see it. With a little bit of elbow grease and painted walls, I think it will look great in here. It may take me a while, but I'll get there. What do you think?”
    “I think it’s perfect, a lot of cleaning though. If you'd like some help, I don't mind?” I asked.
    “Definitely. I'll call when we get back and see what kind of deal I can make with the owner. I can be pretty convincing when I want something,” he said, winking at me.
    Yeah, really convincing. Especially when he caught you off guard like I was when he kissed me; but I couldn't let him know that. I started making my way to the door, “We'll see about that. You ready to go?” I didn't look back, but for some reason, I could already see the smirk pulling at the corners of his lips. Something told me he wasn’t just referring to the negotiations for the studio either.

Chapte r 7
     
    The ride back was awkward, at least for me. Drew tried to carry on a conversation as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened, and I wasn't even sure I heard much of it. My mind kept replaying the moment he kissed me... twice. It may have been brief, but I couldn’t stop thinking about it. When we pulled up at the apartment complex, I jumped out the car and wasted no time hurrying up the front walkway. Drew quickly caught up and we walked together down a short hallway until we came to the stairway of the second floor. I didn't know how long, if ever, it would take for me to act normal around him again. Drew carried on without a problem, but considering I didn't even know he liked me, everything seemed weird now. 
    “Thanks for coming along. I expected a lot of running around and coming home empty-handed. It was a good day. A very good day.” He grinned.
    I didn't know if by “good” day he meant scoring a studio or scoring an unexpected kiss. And now, the awkward feeling was back. I stepped away from the staircase. “Yeah, thanks for inviting me, I had a good time. Playing piano again was definitely a pleasant surprise,” I said, thinking to myself, along with a few other things .
    “It was beautiful. I'd like to hear you play again sometime.”
    I thought about it. I wasn't sure I wanted to, although it felt like I hadn’t missed a day of practice and instantly made me feel better than I had in years. But I decided I shouldn’t make any commitments to play again, in case I couldn’t bring myself to do it. “Maybe,” I said. Drew gave me a half-hearted smile as if he understood. “Well, I better go. Let me know on Monday what happens with the studio offer, okay?”
    “I sure will. Enjoy the rest of your weekend.”
    In a way, I was glad to go home. I wanted to sit down, close my eyes, and think about everything that happened. The hardest part was figuring out what I really wanted. For far too long, I only did what I thought I needed to do. Maybe it was time for a change.
     
    It was nearly six-thirty as I waited for Tyler to pick me up on an unexpected second date. I assumed we wouldn't go out again until next weekend, since he did show interest in having a second date. I had a great time at the cove the day before; but was shocked when he called not long after I returned from studio-hunting with Drew. I sat on the couch and waited for Tyler, trying my best to block the drifting images of Drew and me. I wanting to give Tyler my full attention and the chance he deserved. Eyeing the clock, it was after six-thirty and I picked up my phone to check for any missed calls that might have come while I was getting dressed. If he got lost, he didn't call or leave a message. I remembered my keys that were lost earlier when Drew picked me up, and