Free Picture Me Naked (Stoddard Art School Series) by Lisa A. Olech

the drawing so the charcoal wouldn’t smudge. Later she’d have it mounted on an acid-free backing to keep the inexpensive paper from yellowing.
    She clipped the sheet to her drawing board and took it out onto the roof to spray it with a fixative. It was another beautiful morning and the spray would dry in no time. Coming back through the kitchen, Zee warmed her tepid tea in the microwave and pushed back through the swinging door to the living room.
    Isabella sat looking over the stack of drawings.
    “Don’t even think about it.”
    Bella blinked in response. The cat loved paper and would like nothing better than to march across Jagger’s sketches and curl up in the middle of them to take her nap. Zee scooped her up and sat with her purring in her lap. “You stay away from him. He’s mine,” she teased as she nuzzled the cat’s head.
    A pounding on the door startled them both. Tea sloshed as Isabella bolted for cover.
    “Damn. Who can that be?”
    Zee used the peephole in the door. Ed.
    “Zee, I know you’re home.” Isabella hissed behind her. “Come on, open up.”
    If she didn’t talk to him, he would just continue hammering on her door. She kept the security chain on and opened it a crack.
    “What are you doing here?”
    “I need to talk to you.”
    “I didn’t buzz you in. How did you get up here?”
    “The wacko in 1A let me in.”
    Mrs. Oglethorpe thought of herself as their unofficial doorman, but she had a bad habit of letting anyone in the building. First chance she got, Zee was going to have a little talk with her.
    “I told you, I don’t want to talk to you.”
    “Zee, be reasonable. Ten minutes, tops. I just climbed five friggin’ flights.”
    “Fine, say what you have to say.”
    “Don’t I deserve to have this conversation on the other side of the chain?”
    “I’m still in my bathrobe.”
    “It’s not like I haven’t seen you naked before. Fine, I’ll wait. Go throw something on. Make it quick, will ya? I haven’t got all day.”
    “If you called first, I could have saved you the five flights.”
    “I’m waiting.”
    “Fine.” Zee closed the door. The sooner this conversation happened the sooner she could be done with it, and him. She put on the first pants and sweatshirt she found. On her way back to the door, she swung through the kitchen and grabbed her timer. She set it for ten minutes, and then opened the door.
    Zee held up the white plastic square that ticked loudly in her hand. “You have ten minutes.”
    “Give me a break, will ya?”
    “Nine minutes, fifty-eight seconds.”
    “I’m trying to be nice here. Don’t piss me off.”
    “What did you need to say?” Zee crossed her arms. She shivered as if she stood in a draft.
    Ed ran his hand through his hair. “This isn’t the way I wanted this to go.”
    “Wanted what to go?”
    “I want you back. There, I said it. Okay? There it is.” Ed put his hands on his hips. “You’ve had enough time to chill out and come to your senses. I’ve been damn patient, too. That’s gotta count for something. Your mother agrees with me. I should still be pissed about that whole job thing, but, hey, we should just let bygones be bygones. I forgive you.”
    Zee stood with her arms still crossed over her chest. The timer’s tick was the only sound in the room. “You forgive me?”
    “That’s right.”
    “ You forgive me? ”
    “Yes. Damn big of me, too.”
    Zee rubbed a hand over her eyes. “Should I thank you?”
    He gave a smug nod. “That’s a start.”
    Zee shook her head. “You’ve been the model of patience. A true testament to your strength of character. And here’s the funny thing. I’m not even angry at you anymore.”
    “Good.”
    “Yes.” Zee nodded. “It is good. If I was angry, it would mean I still have feelings for you. But I don’t. I’m not sure I did to begin with. You don’t want to be with someone who doesn’t care, Ed.”
    “I still want to be with you, Zee”
    “No, you don’t.