Total pages in book: 30
Estimated words: 28041 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 140(@200wpm)___ 112(@250wpm)___ 93(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 28041 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 140(@200wpm)___ 112(@250wpm)___ 93(@300wpm)
I can’t stop myself from blushing at the memory of Rex. I answer her with a shyness I shouldn’t have, but Rex brings it out of me. “Yes, he’s taking care of me in every way I can possibly think of.”
“Good for you, girl,” she replies with a smile. “I fell in love with Angel the same way. Don’t tell him I said this, but I was floundering about until he came into my life. If it weren’t for him, I don’t think we would have gotten this shop off the ground. Business isn’t my strong suit.”
“You two make an amazing team. I think me and Rex will be the same way.”
She smiles. “I can say that’s something you can look forward to. If you can see the way he looks at you when you’re not looking, that man has it bad for you. Hold onto him tight. Real men aren’t as common as one would think.”
I know she’s right because my father is a prime example of a man with so much promise to be great. But he gets in his own way, which leaves me in the line of fire too many times to count.
“Avery?”
“Yeah?” She stops drawing again to look at me.
“How soon is too soon to know?”
“To know what, hun?”
“To know if you’re in love or something like that?”
She giggles, crossing her princess-tattooed arms over her sketchbook. “Or something like that? Love is love, honey. There’s something about the way a man behaves around you that will tell you if he loves you or not. Even when he knows you’re fully capable of taking care of things yourself, he goes above and beyond to take care of certain things for you. It’s not always the case, but when it matters, that man will come through for you.”
“And if he doesn’t? Like, take Owen for example. The last few times I’ve locked myself out of my apartment and didn’t feel like dealing with my building manager, I’d call him because he has a spare key. He’d promised to show up but never did. Rex always shows up for me. No matter what.”
“There’s a stark difference between a man who loves you and a parent who loves you. Parents come with baggage from their own childhood. They either repeat their bullshit with you or try to do things differently. Either way, all that happens is their kids still need therapy as an adult.” She chuckles to herself.
It makes me think she’s talking more about her own experiences. However, she presses on. “A man who cares about you, who loves you, he’s going to show up for you even after he already has you, even after there’s no other benefit to him than knowing he’s made your life a little bit easier.”
“Angel shows up for you every time, doesn’t he?” I ask her with an appreciation for her insights.
“Don’t get me wrong, we’ve gotten to know each other over the years. We were friends for a bit before he became my boyfriend and then husband. So there are days where he wants to show up for me and he can’t. That’s just life. Some days you give 100 but only get 20 in return. You can’t expect anyone to give you all of them every day. Now, like I said before, when it matters, Angel is there for me. He won’t let anyone breathe wrong around me or our family. If you know that man will put his life on the line for you, for his principles, that’s a man in my opinion worth growing to love.”
“So love at first sight isn’t a thing?” Curiosity surges through me. Avery has to be in her late 30s or so, possibly older. I know she and Angel are celebrating their 10th wedding anniversary in a few months. Her insights into love have me wondering about my future with Rex.
“It’s not a thing for me, but I don’t know everything so I won’t say it’s not a thing. When it comes to matters of the heart, Raina, sometimes you have to be smart, and other times you have to feel your way through it. When you figure out which times call for which, write a book and let the rest of us know,” she says with a wink before returning to her sketchbook.
The bell over the door rings, forcing us both to look at who’s coming inside the shop. My heart races, uncertain if it’s Rex, Angel, Owen, or whoever’s looking for him. That’s why I like working here. It gives me moments to block out whatever is happening in the world outside of those doors.
Fortunately, it’s Angel. He walks behind the partition that separates the studio from the waiting areas and sits a cup of coffee with a to-go bag of food beside Avery. He leans down to kiss her before turning to me. “Morning, Raina.”