Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Lily

Imet Reed Baxter the first day of middle school in art class. Even at thirteen he knew exactly who he was. The boy already had style back then. He didn’t care that he looked different. He wanted to look different, aspired to be truly who he was. I admired him instantly.

At sixteen, when my first boyfriend broke up with me to go out with Candy Lattington because I wouldn’t let him get to third base, I cried on Reed’s shoulder. He held me and told me Candy was a slut. At nineteen when I drank too much liquor and could barely walk, Reed came and got me at the bar. He held my hair back while I threw up and then brought me home with him and tucked me into his bed. At twenty-four when my father died at only fifty-eight years old after a massive heart attack, he held my hand as we made funeral arrangements and spooned me for two days, holding me until the last sob racked through me. Reed Baxter is the best friend I’ve ever had.

“Love the blue dress. It brings out the color of your eyes.” He’s so good for my self esteem.

“Thank you.” I reach up and kiss his cheek. “Caden bought it for me.” I smirk, knowing what his response will be.

Reed crinkles his nose. “Maybe the dress isn’t that nice after all,” he teases. These days, I’m starting to wonder if I should’ve listened to Reed’s opinion on Caden a year ago.

Reed surveys the gym, it’s filled with its usual assortment of muscular men in various shapes and sizes. “Tell me again why I don’t come pick you up from work every day?” He sighs, looking around like a hungry lumberjack at a smorgasbord.

“Because you hate fighting.” I smile, pointing out the bigger obstacle, “And Caden.”

“Speak of the devil,” Reed mumbles. I turn to see Caden approaching.

“Reed.” He nods his head curtly in the general direction of Reed. The two men have a severe dislike for each other. But Caden has always known Reed is a deal breaker, so he keeps his distance and minds his manners. Well, sort of.

“Caden.” Reed mimics the head nod and curt gesture, but Caden doesn’t even notice he’s being mocked.

“Call me when you get in tonight,” Caden orders dryly.

“It’s probably going to be late.”

“Doesn’t matter.” Caden nods to Reed again and attempts to kiss me on the lips before walking out the door. I turn just in time and he gets the corner of my mouth. Luckily Caden misses the salute that Reed offers to his back.

“Didn’t you dump him? Why is he kissing you still?” Reed questions with sincerity.

Pensively, I bite my bottom lip, “He’s not exactly accepting of our break up.”

“What does that mean? He doesn’t get a choice to accept it or not. You dump him. He’s dumped. It’s pretty simple actually.”

“It’s a long story.”

“We have all night. I can’t wait to hear this one.”

Before he begins the lecture I’m positive is about to come, I grab my purse and take off toward the back of the gym, “Going to run to the ladies room to freshen up. You can stand around and take in the sites.”

A few minutes later, I round the corner from the ladies room and find Reed leaning casually against the front counter, ankles crossed, elbows supporting his weight. A crooked smile and sparkly eyes, I’d know that look anywhere. He’s crushing on someone. I just hope it isn’t one of the muscle head gym rats who’ll get physical when he realizes another guy’s hitting on him.

Another couple of steps and the object of Reed’s attention comes into my line of vision. I can’t help but smile, sometimes we really do have similar taste.

“Hey, Jax. I thought I saw you leave earlier,” I say, at first not noticing he’s no longer dressed in gym clothes. He’s wearing dark jeans, a navy shirt that accentuates the light color of his eyes and a darker navy lightweight pea coat. Simple. Understated. Urbane and absolute perfection. No wonder he seems to have caught Reed’s attention.

“I forgot something. I just stopped back to see if it was still here.”

“Oh. What did you forget? We have a lost and found.” I walk behind the reception counter, ready to grab the box we collect all the lost ear buds and lifting gloves in.

Jax looks to Reed, some unspoken man language transpires and Reed holds his hands up. “I play for the other team, dude.” Reed shrugs casually, Jax chuckles.

“I was going to see if I could take you up on that offer?”

Brows drawn. “Offer?”

“To draw me.”

Reed laughs. No, actually he snorts. “Don’t let her take advantage of you. She uses that artist crap to get men to take off their clothes all the time.”

Slapping Reed’s chest, I know he’s teasing, and I know Jax knows he’s teasing too, yet I can’t stop the blush that creeps up my face showing my embarrassment. “Don’t pay attention to Reed, he’s still mad because I wouldn’t let him ask out the model the night we were sketching male nudes.”

Jax smiles, he looks entertained by the banter between Reed and I, so different than the reaction we’d get from Caden. Caden was always jealous of my relationship with Reed, even though he knows nothing can ever happen.

“We’re heading to my gallery showing in SoHo. Why don’t you come along…I think you’ll appreciate some of the paintings of naked women.” Reed offers with a wink.

My eyes widen when I realize what he’s doing. Feeling panicky, I stumble over my own words. “Actually, it’s going to be packed as is. Reed over invited the guest list, as usual.”

The disappointment is evident on Jax’s face, but he’s gracious nonetheless. “That’s okay. Another night maybe?”

Shit. Now he thinks I’m trying to blow him off, back peddle away from Reed’s invitation because I don’t want him going.

“I’m sorry. That didn’t come out right. I’d love for you to join us. It’s just…” I trail off, biting my bottom lip anxiously as I look for the right words.

“She’s going to be buck ass naked,” Reed finishes the rest of my sentence. Not exactly how I was going to put it, but it does save me the trouble from having to say the words.

Although confused by Reed’s statement, Jax gets there’s more to the story and he seems intrigued. “You’re getting naked at a gallery?” A hint of a grin on his ridiculously handsome face doesn’t make it any easier for me to explain.

“I let Reed paint me,” quietly, I explain. “We painted each other.” Rethinking my choice of words, I clarify. “Not actually painting each other’s bodies, I mean painting on canvas,” I stumble nervously over my words. “It was our project for class. He’s included it as part of his show.”

Jax arches a perfect brow, “So the gallery is displaying a painting of you in the nude?”

“Yep, and her painting got a big fat A.” Reed answers before I can open my mouth to respond. “I think she’s planning on having me stand in front of it all night.”

“And I think you’re only having the gallery showing so you had an excuse to invite Frederick,” I counter.

“Frederick?” Jax inquires, trying to keep up.

“The male nude, the one I wouldn’t let him ask out in class while we sketched.”

Laughing, Jax shakes his head, “Sounds like you may have trouble getting him to stand in front of your painting if Frederick is walking around the gallery. But you two have fun. Another time, maybe?”

I nod and watch as Jax happily shakes Reed’s hand. Just before he reaches for the door, my mouth utters words before my brain can override the decision. “Why don’t you come with us?”

Turning back, he’s hesitant to accept my offer. Squinting to assess my sincerity, he asks, “You sure?”

I nod and respond teasingly, “You’re bigger than Reed, you can block more of the painting.”

He smiles and nods. “You got it.”