away from her shoes.”
“No, what I meant was, George has a girlfriend? I thought you and him …?”
“Ha! That’s a good one. He’s a nice guy, but there was zero chemistry between us.” She turned and gestured for him to follow her. “Come here, you’re just the guy I need.”
He blinked, unsure if he had heard her right. “What?”
“I said come here. Please? Can you change a light bulb for me?”
“Oh, of course.” He hoped he didn’t sound as disappointed as he felt. “Show me the way.”
They entered a dim bathroom at the end of the hall, and Sam pointed him to a wooden step stool in the middle of the floor. Lucas stepped on, bumping his head against a swinging object in the process.
“What’s this?”
“Oops, I should’ve turned this on first.”
The bright light of a cell phone screen lit up the room, giving Lucas a better look at the light fixture. He found himself staring face to face with a plastic figure sitting in a basket that was attached to what appeared to be half of a hot air balloon disappearing into the ceiling. “This is, uh, interesting.”
“I thought you were going to say impractical, but I’ll take interesting,” Sam replied with humor in her voice.
“No, it’s cool. Very cool. I’m sure the kids love it.”
“They do. But it’s a hassle to change. What you need to do is twist the balloon off. Watch out, it’s glass so it’s heavier than it looks.”
“Got it.” Lucas carefully did as Sam instructed. While he screwed the new bulb into place, he tried to make small talk. “So, how’ve you been?”
“Good, great actually. Business is picking up and I’ve been painting a lot.”
“That’s great. I’m glad to hear you’re doing well.”
“Yep. How about yourself?”
“I’m fine, just keeping busy with work,” he answered, even though he wanted to tell her how much he missed her. “By the way, I got your check. That was a surprise. You didn’t have to do that.”
Sam shrugged. “I got a line of credit from my bank. I figured I’d pay you back sooner than later. I didn’t want you to feel tied down to this place. It was my problem to fix.”
He twisted the light fixture back into place and stepped down. “I really didn’t mind. I was happy to help.”
Sam flipped on the wall switch, and light flooded the bathroom. Her eyes met his briefly before she dropped her gaze. “I know. I appreciated it. I just thought it was for the best under the circumstances.”
He grimaced, knowing she was referring to their fight. “About the things I said last time we talked, I was out of line and—”
“What happened, happened. Don’t feel bad. I’m glad you spoke your mind and I did as well. We finally got everything out in the open. It made me realize we’re two very different people who are better off doing our own things. You have your life; I have mine. It’s best if we keep it that way. I think that’s one thing we can agree on, right?” She turned off the light and walked out.
Lucas stood in the darkness for a second, trying to swallow what Sam had said. So she wanted nothing to do with him. She hadn’t even given him a chance to apologize. Or to win her back. He caught up to her and reached for her hand. “Sammie, hold on.”
She turned abruptly, and the heel of her strappy sandal snagged her dress. She tumbled forward, straight into Lucas’s arms.
Her hair tickled his nose and the floral scent of her shampoo filled his senses. He tightened his grip, happy to have her in his arms. “You okay?”
Steadying herself against him, she burst out laughing. “It’s you! I wore these heels two other times this week and nothing happened. You show up and I almost sprained my ankle again! We have proof it’s not safe for us to be around each other.” She stepped back and asked, “Did you want something?”
The front door to the studio opened and Lucas heard people come in. Now wasn’t the right time to talk to Sam. “It can wait. You
“No, what I meant was, George has a girlfriend? I thought you and him …?”
“Ha! That’s a good one. He’s a nice guy, but there was zero chemistry between us.” She turned and gestured for him to follow her. “Come here, you’re just the guy I need.”
He blinked, unsure if he had heard her right. “What?”
“I said come here. Please? Can you change a light bulb for me?”
“Oh, of course.” He hoped he didn’t sound as disappointed as he felt. “Show me the way.”
They entered a dim bathroom at the end of the hall, and Sam pointed him to a wooden step stool in the middle of the floor. Lucas stepped on, bumping his head against a swinging object in the process.
“What’s this?”
“Oops, I should’ve turned this on first.”
The bright light of a cell phone screen lit up the room, giving Lucas a better look at the light fixture. He found himself staring face to face with a plastic figure sitting in a basket that was attached to what appeared to be half of a hot air balloon disappearing into the ceiling. “This is, uh, interesting.”
“I thought you were going to say impractical, but I’ll take interesting,” Sam replied with humor in her voice.
“No, it’s cool. Very cool. I’m sure the kids love it.”
“They do. But it’s a hassle to change. What you need to do is twist the balloon off. Watch out, it’s glass so it’s heavier than it looks.”
“Got it.” Lucas carefully did as Sam instructed. While he screwed the new bulb into place, he tried to make small talk. “So, how’ve you been?”
“Good, great actually. Business is picking up and I’ve been painting a lot.”
“That’s great. I’m glad to hear you’re doing well.”
“Yep. How about yourself?”
“I’m fine, just keeping busy with work,” he answered, even though he wanted to tell her how much he missed her. “By the way, I got your check. That was a surprise. You didn’t have to do that.”
Sam shrugged. “I got a line of credit from my bank. I figured I’d pay you back sooner than later. I didn’t want you to feel tied down to this place. It was my problem to fix.”
He twisted the light fixture back into place and stepped down. “I really didn’t mind. I was happy to help.”
Sam flipped on the wall switch, and light flooded the bathroom. Her eyes met his briefly before she dropped her gaze. “I know. I appreciated it. I just thought it was for the best under the circumstances.”
He grimaced, knowing she was referring to their fight. “About the things I said last time we talked, I was out of line and—”
“What happened, happened. Don’t feel bad. I’m glad you spoke your mind and I did as well. We finally got everything out in the open. It made me realize we’re two very different people who are better off doing our own things. You have your life; I have mine. It’s best if we keep it that way. I think that’s one thing we can agree on, right?” She turned off the light and walked out.
Lucas stood in the darkness for a second, trying to swallow what Sam had said. So she wanted nothing to do with him. She hadn’t even given him a chance to apologize. Or to win her back. He caught up to her and reached for her hand. “Sammie, hold on.”
She turned abruptly, and the heel of her strappy sandal snagged her dress. She tumbled forward, straight into Lucas’s arms.
Her hair tickled his nose and the floral scent of her shampoo filled his senses. He tightened his grip, happy to have her in his arms. “You okay?”
Steadying herself against him, she burst out laughing. “It’s you! I wore these heels two other times this week and nothing happened. You show up and I almost sprained my ankle again! We have proof it’s not safe for us to be around each other.” She stepped back and asked, “Did you want something?”
The front door to the studio opened and Lucas heard people come in. Now wasn’t the right time to talk to Sam. “It can wait. You
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