Power Drilled (Roommates, #8)(29)

“That’s what I do.” Or what I used to do.

He rested his arm on the back of the chair next to him. “Then why’d we meet at an art class?”

“What do you mean?” I tried not to think about what Jackson had looked like during that class—because that’s what Reid must look like, too.

“Well, you do all this work with your phone and your laptop. But drawing seems like a completely different thing.”

“It is.”

“Are you hoping to become a graphic designer or something?”

“No, I just like drawing. Or I used to when I was younger.”

He scoffed. “You’re still young. What are you, twenty-four?”

“I’m also twenty-six.” It dawned on me that I didn't know how old he and his brothers were, which was weird since I knew their birth order. “And you?”

“Thirty.”

Wow. That seemed pretty young to have their own business and rabid fans online.

“If you had to pick one or the other, making videos or drawing by hand, which would you choose?”

“Making videos,” I said instantly. “That’s what pays the bills.” The corner of my mouth twitched upward. “And gets me wedding dates.”

He returned my smile but didn’t seem to think much of my answer. “You seem like you’d be more at home wearing a smock and sitting in front of an easel, painting a masterpiece.”

I laughed. “I used to paint, too. Haven’t done that in a long time.”

“Why not?”

“It doesn’t pay the bills, either.”

“There’s more to life than that.”

I cocked my head to the side, staring at my fake boyfriend. Jackson and Hunter kept stressing that Reid was all about the bottom line, so it seemed out of character for him to dismiss finances like that. Before I could pursue that line of thought, Claire rushed over.

“Did you enjoy the meal?”

“It was excellent,” Reid said with a smile that made my cousin’s cheeks pink. “I loved the mushroom risotto.”

“Yeah, it was great,” I told her. “Did Zoe leave? I wanted to interview her.” Most of the wedding party had already cleared out.

“Now?” Reid asked, and I realized that he was eager to go back and work on the house.

“I can call a ride service if you need to go… honey.” That last part felt strange. I’d never really been into terms of endearment like that.

Reid gave me a slightly strange look, though he knew we had to maintain the act, too. “I’ll stay.”

“Thanks. It won’t take more than ten or fifteen minutes.”

Claire crouched down between us, grinning. “Oh, it’s going to take longer than that.”

“Why, is Zoe a talker?” Reid asked.

“No.” Claire was all but beaming. “It’s because I’ve booked you two a couple’s massage.”

“You what?” I stared at Claire like she’d grown a second head.

“The massage therapist had an opening, and I thought of you two.”

My brain whirled, but no coherent response came to mind. I barely knew Reid, he was technically my boss, at least for the next week, and she wanted us to strip down and get massaged together?

Reid took over since I couldn’t find my voice. “That’s very kind of you, but today’s not a good day. I need to get back to work.”

Claire giggled. “Why, did you two get a late start this morning? I’m not surprised the way you were all over each other last night.”

Uh-oh. I took a quick glance at Reid. His eyebrows were raised practically to his hairline.

Claire was oblivious. “Oh come on, it’s no big deal. You’re in a relationship, you’re supposed to be like that.” She turned to me. “When I saw you two come out of your room together, I nearly cheered. Tanya’s been saying that you two aren’t really dating and that you just wanted a hot guy to make Jeff jealous, but when I saw that scorching kiss, I knew it was the real deal.”

This time, Reid was as lost for words as I was. I certainly hadn’t wanted him to find out about the kiss I’d shared with Hunter like this.

I shook my head to snap myself out of my trance. “Thanks, Claire. Ordinarily, I’d love a massage, but I don’t want to take up too much of Reid’s time.”

My cousin turned to my fake boyfriend. “How often do you get offered a free massage?”

“Very rarely,” he said, but his eyes kept flitting to me, and I really wondered what he was thinking.

“Don’t think about it as getting something for free. Think of it as giving our girl a nice relaxing afternoon where she can close her eyes and let Naomi knead away all the tension. Penny deserves that, right? Especially after all she’s been through?”

“Claire, I—”

She put her hand on my knee and shook her head. “Let him do this for you. God knows you need a man who thinks of your needs instead of just his own.”

Reid chuckled, but it sounded forced. “Don’t let Tanya hear you say that.” I was proud of him for keeping up the act even though I was sure his mind was reeling just as much as mine was. Especially now that Claire had made it sound like I’d slept with Hunter last night.