“Ahhh ... that makes sense.”
“Why is that?”
“Because I’m the king of finding a diamond in the rough.”
She roared a full-bodied laugh, and it was my favorite fucking sound.
“That was smooth, Moneybags.”
“I haven’t told you what I do for a living. How do you know I’m not jobless?”
“I wouldn’t care,” she said, her hand moving over mine as it landed on her thigh.
“No? You’re not after my money, Dominique?”
“Nope. It’s your body I’m after.” She chuckled.
“Check, please,” I said as I held my hand up, and she and I both laughed.
And we were out the door within a matter of seconds.
Chapter NineteenMontana
We were sitting on the floor in the living room at his rental home, and I was thrilled that he’d agreed to spend the evening making his first vision board. I’d insisted he try it, and I’d brought over two large canvases, a big bottle of Mod Podge, and a stack of magazines.
Country music crooned through the surround sound, and we had the fire going, with the temperatures continuing to drop outside. I’d made my favorite fondue to eat while we worked on our boards, and even though he’d complained relentlessly about doing this, I could tell he was enjoying himself. I popped a piece of sourdough bread smothered in cheese in my mouth as I glanced over at his board. He’d just cut out a giant lion, and he was gluing it in the center.
“Admit it. You like this,” I said as I used my glue-covered paintbrush to attach a photo of a porch swing to my board. I didn’t have a large enough front porch for a swing yet, but I knew that was something I wanted someday.
“It’s fine. I don’t think I’ll be making a vision board back in Manhattan, but I understand the concept. I think I’ve always had a vision board in my head.”
“It doesn’t matter where it is, whether it hangs on your wall or is permanently imprinted in your brain. It’s all about going after whatyou want, and not focusing on what can go wrong. That’s why I started doing these, because I had a lot of fear for a long time.”
He set his brush down and reached for a piece of broccoli and dipped it in the cheese, groaning when he popped it in his mouth. “What kind of fears?”
“Well, I used to worry about everything. Something happening to my dad, and me being left alone. Then I worried about my grades in college, and about paying for tuition, about my father being alone back in Blushing, about marrying the wrong man. You name it. I worried about it.”
“Damn. That’s a lot to carry.”
I chuckled. “You aren’t a big worrier, are you?”
“No. But I did almost derail myself by choosing a profession that I didn’t love. So I understand the need to stay focused on what you want. You don’t have to be a worrier to derail yourself.”
I nodded. “I’m impressed that you stood up to your father. I’m sure it wasn’t easy.”
“I don’t really give a shit anymore what he thinks of me; I just know that I don’t want to be like him. He’s an empty shell of a man, really. He just needs his ego stroked, but he doesn’t have much in life that truly makes him happy.”
“What makes you happy, Myles?”
“Creating things. Building things.”
“Well, that’s what makes you happy professionally. But what makes you happy personally?” I asked as I cut out a photo of a gorgeous wedding dress.
He was quiet for a beat, and I looked up at him to make sure he’d heard me. I realized he was processing. That’s one of the things I loved about Myles. He wasn’t a bullshitter. He was a straight shooter, and he answered questions with thought and honesty.
Not everyone was that way.
I respected it.
