Maybe I’d be able to figure out what’s missing from the damn drawing too.
Chapter thirteen
Mason
Twodaysaftertheydid the design collage, they got the go-ahead on the floors. That was also two days of Mason trying not to ogle David, since they were still meeting up every evening after David got off work. David kept trying to draw him, and he showed Mason the other sketches he’d done. Mason wasn’t sure when he’d gotten a chance to draw Bunny, but it was a great picture of her. Her hair was tied back into two puffs and she was laughing at something.
Mason couldn’t help but be impressed. David was not just skilled, but he wasfast. To capture that passing moment — Bunny laughing and bright like that — was a feat and a half.
Yet he claimed, even though they kept spending all this time together, he still wasn’t able to get Masonright, whatever that meant.
He was also officially off work, and wouldn’t be going back until two days after they finished up the reno, which meant David would be spending even more time trying to “capture” Mason in his sketchbook.
Mason was doing his absolute best not to get annoyed about it, but he was running out of projects where he could realistically get a breather. David had gone with Jake to look at flooring options, eventually settling on some luxury vinyl plank that looked almost the same as the stuff that had been installed improperly. Then David was back. He got his hands dirty, helping to mask and prime the walls. Then he was back to drawing Mason. A strong suggestion that he and Evander should take their time checking on furniture, bathroom fixtures, counter tops, and everything else bought Mason a touch of breathing room.
And then once again, he was the subject of an art project.
It wasn’t even that David was a disruption or negative or anything like that. He was basically silent, outside of some muttered comments to himself now and then, and he was well out of the way. When someone else needed his help or input, he stopped and handled the problem without any delay and with a better attitude than a lot of other clients. He was practically excited to get to do something, and seemingly the most excited if he had no idea what he was doing. “Let’s learn about it, I guess.”
The annoyance wasn’t coming from David. Not directly, anyway. Mason was annoyed at himself. Angry at himself. Sad because of himself.
The fact that David could capture everyone else in no time at all, but couldn’t get Mason in two-dozen drawings wasn’t a surprise. Everyone else on the crew simply looked better than him, more photogenic…or whatever the drawn equivalent of that was.
In Mason’s brain, it wasn’t even that complicated.I’m ugly and that’s why his drawings aren’t working. That was the real crux of his growing annoyance. Every time he caught wind that David wasn’t happy with the latest iteration of Mason in his sketch book, that voice got louder, reminding him that there was good reason the drawings weren’t working. And as it got louder, it was harder and harder to focus on anything else.
Finally, Mason had to make his own space. He got up and headed out, into the elevator, and took it down to the lobby. He didn’t need to use the bathroom, but he went in anyway. Everyone had their own bathrooms in their own condos, so it was single occupancy only, and thankfully free. He splashed some water on his face, then simply looked in the mirror. He stretched his neck to try and smooth away his double chin, but that made him look like a total freak. He could try wearing his hair differently, but he doubted that was going to do much good. “Maybe I should just wear a sleeping bag from now on. No definition at all.”
Mason slapped his cheeks hard a couple times, trying to knock himself into a more reasonable line of thinking. He shouldn’t be freaking out about all this, and definitely not to the point that it was getting in the way of his work. He knew his body. He knew what he was signing up for when David asked to draw him.
He backed up and sucked in his tummy, then let it go. He was being absolutely ridiculous. It wasn’t his business if David got to try and finish this project or not. He…he would just have to have a conversation with David about it. The drawing would have to slow down, get less obvious, or stop. Mason couldn’t make it ten more days like this while they raced to fix up the condo.
Once he’d come to that conclusion, even as it twisted and tightened his gut, Mason raked his wet fingers back through his hair to knock back some of the frizz a little, then headed back upstairs, figuring out how to broach the subject.It’s justbecoming a distraction. Maybe ask him is he’s gotten enough to work with. Firm but not mean. Have to make the point clear. Definitely try to avoid the cameras. I can use the rooftop area as an excuse.There wasn’t much for Ozzy to do in the condo, outside of houseplants and a small balcony, so the show had made a deal with the condo board that he could redo their rooftop deck. It wasn’t the main focus, though, so it was the most private place they could find without Mason taking David fully away from the production.
The elevator opened up and Mason walked in to see David down on his knees, installing planks in the floor under the guidance of Bunny. He’d worn a T-shirt that was barely long enough to not be called a crop-top, so with him all bent over, it had ridden up…and apparently David had opted for no underwear because, when he shuffled forward, half his butt popped out. Pale and pert and…
Mason moved between David and the camera. “Hey, maybe we blur any of that out?” He bent lower. “Your pants kind of slipped, there.”
“Oh, shit.” David rose to his feet, and Mason didn’t miss the tiny peek of hair in front before he got his waist band back in place just below his belly button. “Thanks.”
“No problem.” Maybe David could hang out around him longer. Maybe he could wear fewer clothes and then Mason wouldn’t feel so self-conscious. That made sense, right? If picturing the audience in their underwear was supposed to help with nerves and embarrassment, then being drawn by a naked guy would do the same…
Mason dug the nail of his middle finger into his palm to stop that train of thought. He knew what he needed to do, and there was no magic solution where he avoided confrontation and got to see David naked. “I was hoping I could borrow you?” He looked from David to Bunny. “Assuming he’s not an integral partof the process now.” Honestly, if he was going to be occupied, maybe that would be enough of a breather for Mason to reset.
“I think we’ve got it.” Bunny shooed them with both hands and got down on the floor herself.
Which meant there reallywasno avoiding this conversation.
Chapter fourteen
David
Theentiretripupthe stairs, David could feel tension radiating from Mason. He couldn’t say why, but he was aware enough to pick up on it. The set of his shoulders, the sharp sound of his feet on each riser, the short, higher pitched voice he was using.
They made it out into the cloud-filtered sunlight of the deck, which was mostly quiet. A slight breeze blew through, and it didn’t appear to be under active construction. There’d been a little grumbling from the other condo owners when they were told they’d have to stay off it for two weeks, at least according to what David had overheard from the crew, but no stink big enough for him to get angry visitors to his door. In fact, the only people who had paid him a visit at all since this renovation started were the Camachos, who brought him a gift basket as…a thank you for not falling into their living room and breakingboth his legs? David wasn’t sure, but the snacks and wine had made for great provisions at the hotel.
“So what’s this actually about?” David figured there was no point beating around the bush. “I’m going to go out on a limb and say that you don’t actually suddenly need my input about this.”
“Well, no one ever said I was a good liar.” Mason leaned against the railing and tilted his head back, pressing his Adam’s apple more prominently against his throat and revealing a tiny peek of soft, pale chest hair. “I just don’t think…this is hard to bring up, I guess.”
