Soul Unique

by Gun Brooke

  “No. To drink from someone else’s mug.”

  “But I offered. That’s different.”

  Hayden tilted her head. “Next time,” she said. “I know coffee won’t taste good once I’ve had something citrusy first. The tastes clash.”

  “True.” I usually saved my orange juice for last for that very reason. “I’m going into the office in an hour or so. Are you going to stay home and paint, or—”

  “Yes.” Hayden frowned, her fingers fluttering at the edge of the blanket. “Unless you don’t want me here when you’re not home.”

  This made me jump. Had I somehow managed to give the idea I didn’t trust her? Or was this her parents’ doing? Moving my stool closer to hers, I took her hand gently in mine. “Listen. You can come and go here just as you please. I was just going to make sure I didn’t forget to give you the keys and show you the alarm system.”

  “Oh.” Hayden’s eyes glistened in the sunlight. “I’m good with numbers. And I promise not to cook.”

  “Then we agree. I have staff that shows up here at regular intervals, and I’ll show you that schedule.”

  “Okay.” Hayden bent forward and kissed my cheek.

  I drew a deep breath but forgot how to exhale. Her satin lips brushed so shyly against my skin, but it was the very first caress she’d initiated like this, and it made my decision from last night heartbreakingly impossible. I clearly had no self-control when it came to her. Cupping her cheek, I ran my thumb along her cheekbone. “What was that for?”

  “I wanted to.”

  Of course. Any answer Hayden was ready to give would hold the truth as she saw it. She kissed me because she wanted to. Scattered thoughts of the implications of this act buzzed at the outer perimeter of my mind. Not wanting her to think I didn’t appreciate her caress, I pressed my lips to her forehead. “I’m sorry. I have to get into the shower. I’ll use the intercom when I’m ready to leave.” I pointed to the small box just inside the door. “From that you can reach the kitchen and my study.”

  “Okay.” Hayden walked over to the intercom and read the small list next to the buttons. Nodding, she returned to the table and lifted the tray. “My turn.”

  Charmed at how eager she was to do her bit, I thanked her. “This will give me a few more minutes in the shower.”

  Somehow my words made Hayden lower her gaze, and her earlobes turned a faint shade of pink.

  I normally showered quickly in the morning and couldn’t wait to get to the office. Now I took more time and used a body scrub that helped me wake up from my dazed feeling. I could still feel Hayden’s innocent kiss, but I had to focus on so many other things. Storing Hayden’s paintings in a safe facility took precedence today. This reminded me I had to break the news to her that we had to go back to the school during office hours. I doubted Leyla would help us out by keeping the place open longer. We should probably be grateful if Hayden’s paintings were still there, unharmed.

  Hayden was waiting for me in the kitchen when I came downstairs. I had taken the time to write down the alarm codes and handed the paper to her, along with the house keys. Pointing at the sheet, I explained. “This set of numbers is the code for when you leave the house and nobody else is home. The second set is for when you, or both of us, are at home. The lock to the front door opens with either this key or a fingerprint, which I’ll help you install later.”

  “Okay.” Hayden looked at the numbers and I saw her lips move. She then tore the note in miniscule pieces. “Done.”

  “Impressive.” I smiled gently at her. “Now. I’ll call you after lunch sometime when India has arranged for some movers we work with to fetch your paintings from the school. I’m sorry, but you have to be there.”

  Swallowing hard, Hayden nodded. “Will you come too?”

  “Of course I will. I won’t let you deal with your parents alone unless you want to. You could call Oliver and ask if he can be there too. I’m pretty sure I can’t keep India and her girlfriend Erica away either. We’ll be a whole gang.” Hoping she’d feel the strength in our numbers, I cupped the back of her neck and leaned in to kiss her cheek. Hayden moved at the same time and turned her head, capturing my lips with hers. I froze. I was so unprepared, as this was not the type of kiss I’d instigated. I knew I was being silly, but, hell, if we were going to kiss on the lips, I needed to brace myself! Now she had caught me off guard and my defenses were malfunctioning.

  I angled my head, unable to resist her. Exploring her full lips, I trembled with the effort not to deepen the kiss. Hayden seemed content with the sweet caresses of our lips brushing together. She murmured something against my lips, but it took me a while to register it as I was drowning in my own feelings. Dazed, I pulled back enough to speak. “W-what?”

  “I said, thank you.” Hayden smiled.

  I realized that’s what I’d heard whispered against my mouth as we kissed. “What for?” I wasn’t following her reasoning.

  “For this. These feelings. For the bed. For the studio.” Hayden pulled at the hem of her tank top. “For you.”

  “Oh, Hayden.” I knew then and there, I should just let go of all the self-imposed rules I’d come up with last night. There was no way in hell I’d ever be able to resist her. All she had to do was look at me like this, say things like that, and I was ready to hold her forever and never let her go. This wasn’t just a matter of physical attraction or some protectiveness-turned-affection. It was far more than that, and even if I knew I could crash and burn, I also knew I’d still not be capable of refusing her. If this was selfish of me, so be it. As long as Hayden wanted me in whatever capacity, she had me.

  *

  It was quite the group meeting up outside Rowe’s Art School. Hayden and I, India and Erica, Oliver and three art movers, all of them women. I kept a furtive eye on Hayden, as did Oliver, I could tell, but so far she looked calm and together. This was important for more than one reason, as she and I were due back in two days to teach another master class. At least she knew she didn’t have to set foot in the gym hall again.

  “All set? Let’s go.” I took the lead as I realized everyone seemed to expect it. I didn’t mind. Part of me was hoping we wouldn’t run into Leyla, but I had to confess, another part of me wanted to have a proper showdown. This was wishful thinking from a purely selfish point of view. In reality, I’d do anything to make this as easy as possible for Hayden.

  Hayden gave me the key and I unlocked the door to the staircase leading to the gym. It was reassuring that it was indeed still locked, but my heart pounded as I walked up the stairs. India had offered to keep Hayden company while we were taking stock of the canvases upstairs.

  I stood in the middle of the floor, gazing around me, trying to picture what the room had looked like when I was there last. Hayden’s personal things were gone, as were her easels and supplies, but as far as I could tell, the canvases were undisturbed. I walked over to the closest ones that I’d seen before and pulled one of them out from the wall. All the canvases were facing the wall, and as I scanned the first painting, I saw nothing untoward. Then a bright yellow square in the upper corner caught my attention. A Post-It note, which I was certain hadn’t been there earlier. “Estimated value, 150 dollars. Too gothic.”

  Furious, I tore the note off. This was Leyla’s handiwork. Showing it to Erica, I hissed, “Let’s go over every single painting and remove these. I know there’ll be more. Do not tell Hayden about this.” I glanced at Oliver, who’d already turned two more canvases and removed the Post-Its. He gave them to me, and on each one, an insulting “price tag” combined with a malicious review showed just what a cornered person can do to her own child. It could of course be her father, but I didn’t think so.

  Eventually I stood there with forty-seven yellow slips of paper, having read each one while pure hatred for Hayden’s mother simmered in the center of my chest. She’d priced Hayden’s paintings between twenty-five and two hundred dollars. Her comments ranged from “naïve” to “pretentious
” to the worst one of them all: “pitiful.”

  I shoved the notes into a zipped compartment in my messenger bag, intent on filing them for future reference, as I had a feeling they would come in handy at one point. I’d lock them up in my safe at work, which would ensure Hayden wouldn’t come upon them by accident.

  I’d called down to Hayden and India right after we entered the gym, reassuring them the paintings were all there. Now the movers were packing them and carrying the boxes down the winding staircase.

  “I can’t imagine how you lived up there,” I heard India say to Hayden. “Honestly, this building is kind of creepy.”

  “The light was good. It allowed me to paint, but I didn’t enjoy living there.” Hayden spoke shyly but seemed relaxed around India, whose kindness no doubt was as palpable as usual.

  “No kidding. Much better at Greer’s place, huh?”

  Oh, she was fishing for information. I knew India, and now she was out to get some juicy details from Hayden, who didn’t know her.

  “Yes, the bed is very comfortable. And Greer served me breakfast.”

  Great. Now Hayden made it sound as if I’d served her breakfast in bed. I only had a few steps left when India responded.

  “She did, eh? Well, the two of you are getting really close.”

  “Yes.”

  “India.” I only had to say her name in my no-nonsense tone, and she grinned sheepishly at me.

  “Oh, hi. Done already?”

  “The movers are fast. They’ll be finished in an hour or so. Erica and Oliver are speeding things up.”

  “What’s going on here?” Leyla’s voice hissed from behind me. Of course. Too good to be true. No such thing as flying under the radar in this place.

  “We’re fetching my paintings, Mother.” Hayden spoke calmly. “It will be another hour.”

  “I haven’t authorized this intrusion. I’m going to have to ask you to leave the premises—”

  “No. I have paid rent until the last of this month. I have every right to be here and bring my—my friends. It was you who insisted on a legal contract, after all, Mother.” Hayden’s dark eyes clearly showed her inner turmoil, but she kept her voice steady. “Or have you forgotten?”

  “Of course I haven’t. You—you never bring anyone around. I was merely taken aback. It’s so easy to have people take advantage of someone like you, a person who’s not accustomed to…socializing. You say these are your friends. What will it take for you to understand that blood is thicker than water?”

  “I fail to see what these fluids have to do with the fact that I’m getting my artwork into storage. You have never taken an interest in my work before. Why now?” Hayden pulled out three brushes and squeezed them.

  “Oh, but I have. I have examined all of the paintings you have here.”

  “You went into the gym hall when I wasn’t there? You were trespassing?” Hayden gasped.

  “I did nothing of the sort. I own this building.”

  I’d had enough. Soon, Leyla was going to mention the malicious notes she’d left on Hayden’s paintings, and that wasn’t going to happen. “You may not walk into a tenant’s home without proper cause. Certainly not to peruse their belongings. If you did that, I’ll have to let my lawyers examine the rental contract and see what actions Hayden might take.”

  Backing up, Leyla looked like she was ready to throttle me. When she first met me, she was close to kissing my feet, and now she must’ve regretted ever contacting me in the first place.

  “Fine. Do what you wish with your doodling. I have a school to run.” Leyla began to walk down the corridor, the many mirrors multiplying her light-blue-skirt-suit-clad body. She stopped and pivoted, her eyes ablaze. “I expect you to fulfill your contract, Greer, and show up for the master class every Thursday until my students graduate.”

  “But of course. We’ll both be here,” I said sweetly. “Wouldn’t miss it for the world.” I strode over to Hayden and ran the back of my curled fingers along her cheek. “You okay?”

  “Yes.” Gazing back and forth at India and me, she smiled with tremulous lips. “I’m with friends. That’s very okay.”

  India’s expression had gone from stunned fury at Leyla’s outrageous claims to warm softness as she regarded Hayden. “I’d say you have some pretty close and loyal friends here. I’m honored to be counted as one of them.”

  I could’ve kissed India for those words. She’d been so concerned for my well-being last night, and now she seemed to understand why I had to act so fast.

  When all the paintings were loaded onto the truck, we walked to our respective cars. Hayden was walking ahead of us, talking to Oliver, when India and Erica ambushed me.

  “You gave her breakfast in bed. That’s not taking it slow and easy, exactly,” India said, studying me closely.

  “I didn’t. We had breakfast in the studio.”

  “Uh-huh. Sure. She said—”

  “She said she liked the bed. And that I brought her breakfast. I heard.”

  “Oh. So you two didn’t—”

  “India, for God’s sake! What kind of person do you take me for? A predator unable to control myself?” I snapped, then regretted it immediately. “Sorry. Sorry. I know what you mean. And no. Of course not.” And I could tell I blushed. I did have problems with my self-control around Hayden. Perhaps India had picked up on that somehow?

  “Hey. She’s yanking your chain, Greer. Relax.” Erica placed a large, reassuring hand on my shoulder. “Hayden’s happy and relieved. You’re…well, you seem happy too, if not relieved, or very relaxed, actually. But you two will figure it out. She’s awesome. I like her a lot.”

  I drew a deep breath and grinned like a fool. “She is. And thank you again for being here. It made it infinitely easier for both of us.”

  “Pity I wasn’t there when Her Highness came by.” Erica rolled her shoulders like a prizefighter. “Oh, well. Maybe next time.”

  Laughing now, I saw Hayden turn around and meet my gaze. It had turned out to be a pretty good day after all, and she must think so too, since she wore a big smile, her real one.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Four days later, on Saturday morning, I was in my study, sorting through paperwork. I could hear Hayden moving in her room, getting ready to visit her grandmother.

  The last few days had been the downtime we needed after the tumultuous start to the week. Hayden had spent most of it in the studio, except for when we taught the second master class. I dreaded running into her mother, but as it turned out, Leyla had been otherwise engaged on Thursday. The relief on Hayden’s face when we found out mirrored what I felt. I wasn’t in the mood to be part of another ugly scene anytime soon.

  I thought of another new element in Hayden’s living in my home. Each night at bedtime, and every morning after breakfast, Hayden would kiss my cheek. No more, no less, just a very sweet, lingering kiss on the cheek. I’d come to terms with my own desire for her but wasn’t going to be selfish. As much as I wanted to go further—God knows I ached for her—I only returned the caress, ran my fingers through her hair, and kissed her cheek back. Sometimes I’d hug her gently, but she usually grew a little rigid and seemed to prefer kisses. I thought of the snuggling we’d done that Sunday she came to visit. Perhaps it was because we’d been together all day and she’d been painting that she’d been able to relax into an embrace. During the weekdays, I was gone most of the day.

  “Greer.”

  I looked up and saw Hayden lingering in the doorway. “Yes?” She was wearing her usual sleep attire.

  “Today’s Saturday.”

  “Yes?” I put down the papers in my hand and turned the black leather chair, waving her over. “You’re going to see your grandmother, right?”

  “Yes. I want you to come.”

  This was unexpected, but I didn’t hesitate. “Sure. What time?”

  “Eleven. We leave at ten twenty. I’ve calculated the distance from here.”

  “Excellent.” I chec
ked my watch. “Guess we need to get ready then.”

  “Yes.” Hayden didn’t move despite agreeing.

  I stood and walked up to her, putting my hands on her shoulders. “Are you worried about anything?”

  “Nana doesn’t like very many people since her stroke. She can be rude.”

  “Oh, Hayden, I know that. I won’t mind.”

  “She can’t help it.” Looking relieved, Hayden walked into my arms, hiding her face in my neck. “I still want you to like her.”

  I wrapped my arms around her, not too tight, but enough to hold her close. “Prickly women are my favorites.” Inhaling her scent, I pressed my lips to the top of her head. She was still relaxed and so soft in my arms that I tried not to quiver. Her arms came around my waist, and the way she held me made me think she wasn’t merely clinging for comfort. It was as if she really wanted to hold me back, and I dared to kiss her temple. “You’re my ultimate favorite,” I said. “Just so you know.”

  “Okay.” Hayden tipped her head back to look at me. Her lips were slightly parted, which was an invitation I didn’t have the strength to resist. I kissed her briefly. Hayden sighed against my mouth, and the small puff of air made me shiver. “I want you to meet my Nana. I’ve never taken anyone with me to visit her.”

  This meant Hayden’s grandmother would realize I held a special place in her life. Would she be perceptive enough to pick up on how I felt about her granddaughter? And if so, how would she react? Afraid of having to battle yet another Rowe family member, and this time one Hayden loved and listened to, I forced a smile to my lips and pulled back. “Better hit the showers, or we’ll be late.”

  Looking aghast, whether it was at the thought of being late or actually striking at the shower, Hayden took a step back, pivoted, and rushed out of my study. Chuckling, despite my trepidations regarding this visit, I walked into my room and began running my own shower. As I removed my robe and stood there just in my shorts and tank top, Hayden opened the door.

  “You can’t wear perfume. There’s a rule at the clinic against that.”