Painted On My Heart

“No problem, just park right past the awning. You’ll be fine there.” The guy pointed Kellus in the right direction as he took several steps backward. Kellus navigated the tight squeeze of cones and parked in the spot the guard had indicated. He hopped out, ran his palms down the front of his dark button-down. The clothes were probably more delivery-driver-esque than he’d intended. He usually tried to make a good impression, add the artist vibe everyone always seemed to expect from him, but his ex had stolen most of his nice things yesterday and he hadn’t had the time or money to replace anything right now. When he felt the scowl forming on his face, he mentally forced the thought of John out of his head. At the tailgate, he lowered the ramp before lifting the large door in the back of the truck.

The piece he’d spent so much time on for Gage stood floor to ceiling in its slot and ran almost the whole length of the back of his oversized vehicle. Carefully, he began lifting the piece.

“Need help with that?” someone called out. Kellus turned to see a sandy-blond-haired guy grinning at him. Gage Synclair—it had been years since he’d seen him face-to-face, but he’d know that smile anywhere.

“Nah, I’ve got it,” he said and carefully shimmied the piece out of the truck and down the ramp. He fumbled, struggling to balance the art and lower the door to the truck while keeping the piece upright at the same time.

“Here, let me help you,” Gage said and grabbed one end while Kellus held the other then lowered the overhead door. “We’ve been waiting on you.”

“Thanks for the help,” he said, dropping his keys in his cargo pockets as he looked over to see Gage still grinning at him. They weren’t that far apart in age, but in world experience, they were light years, and Kellus was genuinely happy to see his biggest supporter.

“I tried to get here sooner. It’s been a rough morning,” he said, apologetically.

“No problem at all. I’m just glad you’re here now. I’ve got everyone on standby. Arik’s antsy. It’ll be a surprise. He’s in a meeting right now.”

Kellus walked his end forward, careful of the sliding doors. When he first entered Escape Dallas and looked around, he slowed his steps and had a moment of suspended reality, completely blown away by the sheer magnitude of what he saw. If the owner was trying to make a lasting first impression, he had certainly succeeded.

The lobby was magnificent. The expensive Italian marble and illuminated glass columns that lit the outer perimeter of the foyer were the first things that caught his eye. This place was an oasis, a mix of luxurious refuge and futuristic innovations. From what he could see, they’d spared no expense. As he took in the grandeur of his surroundings, his gaze caught on the colored glass squares that peppered the wall and flowed up the massive dome, high above the main lobby, and a true smile touched his lips. Relief washed over him. He’d studied Mr. Layne’s other resorts online, found the subtle hints of color that were slightly off the color palettes sent to him. He was pleased with what he’d done. He’d nailed it. He just hoped the owner saw it the same way.

The hustle of hotel staff and construction workers rushing back and forth through the foyer had him dodging and moving, making sure no one bumped into the piece.

The level of urgency in this place was off the charts. Gage guided him toward the front desk, taking over the lead as he moved them behind the security of the counter.

“Here. We should be out of the way here.” Gage carefully set his side down and began looking around as Kellus started stripping away the covering, drawing Gage to his side. “Wow. That’s incredible.”

“You like it?”

“It’s outstanding. You outdid yourself.” That compliment meant something. Gage always called it like he saw it. As he stood there basking in the much-needed kind words, the small area behind the front desk flooded with people. He guessed they’d been waiting on him to arrive, and he hated he’d caused this delay. He stepped to the side as the workers moved the ladders into place. His hands itched to help—this was his baby—but he forced himself to move farther back and let Gage supervise the installation.

~?~

Arik lifted his gaze from the folder in his lap as the front-end general manager tapped him on the shoulder and leaned in to whisper in his ear. Arik nodded but kept his eyes downcast. With this project over budget and a solid four months behind schedule, this state-of-affairs meeting should hold more importance than one single piece of art, but surprisingly, it didn’t.

It had finally arrived.

Knowing he shouldn’t didn’t stop Arik from closing the folder and rising, disrupting all the attendees at the meeting. “Can we take fifteen?”