"They have nothing on you, Drake. They're still at that flaky stage of manhood. You know, not wanting to settle down. Looking to hookup with as many women as they can, sow their wild oats. I'm not interested so you don’t have to be the least bit concerned."
"I know," he said and sighed. "Just want to defend my prized territory."
"You and Sun Tzu…" I said, referencing the author of The Art of War. "Or was it Machiavelli?"
"Both. There's a reason they say all's fair in love and war. Both involve conquering and surrender."
"I already surrendered, remember? The agreement?"
He cracked a grin, his arms folded across his chest as he leaned against the bathroom doorjamb.
"You did. I enjoyed it immensely, even though I'm not so sure you're all that submissive in the end and that's just the way I like you."
I frowned. "What do you mean?"
He shrugged. "I don't want a submissive woman. I want a woman who submits in the bedroom. There's a difference."
I nodded. "I like that." I went to him and put my arms around his waist. "I want to submit to you in the bedroom. Outside of it, I want to be strong. Competent. Capable of looking after myself."
"You are. But let me take care of you as well. Everyone needs someone to fall back on when things get too heavy. Just so you know you have me."
"And you have me."
He kissed me and wrapped his arms around me, pulling me against his body.
He dropped me off at the studio with a promise to come to pick me up when I texted him. I said I'd probably be a couple of hours, no more and maybe we'd do a late lunch.
Inside the studio, Nathaniel was already busy at work on his piece. I went to his side and examined the canvas, which was small, detailed, and vivid, with a crazy array of media all mashed together.
"Hey, sweets," he said and craned his neck to see me. "How's it going? I don't see that man of yours. Did you leave him at home today?"
"He's busy with work."
He nodded. "Jules is in the second studio, so you'll probably hear a lot of hammering. He's doing some kind of metal work today. You have any music in particular you want to listen to?"
I pulled out my iPhone and called up my iPod. I handed it to him and he scanned my playlists.
"This I like," he said, pulling up my albums by Sigur Ros, an alternative band from Iceland. He selected their newest, putting it on shuffle.
With the music playing in the background, we spent the next few hours finishing up the frames for the canvases, stretching the canvas over the wood, and then I applied the first coats of gesso on them.
While we were standing at the sink washing up the gesso from brushes and containers, Jules came in from his studio. A cute young senior with hair almost to his waist, pulled back with a bandana around his forehead, he had a perpetual smile on his face. He pulled out a joint and lit it up.
"Time for some herb," he said and winked at me. The music was loud and so I cupped my ear. He held up his joint. While Nathaniel and I finished cleaning the brushes, Jules took a long pull on the joint, holding it in his lungs for a long time. Then, he blew it out. "Ahhh," he said. "The reward for a good morning's work." He held the joint out to me, but I shook my head.
"No thanks," I said, shaking my head. "I don't indulge."
"Come on, sweets," Nathaniel said, raising is voice above the music. "It's some good Indica."
"No, really," I said. "I stick with demon alcohol."
"Alcohol will rot your brain," Jules said. "Herb is good for you."
I smiled. Beside me, Nathaniel took the joint and had a toke. With Jules on one side of me and Nathaniel on the other, the two passed the joint in front of me while I worked on the implements in the sink. In the background, one of my Sigur Ros albums blasted, the song Brennisteinn one of my favorites from their latest album.
Nathaniel jerked his head to the door. "Looks like your ride is here."
I turned to see Drake standing in the doorway, a half-smile on his lips. He raised his eyebrows when I caught his eye.