Chapter 12
After my lunch with Noella, I was busy the rest of the day returning client e-mails and updating my blog. As soon as I had a moment to think, my thoughts returned to Trent.
Noella’s advice had really resonated with me. I could see things from her perspective. Maybe I was limiting myself by being so focused on one way of dating. Maybe some of the men I’d dismissed so quickly would have turned into something, if I’d given it time. Whether or not that was true, I was certain that I needed to be a little more open about things.
So my first date with Ben had been a bit of a dud. The kiss was nice and maybe when he relaxed a little, he would be a little more entertaining. Once I had him out on the dance floor, he’d come alive. I was sure of it.
Of course that would do nothing to help me as I drove toward Trent’s apartment. Even though I’d decided to keep things as professional as possible with him, I was ready to try a new tactic. If he had such an impact on me, there had to be a reason. The best way to find out why was to discover as much as I could about him. Working with him to decorate his apartment would give me that opportunity.
I’d picked up a few things for him to experiment with: a curtain, a catalog of artwork, and a few paint swatches. I wasn’t sure what would spark his interest, but I knew something had to.
All of the ideas he’d sent me were about function, not decoration. There was a plain metal coat rack, to which I’d asked if he had coats and hats to hang up. He’d responded that he didn’t have many and they were stored in his hall closet.
Then he’d sent a photograph of a painting, but the painting itself was of a man looking at a painting of a man looking at a painting. It made my head hurt. I asked him what he liked about it. He replied that he just thought it was funny, but wasn’t sure he would actually want it on his wall.
I knew it might be a bit of a task to get him to open up, but I was ready for the challenge.
When I arrived, he opened the door with a wide smile. “Aha, now you’re in my world.”
“Oh, give me time, I’ll turn it into Zoe’s World soon enough.” I grinned at him as I referenced the name of my business.
“That sounds pretty good, but I’m not sure I could live up to those expectations.” He held the door open for me as I stepped inside. “I’ve been thinking about what I’d like, I really have. But honestly, I’m just clueless.”
“Okay, don’t worry, we can start with the basics. What’s your favorite color?” I sat down beside him with the items I’d brought between us.
“Uh, I don’t really have one. I like them all. Maybe orange.” He shrugged.
“Orange? Okay, that’s a good place to start. I’m very fond of that color myself. So, we could do this wall in a deep orange—”
“Orange on the wall?” He laughed. “No, I don’t like it that much.”
“It would just be an accent wall, nothing too in-your-face.” I stood up and placed an orange paint swatch on the wall. “See?”
“I see an orange square on a white wall. But I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t be able to stand an orange wall. It’s too—I’m not sure—I guess it’s just too much.” He paused.
“Too Zoe’s World?” I sat back down beside him.
“Maybe. I mean your place is great. I love being there. But it’s not me, is it?” He met my eyes.
“I don’t know. I can’t answer that. Only you can.” I tilted my head to the side as I studied him. “You strike me as someone that would like modern things.”
“Not fair. There’s more to me than just tech, you know.” He frowned.
“Well, you don’t exactly let me see that.” I leaned closer to him. “Here, let me see you.” I pressed my hand against his cheek and turned his face back to mine. Instantly I felt that jolt. I drew my hand back, but continued to study him. “What are you hiding from, Trent?”
“Hiding?” He smiled some, that light smile that always made him look a little amused. “I wouldn’t say I’m hiding from anything.”
“I think you might be.” I glanced over his walls, his plain furniture, and the lack of anything personal on his shelves. “Most people don’t live like a ghost. I mean, there’s not even a stray dirty sock or a dish in the sink.”
“I cleaned up for your visit.” He grinned. “Here.” He pulled off his sock and tossed it on the floor. “Better?”
“You’re too funny.” I laughed. “Alright, let’s try this another way. When you were little, what was your favorite thing to do?”
“Uh, this is only going to make things worse.” He grimaced.
“What is it? Come on, tell me.” I reached for his hand without thinking about it, but drew back before I could touch it. He noticed the gesture and caught my hand before I could draw it all the way back.
“I built rockets. I made them out of everything I could get my hands on. My whole room was covered in them.” He shook his head. “It drove my mom crazy.”
“Rockets, huh? Why rockets?”
“I was fascinated with space. Planets, stars, the universe, everything. I—” He laughed. “Never mind. I’m not sure how any of this is going to help you decorate my apartment.”
“What happened to your rockets?”
“Oh, we had to move. No room on the truck. I mean they were just made out of cardboard.” He shrugged. “It was no big deal. We moved a lot.”
“That explains a few things.” I gave his hand a squeeze. “That must have been tough for you.”
“Nice try, Doc, but I was fine with it. So are we going to decorate or what?” He grinned.