"Wow” is the first word that comes out of my mouth as soon as I step into the studio. I heard Aunt Lia talking about how well Lucas had decorated the place but I didn't expect this

It's straight out of Pinterest.

The centrepiece of the room is the massive floor-to-ceiling window that brings in natural light and gives a perfect view of the mini garden outside. Just by the window, there's a whole pottery section with wheels, clay and other tools.

A table set nearby with handcrafted vases and sculptures? Another wow

“You sculpture too?” I ask in surprise as Lucas follows me inside holding a bag of some painting stuff. “I used to, it's been a while since I touched the wheel” he replies as he walks over to the other side.

The wall is adorned with a few paintings, each one is carefully hung showing a contrast of vibrant colours along with a few black and white ones

There's even a kitchen sideways, a few cabinets and a counter. A mini fridge and microwave set up for the facility

While the floor is open leaving quite the space to move around freely. In one corner, by an amount smaller window there lays the canvas and the table cluttered with brushes, paints, jars

The overall place looks personal with a touch of modern and rustic decor. A place with comfortable tugs and a couch to sit on. Despite being an art studio, this place is extremely neat.

Lucas did a great job in bringing everything together. Each thing here is a new experience for me. When he sent me a message yesterday, I wasn't sure whether to come here or not but my mood was good and relaxed after an amazing day with Stella. I didn't mind sparing some time from packing

I don't regret coming here though. This place is so beautiful that I am already loving it here. But what grabs most of my attention is his artwork. Never thought I would say it but they are quite fascinating

Without realising I slowly step closer to the table wanting to watch them closely. I knew Lucas was big into painting but sculpturing? That's so new.

My eyes trace the dried clay that's moulded to form a face but they look unfinished, missing some bits of reality. I frown of confusion forms on my face

“Like it?” His voice comes around smoothly, I quickly turn around to find Lucas has already set up the table with the things he brought and now he is standing in front of me, his arms crossed holding an unreadable expression on his face

He continues to stare at me, making me realise that I haven't answered his question. “Yes? No..I mean” I pause realizing that I have shuttered “Why are they unfinished?” I blurt out, quickly averting my gaze to the sculptor

Lucas shrugs his shoulders as he takes another step almost into my bubble. He stands beside me “I tried sculpting, to bring variations into my creativity, I could form something but not bring it to life”

My eyes flicker between him and the sculptor, his words make me see the missing pieces. They are formed beautifully, with smooth texture and delicacy yet they don't look complete due to their lack of light

“Is that important? To make everything perfect” I ask in genuine curiosity, tilting my head to see it from a better angle. For me, they look fine even with the flaws.

We aren't Gods to make a humanoid thing look like a perfect creation. No matter how we work on it.

I glance at Lucas, but he remains silent. His gaze struck on the sculptor, his fingers clenching the edge of the table. A sudden guilt erupts in my mind suspecting I said something wrong “I didn't mean to”

“Things can be imperfect” he cuts me off, finally meeting my eye “but I wanted it to be perfect and when I failed, I moved to something perfect for my vision” he adds, his eyes holding a deeper meaning than I could make myself understand

“Let's get started now” he pats the wooden table lightly before pushing himself off it. I sigh at myself, I didn't mean to downgrade his talent or something. I just wanted to make him understand that everything doesn't need to be perfect to look good in the eye

“Lucas!” I call out, my voice is more hesitant than I intended it to be. His name sounds way different in my head.

Lucas stopped in the middle, I could notice him shudder slightly when I called him. Why?

He turns around, waiting for me to speak. I take a deep breath “Do you mind if I take a few pictures? I quite like this” I mutter nervously. I don't know what came into my mind, or why I am asking it.

He raises his eyebrow in genuine amusement “Why?”

“Well because I have never visited something like this before and wanna remember it?” I say it looks more like a question than a statement. I do wanna make him feel that I appreciate his efforts in each piece he put here.

But I also want a few pictures here

He thinks for a moment, his hands shoved into the pockets of his sweatpants “Are you saying that from your heart or just because you want pictures?” He asks I don't know if he is teasing me or being suspicious that makes me

“Come on! It's so amazing here! I haven't been to any place like this! I am so fascinated by your art that I can't take my eyes off them. I don't know if I will be able to come here again, that's why I wanna remember this forever. Because you Lucas Elias Williams have impressed me for the first time and in the finest way” I take a deep breath after letting that all out in one go

Lucas let his hand down, his expression a mixture of shock  “How do you know my middle name?" He asks now making me copy his expressions

I keep my hands on my hips, my eyebrows joined together "I gave you all that compliment only for you to ask about your middle name?" I ask in disbelief. I complimented him for the first time if I remember correctly and all he had to ask was that. He sighs “Thank you, I do appreciate your praise but how do you know my middle name?" He asks again, promoting more on the topic

I bite my tongue internally scolding myself to let it out in the heat of the moment. I shouldn't have mentioned it but it's a good way to get back at him in future. I shrug nonchalantly “Last night Aunt Emily and Aunt Lia were showing me all of your childhood pictures and your album was labelled as ‘Lucas EliasWilliams’ so..” I trail off fidgeting with my fingers and gawking at his reaction

His mouth opens and closes again as he debates to get the right words out “So you not only know my middle name but also saw my childhood pictures?” He asks, his eyes going wide in realization

“Technically, it's baby pictures but yeah” I reply trying not to laugh at his embarrassed reaction. I have never seen his ears grow that red before and due to his fair complexion it looks even cuter just like his childhood pictures

Last night when Aunt Emily and Aunt Lia got to know that Mia is dating Loren now, they got emotional and started sharing stories of the sibling’s childhood. Aunt Emily brought me their albums showing all their childhood pictures.

Among them, Lucas stood out due to his different features and blue eyes which grew deeper in shade as the years passed by.

Lucas stands utterly astonished, he waves his hand dismissively “Take whatever pictures you want, just don't share my name or location” He says before striking away taking longer footsteps. I could hear him mumbling something under his breath adding more to his embarrassment

I chuckle silently, I knew he wouldn't like me to know his middle name but it's not that bad. Lucas Elias Williams sounds fine to me, what is he embarrassed about?

That's not my concern to ask

Reminding myself, I turn around and start clicking a few pictures of the paintings, the vases and sculptures. During my shoot, an idea pops into my head. Remembering the museum aesthetics I saw on Pinterest which had one with the girl kissing the sculptor for the picture

That doesn't sound bad.

Maintaining a secure distance from the table, I lean closer and adjust my camera settings for a timer. Extending my hand as far as I can for a better angle, I look at the sculptor and bring my lips closer to it

As much as it's kinda foolish but I wanted to try this thing. I ain't kissing it though just pretending. As soon as I hear the clicking sound of the camera I back off from the table and straighten up.

Zooming on the picture to make sure it came clear. A smile forms on my lips satisfied by the results, it's closest to the Pinterest inspo I saw

“Done?” Lucas suddenly asks, looming behind me. He was far away and now he is suddenly behind me again? Does he have a vampire speed or something?

“Yep all done, thank you!” I wave my phone in front of him, showing him the picture I took. His eyes narrow trying to look closely at it but I don't give him a chance to.

Turning around I walk away from the table to look for any other pictures. My steps halt when a loud crash reaches my ears, a dreadful feeling drops in my heart as I turn to face him again

My eyes widen when I spot the sculptor lying on the floor, broken. A soft gasp escapes my mouth, releasing that my sudden turn might have caused the falling piece.

My eyes flicker to Lucas who is standing a few steps away from the table, farther than his previous position. My expression drops when I see Lucas standing there emotionless “I am so sorry, I didn't-”

He raises his hand stopping me from taking a step “It wasn't your fault, I knocked it off” he replies nonchalantly, “accidentally” he adds and walks past me.

I stand there trying to wrap my head around what just happened. He knocked off the whole sculptor? Accidentally? This guy who is very cautious in each step he takes knocks a heavy sculptor accidentally

This day has taken a weird turn

“Jasmine! Here!” Lucas calls me, pulling me out of my thoughts. Taking a last glance at the broken piece, I push myself towards him.

I walk across the wall that holds those paintings, the sunlight beaming from the opposite direction, showing them differently.

I stand in front of it for a moment, trying to understand the reasoning behind the colourful butterflies covered in something darker

“Wanna take a picture?” Lucas asks, walking up to me, he stands beside me holding his hands at his back. I shake my head in denial, the vibrant shades swallowed by darker clouds fill me up with a strange feeling that couldn't be understood by a picture

Why did he paint this?

“You have an eye for art” I comment, taking a few steps back till I stand in the middle of the studio, looking at all the paintings here. A few were painted by him and others look like they have been brought as they don't match his artistic style

The corner of his lips twitches slightly trying to suppress a smile “What? It's a compliment” I say defensively. A smile breaks on his face while he nods “I know but compliments from your lips are rarer than a blue moon” He says closing the distance between us

Is he mocking me again?

“But it's true” he adds, tilting his head up as he continues “I like surrounding myself with exotic art” his tone is smooth, and his eyes flicker at something in the ceiling and then back at me

I frown in confusion and look up to see what he is looking at. I blink in surprise when I meet my gaze at the ceiling mirror “Why do you have a mirror there?” I ask, my tone filled with surprise and amusement

“For decor actually, it has a vertical design that starts from the entrance till the bedroom door” he points at the mirror, his finger gliding from the entrance of the studio straight to the end of where a door remains closed. The mirror only covered the central path of the place.

“I wanted to try painting on it but it didn't turn out well. Hence it remains an attractive piece. It also acts as a beautiful reflector during the sunset”

I really wanna see how it looks

“I think we should get started now” he suggests checking his watch. I nod in agreement, between my excitement, I forgot why he called me here

I follow Lucas to the painting corner, he gestures to me to sit on the armchair placed in front of a small window. Without asking other things I take a seat.

While Lucas prepares something behind the canvas, I fix my clothing. He didn't specify what I should wear, I doubted he would because it was written in the clause but remembering his words when he approached me with this offer - it's mostly directed towards my culture

Indian clothing varies in vast categories. From suits to sarees and heavy-worked lehengas. But for today, I chose a simple gharara set. The dark purple shade complimented with a decent silver design. The fabric is cotton, perfect for this kind of situation because I wasn't interested in wearing something heavy in this heat. Luckily this place has an air conditioner

“What should I do?” I ask scooting back against the armchair making myself comfortable. I bring some of my left-side hair forward over my shoulder.

Lucas looks at me holding a pallet and brush in his hands, his hand freezes while mixing the colour on the pallet. His eyes flicker to my face, hair and dress before he speaks “Did you cut your hair?” His question catches me off guard.

“You noticed?” I reply, touching my hair, Stella and I got our hair done yesterday. I only trimmed them a bit for the graduation and future ceremonies but I didn't think it was noticeable

“Yeah, I can see it” Lucas nods as he sets down his brush and pallet. “You can sit comfortably, but don't move too much” he demands making me hesitant

I am very bad at ‘not moving’

“Not even a little bit? How long do I have to sit like a statue?” I ask for confirmation feeling a bit uneasy. “You don't need to stay completely still, you can move from time to time but try to refrain from changing your position until the outline is done”

I nod and lean against the back of the chair getting comfortable, I cross my leg over the other and rest my palms on my knee.

Lucas scans my whole position with a critical gaze but he looks satisfied. He doesn't argue for me to change my expressions or position even though I expected us to bicker over it

He gets back to his canvas and starts his work behind the whiteboard. I can't see him properly as half of his body is covered by it. From time to time he tilts his head to take references

I could get glimpses of his body movements, his hand moving with a purpose. Lucas is right-handed as far as I remember but he is painting or I should say outlining with his left hand

I didn't know he was an ambidextrous

I hadn't noticed many things before until I stepped into his personal space. If I think more carefully, I know a few things about him and I should remember them when we are in India

He is 6,2. Blue eyes. Likes painting and basketball. Can't eat spicy food. Prefers food made in his home. Avoids mess. Wears glasses while studying. Black coffee. Charlie is his first pet. Closest to his father. Ambidextrous. Light sleeper. Prefers books over movies. Hates sweets.

Am I forgetting something?

“Are you wearing any make-up?” Lucas asks, catching me off guard by his unusual question. My eyes narrow to read his expressions if he is trying to criticize me or something but he remains calm and curious

“I didn't?” My voice comes off as doubtful. I touch my cheeks feeling self-conscious. Am I looking bad without makeup? I just applied some moisturizer and sunscreen before leaving because I was lazy.

Lucas keeps his brush aside and approaches me. I sink into my seat due to his actions. Before I could speak out in protest, Lucas was already leaning down to my level.

My breath gets caught up in my throat as my senses are filled with his scent – a mixture of sandalwood and cinnamon

His thumb brushes against my lower lip gently sending a wave of current-like feeling straight to my heart. A rush of emotion crashes over me, I can feel my heartbeat increase when I look up at him – his eyes are like tides before a storm, mesmerizing yet dangerous.

He stares down at me without blinking, inhaling a deep breath. The intensity of his gaze takes my breath away for a moment.

His gaze moves from my eyes to my lips. I couldn't help but press my lips together feeling nervously by his intense gaze. I gulp trying to suppress the caught-up feeling in my throat

No one

No one has ever touched my lips and he did it with no hesitation like it's easier than making his coffee.

“Explain this, milaya” he says in a low tone, holding his thumb to my vision. His thumb is coated with a pink hue. I quickly cover my mouth, closing my eyes in embarrassment. I forgot about the lip tint.

“That's not your business, go back to your work” I slap his arm gently to shoo him away. Removing my hand from my mouth, I glance at him from the corner of my eye. Watching him retreat to the canvas holding a smug expression that rubs directly into my face.

“Is there something wrong with me wearing it?” I ask my voice barely a whisper. My eyes never leave him while he pulls out his handkerchief and hands it to me

“I would appreciate your natural complexion,” He says picking up the brush, his message clear – wipe it off. I huff in frustration and embarrassment, snatching the handkerchief from his hand. I gently rub my lips trying to get it off. I don't know if I got it off but that's all I can do

Lucas watches me with an intense gaze, his eyes lingering on my moments until I am done

Does he have an AI scanner fit in his eyes or something? How can he figure out my trimmed hair and even the lip tint even though it's my exact lip colour? Just a tad bit different.

I resume my previous position, with a hovering feeling of our previous contact. I take a few unnoticed breaths to calm down and focus. Lucas gets back to the painting, while he moves I notice his thumb is still coated with the lip tint

He took revenge for his middle name thing

A long silence stretches between us. None of us speaks, the room is filled with nothing but the faint sound of brush stroking or the paint dipping.

He frequently moves towards me to observe me closely and goes back to painting. I don't know what he is trying to do but I could hear him groan or sigh in frustration when he doesn't obtain the right colour.

I don't often find him expressing his displeasure. Despite trying to maintain his facade of a composed person, I could see his guard down when he is surrounded by the comfort of these walls.

Whenever our eyes meet, we hold each other's gaze for a fraction of a second before looking away

We don't acknowledge what happened, letting it pass like a breeze. While I feel a bit stiff after sitting in the same position for hours, I don't mind or complain. For some reason, it's peaceful to be here. Watch him paint effortlessly, how he moves his brush across the canvas. His face contracted in concentration.

I never thought someone would give me this kind of focus. Noticing the small details and putting in so much effort.

My mind is filled with so many questions

Why did you wanna paint me? What do you see? Are you

fascinated by my sense of clothing or my culture? Is that why you agreed to come to India?

Why are you so dedicated to something yet call it just a ‘hobby’

Why do you feel so familiar yet impossible to reach out