Death of a Bachelor

#29 Scooter

"Slowly"

He whispered to himself, carefully patting the brush against the canvas. His brow furrowed in concentration as he tried to mimic the technique Simone had just demonstrated earlier. Each stroke was soft and deliberate as if he were afraid of making a mistake. Simone watched him intently, her eyes drawn to his fully tattooed right arm, admiring the way his muscles flexed with each precise, controlled movement.

Simone had just taken a quick break from her own painting, giving in to Lewis's persistent requests for her to teach him some basic techniques. At first, she tried to ignore him, busying herself with a new and important project that needed her full attention—preparing for another upcoming art exhibition in Paris. With the deadline fast approaching, Simone was under pressure to finish several pieces. However, Lewis determination eventually wore her down and she had no choice but agreed to help.

"I forgot to ask this—what age did you start selling your paintings?" Lewis asked suddenly, breaking the silence. His question caught Simone off guard, making her glance away quickly and turned her attention to the clock hanging on the wall.

10:30 o'clock in the evening.

"I sold my first painting when I was ten" she answered, Lewis gasped in surprise, still focused on his painting. "I sold it for three dollars” she added and threw her attention back at him.

"Really!?" he asked, a giggle escaping him.

"Do you think I'm joking?" she replied, raising an eyebrow.

"N-No!" he quickly stammered "But why did you sell it so cheap?"

"I was young, and I didn’t really care about money back then I'm just happy when someone is asking about the details of my artworks before buying it" Simone explained with a shrug. Lewis nodded, understanding her reasoning and feeling a bit in awe of her early start.

“So, What’s next?” Lewis asked, turning his attention to Simone, his brow still furrowed, a mixture of frustration and curiosity in his gaze as he tried to keep up with her instructions.

She rolled her eyes but couldn’t hide the smirk that spread across her lips as she threw her attention at his canvas. “You should blend it slowly, Lewis” she said, her tone teasing but firm. She watched him attempt to follow her guidance, her eyes narrowing as she assessed his technique.

They were sitting in the living room, surrounded by an assortment of paints and brushes scattered across the floor. Lewis was sitting cross-legged on the floor with his canvas propped up in front of him, while Simone was lounging comfortably on the sofa behind him.

Lewis groaned in frustration, his brush hovering uncertainly over the canvas. It's embarrassing how he had asked Simone to teach him some basic painting techniques, hoping to spend his free time doing something relaxing together. But now, with Simone’s critical gaze on him he felt dumb and more pressure, he stared at the canvas in front of him the colors blending together in a blur

“Why are you so tense?” Simone asked, her voice softening a bit as she noticed his discomfort. She leaned forward on the sofa, leaning over his shoulder to get a better look at his work. “It’s just paint. You’re not in a race car, stop yapping”

He could feel the warmth of her breath on his neck, sending an unexpected shiver down his spine. The close proximity made his heart beat a little faster, and he tried to focus on the painting instead of the sudden awareness of how near she was. “I-I'm trying” he muttered, his frustration mingling with something else he couldn’t quite place.

Simone’s hand brushed against his as she reached for his brush, guiding his strokes. “Here, like this then slowly tap..tap...tap" she said, her voice barely above a whisper. The touch was electric, and Lewis felt his breath catch in his throat "You need to be patient and creative, you will never learn if you keep complaining"