Picture Perfect

Chapter Sixteen - Elliot

Hello loves! How's everyone's week going? If you celebrate Easter, did you do anything nice for it? I don't personally, but I have a holiday coming up (Beltane - or Walpurgisnacht if you lean more that way!) on the 20th. It's a holiday that celebrates the mid point between the spring equinox (Ostara) and the summer solstice (Litha) - and I bloody hate summer, so it's not my favourite holiday!

Love, Cam

♡

Chapter Sixteen

Elliot

Tyler was getting more and more stressed, the closer it got to the end of the week, according to my sister. The painting was finally over, and Adam and Rowan were now the only two going over to the gallery to do the finishing touches; installing the partition walls, setting up the shelves and bar counter, helping do the light fixtures and set up furniture. Fortunately, this meant they were too busy to grill Tyler about his love life in a misguided attempt to make me happy. Unfortunately, it meant they were in close contact with him, and could see how stressed out he was over Saskie's imminent trip to Ireland.

Group Chat: Board Games Crew

Rowan: I've invited Tyler to board games night

Adam: Cool, dude needs some distraction this weekend

Rowan: The closer it gets to Saskie's departure, the more nervous he gets

Rowan: That cool with you, Eli?

I glared at my phone, eating my lunch with a grumpy expression. Victoria noticed and grimaced. "What's up with you?"

I hesitated; I'd not actually filled her in on the whole gallery-Tyler-Saskie thing since I'd mentioned that I had a mild crush. I tentatively said, "Remember the uh, single dad, that I had a bit of a crush on?"

"Sure," Victoria nodded, and then frowned and paused mid-chew. "Oh God, what did you do?"

"I didn't do anything!" I protested weakly, which was a lie. "He's opening an art gallery with his friend, who's co-parenting Saskie, his kid. They needed interior decorators, so I suggested my sister and her husband."

"Oh, I see," Victoria said, and then frowned. "No, I don't see, how is that a problem?"

"You haven't met Rowan," I sighed heavily. "She befriended Tyler - the dad - and his friend, Sorcha. And Saskie, really. Saskie is visiting her other dad over the weekend, and Tyler is nervous about her being away, so Rowan invited him to our board games night."

"Ah," Victoria said, a knowing smirk on her face. "Now, on a scale from one to ten, how much is this your sister setting you up on a date?"

"Fourteen," I replied.

"Excellent," she snickered, eating a spring roll. "And you're averse to this date?"

"I...no," I admitted, and then groaned. "We, uh, had a moment. In his gallery. I was helping out with the painting - which I won't lie, I don't think they really needed me to help, I think that was once again Rowan being Rowan."

"I still don't see the issue, then," Victoria nudged my food towards me, because it was practically untouched. "Eat your food or you'll get hangry later working with kids."

She had a point, so I started eating. "The issue is," I said, between bites. "Tyler is recently separated. And I've never had a long-term relationship. It feels a bit hard to just jump into a relationship with a single dad when I haven't got a clue if I'll even be any good at it."