s o u l b u r n s

vii ~ don't forget to eat

ADELAIDE WONDERED WHY SHE WAS asked to his office and she mentally noted that she had to ask Laura about him when she saw her. She was only seeing him for the second time but it already seemed like a pattern for him to talk to her with his back turned. She looked at all the paintings that were yet to be completed.

"This is what I've been working on." He said pointing to the mosaic piece that sat at the opposite corner of his office. "I just need to complete it and it would be ready for the exhibition."

"It's beautiful." Adelaide took a step forward—whether it was to his art or to him, she was unaware—but the sound must have alerted him and without turning back he said, "Don't come closer."

She was almost defeated but she knew that she had to know. Her thoughts wouldn't leave her alone if she didn't. "You're Eli Weston, aren't you?"

"Wow, what a great revelation." He said sarcastically. "I didn't expect it."

"I didn't expect that you would be so rude." Adelaide could not help those words that escaped her mouth. She usually knew how to be patient and tolerant but somehow, she couldn't hold back. "It's a simple question."

"Looks like we're all at a loss, isn't it?"

"Mr. Weston, I really don't appreciate your tone." Adelaide eyes were crossed in annoyance and she became even more irritated that he couldn't see her scowl.

"I just prefer to be invisible but it seems like these days, more people know who I am." His voice was so low that she almost didn't catch his words.

She crossed her fingers as she decided to calm down and tried to be humorous. "Well, let's consider that I really don't know how you look. If you walked past me at target, I wouldn't even know it was you."

He ignored her previous statement and moved further into his office to continue work on a painting. "I told Hannah that I didn't need a creative director, what is that anyways? A creative director? I'm perfectly content as it is."

"We live in an age of modern technology, Mr. Weston. If you're not familiar with my job description then google it."

Ignoring her once again, he continues. "She did say that you were good, though. I anticipate to know just how good."

"Do you find pleasure in these sort of conversations?" She spits out in annoyance.

"Well, I don't know. I never thought of it that way." He continues his painting with strokes of vibrant colours, only pausing to dip his brush into the paint.

"How convenient." Adelaide folds her hands in front of her, hating the fact that she was having a conversation with a man's back. "I guess you can't really tell an artist from the artwork."

"What does that even mean?"

"Just something that you can think about." She muttered. "I work for you, Mr. Weston and I hope that we can, at least, have a respectful work relationship."

"That would be all, Ms. Graham." He cuts her off rudely after a long moment of awkward silence. Adelaide heard the finality in his voice and decided not to argue. "You know your way back to your office."