In which two different sorts of artists share their prized works.
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Oliver closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He reopened them and surveyed the room once more.
Had he organized his pieces in such a way that Eloise's eyes would be drawn to the best works? He chewed on the inside of his mouth, eyes darting from piece to piece.
Eloise and Oliver had met up for coffee and muffins every Sunday at 10:30 for a little over a month now. The deal they had made on their first meeting kept getting pushed off. Today they would finally share their respective pieces of art.
Oliver stuffed his hands in his pockets. The arrangement of the room would have to do. He turned off the light and hurried up the stairs to refrain from fussing anymore.
Why was Oliver so nervous to share his work with Eloise? He was usually excited when others wanted to see his work, and loved to see their grins as they took in the details of each piece. Maybe it was because Eloise seemed so in tune with the artistic world.
She claimed she was a terrible artist in every medium except words, but that didn't affect anything. She still had a great appreciation and eye for the arts.
Oliver glanced around the living room. He walked back and forth, readjusting pillows and blankets. His dog, Vinnie, lay on the carpet, eyes following Oliver's every move.
Oliver peeked in the kitchen, making sure all the dishes were away and the table was clear. Oliver moved a stack of artwork he needed to grade to his office upstairs. He reached into the cupboard and pulled two coffee mugs out and started the coffee machine.
There was a soft knock at the door, which sent Vinnie flying. He was bark, bark, barking at the unknown visitor behind the door. Oliver took a deep breath and hurried to let Eloise in.
"Hi!" she greeted. Her red hair shone in the sun, curling around her shoulders and falling just below her collarbone. She had a large bag slung around her shoulder and she clutched a laptop to her chest. She wasn't wearing her glasses, making her beautiful blue eyes pop. She looked like she'd stepped right out of a painting.
Oliver smiled and gave her a small wave.
"Hello."
Vinnie let out a small growl. Oliver nudged him gently, telling him a stern no.
Eloise dropped to her knees, beaming.
"You didn't tell me you have a puppy!" she cooed.
Oliver chuckled. He ran his hand through his hair, trying to tame the curls. "Yeah. His name is Vinnie."
Eloise smiled, rubbing Vinnie behind his ears. She got up a little while later.
"I'm making coffee," said Oliver. He led Eloise to the kitchen. Behind him, Eloise let out a huge sigh.
