Page 24 of Sunset Catchers

Levi leads me to the paint department inside the store.

“I’ll go grab the grout.”

His announcement barely reaches me—I’m already engrossed by the holy grail of hardware stores; the wall of colorful pieces of paper. This thing I’m doing right here, choosing paint colors, is the only way I can achieve the most perfect flow state.

I enjoy it on a profound level.

It offers me respite from my ever-present burdens. As long as I’m holding a piece of sturdy paper with a color gradient that abhors silly names; I’m good. I waste no time grabbing the colors that make my heart sing.

“You okay there?”

I’m startled out of my trance. I can’t even tell how long I’ve been standing here. Levi takes a few steps toward the wall of swatches.

What does he think he’s doing, I think.

“What are you doing?” I say.

“Helping you choose colors.”

“This is my bake sale. These are my brownies.”

Was that a crazy thing to say? Because Levi sure seems to think so.

He diverges his attention, taking in my hands that are very full between the tiles and pieces of wallpaper I brought along, and the colors I’m debating on.

“Then, hand me something,” he prompts.

“Why?”

“So I can help you.”

I renew my grip on everything in case he tries to steal my things from me. “I’ve done this on my own plenty of time. I’ve got this.”

His stare is long and hard. “Just let me help you, Winnie.”

It takes me a brief moment, but I relent, grudgingly handing him the tiles and wallpaper samples. Levi holds everything steadily for me. It does make it easier, I’ll admit.

“Ouuh, this color if pretty,” I say about a light-pink sample.

“What about this green?” Levi says.

“This green right here?” I ask while holding the paint swatch up. He nods. “I’m positive this exact shade has been made to personally offend me.”

My coworker rolls his eyes. I bring a sample deck up beside Levi’s face. “Same blue as your eyes.” He smiles. “Hard no.” His smile slips from his face to appear as a smirk on mine.

A little while later, we’re walking out with a bunch of sample size cans of colors I chose, and the supplies my coworker picked up. Levi turns toward me while I’m buckling up in the passenger seat, our items safely tucked in the trunk of his car.

“There’s this great burger place around the corner. If you’re hungry, we could have lunch there.” A pinch forms between my brows. “We don’t have to go if you don’t want to,” he adds.

“It’s fine. I want to go.”

Levi searches my face attentively, having heard my hesitancy. It’s just that I’m not sure if there’ll be any vegetarian options, but I don’t want to mention it and seem difficult. He focuses on the bottom lip I’m worrying between my teeth.

“They have vegetarian options,” he says.

What the—how did he do that? Can he read minds?

Hey, asshat! This is a breach of privacy. Get out of here!