PERFECT CANVAS ━━━ luke patterson.

xviii. a good night to a bad night

ALMOST EVERYONE has left, and since I don't really know them I head straight to the studio after the performance. Though the moment I walk in, without a word, I'm already being whisked away by Alex, leaving two confused ghosts in his dust.

I shrug my shoulders with that, sharing their confused expression when the they look at me, most likely going to ask for answers, as I'm being dragged outside.

"Explain," he tells me flatly, pulling me down next to him somewhere out of sight of the last of the people still here.

"Explain what?" I ask, shrugging my shoulders a little, though I know exactly what he is going at. Clearly he senses that too by the blank look he's giving me.

"Don't be oblivious, Florence. What was that whole ignoring thing with Luke during the performance, or let's go back in time even further, to during rehearsals." Alex says with a small roll of his eyes, and I let out a sigh. I know that there is no way around this, and even if I had tried to lie it would get me nowhere with him.

"It's because something happened today, and I may or may not have written a song about him." I mumble, and not missing a beat as Alex's brows raise.

"Well took you long enough," he scoffs. My mouth drops open as I stare at him and hit his bicep.

"Congratulations then! You are the third person to figure out my feelings before I did." I give him a sarcastic smile before looking down at my shoes.

"See, I know a crush when I see one. Just like Luke's obvious one on you," Alex smiles teasingly down at me when I look up at him.

"Yeah right," I scoff, looking up at him. "And what, cupid, you have a crush or something since you know everything." I tease, but seeing a tinge of pink stain his cheeks tells me I may be onto something.

"Wait a minute," I hold my hand out and point at him accusingly. "You met someone?" The pink hue on his cheeks only grows darker and my smile get bigger.

"Maybe," he mutters. My hand immediately reaches out and hits his bicep once again.

"Are you serious! You met someone and didn't tell me?" I exclaim with mock hurt and Alex rolls his eyes with a shrug.

"Didn't find a need to," he tells me and now it's my turn to roll my eyes. So placing my elbows on my knees and my chin in my hands I look up at him once again.

"Okay, well now you're going to tell me everything." I smile and he hesitates for a moment before beginning the story.

"His name is Willie," Alex pauses for a second before he continues.

I listen intently to what he's saying. The blush on his cheeks seeming to grow darker as he speaks.

*****

Once Alex and I finish our talk, both giddy messes, he must've repeated "talk to Luke" about ten times before we departed. Waving it off and telling him I'll see him later I don't look behind me in order to avoid the exasperated look I know is painted in his face.

There's still a couple people mingling about, and once I step into sight of Julie and Flynn the former takes me by the elbow and begins introducing me to people.

I offer small smiles to everyone until Ray finally calls it a night, finished packing up his filming equipment.

Now Julie, Flynn, and I are all on clean up duty, thankfully there isn't much to clean up just doing things like putting the piano back in the studio.