Just A Sick Muse

I woke up fairly early the next morning because I was excited to be seeing Johnny again. But I was also worried that I had to work so I called Lisa who had already talked to the guys and apparently we were going to wait until tomorrow because there was something going on in the city. If you ask me there's always something going on. But really I was starting to get low on cash and needed to start thinking about maybe getting at least a part time job somewhere for some extra cash. That or not be able to pay next months rent, by the looks of it.

While I was waiting for Johnny to call, I decided I'd work on a painting that I'd been working on for ages. Really it shouldn't have taken me so long to do but I just hadn't been doing much painting lately. I painted on a daily basis back in San Jose but very seldom since I'd moved to LA. I worked on it for about half an hour before my cell phone went off.

"Hello?" I answered.

"Hey, hows it going?" Johnny asked.

"Good, I was just painting." I told him.

"I hope you're not going to be all painted out." He laughed.

"Definitely not. When do you want me to come over?" I asked.

"Can you be here around 11:30?" He said.

"Yeah, no problem."

"Alright, see you soon." He said and we hung up.

During one of our few conversations I'd found out that coincidentally he only lives a block away from me. I put on an old pair of jeans that were ripped just under the left front pocket and a grey V-neck tshirt. I took Dandy out for a bathroom break and after putting him back in my apartment I started walking to Johnny's building. When I got there, I buzzed up to his apartment so I could get in the door and went up. He opened the door just as I was about to knock.

"Good morning." He said with a smirk. He was wearing some jeans and a tshirt also with a beanie on his head.

"Morning." I smiled back and stood kind of awkwardly outside the door while he leaned on the door blocking the doorway.

"Come in." He said moving out of the way and opening the door fully and waving his hand like he was showing off the place.

"Wow, your place is big." I laughed.

"I don't think it's big enough." He said. "Don't worry we wont be painting the whole place."

"Oh, I didn't mean it like that." I said shyly. "I just mean my place is tiny." He laughed at me trying to explain myself.

"I've been putting this off for ages. And I know you like painting...although maybe not this kind of painting. So I took it as an opportunity to get things done." He said.

"Oh so you're using me to paint your place cause you don't want to do it?" I teased.

"That sounds about right." He smiled.

"Thanks." I said sarcastically.

"You know I'm joking." He said putting his arm around my shoulders. "I'm using you for much more than that." My cheeks felt like they were going to melt off my face at this comment.

"Well then..." I said clearing my throat. He just starting laughing.

"Ah, that's too easy." He joked.

"Yeah, yeah." I smiled, rolling my eyes. "Lets get to it."

He opened the paint cans and got the rollers ready, we were doing the living room and dining room which was a fairly large size room. While we were painting, we talked about everything and anything from music, tv, movies to family, work, and more. When we were finally done, after a second coat of paint we sat down and had a beer each.

"Thanks so much for helping me. It probably would have taken me ages to do it alone, and knowing me I'd do it wrong." He said.

"No problem. I actually had fun." I told him.

"Oh, you ACTUALLY had fun? As in you thought you wouldn't?"

"No, I knew I would." I said biting my lip.

"Well, that's good." He said as he rested one of his hands on my thigh. I looked down at his hand and then stared straight ahead, not really knowing what to do.

"So, um. I should probably get going because I have to take my dog out and stuff." I said.

"Alright." He said and we both stood up and walked over to the door. "Thanks again." He said wrapping his arms around me and squeezing me tight.

"No problem." I said hugging him back.

"So can I see you again?" He asked as we pulled apart.

"Yeah." I smiled and bit my lip. "Call me." and I turned around and walked out the door.

When I got home I had to call Lisa right away. I told her about my day and how sweet Johnny was.

"Listen Ellie, I may be gay, but I know guys, I know how they are. They are only sweet and nice when they want something from you, or they are madly in love with you. And he's not madly in love with you so, you do the math." Lisa said.

"Oh come on. Not everyone is like that." I said.

"You said it yourself, Matt and his friends like sluts! I just want you to be careful and not believe every little thing he says until you get to know him better."

"It's not like we're dating, we're just hanging out."

"Yeah but from the sounds of it, it seems that's where you want things to go, am I right?" She asked.

"Maybe. Not right now. I just want to get to know him."

"Alright then." She said skeptically. We talked for another half an hour before we hung up and I started to think long and hard about what Lisa had said. And Johnny of course.