Page 29 of Flogging Faith
Faith didn’t say anything either, but a single tear rolled down her cheek.
“Oh, rainbow girl,” said Bex, and pulled Faith into her arms, paint be damned.
“Your clothes,” protested Faith.
“Fuck my clothes,” said Bex. “Why are you crying?”
“Because you made me into art,” said Faith. “I know the truth of how I look. There’s nothing special about me; I’m just ordinary. But this? With this you’ve made me extraordinary.”
“No,” said Bex fiercely. “You have always been extraordinary. You just didn’t realize it.”
CHAPTER 19
The high from being made into art didn’t dissipate as they walked together, hand in hand, back through the Dungeon. The line of paint from Faith’s forehead to belly button was accentuated by the plunging neckline of her jumpsuit. Drake spluttered with laughter as he saw her.
“Well, aren’t you two a picture?” he said.
“Yes, we are,” said Bex. “The perfect picture.”
His answering smile acknowledged how happy they both looked.
Faith wasn’t sure if he needed to check the photographs, but he waved the phone away when she offered it. “That’s between you and Bex. We trust you.”
She smiled her relief at him. “Thank you, Drake,” Faith said.
“You’re very welcome.” He smiled at Bex as well, and then returned to reading a different book than before, but Faith was willing to bet it was another romance novel judging by the cover.
“Which floor, rainbow girl?” asked Bex as the elevator doors pinged open and they stepped inside.
“Yours,” said Faith firmly. “I want to stay with you tonight.”
After the scene they’d had, she wanted to be with Bex.
She needed to be with Bex.
“That sounds utterly lush,” replied the other woman, and pressed the button for the second floor.
Bex’s suite was almost identical to Faith’s; in fact, she thought hers might be directly above Bex’s. The idea that they’d been arriving and getting ready for their weekend at Rawhide in parallel, one above the other made her feel all warm inside.
“Shower time,” said Bex. “We’ve got to all that paint off you before sit on any fabric furnishings. I don’t want to have to pay for those bedsheets to be replaced because I have a feeling they’re far more expensive than either of us realize.”
The shower was a walk-in, with a rainfall showerhead and was more than big enough for the two of them. There was a bench built in against one wall, Bex and motioned for Faith to sit down.
“Too bad we can’t shut that off,” said Faith, pointing to the ceiling. “I find rainfall showers a bit overwhelming.”
Bex grinned and gestured toward the shower spray wand. “Never fear, I got you covered. Besides, I don’t think it’d be possible for a rainfall shower to get all of the paint. I’m going to have to hand wash you, rainbow girl.”
Faith sat down on the bench, feeling the cool marble against her tush. She loved how Bex didn’t dismiss her needs out of hand. Rainfall showers were a sensory nightmare. She had to keep her eyes clear from the water at all times, or else she’d end up screwing them shut and that was how accidents happened. Before she’d lived in her current apartment, she’d had a showerhead over a bath, instead of a separate walk-in shower, and had fallen over the side of the tub while her eyes were closed more times than was funny.
But she didn’t have to do that here, because Bex had adjusted her plans accordingly.
The shower turned on, and Bex aimed the spray at Faith’s back. The steady stream hit her, insistent, and as she started to see some of the color swirl down the drain, her mood dipped. She didn’t want to not be art anymore.
Lowering her head until her chin hit her chest, she took in some deep breaths. The stream of water stopped and Bex moved around until she was standing in front of Faith. She dropped the wand, and it bounced against the tiles, the noise echoing, but Bex didn’t seem to care.
She got down on her knees and looked up at Faith.
“Hey, rainbow girl, what’s the matter?”