Page 9 of Archer
I expected skepticism. Goddess knew I’d seen it time and again when someone who loved sound healing dragged their significant other in for the first time or one of their friends, but instead, I merely sensed curiosity.
“I think I’d rather sit up and watch you, if you don’t mind.”
My pulse fluttered under his regard, and I went back to the pillow I’d been sitting on and sank down. Seven crystal singing bowls were in a half-moon shape from my right, around the front of me, and stopping on my left. “So, this is one form of sound healing. These bowls represent the seven chakras.”
Because I really enjoyed bright pretty things, I’d bought a set that was color-coded with the chakra it represented. Pointing at each one in turn with my mallet, I ran through them for Archer. “The red is for the root chakra, orange for the sacral chakra, yellow for the solar plexus chakra, green for the heart chakra,light blue for the throat chakra, indigo for the third eye chakra, and violet for the crown chakra.”
He held up his hand. “I’m afraid you lost me already, Crispin. I have no idea what a chakra is.” I opened my mouth to explain, but he shook his head. “You don’t have to tell me right now. I’d like to hear you play now that there isn’t a glass barrier.”
Hoping thatright nowmeant he’d be visiting me again, I grinned happily, hope swirling in my belly. I had Archer in my studio. This was shaping up to be a fantastic day. “Okay. Then you position yourself however you’re comfortable.”
Wanting to make this as good for Archer as possible, I inhaled deeply, centering myself. This wasn’t at all about impressing the intriguing man who I’d been lusting after forever but wanting him to experience a little of why I wanted to devote my life to yoga and sound healing and every other alternate forms of wellness that I’d been exposed to.
Since I often saw Archer with a camera bag slung over his shoulder or the back of the barstool, I decided to focus on his sacral chakra for creativity, the third eye chakra for intuition, and the root chakra for grounding. It felt right, and since this was unplanned, and who knew how long Archer would really sit with me, I went for it. Picking up the other mallet so I had one in each hand, I tapped the side of each bowl, and then concentrated on the ones I’d chosen for this session.
Archer’s laser focus on me became unnerving, so I dropped my eyes, flooding the room with sound. I swayed along as I rimmedthe sides of two bowls at a time. After several minutes, I lifted my gaze back up to check in with him and see how he was handling it and was surprised to find him with a camera aimed at me, clicking away.
Where had that come from?
My right hand hesitated, making a skip on the side of the sacral bowl, which he noticed, and he lowered his camera enough to wink at me.Oh my.He tipped his chin up like I should continue, so I did.
It was harder to get lost in the music this time knowing he had a camera, so I ducked my chin just enough to peek at him from under my lashes. Once he put his camera down, his legs fell flat to the ground, and he spread his arms out behind him, planting them right outside of the mat. He still didn’t lay down, but he closed his eyes and rested his head back on his neck. He’d finally let the music ensnare him, and I was thrilled. It might not end up being his thing, but from the way his body relaxed, I knew he at least wouldn’t think I was lame for being so in love with what I did.
Since I didn’t know what he had on his schedule for the day, and I’d be starting a class soon, I tapered off, letting the room fall into silence. Archer raised his head slowly and smiled at me gently. “That was beautiful, Crispin. Thank you for sharing that with me,” he said softly.
“Thank you for coming in and giving it a chance. I know a lot of people think this stuff is woo-woo or something.” My father’svoice echoed in my head, and for a moment, I regretted inviting Archer in.
He flicked a dismissive hand. “Then those aren’t your people. Forget them.” He lifted the camera at his side. “I got some great shots of you while you were swept away.” I felt my cheeks heat. When I led a session, I stayed in tune with the members of my class, but I’d felt self-conscious enough with him that I’d looked away, and then I’d let the pull of the energy in the room take me over.
“Hey,” he said. “Don’t be embarrassed. I enjoyed your passion so much that I felt moved to take them. You should put a few on your website. In fact”—he stood up—“why don’t I take some more pictures of the rest of the place?”
“Uh…” While his offer was kind, it was unnecessary.
“Don’t worry. I’m not going to charge you. You gave me a free show. Let me return the favor.”
“It’s not that I don’t appreciate it, and it isn’t about the money.” Except for the fact that if I needed shots of the studio, it would totally be about the money. “But we don’t have a website.”
Archer, who’d had his camera aimed at the Tree of Life on the wall, stopped and turned back to me. “Excuse me?”
I rose to my feet in one graceful, fluid motion, hoping he noticed, as I admitted, “We don’t have a website. We have anInstagramaccount, but Aziza, that’s the owner—well, no, she was theowner, but now I’m buying the studio from her. She said the business grew just fine by word of mouth, and the website was an unnecessary expense.” I shrugged. “She’s the one who’s had a successful yoga studio for twenty years, so…”
Archer slow-blinked, then gave his head a little shake like he couldn’t believe his ears. I bit my lip to keep from pouting. Why was he looking at me like that? He cleared his throat. “I see.”
What did that mean? “Is it bad I don’t have a website?” If he said yes, I would cry. I wasn’t sure where I’d find more hours in the day to figure out how to build a website. I mean, I had a college degree, so surely it couldn’t be that complicated. But goddess, I didn’t want another thing on my plate.
He came toward me, stopping right outside of my personal bubble. Which, normally I preferred that from a near stranger, but I wouldn’t have minded him moving a little closer. “I’ll tell you what. I’m going to take a few more shots and develop all of them. If I end up with anything spectacular, I’ll come show you. Sound good?”
Eek. He’d be back. Yep, it really was shaping up to be an incredible day. “Yes, please.”
He shook his head slightly, but this time, his expression looked more like he was fond.Of me?He gripped my hand gently, tugged it a little, then turned away. What the hell did that mean? And was it too much to ask him for an exact day and time that he’d be back? Too needy? Too much too soon? I sure hoped that this was the beginning of a little something-something and nothim being a helpful neighbor. Life had been way tougher lately than I’d let on to anyone, and I sure could use a man like Archer.
Chapter 5
Archer
I’d spent the day shooting pictures of antiques for a local store’s online catalog. They’d recently acquired a large collection of Wedgewood pottery, and they wanted to make sure they showcased them properly. Not the most exciting job, but it paid well. The pottery was stunning, and they’d given me creative license with how the items were displayed, so it hadn’t been all bad. I’d had the opportunity to play with the lighting and object placement to get the most flattering result, and that was what I tried to do with my art as well.
It had taken me most of the day to complete the shoot, and now I wanted a nice glass of whiskey and then maybe a bath. One of the things I loved most about my condo was the amazing bathroom that had a large shower and a jacuzzi tub. Hitch had wanted thisplace to be trendy and a little bit extravagant while retaining the charm of an old hotel, and I thought he’d done a fabulous job.