Muse || rom-com au
Title: Muse Bingo space: Romantic Comedy Collab with: Britt Characters: Sienna & Zander Summary – Sienna Vitali is making steps towards her lifelong dream of opening Vitality, her own dance studio, when she concludes that hiring a painter is inevitable. In comes Zander Churchill, a painter who had recently moved to the area to widen his job prospects. As the two spend time together, working side by side, they soon find their once dormant muses speaking to them as their interests—a touch platonic, a touch romantic—intertwine.
When Zander left his business card at the front desk of the building under construction he hadn’t expected to hear anything back so soon with an inquiry. A quote they said. He didn’t quite understand the terminology used at first. What did they want a quote about? And who from? Socrates? A. A. Moore? Maya Angelou? It was only after speaking with his mothers over the phone about his call that they shed light on the fact that someone was interested in his service. It wasn’t exactly ideal, but everyone had to start somewhere.
His mother joked that he was born with a paintbrush in his hands. Art was his way to escape the world and express what his mind wouldn’t release. While he would prefer to be creating murals and adding to galleries, he knew this was to be his first step. Especially since he just moved; having a portfolio on him would help but he knew, sometimes, zigzagging was the only way he’d reach his goal. His dream.
The smell of lemon-scented Pledge hit him full force when he stepped in through the large glass doors of…what was the name of it? He stepped backwards and looked up at the sign that had been constructed. VITALITY. He spotted a few lights sitting beneath the letters. Perhaps whoever owned the placed literally wanted their name in lights? He stepped in through the door once more and looked around. No one at the front desk. No one in sight, really, now that he noticed.
“Hello?” he called out. His voice echoed around the empty front room. The stark white walls helped allow his voice to carry around. He frowned. Certainly he didn’t have the wrong time, he checked three times to be sure to arrive exactly when asked. He called out again. Still nothing. He had barely reached for his phone when he heard muffled music coming somewhere deeper in the building. He progressed further, following the twists and turns as well as the swelling and ebbing strains of the song. He soon found himself in front of a wooden door.
Zander pulled it open, wincing slightly at the onslaught of noise that hit him all at once. But then that tuned out, faded away, as he watched the small yet powerful dancer gliding and floating across the shiny wooden floor. Each shape and fluid movement she made with her body was reflected in the wall of mirrors. And so he stood by, watching and waiting, following her with his eyes as she filled him with awe. It wasn’t until the song had ended that he finally found himself able to shake the strange hold she had on him and knock with the back of his hand on the door.
“Hi—sorry. I was out front. No one heard me. I did not mean to disturb you. But…you had said to meet you here? Or someone did at least.” He closed his eyes, lightly touching the side of his head and put a smile on his face. “Désolé. I am sorry. My name is Zander Churchill. You had called me the other day. About painting?”