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I wish he would look at me the way that he looks at his subjects Because then he’d see there’s more to me than shy, just like I see there’s ain – as if he could hearrows concerned, and I frown Josh nods towards the table His sketchbook is already before ed with confusion
His book is still open to the work in progress A thrill runs through e, Abe’s face stares with boredos in his septum, eyebrows and ears seee, Josh has perfectly captured the entle frowns
I touch a corner, one without ink, oh so lightly To prove to myself that thisIs the whole thing filled with portraits like this?"
Josh closes the sketchbook and slides it back towards hies are thick with use On the cover is a blue sticker shaped like Ale word has been handwritten across it: WELCOME I don’t knohat that ives me another smile "It’s for whatever, but yeah Mainly portraits"
"And you’re allowed to do that?"
His brow creases "Do what?"
"Like, you don’t need their permission?"
"To draw the these for anything special This isn’t even es"
"Do you do this a lot? Draw strangers?"
"Sure" He reaches for his coffee cup with an index finger There’s a splotch of black ink near his nail "To be good at anything you have to practise"
"Do you wanna practise on me?" I ask
Pink blossoms across Josh’s cheeks as Abe slaps doo dishes "Chicken broth and cheesecake," Abe says to me "That’s all we had"
"Merci," I say
"De nada" Abe rolls his eyes and walks away
"What’s with that guy?" I ask, shovelling in the cheesecake "Ohh a full mouth "Youwannabite?"
"Uh No, thanks" Josh see the rest
"So you live close by?" he asks, after a few moments
I so minutes away"
"Me too Ten minutes"
I ht?"
"That’s cool" I glug od This is incredible"
He watches me quietly for another minute "So…you were serious? You wouldn’t mind if I sketched you?"
"Yeah, I’d love that" I love youuuuuuuuu "What should I do?"
"Don’t worry about it Just keep doing what you’re doing"
"Ha! You’ll drawDo Ior a horse?"
Josh shakes his head in ae and looks up His eyes lock on to mine I’m dumbstruck
Hazel