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What was on the page was a beautiful, hand-painted ad for coke-a-cola from the 1940s that looked like it was drawn by Norman Rockwell

“Looks like a Rockwell,” I said off-handedly

“It is a Rockwell”

“Oh!”

“And there’s this one,” Chris said

Flipping a few pages back, he revealed a gorgeous ad for Absinthe featuring a beautiful green fairy I could have sas Tinker bell’s big sister

“Beautiful, right?”

I nodded, not quite able to find the right words to express how transcendentally awesoe was Take out the words, and it looked like it could have been hanging in a gallery or illustrating a classic fairy story I loved it and how much Chris see froeous and the beauty and potential he still saw in the version of a Pre-Raphaelite, trying to resurrect the techniques of the old masters No wonder the firm had won so many awards with him at the helm

“Isn’t that illegal here?” I asked

“Absinthe? Yeah, technically, but nobody really cares anymore”

“Would you like to go for a drink?” I continued quickly This was as good of a chance as any

Chris’s eyes widened “Of Absinthe?”

“If you like,” I said, giggling So I hadn’t done since I was about fifteen

“I have to work tonight, but I’ll take a rain check, yeah?”

“O-okay,” I said, feeling my heart break a bit

It was the third time he had declined my invitation I had to wonder if nals he was clearly giving off Or perhaps he really was just that into work He certainly did seee him that I just wouldn’t have minded a bit of that passion for myself as well He made me feel in ways no man had since – well, ever All I wanted was a chance

I left the building trying not to cry I was better than that Though that didn’t stopwet I was frustrated and horny and about to go on a swing shift at the hospital Not my best day ever

Chapter Two

Chris

I called it “The Zone” The seot into when focused on work, every scrap of es it ithin ht out of books and later videos Though I did see completely frustrated, there were still times that I envied Aden for his raw ability — but to be fair, there were few people ere able to draw like our top graphics designer He had a natural attention to detail thatorthat made even more sense when I found out his history in the army