Secretly Mine-Chapter 175: A Sudden Surprise

After work, Lucas came to pick me up as he normally did. Though he promised it didn’t affect his work, I knew that he left work early every day so that he could pick me up on time.

"Lucas, just send a driver next time. It’s out of the way for you to come all the way here to pick me up just to turn around and go home," I said as soon as I got into his car.

He smiled brightly and shook his head, "You’re overthinking it. I enjoy coming to pick you up. It gives me a reason to leave the office a little early each day."

I knew that he was just saying that to make me feel better, but my lips still curved up into a big smile.

"I don’t know if I should say ’thank you’ or ’you’re welcome’," I teased.

He glanced over me as he started the car, "Definitely ’you’re welcome’. You’re doing me a big favor."

We both let out a giggle, laughing at each other’s banter.

"I have a small surprise for you today," he said as we drove through the city.

"A surprise?" I looked at him with excitement.

"Mhm. I’ll tell you about it when we get there. Today, we need to focus on finishing our paintings," he said cryptically.

I lifted my eyebrow and nodded.

-

We quickly arrived at Lucas’s house, and I automatically went to my designated guest room to change. I looked forward to these painting lessons more and more each day, especially after seeing the immense progress I’ve been making.

Lucas is a very good teacher.

He was very patient with me, always taking the time to explain even the smallest technique to me to ensure that I understood it.

After changing, I made my way over to the painting room and sat down in front of my canvas. The small farm scene that I’ve been working on this whole time was finally coming to life. All that was left was to add the final details.

"I’m glad to see you’re eager to get started. Soon, you’ll become a famous painter, and when you do, I call dibs on purchasing your paintings!" said Lucas as he walked in with a tray of lemonade and snacks.

I rolled my eyes jokingly, not believing that I would ever be famous. But the last part of his sentence made me laugh. "Oh? But, I’m not sure if you’d be able to afford it! My paintings will be so famous that all of the upper circle will fight for them," I said, laughing.

Lucas grinned before putting on a serious face. "Hmm, you’re right. I’d better start working overtime at my company so that I can secure at least one of your paintings."

We both let out a big laugh before Lucas sat down beside me. His close proximity no longer made me feel nervous; instead, I felt at peace.

"Your scene is truly coming to life, Leslie. It’s wonderful. Let me know if you need any suggestions as you paint. I’ll be working to try and finish my painting here, too," he said.

I nodded, "Thank you." Then I turned to him with a raised brow, "By the way, when are you going to tell me about the surprise?"

Lucas rested his paintbrush and glanced over at me. "Hmm, I think I’ll tell you about it at the end of our painting session. If you want to know about it sooner, then finish your painting sooner!"

"Okay!" I said with excitement. The desire to know the surprise helped motivate me to finish the painting with haste.

Lucas noticed my enthusiasm and chuckled, "Just don’t rush! I wouldn’t want you to make a careless mistake due to your haste."

-

We painted quietly for over an hour. The freshly made lemonade that Lucas made was very refreshing and provided the perfect amount of sweetness to help me power through my painting.

"Lucas! Look, I finished it! What do you think?" I exclaimed happily. The scene I decided to paint was one of a small farm, filled with different kinds of animals.

Lucas glanced over at me before shifting his focus to my painting. He silently looked at it for a while before breaking out into a beautiful smile.

"Your painting contains so much of your personality. Just one look and I can see you in it. Look at how cheerful all of your animals are. Even those ducks in the corner are happily splashing in the water."

I glanced back at my painting, surprised by his evaluation. To me, all of the animals looked normal.

"I don’t see it," I said after looking long and hard. Didn’t ducks normally splash around like that?

Lucas let out a soft chuckle as he looked at my confused face. "Here, let me show you."

He pulled out a small piece of paper and quickly began to paint. "I’ll paint the same scene as those ducks splashing. You’ll see the difference."

I nodded and quietly watched him paint my small duck scene on the piece of paper. It only took him about ten minutes to finish.

"Here, take a look," he said, holding his paper up to the edge of my painting.

The ducks in his painting were beautiful and life-like. I felt like I was looking at a tiny photo instead of a painting. But when I compared it to mine, I finally noticed what Lucas was saying.

For some reason, my ducks looked like they were having fun, joyously splashing around while Lucas’s looked very realistic without that immense sense of joy.

"See what I mean? Your animals are all so full of joy and life. It’s a very special ability to be able to do that. Personally, I think it captures your kind personality perfectly."

I felt my cheeks heat up from his kind words. While I was surprised to see the difference, I still found that his ducks were more beautiful.

"Since you finished your painting, I will tell you about the surprise," he said, looking down at me cheerfully.

I sat up in my seat and eagerly awaited his next words.

"I entered our paintings to be displayed in a gallery show tomorrow evening. So instead of painting clothes, bring something to wear for the event."

"A gallery?! Wait, did you say you entered my painting too?" I asked with surprise. It would make sense for Lucas’s painting to be displayed at a gallery event, but mine was a completely different story.

"Consider it part of your learning. It’s a good experience to go and hear other people’s critiques on your painting. I used to do it often when I was just starting out. I think you’ll be surprised at how many positive comments you’ll receive."

His words ignited a new sense of excitement along with a bit of nervousness. It would be the first time my art would be on display, and I didn’t know what to expect.

Seeing my nervous expression, Lucas gently placed his hand on my arm. "Don’t worry. If you’re nervous, just think of it this way. You don’t have to use your real name. No one will know that it’s your painting. Where do you think L.L. Lewis came from? I had the same concerns."

Lucas’s words quickly calmed me down.

He’s right. I can just pretend that it’s not my painting.

With the nervousness gone, my excitement only grew stronger. I looked up at his shining smile with gratitude.

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