The Genius and the Muse by Elizabeth Hunter Read Free Book Online Page B

him.”
    “I guess,” she said, glancing back at the blue welder.
    “There’s nothing glamorous about breaking your back, you know.”
    “Is that why you’re a sculptor instead of a mechanic?” she asked, remembering some of what Dee had told her about the thirty-six-year-old artist.
    “Well, that and I like to buy the good beer.” He stretched and stood up to grab another. The cigarette dangled from his mouth. “It’s still not what my dad would consider a ‘real job,’ but it’s better than being a surf bum or an actor, you know?”
    She snorted. “Tell me about it.”
    He cocked an eyebrow at her, as if surprised by the bitterness of her tone. “I thought all you Orange County girls liked the surfers.” He smirked as he sat back down at the table. “Or was it an actor who made that pretty little mouth frown?”
    “No one.” Kate gave him a hard look. “It was no one.”
    They sat in silence for a few minutes, their eyes measuring the other across the scarred table. Kate could tell that Javier Lugo knew she wanted something from him, but she had no interest in flattery and had the feeling the man wouldn’t be impressed with it anyway. He didn’t seem to care what she thought of him. Kate realized that she didn’t really care what he thought of her, either. And really, not caring about his opinion felt like a refreshing change.
    Javier leaned back, stretching his stocky legs in front of him as he took another drink. “When I was in school, we were all so incestuous. We always dated other artists. Usually visual artists. Musicians were okay. Dancers weren’t . Strictly speaking, photographers were a little looked down on.” He grinned and winked at her shocked expression.
    She shifted in her seat and rolled her eyes a little. “Well, moving past odd dating trivia, Mr. Lugo—”
    “Oh fuck!” He snorted beer through his nose as Kate dodged the spray, visibly disgusted. “It’s just Javi, all right? Everyone calls me Javi. Even stick-in-the-mud Bradley doesn’t call me Mr. Lugo. My sister would laugh her ass off.”
    “Professor Bradley’s not a ‘stick-in-the-mud.’” Kate defended her advisor.
    Javi looked at her sympathetically. “Yes, he is. Of course he is. But he’s a nice stick-in-the-mud, and that counts for something.” He paused to light another cigarette. “Most importantly, he adores Dee, so that gives him points in my book. Thank God the baby looks like her, though.”
    Kate snickered, but quickly tried to rein back the artist’s wandering narrative. “Did Dee tell you why I wanted to talk to you?”
    “Yeah,” Javi said as he exhaled a long stream of smoke. “Sort of. Seriously, though, I don’t know if anything I tell you is going to help with your thesis. If Dee didn’t ask me, I wouldn’t give you the time of day.”
    “Why doesn’t that surprise me?”
    “What?” He coughed and scratched at the back of his neck. “You think your idol would? Reed’s a bigger asshole than me. And a hermit. He’s just a good-looking one, so people let him get away with it. They call him ‘mercurial’ and ‘enigmatic’ instead of ‘pissy’ and ‘rude.’”
    “You don’t sound like you like him very much.”
    “Of course I like him. He’s one of my best friends.” He took another draw on his Marlboro. “Doesn’t mean I think he’s particularly nice, though.”
    Kate raised her eyebrows in amusement. “So, does Reed O’Connor have any good qualities?”
    Javi looked her in the eye. “He’s brilliant, and he’s not cocky about it. He’s generous—way more than he would ever let on.” He paused to take another swallow of beer. “To the people that matter to him, Reed O’Connor one of the most loyal people you will ever meet. Ever. That’s what made the whole thing so nuts.”
    “What thing?” Kate asked quickly.
    Javi waved a dismissive hand. “Dee says you remind her of Reed. I’ve never seen you work, so I can’t say one way or another, but