MY TOES TAPPED incessantly, and my eyes scanned the enormous room. A clicking sound echoed behind me with every step forward as my high-heels slapped against the chipped hardwood. I swear I made sweat trails behind me.

There was a perfect amount of wall space, but every surface required a fresh paint job. Even the hardwood needed pried up and refurbished. I'm sure the cobwebs on the ceiling housed a colony of spiders I did not want to purchase with the building. However, the sunshine from the skylight made up for the nagging reminder this entire place required a 100-person renovation.

I snapped a couple of photos for Elijah before the realtor turned around and asked, "So, what do you think?" Her face fell when our eyes locked. "Oh, you look frightened."

I snorted. "Frightened isn't the right word, and I'm just overwhelmed thinking about all the fixing up I'll have to do if I get this place."

"I get it." She threw her hands up, her stacks of papers tucked underneath her arm. "But you don't come across a place like this Charleston very often."

"I know. Do I have to put down a deposit today?"

She leaned against the industrial beam spanning from the floor to the ceiling. "Well, you are lucky because this building is not in high demand here, so there aren't many bidders. However, I will advise you since it's listed at such a great price, I would not recommend waiting too long. Someone could always purchase it and tear it down."

I nodded.

After looking around a couple of minutes more, we said our goodbyes and I told the realtor I would get in contact with her soon. When I slid into my car in the sweltering summer heat, I cranked my air conditioning and called Elijah.

"Hi, baby," he answered on the second ring. "Ah! Remember, bats stay at our sides!"

"Are your kiddos acting up again?" I laughed, wiping the sweat from my forehead and putting my car in reverse.

"I think it's from the heat. They just don't want to be at practice." His voice quieted as he added, "And neither do I."

"I think I'm gonna sleep in my car tonight with the AC on. Do you wanna join?"

"Can't we just sleep naked like we have been?"

My cheeks burned at the image. Elijah and I were under the flat sheet, the damp covers beneath us while our tangled bodies stuck together.

Thanks to our broken air conditioning unit, no matter how sweaty we were this past week, he still woke me with gentle kisses and his hand between my thighs. The rising sun would slowly pour through the blinds, and our morning ended with him carrying me into the cool shower, still writhing with pleasure.

If having broken air conditioning meant waking up like that every morning, I would keep it. But knowing Elijah, the state of our air conditioner did not matter in that aspect.

"Earth to Van Gogh." Elijah sang into the phone.

"Sorry, I was merging."

"Mmhm, sure." His teasing tone was evident. "Did you like the building?"

"It needs a lot of work, and I don't know where we'll get the money for it."

"Don't worry about the money, Sade. Can you picture yourself having a gallery there?"

"Yeah, I can."

"Then we will figure it out."

His reassurance made my shoulders sag. I told him I would see him after he was done coaching the little league practice, and we hung up. When I returned to our house, I removed my heels (knocking two inches off my height) and changed into comfy clothes.

Our two-bedroom tiny condo in Charleston felt like a warm hug.

It had a pink door, white paneling, black shutters, and a large willow tree in the front yard.

We kept the oversized bedroom for ourselves, even though our mattress took up most of the space. In contrast, the second bedroom—which could've been a guest room for our family or friends—became our studio.

Our desks were on opposite sides of the room, so our backs faced one another when we were working. Most of our paychecks had gone to the art supplies filling every shelf, but I made a good amount back selling art pieces. As did Eli coaching a little league team when he wasn't studying architecture.

But my newfound dream was owning an art gallery, and the catch was it cost way more than our art supplies.

I sat down at my easel and continued working on a recent commission. The breeze from the window was hot and barely did anything to dry my damp skin, so I peeled my tee-shirt off (leaving me in my bra) and tossed it aside.

When the golden sun rays turned a dull orange glow, the front door opened. "Undressing already?"

I swiveled in my chair to find Elijah standing in the doorway. He was dirty from coaching practice, and his forehead gleamed with sweat, yet he still looked as handsome as ever.

"Have a good day with the kids?"

His shoulders bounced. "You could say so. They were quite rambunctious today."

"I don't blame them. Their coach made them practice in this heat." I made a face at him. "It's too hot in here."

"I keep calling about the AC unit, but maintenance is taking their grand old time."

"What's new. We'll just need a cold shower before bed."

Elijah walked toward me. His calloused fingers brushed my hair from my shoulders and kissed my open neck. His touch made my lids flutter shut, and I dug my fingers into his hips. Nothing was better than coming home to him after a long day.

"A cold shower and food. You can stay here, but I'm going to cook dinner tonight."

A smile tickled my lips. "You are?"

He winked at me before leaving for the kitchen. When I stood to help, he told me to sit back down and continue painting. Somewhere in between, he brought me a hearty glass of wine. If one thing was certain, an empty belly, sweltering heat, and alcohol do not mix. When the scent of steak filled the apartment, I found my legs carrying me into the kitchen and plopping myself on an island stool to watch him cook.

I poured myself a second glass. "You're still sweating," I said, despite our wide-open patio doors.

"The stove is hot."

"I can help you." I met him on the other side of the counter.

The sizzling steaks and hot flames wafted toward me as I took the tongs from Eli's hands and set them down. Dizzy and giggly from the alcohol, I hooked my fingers under his tee-shirt and yanked it over his head, standing on my tip-toes to reach.

"Sade," his voice lowered. "You look like you're sweating too, and I don't think those pants are helping."

I looked down at my shorts. "You're right."

He grinned before crouching down and tugging my shorts off of my body. Suddenly, he was on his knees, looking up at me as I held onto his shoulder and stepped out of my pants. I was left in my bra and underwear. A giggle escaped my throat when he kissed my navel.

"The steaks," I said.

Without looking, he turned the knob to the stove until the flames dwindled.

In one swift motion, he picked me up and set me onto the chilly granite that felt good against my hot skin. He stood between my legs, and my heart fluttered as if this was the first time he had put me on this countertop.

He pulled my hips closer so my bottom hung off the edge and used the front of his body to keep me from falling. His hand was firm on the small of my back, and he rocked his hips against mine.

With darkened eyes, he dragged his thumb across my bottom lip, and I opened my mouth to touch the tip of my tongue to the pad of his finger. He closed the space between our lips and moaned against my mouth.

He kissed me slowly.

His thumb rested on the base of my jaw. Our heads impulsively tilted opposite ways to deepen the kiss. While his tongue moved in lilting strokes, his thumb trailed back and forth, caressing my skin.

I recalled the different places we ended up making love in the apartment when we first moved in, especially since this was the first home we had to ourselves. If it was a competition, we won the 'most places to have sex in a one-thousand square foot condo' trophy.

Our steaks were practically rare, and our potatoes were burnt when we finally sat on the patio to eat. We did not care, though, because we were tipsy off the summer night, wine, and each other.

"How is your final project coming along?"

He did not look at me as he answered, "It is good. I have to go into the studio tomorrow to finish, and then I'll rush back here, and we pack for this weekend."

I beamed. "Oh, I'm so excited to see everyone and watch Jayce play."

Jayce invited all of us to his big major league game, which was supposed to be sold out and packed with people. It was challenging to get everyone back together since we all went in different directions and had jobs.

Even though I talked with Reva on the phone almost every other day, it did not make up for not seeing her in person. She was always bound to be an artist in New York, which was precisely where she lived with Penelope.

But I missed our movie nights and ice-cream cuddle sessions.

I spoke with Iya and Lucy here and there, but ever since Lucy and Jayce broke up, it was challenging to get the group back together without one of them rain-checking. And catching Aiden and Brant before they traveled across the country for a baseball game was near impossible.

However, by the universe's grace, our schedules lined up for once, and we would all be spending time together this weekend.

WHEN ELIJAH AND I finished putting our bags in the back seat of his car the next day, he opened the door for me to climb inside, and we began our drive down the coast. When I noticed he had not set a GPS, my brows furrowed.

The more I focused on the passing scenery, the more I realized we were headed in the opposite direction of the airport.

"Elijah, where are we going?"

"Hmm?"

"The airport is the opposite way."

"Oh, my bad," he said but continued in the wrong direction.

I sank into the seat as the coastal wind blew my hair awry. I watched the passing ocean to my right while glancing at my awfully quiet boyfriend on my left, whose finger drummed to the beat of Frank Ocean's Godspeed.

He made a sharp right turn ten minutes into our drive and pulled into a grassy patch. I was beyond confused, staring at the surrounding shops—which we had come to many times—that fit the nautical theme of the small town. Pale blue, white, and beige buildings with bright splashes of yellow and red. The wood was weathered, but it felt purposeful.

"Why'd you stop?"

"Follow me." He climbed out of the car and hurried toward the trunk. As my foot touched the grass, he told me to walk in the opposite direction. My heart thumped wildly against my chest because I only wanted to turn around and look at him.

"Okay, stop right there," he said, and I stopped in the center of the grassy patch. "Turn around."

When I turned, he was standing between the headlights of his car, and the pink and white sky was his backdrop. He held a scale model, the one he had been working on in his last year of architecture school.

Slowly, he ambled forward until we stood inches apart.

"What is all of this?"

"It's your art gallery."

My heart stopped. "What are you talking about?"

"My final project was designing your gallery." He motioned around us. "This is where it will be, and it's ours."

"Eli." Tears welled in my eyes, and he smiled. The moment I looked down into the miniature scale art gallery he designed for me, I covered my mouth at the sight of the small velvet box.

"Sadie Lane Garner." Nervousness caressed his face as he bent down onto one knee. Oh, my God. "No words can express how happy I was for that home run into the art studio all those years ago. I promise I won't break the windows to our future gallery."

I laughed, but it was a sob.

"I love you more than you know, and I would like to spend the rest of my life creating art with you. Will you marry me?"

He opened the box to reveal the beautiful ring, and it took a moment to choke out yes, but I did one hundred times. He set the model of our future business and opened his arms wide enough for me to fall into. He slid the ring onto my finger.

"What about all of the other buildings I toured?"

"Those were diversions. The realtor was in on the plan the entire time."

I could not help laughing. "Oh my God. I can't believe this."

"I have one more surprise."

My hands covered my eyes, and I shook my head. "I don't think I can take any else."

"Our friends are waiting to celebrate with us, so we have to get going, but I will tell you everything in the car." He held his hand out for me to take and pulled me up off my knees.

When we were back on the road, I watched the grassy lot where our gallery would be, fade behind us as Elijah told me all his plans for our future.

I watched my fiancé with a smile because it was evident he had found the art within himself over these years, and I loved watching him glow.

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