Secretly Mine-Chapter 177: Modeling

Lucas’s words shifted something deep inside of me. I looked back up at the unfinished painting, finding it hard to believe that he would want to paint me. But from the many messy and unfinished brush strokes, I could tell that he’s been putting every ounce of effort into this.

As he looked at me, he fidgeted with his hands. "Please forgive me, Leslie. I know I should have asked if I could paint you. I...I just wasn’t sure how you would take it. I also couldn’t fight my strong desire to capture such beauty on a canvas."

A number of strange emotions welled up inside of me. If it were anyone other than Lucas, I think I would have felt strange about this. But for some reason, looking at the portrait gave me a sense of excitement.

I was honored to have Lucas paint a portrait of me.

From his body language, I could tell that he was nervously waiting for my reply.

"So what’s preventing you from finishing it? Is there anything I could do to help you?" I asked as I turned to smile at him.

Lucas melted like an ice berg in spring. His still body relaxed, and a bright smile appeared on his face.

"Are you saying that you’re okay with me continuing to paint it? I was ready to throw it away if you said you didn’t agree," he said softly.

My smile widened. This was just like Lucas, always taking my feelings into consideration to ensure that I was comfortable. "Yes, I’m okay with you painting it. In fact, I’m a bit excited for it."

I walked over and stood right in front of the canvas that was taller than I was. "I’ve never had anyone paint a portrait of me before. It’s a bit whimsical."

Lucas walked over and stood beside me. "I’m very happy to hear that, but I’m not sure how well I can do. Unless you modeled for me, I’m unsure if I would be able to capture your essence in the painting...It’s what I’ve been struggling with for many weeks now."

His downcast eyes made me want to reach out and give him a hug. "Then let me model for you. I don’t really know how to pose well, but I do know how to sit still."

Sitting still was considered one of the basics of etiquette, and I had that ingrained in me ever since I was a young child.

"You’d be willing to do that for me?" He asked with wide eyes.

I’ve never seen him so surprised before, and his expression alone made me break out into a small giggle.

"Yes, of course. Just tell me what I need to do, and I’ll be your model!" I reaffirmed.

Lucas reached down and boldly grabbed both of my hands, holding them tightly. "Thank you! Thank you so much, Leslie! I will do my best to make sure it’s as perfect as possible."

His enthusiasm made me break out into joyous laughter. This was yet another thing to look forward to.

-

After discussing modeling a little more, we decided to start right away. Tomorrow’s lesson will be spent at the gallery, so the day after would be when I would begin to model for Lucas. Half of my lesson would be spent painting, while the other half would be spent modeling for Lucas.

"Come, let’s head downstairs. I originally came up to call you down for dinner. I hope that the food hasn’t gotten cold," he finally said, remembering his purpose of coming up here.

I nodded and followed him downstairs to his beautiful formal dining room. The décor reminded me of an English Manor, except for the large, floor-to-ceiling windows.

The table was already set, and a few hot dishes of delicious-looking pasta were placed in the center of the table.

"Oh, wow! Lucas! You really outdid yourself! This looks amazing!" I said as I walked over to the table.

Lucas walked over and pulled out the chair for me. "Thank you. Looking good is one thing, let’s just hope the taste is okay."

"I’m sure it’s as delicious as it looks," I smiled as I sat down.

Lucas took a seat opposite me and popped a bottle of wine open. "I’ve never been much of a drinker, but I hear that a glass of red wine with pasta is essential."

"I think it will pair perfectly with the tomato-based sauce," I said with a smile.

I waited for Lucas to pour me a glass before digging in, and when I did, I was pleasantly surprised! While the dish overall didn’t have the full-bodied flavor of similar pasta dishes found in a restaurant, Lucas’s dishes were full of home-cooked comfort.

"Lucas, this is delicious! You did very well!" I said, praising him after my first bite.

He smiled at me gratefully, "Thank you, but I feel like I could have simmered the sauce a bit longer. Maybe more seasoning?" freewёbnoνel-com

"No, it’s great. Thank you," I shook my head. We continued to eat in silence for a few minutes until I looked up at him again. "I’m actually really excited for the gallery show tomorrow. I thought about it a bit more, and I think it would be nice to hear others’ opinions about my painting."

"Oh? Good. There’s nothing to be nervous about. People who attend these kinds of events tend to be mature and respectful. If a painting doesn’t catch their eye, they won’t make a spectacle of it," he said reassuringly.

"What sort of dress code is it? I’ve only ever been to charity balls and art auctions. This will be my first gallery show."

"It’s usually semi-formal, so something like a cocktail dress should be perfect. There’s no restriction on colors," he explained.

-

After dinner, I helped Lucas bring the dishes to the kitchen before he drove me home.

"I’ll see you tomorrow," he said as he parked the car in front of my house.

I flashed him a bright smile, "See you tomorrow!" before stepping out of the car.

As I entered, I found my mother waiting for me in the living room. She was casually sipping her herbal tea as she flipped through a magazine.

"You’re home. Good."

She closed the magazine and turned to look at me, inspecting me closely. This was something she did every evening as I returned home, so I wasn’t bothered by it.

"How was today’s lesson? You didn’t embarrass yourself, did you?"

"No, Mother," I replied calmly. "Tomorrow we are going to attend a gallery event. I was told to bring a dress."

She placed her cup of tea on the coffee table in front of her. "I see. Make sure to choose a dark colored dress. Knee length should be fine. Gallery showings are usually semi-formal."

I nodded, "I understand."

"Remember to maintain your image. There will most likely be many people from the upper circle. Don’t make a fool of yourself."

After saying her piece, she turned her focus back to the magazine in front of her, ignoring me as if I weren’t in the room. I quietly exited the living room and walked down the hall to my room. I tried to mentally sort through my closet to see which dress I should choose, but there were so many that I knew I had to look through my closet myself.