“Tiffany never loved me, she loved what she thought I could do for her. We were supposed to be Elmore’s answer to Ben and J-Lo.”
Celina laughed. “We all saw how their relationship turned out. What are we supposed to be?”
He leaned down and kissed her lips softly. “Celina and Darius.”
When the train came to a stop, they got off, holding hands and smiling at each other. Even to the most cynical New Yorker, the love between them was undeniable. Some people passing them on the street smiled at the young couple. “So, what are the well-dressed arm pieces wearing these days?” Darius asked as they passed a new men’s boutique about three blocks from Justin’s. Celina looked up at the store’s marquee and squealed. “That’s my painting,” she said. “Lou used it.” Celina pulled Darius by the arm and they walked in the store.
“Welcome to Legacy,” a tall, dark-skinned sales clerk said when Celina and Darius walked in. “What can I help you find, today?”
“Is Lou here?” Celina asked excitedly. Darius raised his eyebrow, wondering just who in the hell was Lou.
“I’ll go check,” he said as he headed to the back of the store. Darius walked over to a rack of Italian suits, holding his breath and waiting to see “Lou.” Celina walked toward the back of the store. “Celina Hart!” a big voice boomed. Celina hugged Lou tightly, nearly being smothered by the woman’s huge breasts. “Louise Parker. I can’t believe you finally opened this place.”
“Well, I had to find something to do with that painting,” she said as she looked around the store and spotted Darius. “Um, who is that? He is a prime piece of . . .”
“That’s my boyfriend,” Celina said.
Lou’s mouth dropped open. “Your what? I can’t believe it. You’ve actually let a man get close to you.”
Celina shook her head. Lou was one of the first people Celina had met when she moved to Harlem. The two women had moved into the same brownstone. Louise, who was twenty years Celina’s senior, stopped her and told her how much she loved her hair. Celina thanked the woman and proceeded to pick up one of her paintings. Lou stopped dead in her tracks and offered Celina five hundred dollars for it. Celina, at the time, was strapped for cash, and sold the painting. “I’m going to make this painting famous,” Lou had said as she held up the canvas that depicted a man standing at the edge of a lake, looking into the water at the reflection of his ancestors. “I’m going to put this up at my shop.”
Celina had nodded and continued lugging her things up the steps. Lou had reached out and given Celina a hand, telling her that she reminded her of her daughter and, if she ever needed anything, to let her know. Celina had been touched by the older woman’s kindness and the two became fast friends. Over the years, Celina and Lou had lost contact with each other because Celina was off doing her art shows and Lou had opened Legacy in Chelsea, but their bond remained unchanged.
“So,” Lou said, breaking Celina out of her thoughts about their friendship. “This guy, what’s his name?”
“Darius.” Celina smiled when she said his name.
Lou was shocked at Celina and the way she was acting. She clearly remembered Celina saying that she’d never fall in love and that she didn’t need the hassle of it.
“Well, well, the artist has found love. Is he from New York?”
Celina shook her head. “We actually grew up together.”
Lou smiled. “Ah, Southern Comfort. Have you guys moved to New York?”
“I don’t think that’s in the plans,” she said. “Oh, I forgot to tell you! I have a showing tomorrow at Barbara Mathes’s Gallery.”
Lou clasped her hands together and smiled. “I can’t believe this. I’m there,” she said. “So, that’s why you’re here? Mr. Darius needs a suit.” Lou looked at him and smiled. “I must say, you have good taste.”
Darius walked over to the two women, relieved that Lou was a woman and carrying an olive-green Sean John suit with a quarter-length jacket.
Celina reached out and touched the suit. “I like it,” she said.
“Hello, Darius,” Lou said extending her hand to him. “I’m Louise, also known as Lou.”
“She’s my New York mom,” Celina said as the two shook hands.
“It’s nice to meet you,” he said. “Just need to try this on.”
Lou looked at him, then the suit. “Make sure you get a crisp white shirt to go with this. It is going to look great with your skin tone. I know men’s fashion. The fitting room is right through there,” she said, pointing to a pair of ivory curtains. Darius disappeared behind the curtains. A few minutes later he came out, modeling the suit. “What do you think?” he asked as he pulled the jacket open and turned from side to side.
Lou clapped for him as if he were a runway model. “That looks good. It’s yours. If the press talks to you, mention Legacy,” she said with a laugh.
Darius looked at the price tag on the suit. “I can’t buy this,” he said.
“You’re not, I’m giving it to you,” she said. “Alan, get Darius one of those white dress shirts for the suit.” Alan nodded and walked over to a display of shirts, where he picked one.
After Darius got his suit, and Celina and Lou had caught up with one another, the couple headed to Justin’s for lunch. As usual, the trendy restaurant was packed. There was an hour wait for a table. “I’m starving,” Darius said. “Why don’t we go there?” He pointed down the street to an outdoor café. Celina smiled because the place reminded her of Paris. Since The French Bistro had just opened up, there wasn’t a crowd. Celina and Darius took a seat at one of the tables closest to the street.
“I used to eat at a place like this in Paris,” she said as she picked up the colorful menu.
“Are you going back to Paris?” he asked. “I know that was a great opportunity for you. Thomas is doing better . . . you could go back and finish that project and . . .”
“Darius, I’m where I want to be. I thought I made that clear?”
He reached across the table and grabbed her hand. “I just don’t want you to feel like you’re giving up your life to be with me. Watching you and how you move through this city, seeing your name plastered across buildings, I know you’re meant for more than just being in Elmore.”
Celina kissed his hand. “There are planes, trains, and automobiles that can take me anywhere I need to go. Darius, I’m an artist, a free spirit, remember. I love you and I don’t want you to think that I’m doing anything that I don’t want to do.”
“And you’re sure about this?”
Celina nodded. “I’ve never been more sure about anything.” Though she still had her insecurities, she knew that loving Darius was the best thing that had happened to her in a long time. His love was better than Paris, more important than an art gallery opening, and the one thing that had been missing from her life.
They ate their authentic French entrées in silence, only commenting on the taste of the food between bites. After lunch, Celina decided to take Darius back to her place so they could go sightseeing in Harlem. They hopped on the subway, heading back uptown. The ride back was less crowded and Celina and Darius sat side by side. She leaned against him. “I like this,” she said.
“What? Riding the subway?”
“Sharing New York with you.”
Darius fell silent, but finally built up enough courage to ask, “Are you going to move back here?”
“No, we have to open our gallery,” she said. “Darius, I love New York, but it doesn’t compare to you.”
When they returned to Harlem, the last thing Darius wanted to do was walk around sightseeing. His time on the plane and their nonstop movement was catching up with him.
“I need a nap,” he told Celina as they walked up the steps to her brownstone. “I’ve been going all day.”
“All right, well, I need to get some things together for tomorrow. So, you nap and I’ll work.” Celina opened the door to her loft and walked in. Once she and Darius were inside, she pointed him in
the direction of the bedroom. He kissed her on the cheek. “Feel free to wake me up,” he said as he walked into the bedroom. Before Darius could take his shirt off, his cell phone rang.
“Yeah,” he said.
“I see your girlfriend has a gallery opening tomorrow. Wouldn’t it be a shame if something ruined her big night?” Tiffany said.
“Listen to me, Tiffany, leave Celina alone.” Darius tightened his grip around the phone.
“Maybe I will. Darius, how long do you think she’s going to stay with a one-trick pony like you? She has a life in New York that you can’t compare to and when I’m done, she’s not going to want to hear your name,” she said before hanging up the phone. Darius looked up and saw Celina standing in the doorway.
“That was her, wasn’t it?”
Darius nodded. “Celina, don’t worry about Tiffany. I have it under control,” he said as he motioned for Celina to come over to the bed. She sat down beside him.
“Everything would be perfect if she wasn’t sticking her nose where it didn’t belong,” she said angrily. Celina rose to her feet and paced back and forth. “Something has to be done about her. If she’s unstable enough to follow me here, then there’s no telling what she might do.”
Darius reached out to her and wrapped his arms around her waist. “Calm down, baby. Why don’t you join me in bed, I just want to feel you against me,” he said.
Celina kissed his cheek. “I wish I could, but I have so much to do before tomorrow. So, you sleep and I’ll work.” Celina stood up and headed into the living room.
Darius silently prayed that Tiffany wouldn’t make good on her threat and ruin Celina’s opening.
CHAPTER 19
Darius was on edge as the hours before Celina’s showing ticked away. Was Tiffany going to make good on her threat to cause trouble? Why can’t that woman just fall off a subway platform? he thought as he sat on the edge of the bed, watching Celina slip on her Roberto Cavalli gown. The powder-blue and pink gown clung to her body as if she was the inspiration for the design. Darius’s eyes followed her as she walked over to the closet and opened the door. He was surprised at how stylish Celina was. She had names like Prada, Cavalli, Donna Karan, and Dolce in her closet. She had three pairs of Jimmy Choo shoes and a pair of Manolo Blahnik sandals. Those Manolos were the shoes she decided to wear. Celina bent over and picked up the pink sandals. Then she turned to Darius.
“Are you going to watch me or are you going to get dressed?” she asked.
Darius shrugged his shoulders and smiled. “I was enjoying the show and,” he said as he stood up, “trying to figure out how to take this dress off without ripping it.” He encircled her waist and kissed her on the back of her neck.
Celina hit him on the shoulder. “Stop it,” she said. “You’re going to make me late.”
Darius let her go and smiled wickedly. “I’m going to the bathroom,” he said as he headed out of the bedroom. Darius showered and shaved quickly. When he walked out of the bathroom, Celina was adorning her hair with a pink ribbon that matched the pink in her dress. She looked more like a model than an artist.
“Wow,” Darius said.
Celina turned around, getting a full view of him in nothing but a towel. Suddenly, she wasn’t worried about being late. “You’d better get dressed or we’re never going to get out of here,” she said as she picked up her makeup case and headed to the bathroom.
“I bet I’ll be dressed before you put your face on,” he called out as the bathroom door closed behind her. Darius dressed quickly, slipping into his new suit. As he buttoned his shirt, Celina walked out of the bathroom, radiant. “I’m ready,” she announced.
Darius could hardly breathe as he looked at her. “Beautiful,” he said, giving her a long, lingering look. Celina had on a light dusting of foundation and a clear gloss on her lips. The only thing that was missing was a halo.
“Are you ready, Ms. Lady?” Darius asked as he grabbed his jacket. Celina smiled and headed out the door. Darius walked behind her, admiring the view of her shapely behind in her haute couture gown. Once they got outside, they walked a couple of blocks to hail a cab.
“No subway tonight?” Darius ribbed.
Celina raised her eyebrow. “In this dress? I think not,” she said as she raised her arm to hail a cab. A taxi pulled up to the corner immediately and Darius knew why the driver stopped; Celina had power over traffic in that dress. Darius grabbed her hand and kissed it after they were seated in the cab. “How are you feeling?” he asked.
“Nervous. Does it show?”
Darius shook his head. “All I see is beauty.” About fifteen minutes later, the taxi was stopping in front of the gallery. Darius stepped out of the cab, not expecting the sudden flash of cameras. Instinctively, he threw his hand up to shield his eyes from the bright blue flashes. Celina stepped out of the car camera-ready, with a smile plastered on her face. Darius watched her nervousness evaporate under the watchful eye of the media. Reporters swirled around her, asking her questions about the show, her latest work, Paris, and her dress. Celina linked arms with Darius after answering the reporters’ questions and walked into the gallery. “So, this is your life?” Darius whispered through his smile.
“Some days,” she said. “Millicent knows how to create a buzz.” Another flash of light bulbs went off, capturing Celina and Darius on film. Millicent walked over to them, looking like a peacock, in Darius’s opinion, with blue, gold, and green feathers in her hair. Her sequined black dress hugged her reed-thin body so tightly Darius wondered if she could breathe.
She leaned in and kissed Celina on the cheek. “You look amazing,” she said breathlessly. “That dress and this exhibit are going to launch you into the stratosphere.”
“Lofty goals,” Celina said, keeping a plastic smile on her face for the photographers. “Let’s just get through the night and see what happens.”
Millicent led Celina and Darius into the main gallery where all of the paintings were. While a group of reporters cornered Celina and Millicent, Darius wandered around the gallery, looking at his girlfriend’s body of work. He looked up and saw that the main focus of the showing was H2Love. Smiling, he couldn’t help but think about the creation of the painting and how it changed everything between them. That was the day he knew he had to have her in his life and not just for a moment, but forever. Crossing over to it, he smiled as he stared at the image.
“Beautiful, isn’t it?” a woman asked. Darius turned and faced her. “Liza Damien.” She extended her hand to him.
Darius shook her hand and nodded. “Celina is a great artist.”
“And you’re the perfect model,” she said, looking from Darius to the painting. “Ellian, get this shot. Do you have a few minutes to answer some questions?” The cameraman focused his lens on Darius. He looked around for Celina, hoping that she would save him from the reporter and the glare of the spotlight, but she was in another corner with a group of reporters.
“Why not?” Darius said.
Liza smiled and stuck a microphone in his face. “Your name?”
“Darius McRae.”
Liza nodded and told him what station she worked for and to relax and be natural.
“We’re here with Darius McRae, who looks just like the image in Hart’s new painting, H2Love. Darius, are you a model?”
“No, Celina and I are old friends and she asked me to pose for a painting. I had no idea that it would be this popular.”
“Old friends? Well, how does it feel to be immortalized on canvas like this?”
Darius turned his head and looked at the painting again. “Right now, it hasn’t sunk in. Maybe when I’m seventyfive years old with a potbelly, it will.”
“Thank you,” Liza said as she signaled for Ellian to turn the camera off. She shook hands with Darius, then headed over to the other reporters who were interviewing Celina. Darius walked around the showroom looking at the other paintings. When someone tapped him on the shoulder, he thought it was ano
ther reporter. Darius turned around and looked into Tiffany’s face.
“She does have some talent,” she said as she flung her hair back. “Not much, but I guess there isn’t anything else going on tonight and these people will do anything to get free booze and food.”
“Why are you here?” Darius asked.
Tiffany smiled. “I’m here to support a fellow Elmore native. I mean, isn’t that why you posed for this picture?” She pointed to the painting.
“You’re not welcome here and if you don’t leave, I’ll have the police escort you out.”
Tiffany placed her hands on her round hips. “And cause a scene at your beloved’s showing? Darius, you wouldn’t.”
The last thing he wanted to do was mar Celina’s evening, but Tiffany had to go.
“What do you want?” he asked acquiescing.
She turned toward Celina and then back to Darius. “Why her? What does she have that I don’t have?”
“Me. Tiffany, I never promised you anything and I never loved you. I’m sorry that you thought there was something between us when there wasn’t.”
She folded her arms underneath her breasts. “Darius, I was there for you when you were whining about your ex and she comes into town for five minutes and all of a sudden she is the love of your life? That’s not fair.”
“There for me?” he said trying to keep his voice low and even. “Tiffany, you were a rebound screw. I had no intentions of having anything serious with a moneygrubbing gold digger like you.”
Tiffany’s eyes narrowed into tight slits, then she hauled off and slapped him with all the fury inside her. A few people standing near them peered in their direction.
“You will not talk to me like that. I loved you.”
Darius took a step back and exhaled. “Leave,” he snapped.
A gallery security guard walked over to Darius and Tiffany. “Is there a problem over here?” he asked as he looked at the angry scowls on their faces.
Tiffany turned to him and smiled. “No, sir. I was just leaving. I have a plane to catch,” she said, then turned to Darius. “You have to come home and I won’t forget this.”
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