Harlow (Society Girls #7)
Page 18
“Did you take care of yourself while you did all of these paintings?”
“No, he didn’t,” X tells me, walking over to us.
“Thanks for throwing me under the bus.”
“When I came to see you earlier this week, you had paint all over you, you were wearing the same clothes I’d seen you in a few days before, and you were barely standing up.”
“You try and paint all these paintings in less than two weeks, and see how you’re doing.”
“We both know I couldn’t do what you did.”
“Then stop trying to paint me in a bad light.”
“I was just answering my cousin’s question.”
“You like getting under my skin.”
“That’s just a bonus.”
“When did you two become best friends?” I ask, loving this, but also feeling sad that I missed it all happening.
The both shrug, and it’s Bodhi who answers. “It happened gradually over the last two weeks.”
“You can’t even know how happy this makes me, although I feel like you’ll be asking me to take sides, and that’s not going to happen.”
“I gave you a potato buffet!”
“I gave you your boobs!” Bodhi and I both look at X, who backs away. “Too far? Yeah, that was too far. I’m going to walk away now.”
“You are…just…thank you for not giving up on me,” I say to Bodhi, choking back more tears.
“Never.”
He pulls me into his arms, and we stand there in the middle of this room, just holding each other. My eyes are closed, but I can sense people coming near us. “This is your night. You should be mingling, and letting people tell you how much they love your paintings.”
“I’m right where I want to be.”
“I feel bad for monopolizing you.”
“How about we grab you some potatoes, and I’ll take back my tacos, and find us a place to sit. If people want to talk to me, they can come to us.”
“Okay.”
He leads me to the potatoes, and I load up two plates with everything I want. That doesn’t leave me with a free hand to hold his, but he places his palm on the small of my back, moving me to roped off couch near where all of the action is about to take place.
“I thought this was a piece of art,” I tell him with a laugh.
“It is a cool couch, but it’s just for us. I wanted to have a place to sit with you.”
“You thought of everything.”
“I hope so.”
Bodhi
Everything is going even better than expected, and I even have tacos, but I’m still nervous as the auction begins. The bids start coming in, and not surprisingly, the Society women outbid everyone else here for the paintings. They told me they would bid whatever it took to have the paintings of their men, and I should’ve probably just let them buy them outright, but I needed this night for Harlow. The table photos are picked up by a mix of the Society, and the other people here, so at least the public got something tonight.
“The shelter is getting so much money thanks to you. You could’ve just kept the money, but it means so much to me that you didn’t.”
“You know money means nothing to me.”
“I do. Is my surprise next?”
“Yes,” I tell her, leaning over to give her a quick kiss. “I hope you like it.”
“Ladies, and gentlemen, we have one last painting to show you. This work was commissioned and will not be for sale, but the money from the painting was donated to us as well. Bodhi claims it’s his best work, and I have to agree,” Heidi tells the crowd.
“Bodhi?”
“Come on, Low, it’s time to see your surprise.”
I lead her back to the front of the room, where there is now a covered canvas waiting for us. It’s the largest painting I have ever done, and the most important. Heidi hugs me when I approach, and thanks me for all I’ve done, and then the microphone is in my hand once again.
“I first want to thank you all for your generosity. I know the shelter will do great things with the money you’ve donated.” The room erupts into applause as Harlow squeezes my hand. “When I decided to do this show, a good friend of mine said he’d like to commission a painting of a specific subject, and that he’d match whatever was made tonight and donate that to the shelter. I immediately agreed, not just because of the donation, but also because of the subject. It’s this wonderful woman standing here with me tonight. If you’ve seen my other work, you’ll recognize Harlow as my muse, but she’s also the love of my life.” I turn to her, and look her in her eyes, which are watery once again. “X bought this painting of you, for you. I hope you like it.”
I hand off the microphone, and pull the cover off. I look at her again, needing to see her reaction. Her free hand comes up to cover her mouth, and she’s full-on crying right now. I’m a little worried, but then she pulls me to her, and kisses me. My arms go around her waist, and I kiss her back like my life depends on it.
“It’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen,” she tells me between kisses. “I thought the one you did before, and the ones on the walls here were amazing, but this is…I don’t even have a word for it, Bo.”
I know I’m still young, but I could easily say this painting is the best thing I’ll ever paint in my life. I didn’t have Harlow with me to pose, but I remember every second I’ve ever spent with her clearly, and I just let myself be taken over by the paint and canvas. The closest I can come to describing it is to say it’s a Cubist painting, but not exactly following the rules of that style, or any other. It’s also alike, yet different, from the others I’ve done. Where those are just shifted parts, this one is a mix of shapes.
Harlow’s eyes are a diamond, and a heart, her nose is a star, and her mouth is a swirling ocean. Her hair is made of vines, and flowers, flowing down to cover her breasts completely, and her body is all rectangles, circles, triangles, squares, and more hearts tumbling over each other in a riot of color. I only painted her from the breasts up, and while most people wouldn’t recognize her, I know she sees herself, just as I do.
“I put all of my love for you onto that canvas.”
“I know. I see it. It’s beyond anything I could’ve ever imagined. I really get to keep it?”
“Yes. I was hoping we could hang it in the pool house.”
“The pool house?”
“I thought I might move in. Reina said I could modify it however I wanted to. I’m hoping that when you’re ready, you’ll move in there with me.”
“I’m ready.”
“Yeah?”
“Yes, Bodhi. You’re the love of my life, too, and I don’t want to spend any more time than necessary being apart.”
I kiss her again, feeling happier than I ever thought I could be. Sometimes love is easy, and carefree, but I think more often it happens the way ours did, with struggles, and battles to overcome. I don’t know that one is more potent than the other, but I like knowing Harlow and I fought for each other, and won.
Harlow
“Where are we going?” Bodhi asks, noticing that our car isn’t heading for his place or mine after we leave the gallery.
“I have a surprise for you tonight, too.”
When we pull into my old club, I hear him suck in a breath. “The parking lot’s empty. Is it closed?”
“Only for a private party tonight.”
“How many people are going to this party?” he asks, once I unlock the door, and lead him to one of the plush couches.
“Just two.”
“Low?”
“I heard you might have wanted a dance from me here, and I really, really want to give you one.”
“Oh God.”
“Sit tight, and watch the show.”
He nods, and I leave him, cueing up my music and losing my dress and bra. I have a lacy thong, and thigh high stockings on, but I need to change my shoes. I always wore sparkly heels to work, and if this is going to be authentic, I need a pair on my fee
t. I find mine backstage, just where my friend said they’d be. I slip them on, hit the remote for the music, and take the stage.
I told Bodhi I was always dancing for him before, and that was true. Tonight, it’s also literal. I spin on the pole, crawl on the ground, and move my hips for the man I love. Only after I’ve watched his hand slip into his pants, do I walk off the stage to stand in front of him. Tonight, he’s going to get the best lap dance I’ve ever given, and so much more. He’s getting all of me, and I’m taking all of him. The dancer and the artist are going to live happily ever after, because that’s what we’ve worked for, and what we both deserve.
Epilogue
Camari
I’m in hell. Beer, wings, and sports bar hell. Not everyone’s version of a bad time, but for me, it’s pretty much the worst. I’m a wine and salad girl, through and through.
“Isn’t this place great?” my new neighbor, Lennon asks, smiling at me.
I smile back, because he’s not a bad guy, and if I blow my cover, Reina might actually kill me. “Yeah. Thanks for bringing me here with you tonight.”
Lennon’s a 911 operator. He’s been looking a little too closely to all the calls involving the Society, and we can’t have that. After looking into his background, Tegan determined that he wouldn’t be impressed with anything we could offer him, including the truth, so I was sent undercover to distract him. I have to dress in t-shirts and jeans, pretend I like sports, and take him to bed if I’m so inclined.
Rose should’ve been sent, because she actually likes beer, wings, and NASCAR, but I was chosen instead, and I know exactly why. Reina will never admit it, but I’m here because she wants to show me she’s in charge, and that Matt won’t interfere, and stand up for me against her. Even if he did put a ring on my finger, long before he put one on hers.
Acknowledgments
As always, I have to thank Dominique and Gabi for making me proud of the women they’ve grown up to be!
Helen, this is one of my favorite covers, and I want you to know I appreciate you more than you’ll ever know!
To my Friends of the Society group, and all the readers who’ve waited for this story, thanks for being patient with me! I hate letting any of you down, and I hope you think this book was worth the wait!
About the Author
Crystal Perkins has always been a big reader, but she never thought she would write her own book, until she sat down and did it one day. She lives in Las Vegas, where you can find her running author events and selling books at conventions when she isn’t reading, buying too many Sherlock t-shirts online or finding a place to put all of her Pop! figurines. She recently won the Creative Initiatives Award from Romantic Times for encouraging literacy, and she also won the Community Advocate Award from the Clark County School Librarians Association. A mac and cheese connoisseur, she travels the country looking for the perfect version, while attending book conventions and signings as a cover for her research. The Griffin Brothers series, Corrigan & Co., and the Society Girls series are international best sellers, and she’s thankful to the readers who made that happen!
Find her here:
@wondermomlv
crystalperkinsauthor
www.crystalperkinsauthor.com
crystal@crystalperkinsauthor.com