by Tina Michele
Lilly was a very attractive woman in her thirties with long straight black hair. Lee guessed she was likely of Latin descent with deeply tanned skin and a trim but athletic figure. Lee thought she could have been a soccer or basketball player in college. Lilly preferred neatly tailored suits designed for women but in the patterns and fabrics common for menswear. Although she was incredibly attractive and openly lesbian, Lee was not sexually attracted to her. Truth be told, Lee could hardly stand being in the same room as the woman. Yet, Lee’s disinterest did not squelch Lilly’s advances or suggestions of a casual hook-up, as Lee also found her pretentious, high-maintenance, and teeming with all the qualities she avoided in a partner, sexual or otherwise. Lilly was oblivious of Lee as she approached. It seemed that something or someone had her undivided attention. Lee stopped next to Lilly and followed her stare across the room. Lee’s stomach dropped to her knees when she recognized the woman who held Lilly’s gaze.
“Holy shit!” Lee whispered as her heart began to race.
“Holy shit is right!” Lilly said.
“What?” Lee snapped her voice and her eyes at Lilly.
“That delicious little specimen is Ms. Morgan Blake, and we just had a rather lovely exchange over there near that waterfall painting,” Lilly said matter-of-factly while motioning languidly off to the side, never taking her eyes off of Morgan’s figure.
“That “waterfall painting” is a Frederick Church, and I’m not sure you should be referring to my gallery empl—visitors as delicious specimens,” Lee clarified sternly.
“Don’t worry, Lee darling. You’re still the most delicious of them all,” Lilly said as she eyed Lee’s body up and down.
“That’s not…ugh…never mind. Are you ready?” Lee made her way to the door without even making sure that Lilly followed.
*
Morgan exited the elevator on the third floor admin offices. The doors opened to a lushly appointed seating area flanked on opposite sides by two long hallways. A large cherry reception desk was centered with the elevators and a large picture window overlooking the National Mall and Washington Monument. To the left of the desk was a polished cherry door marked with a placard reading Director Dencourt. A young blonde with a welcoming smile looked at her from across the desk.
“Ms. Blake, welcome.” The woman rose and rounded her desk.
“Yes. Are you Alex?” Morgan held out her hand. “It’s great to meet you.”
“Likewise,” Alex said. “How was your drive in?”
“It was surprisingly quick, about three hours. I got here just before eleven, so I got a chance to see the Niagara piece by Church.”
“I love that piece. It may be my favorite in the whole gallery. The way he captured the realism of the falls is inspiring. Sometimes when I look at it, I can imagine I hear the roar of the water.”
“Perfectly said, Ms. Canton,” Morgan enjoyed hearing others speak about art. She was always intrigued by the words they chose to describe different pieces.
“I was thinking that we could start with a tour of the gallery floors, and I’ll show you the Preservation Department and introduce you to Rita Niccolo, the assistant curator, and a few of our collections staff members.”
“Oh, sure.” Morgan assumed that the previous interview was running over and this was a way to buy some time.
*
Lee sat at lunch only half listening to anything Lilly was saying. She thought she was an adequate attorney but had little use for her in general. Even more so after the inconsiderate chauvinism she displayed toward Morgan. Lee wanted to be anywhere else.
“Why so quiet, gorgeous?” Lilly winked.
“Lilly, this is a business meeting. I don’t think such comments are appropriate in this setting.”
“Well, darling, something appears to have crawled up your ass.”
“Nothing is in my ass, and if we’re about through, I really should be getting back to the office.”
“I thought you weren’t working in the office today. I was sort of hoping we could continue our lunch someplace…quieter,” Lilly suggested.
Lee sighed. “Lilly, stop. You’re the corporate attorney. This is a business lunch to discuss the new contract, and even if it weren’t, there would be no reason to be here together or continue it elsewhere.”
This wasn’t the first time Lee expressed her disinterest in Lilly’s sexual advances. She was growing tired of the frequency of the subject.
Lilly swirled her wine. “Lee, I’m attracted to you. We’re both available. What would be the harm in exploring the possibility?”
“I am not available. I have a gallery to run and a major position that needs to be filled. I don’t have the time that a relationship would require.” Lee tried a more sensitive approach.
Lilly laughed. “I wasn’t talking about a relationship. Just some…fun.”
“Ugh,” Lee grunted. Clearly, Lilly wasn’t getting it. Lee raised her hand to the waiter and motioned for the check. She needed to get out of there. After everything settled with Morgan, she was going to have to do something about Lilly.
*
Alex led Morgan through the gallery stopping here and there to introduce Morgan to different people. Morgan was impressed by the comfortable familial atmosphere and everyone that she was introduced to, excluding the assistant curator, Rita Niccolo. She hovered over the back of a chair and watched as another woman feverishly typed into her computer.
“That’s not what I want, Nikki,” Rita said in a curt tone.
Nikki looked up at Rita. “I know, but I thought that we should probably wait until Ms. Dencourt replaces Ms. Turner before we make any major changes. If we change the system now we may have to—”
“Nikki, I understand that’s how Mary did it. But while I’m acting as curator, these are the changes that make the most sense. Plus, I’m the only person here even remotely qualified for the position. So…” Rita tapped her finger onto the sheet of paper Nikki was working from.
Morgan grabbed Alex’s arm and whispered, “It’s okay. She’s busy.” Morgan had no interest in interrupting Rita at such an awkward moment. Morgan would be incredibly annoyed if she were interrupted every hour to be introduced to each and every candidate that came in for an interview. Especially if it was for the same job that she wanted.
Alex looked at Morgan. “You’ll have to meet her eventually.”
Morgan didn’t know why it was necessary for her to meet everyone; she was only interviewing for the position. “I’m sure I will if—”
Before Morgan could fully protest Alex had spoken. “Rita, do you have a moment?”
Rita looked up and put on a smile. She was good. Morgan didn’t even think she had the ability to control her own facial expressions that well. “Hi, Alex. Sure, what’s up?”
“I wanted to introduce you to Ms. Morgan Blake.”
Morgan held out her hand to Rita who shook it firmly. “It’s nice to meet you, Morgan. I’m Rita Niccolo, Acting Curator. Welcome to the Dencourt Gallery.”
Rita’s greeting was kind, and Morgan realized she may have misread the aggression in her earlier tone. “Thank you.”
“So what brings you here today?” Before she gave Morgan a chance to answer, she turned to Alex. “I didn’t know you gave tours, Alex.”
Why, Morgan didn’t know, but Alex’s smile looked forced. It was obvious even to Morgan, and she didn’t know a thing about her. “I don’t. I’m showing Morgan around so she can get a sense of us and how things operate.”
“Ah. I see.” She looked back to Morgan. “Well, things are a little out of sorts with all the changes recently. But don’t worry. Once the dust settles around here, it will be back to normal. At least it will if I have anything to do with it.” Rita looked from Morgan back to Alex and smiled before she looked down at her watch. “Oh! I have a teleconference in five. I really should get going. It was nice to meet you, Morgan.”
“Thanks, Rita,” Alex called after her as she sped from the r
oom.
“She was nice. I’m sure she is incredibly busy doing both her job and the acting one. Everyone here is so kind, definitely not what I’m used to.”
“Oh, well…some of us have better days than others. Right, Nikki?” Nikki looked up over her computer and smiled. After the tour and a snack from the café, Alex and Morgan made their way back to the offices. Morgan was sure that the previous candidate was finished by now. Although Alex did an exceptional job showing her around, the last hour and a half seemed like an eternity and did nothing to soothe the nervousness Morgan carried with her when she arrived.
Alex asked Morgan to have a seat as she gathered some paperwork from her desk and scribbled a few notes on a Post-it pad. When she was finished, she had Morgan follow her down one of the long hallways to an office across from the director’s.
“That last interview went pretty long didn’t it?”
“What was that? Oh no, there wasn’t another interview. The director isn’t here today. Well, she was, but she’ll be gone for the remainder of the day.”
“Excuse me? The director isn’t here? Who is? Am I still doing the interview?” Morgan was suddenly very confused and anxious.
Alex opened the door and motioned for Morgan to enter. “This is the curator’s office. Go ahead and have a seat.”
Morgan moved toward the guest chair.
“Oh no, go ahead and sit at the desk. I’ll sit here,” Alex said as she settled into the chair Morgan was going to sit in.
Morgan stopped and looked at Alex. “What’s going on here?”
“Please have a seat and I’ll explain.” Alex motioned for Morgan to sit.
Morgan sat in the chair behind the desk but didn’t relax. “Okay…I’m sitting.”
“Ms. Blake, you have been selected by the director to be the new head curator for the Dencourt Gallery. This is your office. Ms. Dencourt contacted Monsieur Foillot at the Louvre Museum and obtained your contact information. I was directed to get you here, and frankly, not let you leave until you accepted the position.”
“Wait, so this isn’t really an interview. What you’re saying is that I have the job sight unseen, if I want it?” Morgan attempted to simplify the situation.
“Yes, ma’am. You come very highly recommended by Monsieur Foillot and Madame Dautry. Ms. Dencourt only wants the best for her gallery, and you’re it.”
“I see.” Morgan looked around nervously.
“Ms. Dencourt and the board are prepared to pay you a substantial salary, your relocation costs, as well as first and last month’s lease on an apartment of your choosing.” Alex was pulling out all the stops.
Morgan laughed. “I’m so sorry, but this has to be a joke. The Director of the Dencourt Gallery couldn’t possibly mean to be hiring me. The only experience I have, I got at the Louvre, and it was just an eighteen-month internship. What about Rita? Surely she is more qualified than I am.”
“Ms. Blake, believe me when I say, Ms. Dencourt does not make any decision lightly. In life or with the gallery,” Alex said sternly without acknowledging the comment about Rita.
“I apologize. I didn’t mean to question the director’s integrity or sanity. I’m just very taken aback by this information,” Morgan said with every ounce of sincerity that she had.
“This is a lot of information to process. May I suggest that you go and check into your hotel, sleep on it overnight, and call me in the morning. You know what? Call me by Friday. Go home tomorrow, discuss it with your family and friends, and then let me know,” Alex offered.
“I think that’s a good idea. I could use the time to process all of this. Thank you.”
“I’ll walk you out. Morgan, I just want to say, you won’t regret your decision if you accept,” Alex said sincerely.
Chapter Eleven
Morgan sat at the kitchen table waiting for the moving company to arrive. She had planned on renting a U-Haul and loading it with what little that she had and driving it over herself, but Alex refused to hear of it. Ms. Dencourt had explicitly directed that Alex make all the relocation arrangements regardless of how much or how little Morgan had, and now, as Morgan sat sipping her coffee even with the remnant thoughts of an earlier, exceptionally sensual dream, she felt unusually relaxed.
She allowed her memory to recall the excitement she felt during those final moments of her fantasy. Morgan had erotic dreams occasionally, and most of the time it was a gifted yet faceless lover. This dream had begun no differently, a mysterious woman touching her, pleasing her, and bringing her to the brink of ecstasy. Yet, unlike those dreams, this time the mysterious lover had a name and it was Lee.
Morgan thought about Lee often. She wondered if she was okay. She thought about the time they spent together and the way Lee ignited Morgan’s desire. However, those thoughts commonly ended with anger that Morgan couldn’t prevent herself from feeling. For the life of her, Morgan could not figure out why Lee just left her waiting. No call. No note. It wasn’t as if she had any way of contacting her. Maybe Lee was involved. Maybe the unexpected closeness that developed between them that night had resulted in a guilt-ridden need to flee? It was the only logical and rational explanation that Morgan could think of. And in spite of such rationale, it didn’t help to assuage those feelings of anger. Lee had seemed so different, so mature, compared to the girl she had been in college. Though now it seemed that Lee was still the same libertine she had always been.
As time went by, the anger she had for Lee began to turn into an anger for herself for letting a stranger sweep her off her feet and drop her right on her ass. She blamed herself, and just like all the times before, this time ended the same and now Morgan was irritated. As she sat reveling in her self-pity, she heard a horn honk and her father came in the door from the porch and announced that the moving van had arrived.
“Ugh. Well, here’s to the future,” she said as she drained the last of the coffee in her mug and then placed it in the sink before she headed out the door.
*
“Alex, do you have a moment?” Lee shouted from her office.
“If I come in there, it had better not be to give you another status update on Ms. Blake,” Alex said as she walked from her desk to Lee’s office.
“It’s not. Actually, I need you to reschedule a few appointments for me. I’m going to the country house to see Mother this weekend, and I probably won’t make it back until Tuesday.”
“Tuesday? Ms. Blake starts Monday morning. You aren’t going to be here to welcome her?” Alex asked a little too snappily.
“Excuse me?”
“I apologize for that.” Alex eyed her sheepishly. “It’s just a little strange that you keep asking me for updates but won’t even be here when she starts her first day. I mean, what you went through to get her here.”
“Ms. Canton,” Lee was irritated by being chastised by her. “There is nothing strange about it. I’ll be here on Tuesday. Please see that these meetings are rescheduled accordingly.” Lee handed Alex a sheet of paper.
“Yes, ma’am.” Alex lowered her eyes and took the paper.
As Alex turned to leave, Lee stopped her. “Alex, wait, I’m sorry. You didn’t deserve that. My attitude is uncalled for. I’m just a little edgy with all these new changes.” Lee was feeling apprehensive, and it always manifested itself with shortened nerves that resulted in uncontrollable lashing out. She despised allowing her emotions free rein of her senses.
“I know. I was just trying to lighten things up. I pushed it too far. I apologize. You have a good weekend, Lee. Enjoy it. Everything will be fine. I really like Ms. Blake. She’ll do great.”
“I think you’re right. If we get past the first week, we’re golden.” Lee thought to herself, hell, if we get past the first day it will be a miracle.
“Oh, hey! I forgot to ask you how Rita took the news this morning.”
Lee knew that Alex had heard the entire conversation from her desk so there was no need to go into gory detail. “That one may take l
onger than a week.”
*
Morgan spent all day Saturday unpacking and putting everything in its new place. She took a short break as she watched the assemblers put together the new furniture that her parents had bought her for the living room and dining room. She used the time to make a list of things that she needed from the store. At the rate things were coming together, her apartment would be set up and ready for guests by Sunday afternoon. Unfortunately, she didn’t know a soul in D.C., but if she did, she could welcome them in without hesitation.
Once the assemblers finished and Morgan showed them out, she decided she’d done enough for the day. She sat on the new sofa and looked around the room. She was going to love living here for as long as everything worked out. Although she was excited to start this chapter of her life, Morgan couldn’t shake a strange and slightly ominous feeling that something was going to ruin everything. She had no idea what could be giving her the feeling, but since the day she accepted the position, she couldn’t seem to make it go away. Regardless, Morgan refused to let it deter her from doing what she knew how to do and doing it with every ounce of ability she possessed. One of the reasons Morgan chose this apartment was because of how close it was to everything she would need, and right at that moment, she needed to eat.
She changed out of her grungy house clothes and into a pair of jeans, a T-shirt, and sneakers and walked down to the market. She figured she would pick up a few essentials and something quick for dinner. Plus, it wouldn’t hurt to take a look around the neighborhood and acclimate herself to the area.
It was just before five and there were still a good number of people out and about. The area was a mixture of homes, businesses, and museums, including the Dencourt, which was only two blocks away. Her apartment was in one of the busiest areas of the city, yet it was as comfortable as a house in the suburbs. Just outside her front door were Lafayette Park and the White House. Morgan thought it quite surreal to live practically in the president’s front yard. She stopped and watched as some people jogged, some walked their dogs, and others played with children in the open fields. It reminded her a little of Paris, and that made her smile.