"I'll just have a glass of your house white."
She started to pull out her wallet but Syndee stayed her hand and threw some cash on the bar. “S’on me."
As they waited for their drinks, Kelly asked her if she'd ever had a show.
"Oh, just a small one Greta put on last year," she said as she scanned the room. "It wasn't just me, though. A bunch of the gallery folks were in it, so...whatever."
Her shrug betrayed the bitterness she felt, and Kelly was suddenly uncomfortable. Here she was a newcomer to the gallery and Greta wanted to give her a solo show, while Syndee had been there for who-knows-how-long and had yet to be featured.
The drinks finally arrived and Syndee shot hers. She pulled her phone out of one of the overalls’ many pockets and chuffed. "Shit. Hey, I'm really sorry, but I gotta run. Catch ya tomorrow, kay?"
Without a glance at Kelly, who hadn't so much as put her drink to her lips, she bolted out the door. Slackjawed at her sudden abandonment, Kelly swiveled around to the bar.
"Well, I guess it's just you and me," she muttered quietly to her drink.
"Excuse me?" a woman's voice said next to her.
"Oh! I'm sorry, I was just talking to my wine." She laughed as she looked over at the woman. "My friend just deserted me."
"Lucky you," the woman smirked. "Apparently I've been stood up for a blind date."
"Ouch! Who would stand you up? You're gorgeous."
"From your mouth to the ears of the asshole who stood me up!"
They laughed companionably.
"I'm Beth." She held out a manicured hand to Kelly.
"Kelly. Nice to meet you, Beth."
"So what'd you do to piss off your colorful friend?"
Kelly laughed again. She liked this woman. "I have no idea. She ordered her drink, slammed it down and then took off. Some emergency or something, I guess."
"Hey, Lizzy, what can I get you?" The studly bartender seemed to be talking to the woman.
She smiled gently at him. "I'm sorry, but you must have me mistaken for someone else. My name's Beth, and I'd like a vodka martini, please."
She turned back to Kelly and rolled her eyes. "I get that all the time. I must have a twin somewhere in this city. God! Wouldn't that make life so much easier? Need to break up with a guy? Send your twin. Terrible at job interviews? Send your twin."
"Need to castrate a blind date who stood you up? Send your twin!"
They busted up over that one. As soon as the bartender set down Beth's drink, she suggested they move to a booth. The next two hours were spent giggling over drinks and silly jokes.
"So you said you were new to town," Beth said, nibbling on the olive from her third martini. "What brings you here?"
Kelly was loose and happy after her third glass of wine, so she put on a wicked little grin. "A boy."
Beth giggled. "Do tell!"
"Omigod, Beth. He's so fucking hot! I've never actually touched a body like his before." She fanned herself dramatically. "I think I'm going to swoon just thinking about him."
Beth grinned as she chomped the rest of the olive from the toothpick. "Yeah, yeah, he's hot, I get it. But he's probably a dummy, right? You can tell me." She winked conspiratorially.
"No! He's a very successful business owner and wicked smart. He's got it all going on, I'm telling you."
"Wow, that's great, Kelly. A superhot kajillionaire sweeps you off your feet and takes you away from your wretched life. Wait. This sounds familiar. Oh! I know, I think I'll start calling you Cinderella!"
Kelly laughed. "I know, it's crazy, right? But I've dealt with my fair share of bullshit in life. I guess it's okay for me to finally have something good happen."
"Abso-fuckin-lutely! You get yours, girl, because no one's going to get it for you." Beth looked at her watch and straightened. "Shit! I didn't realize it was so late. I should probably go, but I'd really like to take you out for lunch tomorrow. You want?"
"I'd love that!"
"Great, I've got your number so I’ll text you the time and place in the morning.” She stood, grabbed her purse and leaned into Kelly, brushing each cheek with an air kiss. "Ta-ta, Cinderella!"
Kelly sat for a minute relishing the warmth she felt for this woman. Beth was sophisticated and sexy, well-dressed and gorgeous, but what really attracted Kelly was that she was smart and funny. She rarely connected with other women so easily, so it was a joy to make a friend, especially so soon after arriving in town. Now she'd have someone outside the studio to spend time with until Rick was free to play.
As she stood to leave, Kelly noticed the bartender eying her. She threw him a friendly smile but he didn't return the smile, just tilted his head a fraction, as if appraising her. Feeling a little frisky from the wine, she put her hands on her hips, jutted out her chest and gave him a wink. A slow smile eased up the corners of his mouth as he dipped his head in a subtle nod, his rich brown eyes raking across her body. Satisfied, she wiggled her bum out the door and into the warm night.
Chapter Eleven
Kelly woke to a blackened tomb. She was disoriented and had no idea what time it was, or even where she was for a few seconds. She half-reached, half-crawled across the impossibly large bed to hit the button on the side table. The black-out shades moved back to blind her with bright desert sunlight.
"Oof," she grumbled, burying her face in a pillow. Her head throbbed and she wondered what kind of varmint had crawled in her mouth and died during the night. Regretting her decision to open that fancy bottle of wine when she got back to the empty penthouse, she dragged herself into a sitting position.
"Rick?" Her hoarse voice was answered with silence. She wasn't surprised.
She had a vague recollection of someone — Rick, she hoped — running his hands up her bare thighs sometime in the night, but she'd been passed out for a few hours by then. One whiff of the alcohol oozing from her pores and Rick undoubtedly gave her a chaste kiss on the forehead and wished her a goodnight's sleep.
She'd slept well all night — and half the morning as well, judging by the height of the sun. She rubbed some feeling back into her face before skulking to the shower. She didn't even give the special knobs and dials a second glance when she stepped in. She just turned the main shower heads to the hottest temperature she could stand and stood there, letting the scalding water wash away some of her hangover.
A few ibuprofen, two cups of very strong coffee and a bowl of bland oatmeal later, and Kelly almost felt human again. What had she been thinking? She was used to one glass of wine in the evenings, maybe two when she was with friends. She'd had three glasses at the bar with Beth and then another half-bottle when she got home.
Home. This wasn't home. The place was stunning. It could easily be a cover model for any architectural or design magazine. But it left her cold. It was too formal, too pretentious. It felt like a luxury hotel room — gorgeous but not home. She almost yearned for the ratty motel rooms she and Rick shared during their road trip. They weren't fancy, but they were clean...well, cleanish.
And they all had one thing this place didn't: Rick. She missed him. She missed the feel of him, his presence. She'd never been more attracted to anyone and yet felt so comfortable with them. An intense yearning for him gripped her heart.
Sniffing away the telltale pinpricks behind her eyelids, she grabbed her phone to see if he'd left a message for her. "Yes!" She had one text message. She clicked the icon and up popped a text from Beth.
Geez, he couldn't even be bothered to leave a note? She was disappointed, but she wouldn't let it stop her from connecting with her new friend. All the more reason to, in fact.
Cafe Armando for lunch. 12:30. Will pick u up at Pinyon. C U Cinderella!
Kelly smirked at the joke. She was excited for Beth to see the studio. It hadn't taken long for her to fall in love with the people there, especially Greta. She reminded Kelly of a doting grandmother, so it was no surprise that her nickname, Abuela, meant grandmother in Spanish.
The hangove
r had all but disappeared by the time she arrived at the studio, eager to put the finishing touches on her second painting, and start the third that had been bouncing around in her head. This one would go quickly, and she was certain it would fit the series perfectly.
Greta greeted her with a hug, enveloping her in a sea of drapey blue linen. "Good morning, sweetie! Ready to get cracking? I can't wait to see what you come up with today."
Kelly glanced around for an open station. Syndee was set up in a corner by herself so Kelly moved in her direction. "Morning," she said to her pink-haired friend.
Syndee grunted, keeping her attention focused on her work.
"Rough night? Me, too! I met this really terrific woman after you left, and I think I might have had a couple too many. She's coming by at lunch. I'd love for you to meet..."
"'S'cuse me," Syndee interrupted and stalked off.
A crinkle of confusion dug a furrow in Kelly's brow. What was that about?
She probably just needed a little space to create, so Kelly chose a station farther away and spent the morning finishing up the second painting. A name for the piece had eluded her but this morning it came to her: Knight Into Day. She'd just set it aside to dry when the huge door slid open.
"Can Cinderella come out to play?" Beth was a vision as she stepped into the room, a Prada bag slung over one arm, a Rolex on the other. The black and tan sleeveless dress she wore hugged her toned body like a second skin, and set off the red tones in her long wavy hair. A pair of towering black slingback Christian Loubiton pumps graced her delicate feet.
"May I help you?" Greta approached Beth, who waved her away and strode over to Kelly. "Ready, Cindy?"
Syndee looked up in confusion, a frightened look on her face. Kelly laughed and put a hand out to Syndee to ease her fears. "She means me. Beth, this is my friend Syndee — spelled S-Y-N-D-E-E. Syndee, this is the gal I met last night after you left. I'm sorry you couldn't stay; we had a blast."
Beth stepped toward Syndee, who eyed her warily, and reached out her hand. "Yes, that would have been lovely. I'm Beth Peters. Maybe we can have a girls' night out sometime, just the three of us."
Beth was beaming, but Syndee just ducked her head and mumbled, "Nice to meet you," before moving away without shaking Beth's hand.
"What's up with her today?" Kelly asked Greta.
"We all have our off days." Greta glided up next to Kelly and took Beth's hand. "Greta Jaffe, caretaker of this space. How do you know our little prodigy?"
"Oh, we met last night after we both got stood up," Beth laughed. "She told me about your studio and I just had to see it for myself. I'm a bit of a collector."
"Really?" Greta's interest was piqued.
"Yes, I mostly buy when I'm in New York but I'm always open to new venues. Can I have a tour?"
Greta spent the next fifteen minutes showing Beth the co-op, and several of the artists' work. Beth's understanding of art was impressive, and Kelly was gratified to see she spent extra time appraising her Knight Fall pieces.
"These are the ones inspired by your road trip?" she asked Kelly over her shoulder. "Striking. And you've worked these up in just a couple of days? Amazing!"
Kelly blushed at the praise.
"Such a hard-working artist probably needs a little sustenance to keep her energy up, though, and we have reservations in..." she rattled her Rolex around to check the time. "Ten minutes. Don't want to be late for the ball, Cinderella!"
~ * ~ * ~
"I had such a terrific time last night," Beth said after swallowing a mouthful of frisée and goat cheese salad.
Kelly nodded vigorously. "This is going to sound horrible, but I'm so glad you got stood up."
Beth giggled. "Yeah, me too. Until we started chatting, I kind of had my eye on that bartender. He was yummy."
A blush colored Kelly's cheeks. "You know, I think I actually flirted with him as I was leaving."
Beth pretended to be scandalized. "You didn't! Wait. You think?"
Kelly laughed. "I was a little tipsy and he was giving me this look, so I sort of wiggled my ass at him. He didn't seem to hate it."
"You don't say." Beth shook her head. "Did you...?"
"Oh God no! It was nothing, just some silliness."
They ate in silence for a few minutes before Beth said, "I just can't get over how quickly you made those beautiful paintings."
Kelly shrugged. "That's what spending four days on the back of a motorcycle will do for you."
"Nonsense. That's what love will do for you, am I right?" Beth was looking at her intently, waiting for a response.
Kelly slipped a piece of pecan crusted trout in her mouth and thought about how she should answer. As much as she tried to hold it back, a silly grin spread across her face. "I suppose so."
It felt good to actually say it, to tell someone else that she was in love with Rick. She couldn't tell Rick — it was far too soon — so having a confidant was a relief.
Beth smiled back. "Excellent! Admitting you have a problem is the first step to recovery," she laughed.
Kelly's smile faltered. "Huh?"
"I'm just joking, silly. Men are great, as long as they treat you well. Does...what's his name again?"
"Rick, Rick Knight."
"You're shitting me. Rick Knight? And you're Cinderella? Priceless!" Diners at neighboring tables cast annoyed glances at the pair as peals of laughter rang out through the crowded room.
After they'd caught their breath, Beth continued her thought. "So does this Rick guy treat you right, Kell?"
"Omigod, yes! He's so...just...amazing!"
"Example, please."
When Kelly relayed that he'd paid her impound fees and rent, Beth looked impressed. "Okay, but that's just money. How is he in bed? Does he make love or does he fuck?"
Kelly giggled at the question. "The first time was pretty animal, I'll give you that, but since then, it's definitely making love. He even calls it that!"
Surprise flashed across Beth's face. "Wow. So you guys must be doing it like bunnies, eh?"
Kelly's smile faltered. "We did. But since we got to Vegas, he's been so busy that I haven't seen much of him." She pushed a piece of fish around her plate, her appetite gone.
"Ouch, that sucks. But he probably sends you flowers or notes or at least texts you during the day, right?" Beth waved the waiter over for the check.
Kelly looked down at her hands. She didn't want to admit that she'd been a little hurt this morning at not finding a note from Rick. It seemed so petty, especially since he already had so much stress, but how hard would it be just to send a quick text?
"He's really busy, I guess." She couldn't quite meet Beth's eyes. "He warned me he'd be gone a lot, so it's no big deal. He'll make up for it once he gets the papers signed."
"What papers?"
"I don't know, some contract he thought was a done deal but there was a delay. And I know he would much rather be with me than in a room full of lawyers all day."
Beth nodded as she signed the receipt the waiter brought over. "Good, that's good. Sounds like a nice guy. But how hard is it to just shoot you a text? Seems like the least he could do."
Kelly wondered if Beth could read her thoughts. Or maybe it was just that any woman would want her man to do the same thing. Either way, she was having a hard time hiding her disappointment.
As they walked out of the restaurant, Beth wrapped her arm around Kelly's shoulders and gave her a squeeze. "Don't worry about it, Cinderella. I'm sure he's still your Rick Knight-in-shining-armor. I'll call you tomorrow."
Kelly was happy to work out her thoughts on the short walk back to the gallery. Any frustration she was having was all on her. Rick had been clear from the start that he'd be completely AWOL for a few days until he wrapped up his business.
I just miss him is all, she thought as she stepped into the cool studio. And that was all the inspiration she needed to start on her third painting in the series: Desert Knights.
~ * ~ * ~
Greta stayed late at the gallery that night, doing paperwork, and she invited Kelly to paint as long as she liked. Not having anything to do besides ramble around the enormous and sterile penthouse, she elected to continue working.
The cool tones she used in this third piece echoed the cooling of her and Rick's relationship. She loved how it turned out but the feelings it evoked brought tears to her eyes. She whisked them away with the back of her hand and moved the completed work to the back wall to dry.
"Done already? My dear, you are one of a kind."
"Not really. I just got used to painting fast for art festivals and farmers markets back home, and the habits die hard."
"Mmm hmmm." That seemed to be one of Greta's favorite responses.
"How would you feel about a short break from your series?" she asked Kelly.
Casting a sidelong glance at the newest work, the one that pulled at her heart in ways she didn't care for, Kelly thought a change of pace would be nice.
"I have a new model coming in tomorrow for my newer clients..." Kelly loved how Greta called her students 'clients'. "I thought you might use it as a palette cleanser, if you'll pardon the pun."
"Sounds great. What time?"
"The session starts at 10 and runs all day, so you'll want to get set up early."
She tilted her head to accept Kelly's air kiss as she continued entering numbers in her accounting program. "See you tomorrow, Cinderella."
~ * ~ * ~
Kelly was startled awake by Rick kissing her forehead. "You waited up?" Purple smudges under his eyes and his ashen complexion were evidence of his exhaustion.
Stretching her full body the length of the couch, Kelly yawned. "Not very well, apparently. What time is it?"
"Two. We should get you to bed."
"Mmm, that sounds good, loverboy." Her arms slithered up around his neck and pulled him in for a sultry kiss. He sighed against her lips.
He slipped his hands under her and lifted her easily, carrying her to the bedroom. She kept her arms entwined around his neck as she nibbled along his neck to an earlobe, breathing in his musky scent. A growl rose up through his body.
Vegas Knights Page 10