With virtually no money left in her bank account, the importance of tonight’s show had risen tenfold. She had a lot of faith in Oliver’s work and knew that people would be in awe of it just as she had been when she first laid eyes on his unique paintings, which screamed individualism more than anything she’d ever seen before.
Arianna checked the time, 6:20 p.m. “Oh God, there’s less than an hour to go,” she shouted as she scrambled under her bed, looking for her hairdryer. Twenty minutes later, she was dressed and ready to make her way to the gallery. She sent a message to Casey asking where she was, as she should have been at Arianna’s house over an hour ago. Five minutes later, Casey pinged back a reply. Arianna clicked on the message icon and read Casey’s message.
“I’m so sorry, Arianna, I can’t make it as Charlotte’s come down with a temperature. She’s not well at all, and I think she may have a virus. Please forgive me and I wish you all the success in the world for tonight. Be sure to call me in the morning to fill me in on the night’s events.” Love Casey x
Arianna grabbed her bag and headed out of the door hurriedly. She practically sprinted to the gallery and she got there just as the catering company pulled up outside. “Thank you so much, Peter, for doing this. Can you just take the platters inside and lay them down on the table I have prepared.” Arianna picked up the sign advertising the show and placed it outside the main doors; it was a freestanding A-frame with the advertisement displayed on both sides.
“All set, Arianna. Good luck for tonight and if there’s anything else you need during the next hour, just ping me a message as I will be at the shop until just after eight o’clock,” said Peter as he made his way back to his van.
“Thanks Peter, you’re a superstar.”
Walking around the gallery doing her last minute checks, Arianna smiled to herself, feeling very pleased with the overall look.
“Hey, you look lovely,” complimented Oliver as he made a quiet entrance.
“Why thank you, Oliver. So, looks pretty good in here, don’t you think? Your work looks stunning; I think you will do very well tonight.”
Oliver paced around the exhibition space slowly, looking at each painting with his usual critical eye. As he ummed and ahhed, Arianna looked to him. “Oliver, trust me, they look perfect. Oh look, I think our first guest has arrived, rather early too.”
Arianna’s assistants, dressed in white chiffon blouses and black pencil skirts, stood opposite each other by the entrance to the gallery, each holding a silver tray with complimentary drinks. “Hello, sir, would you care for a drink?”
Ben smiled at the young lady and took a drink off the tray. “Thank you.”
Arianna composed herself and made her way over to Ben confidently, sporting a wide welcoming smile. “Hello, my name is Arianna and I am the gallery owner. The young man you see over there is Oliver Steen, the artist I am showcasing this evening. Please feel free to walk around and if you see anything you like then please let me know.”
Ben smiled and watched as Arianna walked back towards the entrance to greet more guests. He couldn’t remember the last time a woman had had this effect on him. She was elegant yet approachable and her beautiful, silky, chestnut brown hair fell past her shoulders and bounced as she walked and turned. She was quite tall and he couldn’t help but notice her lithe toned legs as she moved around the gallery with all the grace of a swan. He tried not to stare too much and tried very hard to focus on the paintings he’d actually come to view. He was extremely taken by one particular piece; he studied it for quite some time, taking in the depth of the colour and the beautiful image, which was filled with so much emotion. Ben suddenly noticed Oliver standing beside him. “That one is my particular favourite, it captured the mood of the moment. It’s simply called “The Fire Within.” Can you see the passion? You can almost feel it reaching out to you, don’t you think?”
Ben nodded in agreement. “You’re right, it does draw you in. The colours are beautiful, so many shades of red. I like this one very much; I was drawn to it instantly. I could see it up on the wall of my apartment; I have a blank wall with this painting’s name on it.”
Oliver simply smiled and continued to mingle around the room, which was filling up rapidly. There was a great deal of interest in Oliver’s work and as the night drew on, so the orders were coming in for both the original art and the limited edition prints. There was something for everyone and every pocket.
The gallery was bustling and Arianna couldn’t have been happier with the turn out. She was suddenly drawn to the back of the gallery and noticed the man who had first arrived holding his head. He looked in pain and Arianna rushed over to him. “Can I help you, would you like a glass of water?” Ben looked into Arianna’s beautiful deep-set eyes and managed a poor nod. “Look, why don’t you come through to the back room and sit down for a few moments,” suggested Arianna, feeling rather concerned. A few minutes later, Ben’s spiking pain had subsided and the tablets had taken effect.
“Thank you so much, Arianna, I am so sorry to be a nuisance. I’m feeling a little better now. My name is Ben, by the way.”
Arianna smiled, relieved that she didn’t have to call an ambulance. “Nice to meet you, Ben. Do you get them often, the headaches I mean?” Arianna couldn’t help but notice Ben’s rugged good looks and his athletic physique as he stood up.
“They come and go, nothing a few pills can’t sort out. Your show seems to have been a great success tonight. I have to say the artist concerned is exceptionally talented, his work is truly remarkable. I would like to place an order if I may, before my particular favourite has been snapped up?” Arianna smiled and indicated for him to follow her. He was instantly smitten and wanted to know more about this independent, beautiful woman.
He was already conjuring up ways to see her again, wondering if she would think him to presumptuous to ask her out to dinner. “Okay Ben, which painting took your eye? No let me guess.” Arianna slowly walked around the gallery, looking seriously at each piece and turning to glance at Ben every so often with a little mischievous smile. “This one I think. Am I right?”
Ben maintained a serious face for the few moments it took for him to walk up to where she was standing, and then he revealed a look of surprise. “Yes, that’s incredible, how did you know that?”
“Well, sometimes I just have the ability to match up a painting with a particular person. I’ve always been good at guessing what people like just by observing them for a few minutes,” advised Arianna.
“Ah, so you were observing me?”
Arianna smiled coyly. “Well, what I mean is-”
Ben swiftly interrupted. “I’m just teasing, Arianna.”
They both fell silent, a connection was made, and they both felt it deeply. Arianna found it hard to tear herself away from Ben’s gaze, but realised she’d been neglecting her guests.
“Ben, “The Fire Within” is a great choice. I will prepare it for delivery and it should be with you in a few days.”
Ben’s face fell slightly, he had to think on his feet. A few moments later, he came up with the perfect suggestion, which meant he would get to see her again. “There really is no need to have it delivered to me, Arianna. I would rather collect it myself if that’s okay with you.”
A sense of relief washed over Arianna, she really didn’t want to watch Ben walk away never to see him again. She successfully suppressed her excitement at his suggestion. “That’s fine, Ben, I will have it wrapped up for you and you can drop by during the week at your convenience.”
She couldn’t believe she was actually feeling this way; it was only a few days ago, she swore she would not get involved with anyone for a long time. Only Ben seemed different, she couldn’t quite put her finger on it. There was something so real in his dark eyes, they told a story without revealing a great deal, and it was one Arianna wanted to delve deeper into. She felt a strong pull towards him, one that had taken hold of her and would not let go.
“T
hat would be lovely, thank you. I will drop by on Tuesday, if that’s convenient.”
Arianna took Ben’s card, and ran it through the machine. “Could you enter your pin, please.”
Ben looked straight into her eyes, not looking away once while he punched in his four-digit number. She felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. A strong sensation ran through the whole length of her body as she suddenly found herself lost in his eyes and rooted to the spot, unable to move, totally captivated by this stranger she barley knew.
“Tuesday it is then, Ben. I look forward to it.”
When Ben took the receipt from her hand, their fingers briefly touched, the momentary silence between them speaking volumes. “Me too,” Ben said, smiling as he headed out of the door.
As the gallery started to empty and Arianna bid goodnight to her guests, she made her way up to Oliver, who was standing in quiet contemplation totally engrossed in one of his darker paintings situated near the back of the gallery.
“Well, what a roaring success tonight has been, Oliver. You must be so pleased, your paintings have really been a great success.”
Oliver turned to Arianna. “Thank you so much, this would never have been possible without you.” They both stood staring at the painting called “Silent Words,” a metaphor for sadness. It conveyed true emotion that needed no explanation. Arianna stepped closer, she was so drawn to the painting.
“Oliver, I would like this painting for myself. It’s captivating, I love it. I will buy this for myself as a treat for a successful night.”
Oliver sported a wide grin. “Now that is the biggest compliment I have had tonight. I must be good then,” he laughed jovially.
“Silent Words will look beautiful in my townhouse, Oliver. If you would like to leave one or two unsold paintings here for sale that would be no problem. I suggest you leave a few prints too. I sell a lot of prints; they seem to go down rather well.”
Oliver nodded in agreement. “Thank you, Arianna, you really have been amazing tonight.”
“Well, Oliver, this is just the beginning for you. Trust me, when word about your work gets around, you will be in high demand. I will be running a follow up advert in the local press about tonight’s show and its great success. So who knows, Oliver, you may get some more requests when the ad goes live. I will let you know if anyone contacts the gallery about your work and I shall forward on your number to them, if that’s okay with you?”
Oliver was smiling from ear to ear. “Of course that’s fine with me, Arianna. Just when I thought my night couldn’t get any better, it does. Thank you again.”
“Now the gallery is empty, let’s share a toast.” Arianna poured them both a glass of champagne she had been reserving for such an occasion. They clinked glasses and took a sip. “Tonight has been a financial success for us both, Oliver. Congratulations.”
They remained behind for a while longer to clean up the gallery so it was left fit for opening the following Monday. After saying goodnight, Arianna poured herself one more glass of champagne and sat in solitary silence for a while to take in the events of the evening and enjoy it for a moment longer. Thoughts of the delectable Ben took root in her curious mind as she ran her fingers through her hair. An image of him remained in the forefront of her mind. Who was this enigmatic man?
Chapter nine
On his way home, Ben could not get the image of Arianna out of his mind. Her smile was warm and welcoming in the most genuine of ways and there was no pretence in her bewitching eyes, which had captivated him from the first moment he’d laid eyes on her. He was filled with a warm feeling that flowed through every vein in his body. Some connections are destined for a reason, he thought to himself as he pulled up outside of his apartment building with a spring in his step. He looked up and he could see Charlie peering through the window with his nose pressed against the window pane. He took the lift to the top floor, deciding on avoiding the stairs tonight as his legs were feeling weak; he didn’t want to give his body an excuse to cause him undue pain this evening.
As he turned the key in the lock and pushed open the door, Ben was greeted by an over-enthusiastic Charlie. “Hello, boy, come here.” Charlie jumped all over Ben, standing tall with his paws placed on each shoulder and licking his face with vigour.
“Yes, yes, I missed you too. Now jump down, come on,” urged Ben as he took the lead off the hook, indicating to Charlie that he was going for a walk.
The night was a particularly dark one, the moon was clearly in hiding and there were no stars visible. Ben crossed the street and headed towards the canal, which looked beautiful at night. There was a delicate glow coming from the old wrought iron street lamps that lined the canal inconspicuously and reflected off the water like diamonds. The resident ducks were huddled underneath the narrow stone bridge and a couple of swans glided by gracefully, seemingly without a care in the world.
Ben let Charlie off his lead to exercise and followed the path of the canal up to the Mail Box restaurants. Some of Birmingham’s best restaurants were situated at the Mail Box, and as Ben approached, he looked towards Bar Estilo, which served fine Mediterranean cuisine and featured an outside terrace overlooking the canal. The menu ran teasingly through his mind: Calamari with Alioli, Mushrooms with Goats Cheese and Chillie or Lamb Kofta with Tzatziki, some of his favourite dishes. He imagined sitting on the terrace with Arianna, watching the sun go down over a bottle of red wine. The corners of his mouth turned up as he dared to imagine her accepting a date with him.
“Okay Charlie, time to head on home, boy.” Charlie came bounding over to him and walked alongside Ben slowly. There was a young couple strolling on the opposite side of the canal heading away from the cafe bars, seemingly on their way home after dinner, holding hands and sporting smiles wide enough to tell the world they were in love. Ben sighed and breathed in deeply as he turned the corner towards his apartment.
As he walked out of the lift, Ben could hear his landline ringing, he checked the time on his mobile and wondered who could be calling him after eleven o’clock at night. He pushed open the door, let go of Charlie, and rushed for the phone. “Hello.” There was a pause.
“Hey Ben, it’s me, Tristan; sorry to call so late, I really needed to talk. Steph has taken just about everything that she could carry. Can you believe it, Ben? I got home and walked through the door and there was nothing. She even took my damn coffee machine and you know how much I loved my coffee machine. How dare she, Ben? That stuff was not hers to take, well, most of it wasn’t at least. There was no note, nothing. It’s my house, for God sake. She moved in with me, yes, she bought a few little things to add her mark to the place but that did not entitle her to half my stuff.”
“Calm down, Tristan. So she took your coffee machine and a few other things, let her have them. Don’t stoop down to her level by reacting to her. It says a lot about the type of person she really was if you ask me. The fact that she couldn’t just walk away without taking your stuff just says it all really. She will be expecting you to react and if you do, you will regret it so just let it be. Trust me, letting this go and saying nothing will annoy her even more. She will be expecting a reaction, Tristan; don’t give her one. Besides, you can replace them. Now might be a good time to redecorate and turn it back into your bachelor pad.”
Tristan sat down in his leather armchair and put his feet up on the foot stool. “Yes, I guess you’re right. There is no way I am letting another woman move in with me in the future. I would rather have a pet, at least they don’t fleece you. By the way, how was the show, did you make it tonight?”
A huge smile formed on Ben’s face as he conjured up an image of Arianna. “Yes, I was the first one there tonight. It was really cool, Tristan, you should have come with me. The artist has a real unique talent, and his work is sublime. I bought an incredible painting and it’s a one off too. I am going to pick it up on Tuesday.”
Tristan shifted in his chair as he reached for his beer. “Maybe I should
have come with you, Ben, it sure would have beaten coming home today.”
Thirty minutes later and feeling much better, Tristan rung off. Ben walked out onto his balcony overlooking the canal below. He had a warm feeling filtering through his veins and he knew this could be attributed to his meeting the beautiful Arianna. He could hardly wait until Tuesday; he’d decided to ask her out for lunch. He felt dinner was too presumptuous and lunch sounded less intimate and would increase the chances of a “yes” at his suggestion.
Since his mini break to Brighton, Ben had suffered very few headaches and the pain in his lower back seemed to have eased too. He was feeling so much better and could now vision his future more clearly. A trip abroad would be his next holiday; maybe Italy or Greece, he thought to himself as he closed his balcony doors and headed off to bed. Sun and the sea air seemed to be helping his healing process and he wanted more of it. Ben decided he was going to make the next few months really count.
At three o’clock in the morning, Ben woke up with a start and in a cold sweat, his breathing laboured and his heart pounding. He took a long deep breath as he recalled his nightmare. It was a vision of his own death, it was so real. This was the same dream, seeing his death as it happened. Since returning home from the hospital, his dreams had not been pleasant at all but this one was a nightmare and one that was becoming a regular occurrence. He didn’t know why it bothered him so much. It’s just a dream, it’s not real, he thought to himself as he made his way to the kitchen for a glass of cold water. Charlie came meandering into the kitchen and nudged Ben’s hand. “Hey boy, just another bad dream, that’s all.” Ben continued into the living room and sat down, still shaken by the image of his own death. The same dream, the same image; the same message? He reminded himself of all the stories he’d read about people suffering from bad dreams, and believing them to be real events that had taken place in their life. It was an unpleasant side effect suffered by drug-induced coma patients, and one he would be glad to see the back of.
Tears of Endurance (Romantic Drama) Book #1 Page 5