Ruined: A Contemporary Bad Boy Romance

by Lisa Lace

  I listen, and I both admire and envy her. Lily’s mind is truly free; she lets it wander fearlessly. I have to rein my thoughts in, or else they drift into guilt and then blame, and I grow bitter. “I can see why you like the café. Coffee is another thing.”

  She grins. “You’ll learn to like it. Trust me.”

  We stay for hours and talk. Nobody asks us to leave; they refill our cups for free. I guess it’s nice that we’re not rushed. We’re allowed to just be.

  After a long monologue about all her dreams, she says, “Only a few days left until graduation,” she says. “Then we’re both free.”

  I smile, but don’t reply. Inside, I’m panicking. I haven’t told her I’ve been accepted to Columbia. She still doesn’t know I’ve decided to go.

  “We can spend the summer planning where we’ll go first.”

  I know I won’t stay for the summer. I have a job lined up in New York that will help me save for the first semester. I’m leaving three days after Lily’s graduation.

  “Our time has finally come.” Her eyes are filled with fantasies. “Thank you for waiting for me, Ethan. I know these last two years have been hard.”

  I’ve been working in a factory and hating every second. Since my own graduation, I’ve grown more and more indifferent to work, and life. Even Lily’s dreams don’t inspire me anymore.

  She deserves better than a man who can’t make her dreams come true.

  “It’s beautiful out here,” Jennifer says, tilting her head back to gaze at the peaks of the Mogollon Rim. “Very different from the city.”

  “It gets old after a while.”

  Jennifer rolls her eyes. “Trust you to take the romanticism out of it.”

  “What romanticism? It’s just hills and dust.”

  “And New York is rats and Broadway. Sometimes you truly connect with the soul of a place. This place has got something about it.”

  “Lily used to say the same thing.”

  Shooting me a sideways glance, a knowing smile creeps onto Jennifer’s face. “It’s sweet how much you remember.” She looks around again. We’re almost at Main Street now. “And this is where it all happened, hey? The love affair that brought Ethan Steele out of the Big Apple. I can’t wait to meet this girl.”

  “I have to make her forgive me first.”

  Lily

  Tonight is my third date with Vincent.

  I try on the same dress for the hundredth time. I’ve cycled through everything in my closet over and over, and nothing seems good enough. I flop down onto my bed tearfully and pull Biscuit into my arms.

  “Shouldn’t this feel exciting?” I ask out loud. Biscuit nuzzles her head under my chin and tries to wriggle away because it’s time for food. I follow her to the kitchen, setting down some cat kibble. I lean against the wall, staring at the ceiling. Cracks in the plaster.

  “Come on, Lily.” I mutter to myself. “Stop thinking about him.”

  Ethan is on my mind. I know he shouldn’t be, and that thinking of him is a pain I don’t need, but the memory of our night together keeps replaying in my head. When I close my eyes, it’s all utterly vivid—the two of us reuniting, in love again.

  Except it wasn’t love again, was it?

  I pick up a magazine from the counter. It’s already turned to the article about Oswald Solutions, featuring a picture of Vincent sitting casually before dozens of computer screens.

  He’s handsome. I stare at his photograph and tell myself I don’t know how lucky I am. What girl wouldn’t dream of a billionaire whisking her away on his yacht, and telling her how special she was under the glowing moonlight? This could be something real, Lily.

  I return to my bedroom and put on the pale pink bodycon dress that I wore to a friend’s wedding last summer, followed by strappy heels I found in a bag at the back of the closet. It was a pair my mom bought and passed on to me, since they were too small for her. I’d thrown them in my closet and abandoned them until now.

  Standing, I twist in front of the mirror. I wonder if my legs are too wiry, or my frame too slight. There’s nothing you can do about it anyway.

  I put on some pale pink lipstick, brush my eyelashes with some light mascara, and run a brush through my hair one last time. Then, I sit by the window, waiting for Vincent to arrive.

  He shows up in style; another limousine. Vincent steps out to open the passenger door for me. When I step out onto the sidewalk, I can see other residents leaning out their windows to get a better look. There are some camera flashes, and I scurry to the car. I feel like a mess in an old dress and someone else’s shoes.

  I smile quickly at Vincent and dip into the vehicle. He slips in at my side and motions to the chauffeur to drive. “You seem flustered, Lily. Is everything okay?”

  I smooth down the tight material of my dress, my skin flushed. I nod. “Yes. I just feel embarrassed with people taking pictures. I look horrible.”

  Vincent sets his hand on my knee, as he catches my eyes and smiles warmly. “You look magnificent. I’m proud to have you on my arm tonight. You’re a beautiful woman.”

  My flush deepens. Vincent always knows precisely what to say to make me feel special. “Thank you, Vincent.”

  I sit back and finally take a good look at him. He’s wearing a crisp, white shirt, the collar open, no tie. His smart pants are black; his belt, Italian. The Rolex on his wrist must be worth thousands. His hair is swept back.

  He looks like a movie star again.

  I draw in a sharp breath. “Where are we going tonight?”

  He smiles. “You’ll see.”

  A short while later, we pull up outside The Galleria, an art gallery that I’ve been to many times before. Right off the main street, it sells pieces from local artists—although I’ve been unable to pitch my own. I like to go there sometimes and dream that I see my own work on the walls. “An art gallery?” I say. “What a lovely idea. This is really sweet of you.”

  “I’ve booked a private viewing. Let’s go inside.”

  It’s a gallery I’ve been to thousands of times before, but I’m impressed with Vincent’s initiative, and that he’s arranged a date which would mean something to me.

  It’s empty when we arrive. Vincent has the key. I don’t think I’ll ever get over how effortlessly he takes control. Every door is open to him—almost literally.

  The building is divided into eight separate rooms, each of which houses a different collection. Four of the spaces are usually dedicated to the highest-profile local artists. The other four contain special collections.

  I head straight for the first area—I haven’t seen the latest collection yet.

  As I stand before the first oil painting, I know I recognize the work. The swirling white and blues of the sky, the elegant brushstrokes of a golden field, ivy green trees. I turn to Vincent, confusion on my face. “They don’t usually do prints or replicas here.”

  He stands behind me, a knowing grin playing on his face. “What do you mean?”

  “This is a Van Gogh. Cypresses.”

  Vincent crosses his arms across his body and looks at the landscape, his head tilted to one side as though scrutinizing it. “Indeed it is!”

  “They usually do local art here. Weird.”

  “You know, I might have had something to do with that.”

  I look back over my shoulder at Vincent. He’s grinning from ear to ear like he’s burning to tell me something. I smile in anticipation, my voice slow, “What did you do?”

  He circles his arm around my waist, looking over my shoulder at the Van Gogh. “I may have called in a favor with the Met.”

  “As in the Metropolitan Museum of Art—in New York?”

  “Let’s simply say that I’ve made some very valuable donations over the years. Sponsored eight exhibitions. I’m a ‘friend’ of the Met.”

  I turn back toward the canvas, trying to understand what Vincent is saying. “Are you telling me that this is an original Van Gogh?”

  “On loan,
for one night only.” He gestures around the gallery. “In fact, the whole collection is here only for tonight. I handpicked the pieces I thought you’d most like to see.”

  My head starts to spin with wonder. I have never left Arizona; many iconic and brilliant masterpieces have been out of my reach. Now Vincent has brought them here—all for me. “I can’t believe you did this.”

  “Do you like it?”

  I turn in small circles on my heels, drinking in the works of art that I see around me. I nod, happy tears filling my eyes. “I love it.”

  “Take your time, Lily. It’s all ours, all night.”

  I run to the next canvas, depicting melting clocks in a barren land. I gasp. “Dali?”

  “The Persistence of Memory. One of my personal favorites.”

  I’m completely in awe of the painting. My hands are covering my mouth, and I hardly notice that Vincent has pulled me even closer, his chin brushing against my hair. I can smell his woody cologne.

  “He never did tell anyone exactly what it meant,” I say. I gaze at those dripping clocks, feeling myself become lost in interpretation. “It makes me feel kind of hopeless, though, when I look at it.”

  “It does?” Vincent replies. “I feel liberated. He’s painted a world where time doesn’t bind us.” Vincent himself has created a world where time doesn’t bind us. A whole gallery, an entire night.

  The next picture has me shaking with delight. My voice comes out as a squeal. “Monet!”

  “Lilies for my Lily.”

  My Lily.

  The painting, The Water Lily Pond, is one of my favorites. It shows a bridge arching over a pond of pink and white lilies, painted fluidly, no lines in sight. The color forms a soft, pure image.

  I turn to Vincent, my palms against his chest. I almost kiss him.

  Almost.

  I run to the next canvas. Vincent slowly follows with his hands in his pockets. He seems to find my reactions to the art more interesting than the masterpieces themselves.

  We spend hours in the gallery, and I’m enthralled by Vincent’s knowledge. Someone who knows art like I do; a chance to share my passion.

  “View of Toledo, El Greco. One of only two of his surviving landscape pieces,” I say. I stare at the stormy scene with its wild overcast skies and darkly etched buildings.

  I tell Vincent a bit about the piece. “His landscape shows the city he lived in. The artist was born in Crete and lived in Rome before he moved to Spain. Yet, Toledo is the city he captures out of all his travels. It looks fearsome, doesn’t it? I’ve always wanted to go.”

  “I went to Toledo once to try and see this very scene—did you know that El Greco moved the cathedral to fit into the image? I guess he couldn’t bear to leave it out.”

  “Why would you? It’s beautiful. And what is this one?” I point to another building in the picture.

  “That’s the royal palace, the Alcázar of Toledo. It’s at the highest point of the city. It’s a military museum now.”

  “Wow.” I look up at Vincent and smile. I didn’t realize that he possessed such a vast knowledge of art. I remember his Destiny profile—he said he was an art lover. I guess it’s true.

  “It must be something to actually go there and see what he saw.”

  “Whenever I’m in a new city, I try and do the same. I looked out at the outskirts of St. Petersburg, to see what Shiskin saw. I went to The Falls of the Rhine at Schaffhausen after seeing a landscape by De Loutherbourg at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. Whenever I see a landscape painting that inspires me, I seek out the original view.”

  “Where else have you traveled?”

  Vincent strolls around the gallery with his hands clasped behind his back, examining each picture. “Where haven’t I traveled? Most of the states, Europe, Egypt, Australia, New Zealand, Asia. Sometimes for business, sometimes for pleasure. Always to see something new. The world’s a big place, Lily. I never could box myself into one tiny corner of it.”

  I’m filled with envy and awe. Vincent has done everything I’ve dreamed of doing. I stand close to him, looking from his face to the landscapes on the wall, and wondering if they look different to him, a man who’s seen so much more than me.

  It’s almost two in the morning by the time we leave the gallery. Vincent says that specialists will package and escort the art back to the Met. I daren’t ask how much transporting all the artwork must have cost him, but I know it’s more money than I can imagine, and something only a powerful billionaire could ever make happen.

  In the limousine, I’m filled with a happy buzz. My thoughts are drifting from landscape to landscape in a pleasant haze. It’s been the most wonderful evening.

  Vincent withdraws a bottle of champagne from a special compartment of the limousine, pours a glass, and presses it into my hand. I take a sip, and everything feels even more like a dream. “It’s good to see you smiling, Lily,” he says. “I think this is the first time I’ve seen you really relax.”

  “You make me nervous, Vincent.”

  He raises his eyebrows in surprise and sits back. “Why?”

  “Because of what you are—powerful, rich, successful, handsome. I’m not myself around you. But tonight was different—all the art, and how much you knew. I guess I felt like myself, and maybe I felt like I saw a bit more of you. You’re a remarkable man, Vincent.”

  I say the words, forgetting the warning that Ethan had given me about Vincent for a moment. Right now, I can’t believe that anything Ethan has said is true. Vincent seems too genuine to be using me, and what he accomplished tonight—just for me—was nothing short of a miracle.

  “You’re a remarkable woman,” Vincent replies. “Tonight has been entirely my pleasure. In fact, I wish it didn’t have to end.” He pauses as if he’s unsure whether to continue. “Would you consider coming back to my hotel to continue this evening?”

  “It’s almost half past two!”

  He grins. “The night is young.”

  I bite my lip. Honestly, I’m not tired in the slightest. I’m alive with excitement, and I want to hear more about Vincent’s travels. I’m caught up in the fantasy, and I don’t want it to end, either.

  “Okay. But only for a little while.”

  The hotel room is unreal. We’re on the very top floor, the penthouse apartment. The windows are enormous, so I feel like I’m flying over Arizona, or looking at another landscape painting. We’re on the outskirts of town, and the hotel looks directly out over the mountains. It’s easy to imagine we’re far away from Payson, all alone.

  Inside, the penthouse suite is majestic. The living area is larger than my whole apartment and furnished to an elite standard. Two luxury leather sofas sit in the middle of the room on marble flooring, a thick, white rug between them. There’s a bar to the far left, and a piano in the corner.

  I take a seat, the whole of Arizona laid out before me. “It’s amazing here.”

  Vincent sits beside me, crosses one leg over the other. He passes me a cocktail I now recognize, a Manhattan. “It’s not bad. You should see the penthouses they have in New York.”

  “I can’t even imagine.”

  “Maybe I could take you sometime.”

  I let out a laugh and fix Vincent with a fond look. “You won’t be thinking of me when you’re home.”

  He moves closer. “You don’t think very highly of me, Lily. Do you think money makes a man cold? I don’t know what you think I’m looking for, but I’m telling you that all I want is something that’s real.” He trails a finger along my thigh. “Doesn’t this feel real to you?”

  My heart beats a little faster as I watch Vincent’s fingers brush against my skin. His eyes are hungry. His desire hangs in the air between us, making my breath catch in my throat.

  If I wanted, I know I could kiss him right now. I know he would rip my clothes away and carry me to the bedroom. I know we’d make love against the backdrop of the mountains, and share a night I’d never forget.

  But
a night I’ll never forget is already on my mind. A night with Ethan.

  Vincent has smooth moves and says all the right things, but Ethan and I have history, and nothing can make that disappear. I’m still not over him.

  Laying his palm flat against my thigh, Vincent’s hand begins to move upward. I gently pull his wrist away. “Sorry, Vincent.” I take a deep breath, trying to find a reason I can give that doesn’t sound like complete bullshit. “Let’s see how things go once you’re back in New York. I’m not looking for a one-night stand.”

  Vincent snaps away and leans back against the sofa, letting out a long breath. “I’ll tell the driver to take you home. We’ll take things slow if that’s what you want.”

  He’s not angry. He’s calm. He smiles like he understands, but I can sense his frustration.

  “I’m sorry,” I repeat.

  Vincent takes me by the shoulders and kisses my forehead. “I like you because you’re not like other women. You don’t want something cheap—I respect that. Let’s meet again before I go back to New York, though. I’ll call you.”

  The drive back home in Vincent’s limousine is silent, and I’m cursing myself. Vincent’s reaction to my rejection makes me question why I’m pushing him away in the first place. He’s a kind and patient man, looking for something real. Why am I making him jump through hoops?

  Because you’re still hung up on Ethan.

  I close my eyes and groan. Chloe is going to have a field day with this one.

  Ethan

  After a morning meeting with the team, Jennifer and I go out for lunch to discuss our plan of action.

  I choose a new place I’ve not been to before, some kind of upscale coffee joint that serves its food on things that aren’t plates. I have pancakes on a platter that looks like a clock face. I frown as the syrup leaks off the edge and forms a sticky ring in front of me.

  Jennifer hides a smile as she takes a triumphant bite of a salmon and cream cheese bagel without spilling a crumb.