by Cadence Vonn
“You’re sweet and biased as my friend. Thank you for the compliment. I’ll enjoy the men drooling, but I’m not looking to hook up with anyone.”
“Not even Maximilian?”
She sighed. “I think he’s beyond my grasp. This past weekend he tried to explain about his father and the business, but he wouldn’t share everything, and he is so entrenched in his own self-inflicted world of obligations he isn’t able to see he’s allowed to be happy. I’m not holding out much hope for anything more than sex with Max. I wish the man I spend time with alone and the public man would turn into one and the same person and enjoy what we have together without worrying about what others think.”
“So it’s good between you and Maximilian?”
“Amazing.” Tess snorted. “He’s an exceptional lover. But more than that, we relaxed together this past weekend. Talked about life, sports, and so much more. That is after I was allowed to talk.”
“He wouldn’t let you talk?”
“That’s a conversation for when we’re drunk. Now, why don’t we head to the art opening and then go out to dinner?”
“Fine. But I’ll definitely remember to ask you about your weekend once we’ve split a few bottles of wine.”
Chris held the passenger door of his car for her to get in, then drove across the city to the new Hill Gallery near Beacon Hill. “I think you’ll like this show. The artist is a guy I met a few months ago, and I bet his work will inspire new fabric designs for you. The colors are amazing.”
The space was well-lit. The ceiling soared up a few stories, and the large canvases were hung in stacked groups all over the walls. The colors flowed from one painting to the next, creating works of art on the walls between them.
“Oh my, Chris, this is phenomenal.” Tess spun around her mouth in a surprised O.
“I told you you’d like it. Here comes Reece.” Tess spotted a tall, redheaded man striding toward them. His lean body moved with a self-assured swagger, and his broad grin held a hint of naughtiness as the lights danced off his perfect teeth.
“Christopher, glad you could come. Introduce me to this beauty.” Reece turned toward Tess and held out his hand.
“Tess, this is Reece Delancy, artist of the night. Reece, this is Tess Medici, a very good friend of mine.”
“Delighted to meet you.” Reece took hold of Tess’s hand and raised it to his lips. He kissed her knuckles before he turned it over and pressed his lips to her palm. Mere seconds passed, but his gaze devoured her surprised look before he lowered their clutched fingers and held on to her hand so she couldn’t move away from him.
“What is a beautiful woman doing with the likes of this guy?” Reece tilted his head toward Christopher.
“Mr. Delancy, Chris is my best friend.”
“Call me Reece. I’d love to be your friend. As I’m sure most of the men in this room would.”
Tess looked around and caught a few men admiring her assets. She removed her hand from Reece’s. “I’m not interested in that type of friend.” She continued speaking in an attempt to eliminate the disappointment in his eyes. “However, I’d love to talk with you about your art work. I’d enjoy discussing color and line and how it can be used to create patterns for fabric.”
“Let’s make a date to talk. Maybe once you get to know me, you might have dinner with me some evening—bring Christopher along. The three of us could get to know each other better.” Reece’s attention shifted to someone behind Tess.
“Ms. Medici, Christopher. It’s nice to see you here.” The deep voice of Maximilian spoke from behind Tess, and she turned, her shoulders back and her head tilted to maintain an appearance of being aloof.
Christopher spoke first. “Maximilian, what a surprise.”
“I’m meeting my mother. She insisted that some of the paintings being shown here tonight would be perfect for the newly refurbished boardroom.”
“Then let me introduce you to the artist.” Chris held out his hand and pointed to Reece, who watched the exchange from behind Tess. The cheeky man placed his hand on Tess’s hip, staking a claim.
Christopher introduced the two men. Sizing each other up, they exchanged handshakes, but neither smiled. Chris gave Tess a quick, inconspicuous back rub of encouragement when she stepped closer to him to get rid of Reece’s touch. She smiled at him, and he angled his head toward the door. With an inconspicuous shake of her head, they both stood waiting for all the pleasantries to be over.
“I’ll be more than happy to discuss any paintings with you and your mother. I need to greet some new arrivals, but I’ll be glad to speak with you later.” Reece nodded his good bye to Maximilian. Before he moved away, he turned to Tess. “I’ll look forward to seeing you soon. It was nice meeting you.”
She managed a small smile.
Chris gave her a wink and said, “Excuse me, I need to use the men’s room.” He walked toward a back hall leaving Tess alone with Max.
“Colorful paintings, aren’t they?” Max spoke to her, eyeing her breasts before he locked her gaze with his.
“Wonderful. I think this exhibit is exceptional. I’m going to talk with Reece about his use of color. I think his patterns would make fabulous prints for fabric.”
“Interesting idea. Stroll with me.” He walked them deeper into the gallery, glancing over his shoulder to make sure his mother wasn’t lurking in some corner. “How are you?”
“I’m okay. Did you straighten out everything with your mother?”
“For now. She didn’t like the idea my weekend plans were a secret. Let’s not talk about her. What kind of things would you make with fabric out of these bold colors?”
“The smaller designs would make beautiful dresses and blouses. I can envision the larger prints as transparent fabric flowing over fitted under-dresses to make gowns.”
“Your imagination is amazing. The dress you have on tonight has me wishing we were alone.” He looked around. “There are a number of men who have the same thought.”
“Including Reece.” Tess’s smile broadened when she gave a fake shiver. “Do you do anything artistic?”
“Not really. I’m better with numbers and creating business plans. I took a drawing course in college. I doubt any of my finished pieces survived.”
“Figure drawing?” She arched her eyebrow at him. “Knowing your eye for the female form, I’d think that’d be right up your alley.”
Max snorted and leaned closer to her ear making their conversation more private. “If you must know, part of the class was drawing bodies. Men and women, none of which were naked. But come to think of it I enjoyed that part of the class. Would you let me draw you?”
Tess shook her head. “I didn’t pose nude during my university years, I’m not about to start now. Not even for you.” She added with a laugh. Although the idea had merit as foreplay.
“Fine, I’ll do it from memory. It won’t be as much fun, but I see you in my dreams every night, so it wouldn’t be too hard.”
He gave her fingers a quick squeeze. He held her hand against his thigh, hidden from view by his body, and the crush of people mingling around them. The perfumes and colognes made the air difficult to breath as she tried to focus on only his earthy scent and his warm touch.
“Maximilian,” the grating voice of his mother drove them apart. “Tess, how nice to see you here.” Her frigid glare didn’t match her words.
“Mrs. Westfield. Nice to see you as well. Christopher and I stopped by to see Reece’s exhibit.” Tess scanned the crowd, anxious to find Chris. She let out the breath she held when she saw him approaching. He put his arm around her waist and gave her a reassuring hug.
“Aunt Millicent. What a surprise. I didn’t think you liked this type of art.”
“I brought Holly to get her opinion on some paintings for the new boardroom.” Holly approached the group from the direction of the ladies’ room. “Maximilian and I don’t agree on much, so I needed an ally to decide which ones to purchase.”
“I’ll do that. Have a good night.” Maximilian nodded his head. “Ms. Medici, it’s always nice to see you. You’ve opened my eyes to the beauty of this work.”
Tess maintained her composure and turned to Chris. She gritted her teeth and plastered on a fake smile as she said goodbye to Mrs. Westfield and Holly.
He held out his hand to her and wrapped her arm around his elbow so he could lead her out the door. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of Maximilian’s clenched fists.
“That was awkward. Thanks for giving Max and me a few minutes to talk,” Tess said as they strolled toward the restaurant down the block. “I saw Reece stop you. What did he have to say?”
“He asked if I thought you might enjoy a threesome.”
“No way.” Tess laughed in shock.
“He swings both ways and hoped we did. In no uncertain terms, I told him I wouldn’t share you.”
“I’m sure you did.” She hugged his arm. “You are the best. If you’re ever hit by lightning and are no longer gay, let me know. I’ll be the first in line to marry you.”
“Did you like his work?”
“I think he’s a great artist. He has an extraordinary grasp of color and light and is also a bona fide player.”
“Yeah. Shit, he had you undressed and fucked with his knuckle and palm kisses.”
She punched his arm. “You noticed. Too bad Maximilian hadn’t witnessed the exchange. A little jealousy might be good.”
“He doesn’t need to witness scenes like that to be jealous. He’s a simmering volcano ready to explode. Why don’t you put him out of his misery and tell him about your father? I’m sure my aunt would come around to Maximilian aligning Westfield Industries with your father’s businesses. It would be a match made in heaven.”
“Then I’d never know if he loved me for me or for my father’s money. I’m not my father, Chris.”
“So you lie to yourself and everyone around you. Someday you’ll realize you can’t escape who you are, and that includes being your father’s daughter. Just like Maximilian will need to realize there is more to life than the family company and pleasing his mother.”
“And you’ll need to realize there is more to life than hiding your sexuality. One of these days you’re going to bump into the man of your dreams, and I look forward to seeing how you handle it. Right now, you’re the pot to my kettle, calling me out about my lies.”
“Yeah, I know. It’s always easier to enjoy the game from the sidelines. Let’s eat. All this soul-searching crap has made me hungry.” Chris held the door to the Italian bistro, and they entered the cool, candlelit space.
“Enchanting place. Let’s not talk about Max or men or love. Let’s enjoy dinner, drink, and have some fun.”
“Agreed.”
Chapter Eight
“Have you talked to Maximilian?” Chris asked the following Monday as they munched on pizza in Tess’s apartment.
“Not a word or text. I guess he had no trouble getting me out of his system.” She pushed her half-eaten slice to the middle of the table and rested her head on her hands. “I feel so pathetic. I sat around all weekend hoping to hear from him. I had to force myself to get out and run yesterday before it rained. I can’t even seem to focus on my work.”
“If it makes you feel any better, Maximilian flew to San Francisco last Friday. There was some business crisis my father mentioned at dinner yesterday. Seems Maximilian had to meet with overseas managers from the Asian office. Thank God he’s the one handling all the messes. Working in the real estate office of the company has its benefits. I don’t have to put up with any bullshit. I manage all the buildings around the world and management leaves me alone.”
“It makes me feel a little better knowing he’s in California. At least he wasn’t wining and dining some future Mrs. Westfield.” She retrieved her slice of pizza and took a big bite.
“Tess, I warned you about him. Move on. Reece called me today and asked for your number. He’s willing to date only you if that would be more agreeable. I told him I’d have you call if you were interested in meeting with him.” Chris pulled out a piece of paper and placed it next to her placemat.
“If I plan on moving on, it won’t be with the likes of Reece. He’s too…” She looked for the right word.
“Predatory?” Chris supplied.
“Good word. Suits him. I’ll try and focus on my work, and once I’m sure Maximilian is over me, I’ll dust off the few pieces left of my heart and head to Italy and visit my mother. She called the other day to tell me about the new man in her life—some count. She actually wants me to meet him. She already met his children, and I guess she isn’t afraid to admit she has a twenty-seven-year-old daughter.”
“Maybe you’ll meet some hot-blooded Italian guy who will sweep you off your feet and carry you to his villa.”
“Maybe. I won’t count on it. Another glass of wine?” She pushed the bottle closer to him.
“No thanks. I need to be going. I’m getting ready to head to Chicago this week and plan on staying for a few extra days to enjoy a weekend of man hunting.” He took his dish to the sink and returned to give her a kiss on the cheek before he left.
“I’ll miss you. Have fun in Chicago.”
“Call if you want to talk. But I think its time you stop mooning over my cousin and find yourself a guy who would be proud to have you as his girlfriend.”
Tess gave Chris a despondent nod and held the door for him when he left. She cleaned up the kitchen and pondered a trip to San Francisco.
The next afternoon an envelope arrived by courier. It held nothing but a first-class ticket to Chicago for Friday afternoon. She dialed Chris.
“Hi, beautiful. What’s up?”
“Did you send me an airline ticket to Chicago?”
“No. Why?”
“I received a ticket for Friday afternoon. No note. Nothing. Just the ticket.”
“Fascinating. Are you going to use it?”
“I’d like to think Max sent it and plans to meet me there. So I suppose I’ll fly to Chicago. What can happen? If no one meets me at the airport, I’ll enjoy the city for the weekend and fly home Monday morning.” Her stomach flipped. It had to be Max.
“Call me when you land. I want to make sure you’re all right. If no one meets you, you can come and spend the weekend with me. I’m sure there’ll be room in the suite.”
“And ruin your man-hunting weekend. Thanks for the offer, but I’ll be fine on my own if no one shows to claim me.”
“Be careful. I’ll worry about you until I hear from you.”
“Will do. Talk to you Friday.”
Tess studied the ticket. Maybe Max wanted to spend another weekend with her. Chicago would be a perfect layover from San Francisco. Hope surged through her body. He just might want her.
By Friday morning Tess had packed and repacked her suitcase a dozen times. Without an itinerary, she had no idea what the weekend held. She managed to finally choose a skirt, dress and a few blouses. She packed some of the lingerie Max had bought for her. She’d model the new corset he never got to see on her. The deep red satin and lace would complement her skin. She’d gone out and purchased matching thigh-high stockings. Her hands shook as she folded them and added them to the rest of her clothes. At the last minute, she grabbed the red lipstick Max loved then zipped the suitcase closed so she wouldn’t change her mind again.
Dressed in a black pencil skirt and a white sleeveless blouse, she grabbed her clutch with her phone and headed out the door to wait downstairs for the cab. Excitement coursed through her at the thought of seeing Max. She adjusted her sunglasses and stepped out into the sunshine.
“Tess.”
She turned, shocked to see Millicent Westfield emerge from the back seat of a town car and walk toward her. “Mrs. Westfield, how nice to
see you.” Tess thanked God she had her sunglasses on to shield the panicked look she knew she wouldn’t be able to hide.
“I was heading downtown to shop and wanted to ask you the name of the person who made the beautiful hummingbird pin you gave me for my birthday. I wanted a pair of earrings to match it.”
“Laura Benson.” Tess blurted out, hoping not to sound frightened. “She has a studio in the Markham building. If you’ve never been there before, you’ll enjoy seeing all the different artists’ studios. There’s even a gallery where you can purchase pieces made by the artists.” She closed her mouth so she wouldn’t continue to ramble.
“I hoped you would introduce me to the person, but you seem to be going somewhere.” Millicent arched her eyebrow and nodded her head toward Tess’s suitcase.
Tess would have loved to say, “no shit.” But provoking this woman would be a huge mistake. “Maybe another time. I’m flying to Chicago.”
Millicent’s eyes narrowed. “Chicago?”
“Yes. I’m meeting Christopher, and we’re spending the weekend going to different shows in the city.”
“Christopher is in Chicago?” It was obvious from the look on her face, Mrs. Westfield hadn’t known that bit of information.
Tess’s taxi pulled up in front. “I’m sorry we can’t talk longer. This is my cab, and I need to leave.” She opened the back door, slid her suitcase inside, and climbed in. Closing the door ended any more conversation with the woman.
“To the airport please.” Tess yanked out her cellphone. She glanced back over her shoulder and saw Mrs. Westfield returning to her car. She stabbed her phone to life and texted, CHRIS CALL ME!!!
A few minutes later her phone rang. With a relieved sigh she said, “Hi, Chris. Your aunt surprised me when I left my apartment this afternoon. She seemed suspicious when she saw my suitcase. I told her I was heading to Chicago to spend the weekend with you. So you know if she calls.”
“Lord, she’s sniffing close to the tree. What made her think you might be seeing Maximilian?”