“Have dinner?” she asked lightly.
I smiled at her as a waiter brought us a couple of menus. She made it so easy for me to be around her. “No, go out on dates,” I said.
“Really? How come?” She asked the question as though she couldn’t believe it. “Someone like you,” she gestured to my whole form, “I imagine would be asked out all the time.”
I laughed. “I know what you’re doing.” She was trying to make me feel a little more at ease, which I appreciated because I didn’t mind the compliments. “Keep doing it,” I said.
She laughed. “So how come you don’t do this often?”
We were scanning through our menus while we talked.
“Between work and school, there isn’t much time left for anything else.”
“What would you call this?” she asked, motioning to our situation.
I placed my menu on the table and turned my attention to her. “Different,” I said.
“Why so?” she asked, placing her own menu down.
“Because it’s you,” I said.
She smiled back at me then softly nodded. “That was smooth,” she said.
“Did it deliver the desired effect?”
She nodded. “Yes, it did.”
“Good.”
Our gazes locked and I studied her beautiful features. Her hazel eyes caressed me as the tip of her manicured fingers trailed along her perfectly chiseled chin. I was tempted to lean across the table and kiss her when she ran her tongue gently over her lips.
“Have you decided what you’ll have?” our waiter said, interrupting my thoughts and our moment.
“Uh, yeah.” Jaime cleared her throat and gave him her order. I gave him mine as well and he left us alone once again.
“How do you manage school and work? Mrs. Gallagher looks like a very demanding employer,” she said.
I was glad for the change of subject because it distracted my thoughts. We wanted to get to know each other and that was what a first date was for.
What I didn’t think was a good topic of discussion was my employer, Mrs. Gallagher, because if I started talking about her, my crush would be revealed and the date would end as soon as it had started.
“I don’t know, I prioritize, I guess.” I didn’t want to sound too serious or reveal too much. I was embarrassed I hadn’t attended school in a while and studying had become a challenge because my job was taking up so much of my time.
“So most of the things you do are strategically planned?”
“Not so much. I go to work and school. My life starts and ends there. I haven’t had the need to add anything on to that so I’ve been content with it.”
“What do you like to do when you’re not working or studying?”
I couldn’t believe I actually had to think about that. “I like to travel.” It was pathetic, since the only travel I’d done had been work-related.
“That’s interesting.”
“Enough about me, tell me more about yourself.” I had to change the subject because I felt like soon I’d end up throwing myself under the bus and I wasn’t sure why I was uncomfortable with Jaime knowing the real me.
She had everything; the education, the job and the life. She was who I wanted to be. The best part was that she was happy and willing to get out of her comfort zone and do something different.
“What would you like to know?”
“Did you always want to be an artist?”
She shook her head. “Not always. Like most people, I wanted to do something that would assure me financial success. So I went to school to study law but in the end, I realized I’d never be truly happy if I wasn’t doing what I loved.”
“What was that?”
“I loved painting and the more I stayed in law school the more I realized I was carving a road to a future I wasn’t sure was meant for me. Half way through, I quit and applied to art school. I knew my family wouldn’t understand so I kept it secret.”
“You never told them you’d quit law school?”
“I couldn’t afford to pay for art school myself and I knew once I told them, they’d stop supporting me.”
“What happened?”
“I finished school and got a job. My father wanted me to work in his friend’s firm so eventually, I had to come clean.”
“How did they react?”
“How do you think?”
“He must’ve been pissed,” I said.
“He was upset, so was my mom, but I sat them both down and told them that if they cared about my happiness, they’d let me follow my dreams.”
“Did they understand?”
“No, I’d spent a lot of their money because I got accepted into a really good art school. I told them one day I’d pay it all back if it was all they were concerned about and left.”
“Oh my God.”
Jaime laughed softly. “Don’t worry, over time we managed to work it out.”
“Now that you’re successful, it must be easier.”
“It is, but we have our ups and downs. It keeps things interesting,” she said.
“Do you have siblings?”
“Two older brothers; a lawyer and a judge.”
I wanted to express my awe at her family’s love for justice but I lacked in words.
“Don’t say it,” she said, almost as though she knew what would come next.
Our waiter came to serve us and I was glad because this time he’d be gone for a while longer. For some reason, it felt like he was interfering and I wished he’d stay away long enough for me to absorb everything this woman before me was.
We started eating our food and my curiosity about her kept on growing. I wanted to know more. “How did you meet Mrs. Gallagher?”
She looked up and a glint of light came to her eyes. I couldn’t help wondering if she saw the same thing in the magnificent woman as I did.
“A friend introduced us. I hoped once I tabled the idea, she’d be interested. It took a while, but eventually she came onboard.”
“You’re very brave,” I said.
“Why do you say so?”
“Mrs. Gallagher can be very intimidating.”
“She is, but when you want something, you stomp on your insecurities and your fears and go after it.”
“I wish it was as easy as saying it.”
She tilted her head and studied me.
“What?” I asked.
“I don’t know. You don’t come across as someone who’d let anything get in the way of what you want.”
She was the first person to see that from just a few days of knowing me. Unfortunately, the image I was portraying didn’t take away from who I really was. “Your confidence in me is inspiring but you should know, I’m not there yet.”
“Then whatever you’re projecting is working out for you,” she said.
“Well then, good.” She kept me on my toes. Conversation never once got boring. She made me laugh, made it easy for me to talk to her, to share, but I still found it challenging to talk about myself. I didn’t understand why, but maybe intimidation was playing a hand in it.
I was attracted to her and flirting back and forth was fun, but my favorite part was the manner in which she looked at me. It made me feel wanted and desired, which was something I hadn’t felt in a long time.
“Have you ever been in love?” I asked.
She sipped on her red wine and met my gaze. “Once, I fell in love once.”
“How was it like?”
“She was my childhood best friend. There wasn’t a thing about her I didn’t love. Her smile, her eyes, her soft hands, her hugs, the way she spoke, her laugh, even her tears. She was a saint and an angel to me.”
Sounded intense. “Did she feel the same way?”
Jaime nodded but she wasn’t voluntary with information.
“What happened?”
“She had terminal leukemia and passed away at sixteen.”
“Oh God, I’m so sorry.” Of all the things I’d e
xpected her to say, I couldn’t have guessed it. No wonder she wasn’t overly open about it.
“It’s okay.”
We went silent for a while and then she brightened up and posed me the same question.
“No, I’ve never been in love.”
“How come?”
How come? How could I explain that? “My family is very conservative and though loving and supportive, I could never come out to them. I did what I was told and focused on what needed to be done. I avoided any situation that would threaten the balance of the world I’d grown up in. When I moved here for school, I became a bit more experimental, with students.” I took a breath and a sip of wine. “I never got to know anyone close enough to experience a strong bond or an affectionate relationship.”
“Do you think you’re open to it now?” she asked.
I didn’t know how to answer her. I mean, what was love? What was the difference between loving someone and being in love? I’d read countless books that described the meaning in unbelievable detail, but ironically, I’d always thought the scattered information was wanting in nature.
“I guess so.”
“You don’t sound too sure,” she said.
I ran my fingers through my hair, trying to think about a time I’d grown close to someone with romantic intention. Not a single moment came to mind. “I don’t know, I guess, I understand desire more than I do love.”
“Lust, passion and raw sexual attraction is just that, sex. Love is something deeper, something words still fail to fully capture because what one feels is too powerful, too overwhelming to be painted into anything comprehensible.”
I was speechlessly intrigued. This woman had a lot to teach me. “Can you capture it in a painting?”
“Love?”
I nodded.
“It’s different for everyone, you know. Some people would look at a painting and see whatever they want to see instead of what I’m trying to portray. I guess it all depends on perspective.”
Somehow, our conversation drifted to the world of paintings and their distinct interpretations. I wasn’t sure how long we talked about it, but our waiter came back and took our plates long after we’d finished our meals.
After settling our bill, we noticed how late it had gotten and Jaime dropped me off back home. I didn’t want to invite her in when she stopped the car and walked me to the entrance of my building because I wasn’t ready to show her my world.
She was pleasant enough not to push for an invitation and as we said goodnight, we both expressed how much fun we’d had and agreed to do it again. When she moved close to me, I grew a little nervous. I knew she wanted to kiss me and I wanted to kiss her back, but I was scared.
As though she understood this, she leaned forward and laid a featherlight kiss on my cheek. I was tempted to wrap my arms around her, show her just how much I liked her, but I restrained myself.
“Goodnight, Livvy,” she said softly against my cheek as she pulled back.
The use of the nickname I was used to was heartwarming.
“Goodnight, Jaime.”
She smiled and slowly walked back to her car. When she got inside, I waved at her and got inside my building, grinning from ear to ear.
Chapter Six
I had to admit, of all the projects I’d done since I’d started working for Mrs. Gallagher, the art exhibition was a top favorite.
Frank Connor was liaising with Jaime on the pieces Mrs. Gallagher was showcasing at the event, which was in a day, and I was excited to see how it’d turn out.
The invites had been sent out and Mrs. Gallagher’s guests had responded and were all going to show up.
Jaime’s guests were going to get back to her. I’d managed to get her to invite Rex, which was great because this time, I’d have a friend around to keep me company. I doubted Mrs. Gallagher wanted me to shadow her like I had during the charity ball.
I loved working for her for all the reasons she wasn’t like other employers. I wasn’t confined to a desk, it wasn’t necessarily a typical nine-hour job, depending on the duties and responsibilities, the working hours could be more or less. And my boss, well to start, she was an incredible person.
“What’s going on?”
There was some sort of construction taking place at Týsque in one of the exhibition halls. Jaime was busy coordinating with whoever was creating the noise in her art gallery when I arrived.
“You should talk to Jaime. She’s not happy,” Caitlin said.
The way she said it made me wonder if Jaime’s unhappiness had something to do with me. I followed the ruckus and found Jaime standing safely away as a couple of men made some sort of a glass vault.
“Jaime.”
She approached me, seemingly upset and asked me to follow her to her office, which was pleasantly quiet. I didn’t want to speak before I knew what was going on so I waited.
We’d seen each other the day before but after our date, our meetings had been purely professional. Mrs. Gallagher understood I needed to be at Týsque, so her requests were not quite as demanding.
“This guy is drilling holes in my gallery,” she said.
I had no idea who she was talking about and what it had to do with me. “Who and why if you haven’t approved of it?” It was her art gallery and she had an overall say on what went on. I didn’t understand how anyone would have a reason to go above that.
“Frank Connor,” she said.
I wanted to speak, but the name took the power out of anything I had to say.
“After we talked, he was supposed to keep in touch, tell me which pieces he was presenting on behalf of Mrs. Gallagher, then we would plan on where to place them. They were supposed to be the centerpieces for the whole event, the reason why anyone will show up.”
She was pacing back and forth and I had no idea how to appease her. This was her territory and someone was invading it. “I met Frank Connor in Egypt. He showed me the original headpiece of Cleopatra. I’m sure whatever he’s constructing, it’s because the security is necessary. Mrs. Gallagher goes all out, you should know that. This is the quality that keeps people around her.”
She seemed to relax, which was good but she looked at me with a curiosity that made me realize I’d probably said too much.
“Wait, Cleopatra’s headpiece?”
I tried to think of something smart or witty to say but she looked at me in such an earnest manner, I couldn’t lie my way out of it.
“Spill,” she said.
I was leaning against her desk when she stopped pacing and turned her attention to me, waiting for me to share what I knew. My loyalty was to Mrs. Gallagher, but the event was taking place in a day. She’d know as much as I did when everything was revealed.
“I’ve only collaborated with Frank Connor once. I had to go to Cairo to sign for a parcel that needed to be sent to New York. I had no idea about this event. Mrs. Gallagher is not very forthcoming with information.”
“Did you say Frank Connor showed you Cleopatra’s original headpiece?”
I remembered my own reaction when I’d seen it and smiled, knowing Jaime had not heard anything else after I’d said the very statement she’d repeated. “I’m not at liberty to say, in fact, what you just heard is not supposed to be repeated to anyone else.”
Her smile was wider, more pleasant, and sweeter. Her worry faded as she approached me and somehow it was transferred into me. I was afraid she’d try and retract more information, and terrified because she’d succeed.
“You have nothing to worry about,” she said.
Her voice was soft and caressing and I didn’t fail to notice how close to me she came, or how quickly nervous I grew. After our date, the intimacy of what we’d shared had been put on suspended animation.
When we were around one another, there was that flirting, that warmth, but because we were connected through work, we tried to keep it professional.
I wasn’t waiting for her to ask me out on another date so soon because she w
as occupied with the art exhibition, but I knew when it was over, we’d go out and try to get to know each other more and who knew, maybe something would happen.
That was my thought, until she gave me that look and approached me, looking at me as though I’d just revealed the most delicious secret and to my disgrace, unfortunately, I think I just had.
Cleopatra’s headpiece had had an overwhelming effect on me and on an artistic level, I could understand why it’d do so for Jaime, so her reaction towards finding out why Frank Connor had people drilling holes in her office was expected.
“Are you upset?” I needed to make sure.
She shook her head and closed the distance between us. She was a beautiful woman who I was very attracted to and how I felt about her was powerful enough to shut down my motor senses when she stood so close to me.
I had thought our first kiss would take place after a second or third date, but when we stood just inches apart, her body heat calling onto mine, I wasn’t so sure I was willing to wait.
The fact that I’d just given her pleasing news and it was probably why she was doing this should’ve stopped me, but I didn’t care.
I had berated myself for not having taken the initiative to kiss her myself and if this was how our first kiss was going to take place, then I was more than willing to participate.
“Don’t kiss me.”
The words resounded in my head, snapping me back to reality. Not because they were said in harsh terms, but because Jaime’s lips were close to mine, close enough to create something magical, but the timing was off.
“I’m sorry,” I said.
She pulled back and I bit into my lower lip, unsure of what I was doing.
“I want our first kiss to be based on more than this.”
She seemed to understand what this meant even though I didn’t. What was I thinking? She was perfect and I really wanted to kiss her and hold her and feel her against me. I groaned in frustration.
“I understand,” she said.
When she created distance between us, I almost reached out to tell her I’d made a mistake. But I stayed strong. If this wasn’t how our first kiss was supposed to take place, then maybe I was right to stop it.
“I’m not saying for sure that Cleopatra’s headpiece will be Mrs. Gallagher’s masterpiece tomorrow,” I said, trying to figure out the point I’d been trying to make.
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