Troublemaker

by Heather Beck

  “Um, because she’s your girlfriend, and if she really doesn’t care, then I don’t want to know what kind of relationship you guys have.”

  Realization swept over Javier’s face and then he began to laugh.

  “What?” Ava asked self-consciously.

  “Britney’s not my girlfriend. She hired me to be her tour guide. Well, more like her slave. She’s gone now – not that I’m complaining. Did you really think I could date a girl like her?”

  “Maybe. I don’t know.” She shrugged, embarrassed. “I don’t exactly know you that well.”

  “We can change that,” Javier said, not missing a beat. “Go out with me.”

  He looked irresistible, giving her a perfect smile, his eyes intently on her like she was the only girl in the world. “I’d love to,” she said, not having to think about it for a second longer.

  “Great. Can I get your number?”

  “Yeah, of course.” She took his phone, punched in her number, and then handed it back to him.

  “Thanks,” he said, slipping the phone into his pocket. “So, I was thinking dinner tomorrow night around seven. I can pick you up. Does that work for you?”

  “Yeah, that sounds good.”

  “Perfect,” he said with another sexy smile. “I’ll see you tomorrow night. And don’t worry, I’ll take you someplace really good.”

  “You better,” she teased, returning his smile. As she watched him walk away, she felt her heart flutter for the second time that day, already fantasizing about their date. Still, there was a part of her that was a little worried. She knew she’d been deceitful by not telling him the truth about who she was or why she was in Mexico, and she prayed that wouldn’t come back to haunt her.

  * * *

  Chapter Seven

  The next morning, Ava stood in her bra and underwear, pulling out the first outfit she saw in her closet and then slipping it on. Out of habit, she reached for the makeup bag that lay on her white vanity, but before she’d even opened it, she placed it back down. She was used to putting on makeup whenever she went out in Hollywood because she knew she’d be photographed, because her publicist practically insisted on it, but this was Mexico, and she had to keep reminding herself that the paparazzi and her management team weren’t a problem here. Feeling strangely liberated, she simply ran a brush through her hair, still slightly damp from the shower she’d just taken, and then headed downstairs.

  “Hi, Mom,” Ava greeted as she entered the kitchen, finding her mom hunched over the breakfast bar, looking serious as she read a document, probably something to do with Corazón de Artista.

  Startled, Isabelle looked up. “Oh, hi, sweetie. I didn’t see you there.” She put the document into her bag and then smiled, giving Ava her full attention. “How did you sleep last night?”

  “With both eyes shut,” Ava teased lightheartedly as she opened the fridge and took out a bowl of chilled oatmeal sprinkled with fruit and nuts. She grabbed a spoon from the drawer and sat down to eat.

  “You’re in a good mood. Does a certain Mexican boy have anything to do with that?”

  “Hmmm...I’m not sure I know who you’re talking about.” She gave her mom a coy, playful smile, but secretly, she was glad that she approved of her and Javier. Not that there was a her and Javier – yet.

  “Okay, I get it. Relationships are more fun when they’re a secret,” Isabelle said with a little laugh before taking on a more serious tone. “Just remember that you can talk to me about anything. And when I say anything, I mean anything.”

  Ava nodded, knowing her mom was referring to what had happened with Miguel. Everyone was really concerned about her, but she was surprising them and even herself by how strong she was being.

  “Good,” Isabelle said, giving Ava’s hand a loving pat and then standing up. “I’m going outside to make a call. If Tessa doesn’t come down in a few minutes, do you mind going upstairs and getting her? I don’t want to be late.”

  “Sure, but Mom…?”

  Isabelle, who’d picked up her bag and was on her way out of the kitchen, stopped and turned around to look expectantly at Ava. “Yes, dear?”

  “Why don’t you call from in here?”

  “Because the reception is better outside, and I want some fresh air.” Isabelle gave Ava a smile, which seemed a little forced, and then disappeared out the front door.

  Ava furrowed her brow, thinking her mom’s answer was a little strange. She wondered if she was going outside because the call had something to do with her. It wouldn’t surprise her since lately, it seemed like everything had to do with her and not in a good way. Today was the perfect example. It was her mom’s first day at Corazón de Artista – it would’ve been her second if she hadn’t stayed home to be with Ava yesterday – and she’d insisted that both her daughters come with her. She claimed it was because she was excited for Rowan to show them Artista, but Ava knew better. Her mom wanted to keep an eye on her, to make sure she was okay.

  Curiosity getting the better of her, Ava stood up, hoping to eavesdrop on her mom’s conversation, but before she could get far, her phone beeped, alerting her of a new text message. She took her phone from her pocket and checked it, smiling when she saw that the message was from Javier.

  I’ve been thinking about you, so I just wanted to say hi, he wrote, simple and sweet, with a wink emoji at the end.

  I’ve been thinking about you, too, Ava replied, her mind wandering back to yesterday and how much she’d enjoyed just walking and talking with him. I can’t wait until I see you tonight. She bit her lip after sending that second text, knowing she was putting herself out there, but when it came to Javier, there was something about him that made her not want to play games.

  That’s lucky because I can’t wait to see you, he replied, making her smile again. So, I’ve decided on this really great place for dinner. It’s seafood, and I wanted to make sure you’re not allergic or anything like that.

  No, seafood’s fine, Ava texted, thinking it was super sweet and considerate of him to ask. What’s the dress code?

  Causal. Fancy’s not my thing. Is that okay?

  Yeah, Ava replied. Casual’s actually kind of perfect.

  Cool. I have to get to work now, but I’ll see you at seven.

  See you then. Feeling bold, Ava sent him a kiss emoji and was happy when he sent her one back.

  With a little smile, Ava slipped her phone into her pocket and then headed up the stairs toward Tessa’s room, remembering what her mom had asked her to do. When she reached Tessa’s door, she found it closed, like it always seemed to be lately. She knocked on it once, twice, three times, but she got no response.

  “Tess, you still alive in there?” Ava listened and waited, but still, she heard nothing. “Well, I’m coming in. You better not be naked!” She creaked the door open and then stepped inside, feeling foolish when she saw that her sister wasn’t there.

  She was about to turn around and leave, to search for her sister elsewhere in the villa, when she heard the faint sound of running water coming from the ensuite bathroom. When she heard Tessa sing out a few lyrics of her latest favorite song, Ava knew she was taking a shower and that the only way to get her out was to merely wait until she was done.

  Another sound, dings coming from Tessa’s laptop, suddenly caught Ava’s attention. It was the sound used for notifications on StalkMe – a popular social media website that Tessa adored but Ava refused to use, not wanting to share more of her private life than she already did. At first, she ignored the noise, thinking it had to stop at some point, but it kept on dinging and dinging, as if there was no end to it. Wondering what the hell was going on, she went to Tessa’s desk and opened the laptop, her eyes growing wide when she saw what was causing the stir on her sister’s StalkMe page.

  Posted just fifteen minutes ago were several selfies Tessa had taken in Mexico. Captioned Living the Dream, one showed her outside their villa, another her sipping on a fancy drink at a local café, but worst of a
ll, was her lounging on the beach with a Mexican flag flying proudly in the background. After everything their parents had done to keep their whereabouts a secret, Ava could hardly believe that her sister would be so stupid.

  Ava read some of the inpouring comments – the cause of those annoying dings – and was horrified to discover that people were already speculating about where they were in Mexico, like it was some sort of game.

  “What do you think you’re doing?” someone suddenly said.

  Ava let out a gasp of surprise as she spun around to see Tessa standing with her hands on her hips, an annoyed expression on her face. Ava had been so preoccupied with what she was reading that she hadn’t heard her sister come out of the bathroom.

  “What am I doing?” Ava was hardly able to choke out. “What are you doing?”

  Tessa stepped around Ava, her face turning red when she saw that Ava had clicked on the pictures she’d posted. “You weren’t supposed to see that,” she snapped, closing the laptop with a thud.

  “Clearly. Tess, what were you thinking?” When her sister folded her arms and defiantly looked away, Ava sighed and began to talk in a gentler tone. “You know we can’t let people find out that we’re here. It’s too dangerous.”

  Tessa rolled her eyes. “Don’t you think you’re being a bit dramatic? It’s not like I posted directions to our villa.”

  “Close enough. Everyone knows we’re in Mexico now, and as for that picture you took in the café? The name of the café is plastered over your mocktail glass for everyone to see!”

  “So? I’m sure there are a ton of Cafetería de Sols in Mexico. Do you really think people will find us because of that?”

  “I don’t want to find out!” Ava said, trying very hard to stay calm with her sister. “Why would you even take that chance in the first place?”

  Tessa looked away again, but this time, she appeared embarrassed. “Because I wanted to show everyone how great we’re doing, okay? You don’t read the gossip blogs and all the horrible things they’re saying about us. We’re broke, we’re in rehab, we’ve gone to live in a cave with goats. It’s…it’s awful.”

  It looked like Tessa would start to cry at any second, so Ava put her arm around her, trying to comfort her. “You shouldn’t read those blogs,” she said, secretly feeling guilty. After all, she was the one who’d manipulated Tessa into believing that disappearing to Mexico would help their careers.

  “You might not care about what people say about you, but I do. I wanted to prove them wrong so badly, and the only way I could think of doing that was by posting those pictures.”

  Ava sighed. “I get it – not only why you posted what you did but also how hard all of this has been on you. But, Tess, Mom and Dad would go crazy if they found out about these pictures.”

  “You’re not going to tell them, are you?”

  Ava took one look at Tessa’s wide, scared eyes and then shook her head. “If you take them down right now, then I promise I won’t say a word to Mom or Dad.”

  “Thank you,” Tessa said, hugging Ava. “And I’m really sorry. I wasn’t thinking straight. You know I’d never do anything to intentionally hurt you, right?”

  “Of course.”

  “Good,” Tessa said, cheering up a little as she let go of Ava and then opened her laptop. Without hesitation, she deleted the photos. “All done,” she said, turning to her sister. “And never to be reposted again, I swear.”

  “Good,” Ava said, even though she couldn’t help but think the damage had already been done. “So, Mom wanted me to tell you we’ll be leaving for Artista soon. Are you almost ready?”

  Tessa grabbed her crossbody purse that hung over the back of her chair. “Ready when you are,” she said, giving her sister a smile.

  As they headed down the stairs and out the villa, Ava knew Tessa, who always took much longer to get ready, was trying in her own way to make up for what she’d done. Knowing that her sister was truly sorry, Ava decided she’d try her best to forget about what had happened this morning and just enjoy her day.

  Corazón de Artista was only a short drive away, and fifteen minutes later, Ava, Tessa, and Isabelle were pulling into the parking lot. Located in the heart of the city’s unofficial art hub, Artista’s long, narrow building fit right in, its exterior walls featuring large, bright paintings.

  “This place looks amazing,” Ava said as she got out of the car. She lifted her sunglasses onto the top of her head, so she could get a better look at the graffiti style art on the walls. “Did Javier help paint these?” she asked her mom, running her hand over one of the paintings – a colorful skull adorned with flowers.

  “Hopefully not that one,” Tessa spoke up, shivering. “It’s kind of creepy.”

  “Well, I think it’s beautiful,” Ava said. “Look at all the detail. It must’ve taken forever to paint.”

  “Ava’s right – it would’ve taken a very long time,” Isabelle said. “And, Tessa, can you please be a bit more respectful? That’s a sugar skull – the symbol for Dia de los Muertos or Day of the Dead. These skulls celebrate the life, joy, and spirit of deceased loved ones, and the Mexican people take it very seriously.”

  “Like I said, creepy,” Tessa muttered under her breath.

  Isabelle gave Tessa a stern look but said nothing, instead turning to Ava to finally answer her question. “I don’t know who painted them. You’d have to ask Rowan.”

  “I’m afraid I don’t know, either,” a voice came unexpectedly, causing Ava to jump a little. She spun around to see that it was only Rowan, walking toward them. He chuckled slightly. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you. I saw the three of you out here, so I thought I’d come and say hi.” He gave Isabelle a quick hug and then smiled at Ava and Tessa. “These paintings were here when the non-profit organization that runs Corazón de Artista bought the building. I have to admit they were looking a bit dull, but some of Artista’s clients helped to repaint them, giving them life again. I think it turned out great. What do you guys think?”

  “It’s gorgeous,” Ava said.

  Isabelle nodded. “Just stunning.”

  Rowan looked at Tessa, waiting for her response.

  “It’s really pretty,” she said, giving him a wide, believable smile.

  Clearly happy with their answers, Rowan guided them into the building, holding the door open for them as they went. “There are a lot more paintings in here that I’m sure you’ll love, too,” he said enthusiastically. “In the past month, we’ve had a couple of professional artists come here to teach classes, and I can see the positive impact it’s having on our clients’ work.”

  Ava looked at her surroundings, trying to take everything in. The building was much bigger than it seemed on the outside, and it was filled with paintings of all sizes, some displayed on the walls, others still sitting on easels, a work in progress. There were different types of art, from abstract to still life to landscapes and even mixed media pieces, but there was one thing they all had in common: they were good – really good.

  “Over here we have the pottery area,” Rowan said, leading them to the back of the building, where bowls and plates, which were painted in intricate patterns, and small sculptures sat on shelves near a kiln. “And here we have the art supply room,” he continued, opening the door to a small area that was well-stocked with brushes, paint, canvases, clay, and everything else an artist would need.

  “This is impressive, Rowan,” Isabelle complimented. “Things seem to be running a lot more smoothly than I would’ve imagined, especially for such a new organization.”

  He nodded. “We’ve been doing a lot of fundraising to make sure this place not only stays up and running but thrives. It’s been successful so far, and we have this big art show coming up in just over a month where we’ll be selling our artists’ work. If all goes well, it will be really beneficial for Artista and our artists.”

  “Are you an artist?” Ava asked Rowan, his passion so apparent that she assumed he must be
one, too.

  Rowan laughed. “Only in my heart. I’m afraid my attempts at art have all ended disastrously. Some would even call it a massacre of canvases.”

  “Art is subjective,” Isabelle said. “I’m sure it wasn’t that bad.”

  “You’re too kind.” Rowan smiled at Isabelle, his eyes meeting hers before turning back to Ava. “As your mom might have told you, I’m just the director here. Someone who makes sure we open on time and all our bills are paid. Not really glamorous stuff, but I feel grateful to be working with such great people, in such a beautiful city. And now that your mom’s here to help, I know we’ll do great things for Artista.”

  Isabelle smiled. “I’m sure we will.”

  “So, what else do they do here?” Tessa asked as Rowan began to guide them around the rest of the building. She was pretending to be interested, but Ava could tell this wasn’t her thing. She’d probably rather be at the beach or, better yet, a party.

  “I don’t like to think of this as just a place to paint or sculpt. Art can be therapeutic, a way to search for meaning in a chaotic world or maybe find our place in it. It can also be an escape from the world, even if only for a little while. I believe Artista is a safe haven for our clients, who otherwise might never have a chance to explore all these things, while discovering their talent, discovering themselves.”

  “Deep,” Tessa said, only teasing, but it was still enough to get a little tut of disapproval from Isabelle.

  “I certainly like to think so,” Rowan responded, laughing good-naturedly.

  As Isabelle and Rowan started talking about their big plans for Corazón de Artista, Ava’s eyes wandered around the building to some paintings she hadn’t seen yet. When she caught sight of something on the wall in the distance, like an explosion of vibrant colors, she couldn’t stop herself from going over to take a closer look.

  “Wow,” she muttered under her breath, coming to a stop in front of six paintings that were unlike anything else she’d ever seen. The paintings were of the sea and the creatures that lived in it, like seahorses, fish, dolphins, starfish, and sea turtles, but they were all semi-realistic, the artist having used different colors and blending techniques to make them appear magical, as if they were about to jump off the canvas at any moment.