by Terry Towers
Eric laughed as he sat back in the chair. “Yea, I sensed that.”
Tessa cringed. “That apparent, huh?”
With a nod, Eric grabbed his glass of water and took a long drink.
She squirmed in her seat. She could tell he was simply playing with her, the papers had already been signed for a two-year lease and there was nothing left but to celebrate, but nonetheless she still felt uneasy. She’d always prided herself on not judging people before really getting to know them and she’d gravely misjudged Eric. She felt like such an ass and needed to know they were on good terms – both professionally and personally.
“So I’m thinking that since you’ve questioned my character on numerous occasions,” he said – setting his drink down on the table, he laced his fingers before him and leaned forward on the table, eyeing her intently before continuing – “that it’s only fair you give me another shot to show you the kind of man you may be passing up.”
And there it was… The catch. Her smile faded.
Laughing, Eric gave her a wink, leaning back into his chair but keeping his hands where they were. “I’m teasing, Tessa. I know nothing has changed in that regard and I respect that. But can’t fault a guy for trying, right?”
Reaching across the table, Tessa placed her hand over his clasped ones and laughed with him, a surge of relief flowing through her. She chastised herself for letting guilt and suspicion creep into her mind. This was a new life, a new start. She knew she had to move on, forget the past and look forward to a promising future.
A future gotten from your mother’s death. She shook her head. No way, no way in hell was she going to let those voices in today. Not on such a good day. She deserved this future.
She gave Eric a hard look. She wished she could have the feelings for Eric that he clearly wanted her to have. But it wasn’t meant to be and just thinking about him in that way made her want Chase. She’d just seen him mere hours ago and every part of her – mind, body and soul – wanted him again. She couldn’t wait to see Chase, tell him the good news. Hell, they were going to practically be neighbours, her little coffee shop just down the street from his gallery.
But what if it’s too much? Too close. What if things go badly between us?
“Well, my dear, I have an appointment to make so I need to get going.”
Pulling her hand from his, she sat up straight and nodded. “Yes, I should get going as well, I have so much to do. I’m not even sure where to start.”
He nodded toward her check-book sitting in front of her. “You can start by giving me a void check for the rental payments.”
“Of course.” She began to fumble into her purse, but he produced a pen from the inner pocket of his jacket before she could start the search in earnest and passed it to her. Taking the pen she quickly scrawled VOID across the check and passed it to him. “Thank you, Eric.”
Standing, he extended his hand to her for a formal handshake. Following his lead she accepted his hand and gave it a hearty shake, sealing the deal. After a quick goodbye she made her way across the street toward the space that was now hers, the sound of her newly acquired keys jingling in her hands. It was such a delightful sound. Reaching her car she looked toward Chase’s gallery and noticed something familiar – his motorcycle – parked out front.
“Have a great week, Tessa,” Eric said. Not waiting for her to respond, he slid behind the wheel of his Jag and promptly sped off as she gave him a quick wave.
Her attention returned to Chase’s motorcycle parked out front of the gallery. Would be he upset with her just showing up? Was he one of those moody artists who hated being disturbed while working? But then again, he may not even be working.
If he’s busy I’ll just leave, not a big deal. Turning away from her car, she lightly jogged toward the gallery, only slightly concerned that she was still wearing her uniform. This was a big day for her; while they’d not known each other for long it only felt natural that he be one of the first to hear her big news. Maybe she could show him the spot? It was nothing but a blank area, but signing that lease was one of her proudest moments.
As she approached the front of the gallery she noticed that the door read it closed at 4pm; it was currently 8pm. But he was in there. Would he want to see her tonight? Of course he would, she determined – she’d been the one to turn him down, not the other way around.
With a shrug, she tested the door. It opened and she hesitated. If he was indeed painting would she be disturbing him? She chewed at her lower lip and proceeded inside, deciding she’d gone this far and might as well surprise him; it may go the other way and he’d be pleased.
She walked soundlessly across the floor, remembering the way to the back room that led to his studio. As Tessa approached the back the beat of rock music and laughter drifted to her. She paused. She was interrupting. Shit, shit, shit.
While her first instinct was to turn and leave, curiosity got the better of her. One peek. Just to see. A sense of dread swept over her, a sense of foreboding. She pushed it down, deciding she was being silly. As soon as she reached the entryway she didn’t proceed all the way in, instead she peered in and her heart sank. Naked posed against the far wall was a woman. She was facing the wall, but she was peering over her shoulder at Chase, who was frantically painting as they conversed. She immediately recognized her, she was the model from the angel painting.
The woman was stunning, so stunning that Tessa found herself staring. And they looked so comfortable with each other… Too comfortable. It made her uneasy and much less confident in their connection.
I shouldn’t be here. Should never have come at all. With a shake of her head, Tessa took a step backwards and then another. When she was far enough away that she was confident that she couldn’t be heard, she spun and rushed across the gallery and out the front door.
As she burst through the gallery doors and into the cool night air she stopped moving and took a deep breath in, closed her eyes and slowly released it. Tears pooled at her lids and she blinked them back. There were no promises made, just assumed.
“Stupid. God, I’m so stupid,” she muttered, forcing the sadness away – she needed to cling to an emotion that wasn’t sorrow or guilt. The sadness was replaced with an emotion she felt rarely, but was feeling in spades at that moment – anger.
He knew how vulnerable she’d been. He knew how easily she could be hurt and what did he do? The first time she turned him down he went out and… And what? She didn’t know, but as far as she was concerned she was done with Chase Gamble. Who needed that kind of distraction anyhow, she had a business to get up and running.
“Well, to hell with you Chase. I didn’t need anyone before, and I don’t need anyone in my life now.”
She wished that she believed that.
~*~ TT ~*~
Chase
“Looking good?” Shania asked, turning her head and eyeing him, the corners of her lips slightly upturned, her blue eyes telling him she knew damned well it was coming along better than good.
Chase laughed and rolled his eyes. “Oh, I think you know it’s coming along fantastic.”
She shrugged, her lips forming into a wide smile. “You can’t blame a girl for looking for a compliment now and then. Especially now when I seem to have hit a plateau in my career.”
“You’re hardly plateauing.” Cocking a brow up at her, he focused his attention back to the painting. This was going to be a basic painting, just her. Beautiful in its simplicity. It would sell quickly – anything with Shania in it tended to, which was why he jumped at the opportunity to paint her.
“So what are your plans for tonight? Later tonight, I mean.”
Chase paused and lifted his eyes from the canvas to meet hers. Any other time he’d have made a suggestive comment, knowing exactly what she wanted from him, but not tonight. Even though he was painting her, his mind had been on Tessa the entire time. If a woman like Shania couldn’t distract him from the sweet coffee shop girl then there had to
be something between them. Had to be something worth fighting for.
Once he was done with the painting he had every intention of heading straight to Tessa’s and getting things sorted out. She wasn’t the type of girl to go messing with other men, he knew that in his heart of hearts and refused to let his ego get in the way of his intuition.
“I plan to get my head out of my ass and visit someone.”
“Someone?” She turned, unashamed and unembarrassed to be standing fully nude in front of him. She crossed her arms over her breasts, eyeing him intently. “Like a female someone?”
“Exactly like a female someone.” He continued painting, not allowing the conversation to distract him; the quicker he finished the better.
“So, you’re in a relationship now?”
Chase glanced up to see her lush lips had turned into a little pout. Most men would drop to their knees and beg her to tell them what they could do to make that frown disappear, but he knew her too well. The pout was all part of the little seduction game she loved to play, a means to an end, so she could get what she wanted.
He did, however, pause at the question. They hadn’t discussed it and made it official, but he supposed they were. That was another detail that he’d get straightened out and make it official. Then he wouldn’t have any doubts. It would be exclusive, done and problem solved.
“I am.”
“Well, I didn’t think I would see the day, Chase Gamble domesticated.” While she smiled there was a shimmer of something in her eyes… Disappointment maybe?
He laughed, ignoring the look. He’d suspected for some time that she may have developed feelings for him, but had refused to give it any thought. “Not sure I’d say domesticated. But, I’m into the girl, very into her.”
“Enough to give up the bachelor lifestyle, huh?”
“I never really liked it all that much anyhow, if I were to be honest.” He went back to painting. The conversation was getting awkward; this may have been a bad idea. The quicker he finished up the better. He began working at a feverish pace.
“Then why haven’t you looked for that before? You know, I…”
Well, fuck me.
Hearing rustling of clothing, he chanced a peek up, confirming that she was indeed getting dressed. It was for the best. Art or not, officially together or not, he suspected this situation would have Tessa upset and risk his chances of pursuing something more solid with her.
“It’s not something I intended…” Chase thrust a hand into his hair and sighed. “Sometimes things happen. I just can’t explain it better than that. There’s a connection I haven’t felt in a long time, if ever.”
She frowned. Her feelings were hurt. What in the hell was he supposed to do or say in this situation? “I’m sorry, Shania.” That was the best he had, and quite frankly the best he could come up with under the circumstances.
Zipping up the back of her dress, she slipped on her heels, which made her at eye level with him and she walked – no, strutted – her way over to him, her hips swaying seductively with each step. This wasn’t over.
She came up to him and focused her attention toward the painting, leaning into him, her breasts brushing up against his arm as she pretended to study the painting. Last-ditch effort he supposed. He remained where he was, despite being uncomfortable and feeling the urge to step away.
“Looks good. So does this mean that this will be our last painting together?”
He didn’t know what it meant. It was unfamiliar territory, a terrain that he would have to navigate with Tessa. “I can’t say at the moment Shania. I just know that I can’t risk the chance of losing what could be the best thing to ever happen to me.”
Chapter 11
Tessa
An unhappy person’s best friend – Haagen-Dazs, Tessa mused, dipping her spoon into the small tub of cookie dough ice cream. She let out a low groan looking at the tub, which was halfway eaten. This certainly wasn’t going to help her waistline, especially if she was going to be back on the market again.
She laughed, but it was a sad and hollow sound. Like that was going to matter. And was she even off the market? She really didn’t know. After what she’d seen tonight she wasn’t sure if she even wanted to be. She didn’t know if she could handle him being around sexy, naked women, even if it was just for his work.
Fucking relationships, who needs them?
“I’ve survived the past few years without a man in my life, with everything going on I hardly need the headache of one now,” she muttered to herself. But she was lying to herself and she knew it.
Dipping her spoon into the tub again she scooped up another mouthful as she flicked through the television channels. Comedy, comedy, I need a fun comedy. Not a romantic comedy, those things were depressing as shit when you were already in a heartbroken mood. The men in those were perfectly imperfect, making you love them even more.
Finally settling on a slapstick comedy featuring Jim Carrey she dipped her spoon in again. There was no way this one was going to be depressing. Laughs, just lots of laughs.
Just what I need.
As the movie began a roar sounded from outside, coming closer by the second. The sound was followed by the beam of a single headlight. Moments later the shadow of a motorcycle appeared, driving across the front window and pulling into the drive next to her car.
Chase!
She didn’t want it to but her heart rate accelerated in anticipation of seeing him. She hated that she wanted to see him, she hated herself for falling so hard so quickly, she was hardly a sixteen-year-old girl prone to insta-love crushes. But the situation was as it was; regardless of what her common sense would tell her to do, her heart felt what it felt and she seemed powerless to fight it.
Leaping from the sofa, she looked down at herself and groaned. Grey jogging pants with holes in the knees and a trash metal t-shirt of an obscure band that she didn’t even like anymore.
Oh shit, shit, shit. He has horrible timing! She raced to the mirror in the hallway and stared at herself in it – no makeup, her hair in a ponytail and there was a smudge of ice cream at the corner of her lip. She groaned again and wiped at the corner of her mouth with the palm of her hand.
Knock, knock, knock.
With a little squeak she spun around and stared across the kitchen to the front door. It was solid wood so he couldn’t see her on the other side staring like an idiot at the door and she was grateful for that.
The knock came again, a little louder and more insistent.
She hated confrontation, but it had to be done. She needed to know where she stood with him and she needed to know her place in his life. Was she a toy? The flavour of the month? Or was she perhaps something a little more serious? Who was that woman? Friend? Former lover? She needed to know once and for all so they could move on – or not.
A third round of knocks came just as she was grasping the door handle and yanking the door open. And there he was, looking as large as life. So handsome, why did he have to be so fucking handsome?
He grinned down at her and she felt herself melting at his stare. “Chase…” She nearly sighed his name, forcing herself to remain calm and collected, but it was so damned hard. The scent of his cologne drifted to her and ignited every urge within her to fall into him, wrap her arms around him and never let him go.
“Evening, Tessa.” He thrust his hand into his hair and sighed. It was then she noticed he looked agitated. No, wait. That wasn’t correct, if she hadn’t known better she’d think he was nervous. It was a laughable idea, but there it was.
“I umm,” she motioned to her attire.
His smile became more sincere, what she’d perceived as nervousness seemingly disappearing. “You look… adorable.”
She blushed and stepped aside, motioning for him to enter. “I’m sorry about tonight, had it been any other night…”
“So what was so important, not that I feel like you should drop everything to appease me.” He went straight to the coffee dra
wer, opened it and began rummaging through it, producing one. Heading to the coffee machine, he opened it up and popped the K-Cup into it, starting the machine.
Her apprehension over what she’d seen earlier evaporated and she smiled as she approached his back. He turned and her smile widened. “I signed the papers.”
“The papers?” he asked.
“For the café – well, it’s not the café at the moment but for the space where I’m going to have the café. It’s just down the street from your gallery.”
His features softened;, the worry or concern or whatever it was she’d seen in his eyes evaporated. “That’s who you were with this evening then,” he said almost to himself, barely loud enough for her to hear.
She frowned. “Did you…?”
“I was heading to get some lunch and I saw you with some guy in a suit,” he shrugged, giving her an embarrassed smile. “I assumed…”
“Ohh,” she said, cringing.
“I’m usually not this jealous, it was a stupid assumption. I apologize.” He made an attempt to pull her into the fold of his arms, but she stepped away.
“It was.”
“Come again?” His smile faded as quickly as it formed.
She shifted uncomfortably from one foot to another. “The man who I went out with also happened to be the one I met to sign the lease. I hadn’t met the building owner until today, so I had no idea. Apparently neither did he, until our date anyhow and then it was too late.”
“I see.” He turned his back to her, gathering his cup of coffee from the machine and taking a long sip. Setting down his coffee he shrugged off his jacket and slung it over the countertop.
He was jealous? Hurt? She couldn’t quite place his reaction – maybe a little bit of both? She stood a little straighter, jutting her chin out. Either way it wasn’t her fault. A small part of her resented him for making her feel that way, intentional or not. She already had enough negative emotions haunting her on a daily basis, she didn’t need him adding to them.
