by Pat Amsden
Outside friends and family waited in the warm sun while Steven and Jazz played for them. She moved over to Brad.
“This is it. The grand opening of Elena’s.” She felt her tears coming to her eyes. “I want you all to know I couldn’t have done it without your help.
Your support and encouragement mean everything to me. Thank you!” She turned to Brad and whispered in his ear. “Especially you.”
He gave her a look that made her heart race, made her feel weak-kneed. “Anytime.”
She opened the door.
The rest of the day passed in a blur. She could remember Race and Bente talking to people about their art. She remembered briefly seeing Star and Meghan and holding her breath while Star narrowly missed jumping on one of Race’s delicate glass bubbles.
She passed out a zillion samples of pies and brownies with ices and about a million cups of coffee. She remembered talking to Dan from the wharf and Steve and Jazz. Brad had brought over the Mayor at one point and a City Councillor who had both dropped in.
Her mother tried to buy out the gallery with her friends but Elena had to explain this was an open house and they weren’t really trying to sell anything. Besides if her mother had bought everything she wanted she wouldn’t have had anything left for the gallery walls. She did promise to sell her the picture of the mother and her children in the forest.
Her dad beamed with pride and told everyone possible ‘she’s my daughter you know’.
The day ended with Stephen and Jazz jamming with Nathan and his friends while people danced in front of Elena’s and on the dock in an impromptu open air concert. It was as perfect a day as she could have wanted.
CHAPTER TWELVE
She was tired and exhausted by the time the last guest left. And happy.
Elena’s opening had succeeded beyond her wildest dreams.
“I told you,” Mary said laughing.
“I think I’ll stay here tonight,” she told her. “It’ll be easier to open up tomorrow morning.”
“OK,” Mary said sighing. “I’m going to miss you.” She cast a glance in Brad’s direction. He was outside sweeping up. “But I understand.”
“Mary!”
“Well … Elena’s is open now.”
“I am not talking about this with you.”
“OK, I won’t say anymore.” But she went off humming. ‘It Must Be Love’ under her breath.
Elena’s heart began to hammer. Brad seemed blissfully unaware of the sexual undercurrents as he continued to clean up the dock area. Maybe he wasn’t interested?
Who said she was? This was her chance at independence. That’s what she’d wanted. And now that Elena’s was up and running that didn’t mean she had to fall into bed with the first man who came along. She was much more sensible than that.
He came in. “I think that’s everything.” He turned to face her and she could see desire in his eyes.
“It, it went well,” she said weakly.
“Very,” he said.
“I could get you something.”
“Leave it.” He drew her to him taking her in his arms. His mouth was hard on hers, claiming her, devouring her. His hands roamed freely over her. He pickd her up and carried her up the stairs. He laid her on the bed.
And then he pushed the button and the blinds closed them off. They were in their own private world now. Just Elena and Brad, she thought wildly, as he came over to her bed. Slowly he began to kiss her tenderly, gently, all over. She thought she was going to go insane. She wanted him so badly.
He paused, looking into her eyes, dilated now with desire. “Are you sure.”
“Yes, oh yes,” she sighed, knowing she had never been more sure of anything in her life. Strong hands gently lifted her dress over her head. He was kneeling over her now as he bent down kissing her softly, then with increased passion as his fingers found her bra enclosure and undid it, letting her breasts fall free.
His eyes widened as he gazed upon her. “You are so beautiful,” he whispered softly, bending down to take first one breast in his mouth and kissing it tenderly, nibbling on her nipple until she was moaning under him wanting more and then he took her other breast in his mouth. She was trembling now. He moved down her body kissing her softly with butterfly kisses on her stomach, on her belly, lower. His hands skilfully removed her panties and she was naked under his touch. He looked at her, his eyes molten chocolate.
Quickly he removed his shirt and pans. He stood over her naked, except for his Calvins. He was beautiful. She reached out to him, wanting him, and he came to her then.
“Here, let me,” she said, her voice low, breathy, so that she hardly recognized it. Hands trembling she removed his Calvins until he stood before her completely naked. Oh God! His manhood sprang out in front of him, massive. He was so big. How?
His mouth found hers. She answered his kisses with her own passion, her body seeming to have a mind of its’ own as she found her hips arching up towards him. He rubbed his manhood against her. She wanted him so badly but she was scared. “You’re so bi …” she started to say and then he was in her thrusting deeper and deeper as her hips went around him, taking him in, wanting more. It felt so good. She came, shuddering under him and he emptied himself into her, spent.
He took her in his arms. “I love you.” And then he began to kiss her slowly and softly until he brought her to fever pitch again. They made love over and over. Finally, sated, they slept in each other’s arms.
She woke the next morning to find herself alone in bed. There was a note on the table.
“I love you so much. Brad.”
That was it. She had a quick shower. She felt differently this morning. Her thighs were tender from their lovemaking and she could feel where he’d been inside her. She sighed, looking in the mirror. She looked the same. But different.
Where was he? Was he planning on coming back? She looked at the time and gave a small shriek. 6:50 in the morning. She had to be dressed and downstairs in ten minutes to open the doors. She threw on a top and some pants, ran a comb through her hair and ran downstairs. Outside Carol was waiting for her. Carol should have her own key. But did she want that?
She opened the door quickly. “Can you believe how successful the opening was,” she said, babbling as she talked about the high-lights and low-lights of the day before and rocketed around putting out the breakfast kebob station while Carol started coffee.
The day passed swiftly and before she knew it 8:00 had come with still no sign of Brad. She went to put the closed sign out and looked up to see Brad standing before her, a bouquet of red roses in his hands. He kissed her slowly and she knew Carol was wondering as she made her way out the door for the night.
“I missed you so much,” he said.
It was hours later before she could think clearly enough to sit up in bed and ask him a question. “So where does this leave us?
“Isn’t it obvious,” he said pulling her down towards him and kissing her until she couldn’t think straight. The weeks passed in a blur of customer filled days and Brad filled nights.
She was showing a woman one of her forest series when she was aware of a hush falling in the coffee shop area. She turned to see a sleek jaguar in front and Brad walked into Elena’s. What? He was wearing a beautifully cut Armani suit and he had a bouquet of roses with him. He came to a halt in front of her.
“Brad. I, what?”
“I need you to come with me.”
“But it’s the middle of the day. I’m in the middle of something. I …”
“I’ve already set it up with Carol. They can spare you for the day. I have plans for you.”
“You do?” she said looking into his eyes as he took her in his arms and kissed her soundly while cheering broke out behind them.
“Absolutely.”
“But...” she looked around to find the woman she had been talking to had disappeared. “You just cost me a sale you know.”
“Her loss. She’s just lost a chance
to own an ‘Elena Tighe’ original.
“Flattering as that is I do try to sell paintings you know,” she grumbled but she was already in the jaguar with him. She breathed in the fresh leather smell. “Are you going to tell me where we’re going?”
“No, You’ll see soon enough.”
She tried to be upset. But as she gave him a sideways look she felt
her heart hum. She loved this man. She loved how he looked in a suit or jeans or, well,
nothing at all. And she trusted him. She sat back enjoying the ride.
There was a sense of anticipation as she wondered where he was taking her, what he had planned. Maybe he was going to ask her to marry him. Did she want that?
She began to recognize the route they were taking as the place he had brought her on Elena’s opening day. They turned off the main road and onto the gravel driveway. Soon they pulled out into the meadow area overlooking the ocean he had shown her before. She gasped.
Things had changed. A small house stood off to one side. She looked at him in shock. “You built a house? In two weeks?”
“Not alone,” he said coming over to her door and opening it to her.
“Oh good,” she said weakly.
He held out his hand, helping her out. And then his lips found hers, only to break away from her. He went to the trunk and opened it pulling out a blanket and picnic basket.
“We’re not going in the house?”
“It’s not ready yet. I’ll give you a tour later but I wanted to eat out here.” He laid out the picnic blanket and put down the basket and then ushered her over. “I’d whisk you away to somewhere more exotic but something tells me Chemainus is where you want to be more than anywhere else. And you’re not going to want to leave Elena’s for awhile.”
“It is my baby,” she said laughing as she made herself comfortable on the picnic
blanket awed and touched by his thoughtfulness. “Where did the food come from?”
“I heard there’s this incredible new place in town…”
“How?”
“Mary,” he said simply.
“And here I thought we were being so careful to keep our private life private.”
He opened up the picnic basket and pulled out some of her favourite mango salad and salsa. The kind Carol had sworn they hadn’t been able to get for the past week and a half. Were they all in on it? Probably. Along with that there were chicken wraps, some fruit and cheese and some strawberries dipped in chocolate for dessert. He pulled out two wine glasses and opened the bottle of wine. It was one of her favorites, a white wine from the Okanagan. He poured her a glass and handed it to her and then poured himself one.
He held up his glass in a toast. “To Elena, the woman who has captured my heart.”
She felt her eyes tear up as she lifted her glass in acknowledgement. She took a sip of wine and then another. She was beginning to feel a little more relaxed. She took a bite of the mango salad and let Brad talk her into a chicken wrap. He held up a chocolate truffle for her. She took a bite and crunched a – she felt the shape of a ring in her mouth and pulled it out
“Will you marry me?” He was down on one knee in front of her and she felt her heart begin to explode.
“Brad!”
“Will you?”
She threw her arms around him, kissing him and giving him his answer in uncertain terms. When they could talk again she said, “what took you so long?”
“I thought you were little Miss Independent.”
“I’m not going to move in with you, give up my dreams and have five children.
He sighed deeply. “And here I thought you’d look so cute barefoot and pregnant.”
“The way Elena’s is going maybe you can come work for me.”
“I’ve got a few homes to build,” he said kissing her lazily.
“This isn’t a one only?”
This is where I want us to have our house. But I’m planning on building a few more.”
“But how?”
“Like I said before – if you know what you want you can find the money. And I do have some of my own.”
“Really.”
“A bit.”
“Then why couldn’t you afford a painting?”
“OK, I admitted I really could. I just wanted to make sure I had somewhere to hang it first.”
She looked at him. “You’re sure you’re not just marrying me for my art?”
“Mm. I don’t know. You’re pretty talented. And it’s definitely not your cooking.”
“So, how many houses?”
“About ten to start with,” he said lightly. “Each will have about a one acre lot, some of them a little more.”
“Just as long as you don’t expect to spend all your time at work,” she said warningly.
“No chance,” he said pulling her to him. “I’ve got this demanding girlfriend who wants me around all the time.”
That’s not all she wants,” she said pulling her to him.
