Painted Memories

by Flowers, Loni

  “Stay here. I’ll take care of this,” Drew whispered before he left my side and walked up behind her. “Victoria? What brings you here so late?” Drew questioned from behind her.

  She spun around at the sound of his voice and hugged him. “Oh Drew, I love how it all came together. I’m thrilled to see you decided to go with the honey-colored floors that I suggested.”

  Her style seemed classy, with her nude-colored dress that fell to her feet. But her class turned to trash when she looked my direction. The split up the front of her dress showed her entire leg all the way up to mid-thigh, exposing her matching stiletto heels, which made her nearly a foot taller than Drew. Her plunging neckline dropped well past her breasts, forcing anyone with a pair of eyes to look there, and I was sure Drew was no exception. Appearance aside, I definitely didn’t like how close she was standing next to him, or how her hands brushed over his neck when they hugged. And she still hadn’t answered his question. What was she doing here so late?

  I didn’t care what her reason was, I didn’t like her.

  “Yep, the honey color was clearly the best option. What brings you by so late?” he asked again.

  “Oh, well, I had this thing to go to earlier, and I figured since I was in the area, I could swing by and tell you I was able to get Olivia to donate a whole day to spend on interior remodeling with her design firm and her as one of the prizes for your event.”

  “That was very nice of you to convince her.”

  “Yes, she was very generous indeed. She is the best of the best, in my opinion.”

  Drew took a step back and glanced in my direction. “But you really didn’t need to come all this way. You could have called Phillip; he’s in charge of this whole thing, you know.”

  “Well, as you know,” she said, taking a step forward, “true talent really appeals to me.”

  Oh no! I wasn’t going to sit in this darkened corner while she hit on my boyfriend right in front of me. Straightening out my dress, I flipped my hair back and let the click of my heels hit the floor harder than necessary.

  “I couldn’t agree more,” I called out, coming closer. Drew’s eyes widened as he watched me strut across the floor. If he thought I was going to sit back and wait for him to get rid of her, he had another thing coming. I gave him a tight-lipped smile. “The piano was certainly a nice touch and the bench is definitely more comfortable and accommodating than the last one.” I couldn’t help myself. I knew Victoria didn’t have a clue what I was referring to, but I had to let it slip, if only to see Drew’s cheeks redden instantly.

  Victoria’s eyes moved back and forth between the piano, Drew, and me, looking completely confused as to where I’d come from. “Oh, I’m sorry; I didn’t hear you come in. And you are?” she asked.

  “Oh, I’ve been here a while. Drew was giving me the full tour. Up close and personal, you know, before he opens to the public.” She stared back at me without saying a word, but I continued. “Name’s Lilly Morgan,” I said, extending my hand. “And you are?”

  She pulled her shoulders back and shook my hand. “Victoria Hunt,” she said with pressed lips. Stepping back and walking around Drew, she glanced briefly at the walls. “Well, I’ll let you continue your tour,” she said in a sarcastic tone as she ran her hand across the back of his shoulders. “Fine work as always, Drew.” She stopped in front of him, her body inches from his when she wiped a smudge of lipstick with her thumb from his collar. A smirk crossed her lips. “Don’t forget about my offer. Your studio is nice, but you know I can give you so much more.”

  Drew looked back at her with no expression. I couldn’t tell what he was thinking, let alone why he was letting another woman talk to him the way she was. Was there some history there? And what exactly did she mean by more?

  “Enjoy the rest of your night, Victoria,” he said, eyeing the door. She glared at me before leaving the building without another word.

  Drew came up beside me and intertwined his fingers with mine. “I’m sorry for the interruption. I should have locked the door.”

  “I don’t know, Drew, maybe it’s a good thing she came up. What was that about anyway? She walked in here like she owned the place. Who is she exactly?”

  “She’s the owner of a very popular art gallery about forty-five minutes from here. She’s a lost cause, but seems determined to get me to work for her. She’s nobody to worry about, so please don’t.”

  “I need to know two things, and I’d appreciate it if you were completely honest with me,” I said.

  “Yes, of course, anything.”

  “Is there history between you two that I should know about?”

  “No, not really. I’ve known her for a while, and worked with her, through Phillip mostly.”

  “Have you slept with… I mean, really it’s none of my business, I just want to make sure there isn’t anything you forgot to tell me.”

  His hand tucked a stray lock behind my ear. “You have nothing to worry about, Lilly. No I haven’t slept with her, since I’ve never had any interest in her. I’m a one-woman kind of man and the only person I have my sights set on is you. I truly hope you believe me.”

  I felt fairly certain he wouldn’t lie to me, but whenever another woman was involved, directly or otherwise, there was always this little, tiny speck of self-doubt in my mind. I didn’t want this incident to turn into something it wasn’t. For now, I decided to tape the mouth shut of that noisy, little devil sitting on my shoulder.

  Chapter 19

  It took me a few days to stop thinking about what happened at the studio with Drew. I had no doubt how far we would have taken things if Victoria had not shown up. He kept assuring me that I didn’t need to let Victoria get under my skin, but to no avail. It was pretty obvious she wanted him. She was a very classy woman, beautiful and probably rich, making way more than I ever would as a schoolteacher. I couldn’t help comparing myself to her and I could only wonder why in the world Drew would choose me over all she had to offer him.

  The weekend came and went, and the week flew by. Tomorrow was the charity event after I spent my week busily trying to prepare my kids for an upcoming test. I also tried to get some information about my future status as a teacher at Maplewood. They couldn’t tell me if I would be added to the staff permanently. I didn’t like the prospect that, in only a few months, I could be jobless. I had no idea what I was going to do.

  I rested my feet on the coffee table in front of me and huffed at the dress bag, draped across the back of the chair. I almost wondered if it was worth all the trouble it took to find it. Since Drew was still busy with Phillip, doing the last-minute things for the event, I spent my nights with Andrea. I must’ve tried on every dress within a twenty-five mile radius, looking for the perfect one. I knew there was no need to compete with Victoria, no doubt, she would out dress me by a couple thousand dollars. But it didn’t stop me from wanting to look drop-dead-gorgeous for Drew. Besides, it might even make her a bit more jealous than she already was. The dress I finally settled on was phenomenal, revealing a lot more cleavage than I was used to, but in a tasteful way. I only hoped Drew liked it.

  Drew went with me to pick up my dress after its alterations, and asked if I wanted to go out to a movie or bowling, but I wasn’t feeling up to anything. It finally started to sink into my thoughts that tomorrow meant five years since Jesse died, and I wouldn’t be celebrating my usual way. Though it was good to be doing something different; at the same time, I still felt like I wasn’t honoring my brother like I should. I knew my father would be doing his usual: drinking himself into oblivion, calling me every five minutes, and reminding me of the pain I caused the family. As if I needed any reminders. And Mom? Who knows what she would be doing these days. I hadn’t heard from her in months. The last time I talked to her, it seemed like she was moving forward, getting stronger and less upset around Dad.

  When Drew ran out to return Phillip’s phone call, he told me he would change into something comfortable for lounging
on the couch tonight. I picked up my phone and dialed my parents’ home number. There was a chance that my dad would answer, but if he did, I’d hang up. I wasn’t in the mood to hear his ranting or let him bring me down further than I already was.

  No answer.

  Hanging up, I tried my mom’s cell phone. She had to pick up. I rarely called her on it and if she saw it was I, she’d surely think something was wrong and answer. After the second ring, she answered.

  “Lilly, dear? Is that you?” my mother asked.

  “Hi Mom.”

  “Hi dear. Everything okay? How are you?”

  “Yes, I’m fine.”

  “Oh, I thought something might be wrong.”

  “Where have you been, Mom? I’ve been trying to get in touch with you for a couple of weeks now.” Granted, I wasn’t trying very hard, but I assumed that once she saw my number as a missed call, she would have called me back.

  “I’m sorry, honey, I’m been busy here and there. Can I call you back? I’m at the theater and our movie is starting any minute now.”

  What? Dad was seeing a movie? There was no way my dad could have changed so much in the few weeks since he last called me. “Oh wow, Dad is seeing a movie with you? I’m shocked.” I said, surprised.

  “What? Your father? For God’s sake, no!” She nearly laughed.

  “Where is he then?” I asked.

  “Lilly, I stopped keeping up with your father a long time ago.”

  “What is that supposed to mean? Mom? Who are you with?”

  “I gotta run, dear. We’ll talk later, okay?”

  “But Mom… Mom?”

  It was too late; she’d already hung up the phone. I had no idea whom she was out with, but it wasn’t Dad and I didn’t know what to think about that. The tap on the door before it was open snapped me out of my thoughts.

  “Everything okay?” Drew asked as he stepped inside.

  I smiled and nodded. “Yeah, everything is fine. I finally got hold of my mom and she seemed weird.”

  “Oh, really, how so?” Drew asked as he came over to sit beside me.

  “Well, for starters, she was at the movies. She never goes to the movies.” I said emphatically.

  “That could be a good thing though, right? She’s getting out of the house. Maybe it’s doing your father some good?”

  “No, I don’t think so. She said she stopped keeping up with Dad a long time ago, so he definitely wasn’t with her.” I looked at Drew like he could answer my questions, which was crazy. “I don’t know what’s going on, but something is up with her. She was too cheerful and she hasn’t sounded that way in a long time.”

  “Well, there’s no need to jump to conclusions until you know for sure.”

  I waved my hand in the air as if to dissolve the thoughts about what exactly my mom was doing. “Yeah, I know.” I stared at his empty hands, “Where’s the ice cream?”

  “Oh crap, I forgot it upstairs. Let’s go up there, unless you insist on eating it here?”

  “No, that’s fine. I’ll go wherever the ice cream is… I mean… wherever you are.” I giggled.

  Drew laughed and grabbed my hand with his. “You ready to head up then? Need to change or anything?”

  “Nope, I’m about as comfy as I can get.” I had on a pair of grey cotton shorts and a white tee shirt. I was done for the night. Done impressing people, which was one thing I loved about Drew. He made me feel comfortable enough around him to wear whatever I chose.

  I walked behind him and he laughed again when I jumped on his back and wrapped my legs around his hips. “Let’s go. I’ve got a sweet tooth to fill.”

  “I better hurry then!” He grabbed onto my legs as we took off out the door.

  Drew put me down at the front of his apartment door. He jogged through our whole building on the bottom floor before going up to the second floor with me bobbing along on his back. If he was trying to make me laugh, he accomplished his goal; I could hardly catch my breath from all the giggling.

  Before he opened the door, he looked at me and swept a loose strand of hair away from my eyes. “I hope you don’t mind, I got a few other things besides ice cream.”

  As I walked into his apartment, I noticed the room was dim with flickering shadows that danced over the walls. A large, lit candle sat in the center of the kitchen table, along with more on the end tables in the living room. “Drew, don’t you know you’re not supposed to leave the house with candles—” The cupcakes and movie lying on the coffee table anchored my feet to the floor. He was trying to continue my silly tradition for my brother every year and I was speechless. It was my tradition and I was willing to give it up this time around for him, but he wasn’t willing to allow me to let go of it. I stared up at him in awe.

  “I know they look a little crazy. I went a little crazy with the sprinkles.” He grinned.

  I was nearly in tears. I could feel them filling my eyes, and when I spoke, my voice cracked. “You… you baked them?”

  “Sure did. You should have seen the kitchen by the time I was done.”

  “When? You’ve been so busy with Phillip. When did you get time?”

  “I made time. I did it earlier this afternoon before I picked you up for dinner.”

  “Drew—”

  “I know it’s nothing fancy, they’re made from a box, so I hope they taste okay. Let me warn you, I’m no Betty Crocker,” he teased.

  The tears slid down my cheeks at the same time I laughed. I held his face between my hands and kissed him softly on the lips. “Thank you for this; you’re amazing.”

  Drew shrugged and wiped the tears from my cheeks. “This doesn’t make me amazing. If it’s important to you, it’s important to me,” he said simply. “Now would you like some ice cream to go with these crazy cupcakes?”

  “You bet I do.”

  “Great, have a seat and I’ll get it.”

  I watched as he poured two glasses of milk, filled two bowls with ice cream, and somehow managed to carry it all over to me in his arms. He put everything down on the coffee table and picked up the movie.

  “You have no idea how hard it was to find this movie, especially when you don’t have time to order it online. I hope it’s a good one.”

  “What!?” I gawked. “You’re kidding me, right? This is a classic, how have you not seen the great Indiana Jones?”

  He laughed, putting the disk into the DVD player. “Actually, I never watched many movies. You don’t get to see much with basic television channels.”

  “Well, you’re in for a treat,” I said as I grabbed a cupcake and patted the cushion beside me. Drew smiled and took his bowl of ice cream before settling down. I peeled the wrapper off the cupcake, and for the first time ever, found myself looking forward to watching the movie.

  It felt as if I were transported to the past while watching the movie with Drew. He acted like Jesse, full of concentration and excitement, as if he were right there with Indiana Jones and Willie Scott on their journey to find the mythical stone.

  “I can’t believe I’ve been so deprived as a child. That was great!” Drew exclaimed, once the credits started to roll. He kissed me on the forehead before walking down the hall.

  I leaned against the back of the couch and closed my eyes, letting the memories of Jesse wash over me. I watched Drew throughout the movie and it comforted me, knowing this was probably how Jesse would have wanted me to enjoy his memory. Tears sprang from my eyes. Five years. Instead of my life flashing by with the normal quickness of a young woman in her twenties, it felt like someone had pressed the “slow” button on my existence. With my father’s constant reminders of Jesse’s death, it was nearly impossible for the date to sneak up on me, and even worse to remember every tiny detail that happened on his last day.

  Lost in my thoughts, I didn’t hear Drew come back into the room until the cushion gave way beside me. I peered at him with a solemn smile as I wiped my hands across my cheeks. The smile fell from his lips, and concern etched in
his bright eyes as he instantly reached for my hand.

  “This wasn’t a good idea, was it? I should have let you watch this alone like you’re used to.”

  I shook my head and squeezed his hand a little tighter. “No, not at all. This was perfect. I think I actually paid more attention to the movie this time than I did to thinking about Jesse. It was nice to remember why he loved the movie so much. You helped with that. Thank you.”

  “Then what’s wrong, baby? Why the tears?”

  I waved him off and tried to make myself a little perkier. “It’s nothing. Just the memories, I guess. With you being here, it felt like all those times I spent with Jesse.”

  He smirked. “Oh, so I give off that brotherly vibe, huh?”

  “Ewww! Gross, Drew,” I said, shoving him playfully on the shoulder. The image of me kissing my brother was disgusting, but I knew he was trying to get my spirits back up.

  “I’m only kidding.”

  “I know,” I said. “It’s been nice to sit back and really enjoy this movie for once. Before, I was watching it only because he loved it so much, and it made me feel closer to him in some trivial way. And I wouldn’t have enjoyed it if you weren’t here with me.”

  “I know you didn’t want to talk about it before, but how did it happen?” he asked.

  “How did what happen?

  “The accident,” he asked timidly. “How did the accident happen?”

  It was going to come up sooner or later, I knew that, but I didn’t think I would ever really be prepared to talk about it. Not with anyone. There was no question I needed to tell Drew all the details, but I couldn’t imagine what he was going to think about me once he knew everything. I was scared of what he would he say. Or worse, what he would do after he knew. I could only stare at him, contemplating how I would tell him. His green eyes softened as he watched me, patiently waiting to hear something private, something personal that I’d only told a few people about. I looked away and took a deep breath, filling my lungs with confidence before expelling my grief into the air. It was now or never, and soon, I’d know what he really thought about me.