I took the glass and took a sip. “Do you think she’d fire me if she knew there was something between me and Jaime?”
“Why would she fire you? You’re more than competent with your work and your personal life has nothing to do with it.”
Maybe he was right. “I get the feeling she could tell there was more with me and Jaime than we’re letting on.”
“So what? It hasn’t interfered with your ability to perform your duties. Come on, relax. Let’s try and enjoy ourselves.”
I exhaled. Rex was right. I was being tense over nothing. I needed to relax and enjoy myself.
“When you get a chance, do you think you could introduce me to Jaime? It’d really help me out.”
“I’ll introduce you to her now,” I said.
“Really?”
I nodded and laughed at his excitement. “Come on.”
He followed me to where Jaime was standing talking to some rich folk and waited for her to be done. A moment later, she turned her attention to me and reached for my glass of champagne.
“I could really use a few more of these,” she said.
“I’ll keep them coming, at intervals though. We don’t want you getting drunk on your big night,” I said.
She reached for my elbow and gently massaged it.
“You’re doing great,” I said as she slowly lowered her hand and closed it over mine. Rex cleared his throat and I realized I’d almost forgotten he was there. “Oh, this is my best friend, Rex.”
She let go of my hand and shook his as she introduced herself. “Livvy told me you’re an artist,” she said.
Rex nodded and shortly after, they engaged in conversation about the kind of work Rex did. Jaime was kind and sweet and as I watched her talk to Rex, I realized I could seriously develop feelings for her.
She was the complete opposite of Mrs. Gallagher and what she made me feel every time she looked at me had the capacity to chase away the crush I harbored for my boss.
“I’ll give you my card and we can talk at length under more suitable circumstances,” she said.
I was pleased to see how excited Rex was about the prospect of doing business with her.
“I have to go. I need to make sure the exhibition hall with the centerpiece is ready for when everyone is done with the other halls.” She gently squeezed my arm and left.
“She’s great, isn’t she?”
“She’s amazing,” Rex said.
I turned to face him only to find him gawking at her as she walked away.
“Easy there tiger,” I teased.
We proceeded to the next exhibition hall as we continued to talk. I was tired since I’d been on my feet all day, but it didn’t bother me.
“I can’t believe this is your world now.”
I nodded, agreeing with Rex.
“It must be overwhelming.”
“If these kinds of events took place on a daily basis, it would be.”
“Any idea what Mrs. Gallagher will have you doing next?”
She hadn’t hinted on anything so far, but the fact that she’d given me time off to do my exam meant whatever she’d have me working on next wouldn’t be as time consuming.
“Not really,” I said, then remembered her invite to the opera. It’d been an odd request since it wasn’t work-related. “Actually, she did ask me for something which I thought was peculiar.”
“What’s that?”
“A few days ago, she asked me to accompany her to the opera, which is actually tomorrow night.”
“She what?” Rex asked. “Like a date?”
I laughed, thinking it was silly. Mrs. Gallagher was a married woman who had no interest in me whatsoever. “No, it was more of a request. I didn’t think it meant anything. In fact, I haven’t thought about it until now.”
“That’s odd,” he said.
“Maybe when she asked me, it was her way of making amends after the way she treated me when I found her fighting with her husband.”
“But you said she apologized.”
“She did, but maybe she wanted to do more. I don’t know. I can’t figure out how she thinks. She’s the most complicated woman I’ve ever met.”
“Heads up,” Rex said and I turned to the direction he was facing.
Mrs. Gallagher was talking to a man dressed neatly in a black tuxedo. She seemed preoccupied as they talked, facing one of the paintings in the room. The man seemed completely smitten with her, which made me wonder if she’d ever cheated on her husband.
“How do you do it?” Rex asked.
“Do what?”
“Stand beside her without exploding into a tiny million pieces. She’s so…”
“I know.” She was an overwhelming sight.
As though she knew we were talking about her, she looked up and her gaze settled on me. I was so used to her looking past me, when she looked directly at me in a room full of people, I misread her motioning me to join her.
“I think she’s calling for you,” Rex said as he averted his gaze, trying to pretend he hadn’t been staring at her.
“Oh shit, here.” I handed him my glass and walked over to her.
“Olivia, please go get Ms. Bryce for me, I’d like to introduce her to someone,” she said when I got to her.
I did as told and went in search of Jaime. When I found her, she was in a small group of people talking about how much the event was going to benefit the artists. She managed to quietly slip away when she saw me.
“Mrs. Gallagher wants to introduce you to someone,” I said.
“Oh? Where is she?”
“Follow me.” I lead her to Mrs. Gallagher who introduced her to the gentleman she’d been talking to. I wasn’t sure if I was needed for anything else, but I stuck around just in case.
It took me a minute to realize Mrs. Gallagher had wanted to keep the man occupied so that she could get away from him. I found it amusing, as she moved along to join a couple of women who were studying an oil painting. A woman of her stature couldn’t be without a few admirers.
The rest of the evening unfolded flawlessly. I noticed Caitlin was busy sticking small cards to the paintings and other types of artwork that had been sold, while Jaime with finesse, superbly handled the rich powerful guests.
When we got to the exhibition hall with the centerpiece, I noticed they’d been covered with a red silk cloth. Jaime introduced the pieces as everyone held their breath, waiting for the big reveal.
I watched Mrs. Gallagher, waiting to see if any emotion would pass across her face, but she just held on to the same expression she’d had on all evening.
When Jaime removed the cloth, I could’ve sworn I heard some people in the crowd gasp in surprise. I could bet of all the things they would’ve expected to see that evening, Cleopatra’s headpiece and a rare red diamond had been the least of it.
If I had known I’d been going to three African countries to sign for these pieces to be delivered to New York, if I had known the trip would have such great impact on people, I would’ve traveled to any other place Mrs. Gallagher wanted to send me.
As I stood beside her, watching even the most powerful look at those pieces in awe, I couldn’t believe how great an effect the whole thing had on me.
“It’s overwhelming, isn’t it?”
Mrs. Gallagher’s voice pulled me from my thoughts. It was like she could see what was going through me and she understood. “Yes, it is.”
She was probably used to this, seeing as she’d done it for so long. It must’ve been why it didn’t seem to affect her.
“You must be used to it,” I said.
“Why do you think I do it?” she asked.
I looked at her and she turned to look at me. I’d thought at that point I was used to looking her straight in the eye, but being so close to her and having her look back at me made me feel like I was transfixed. I couldn’t look away.
“You just need to look at one person, see everything they feel and then it starts to mean somethi
ng to you,” she said.
I wasn’t sure if she meant me, but I was glad she was the first to look away because that single moment of paralysis made me see her more clearly than I’d ever thought I would.
I wanted to say something, but my mind was blank so I turned my attention back to the crowd as they studied the centerpiece, all getting a closer look one at a time.
Jaime was talking to Caitlin, and I could tell she was pleased by how things were going. The event lasted five hours, and as people began to leave, I waited to see if Mrs. Gallagher would require anything else from me.
She had a chat with Jaime and left a while later, but I decided to stay behind. Rex offered to take me home, but I wanted to spend more time with Jaime, so we made plans to meet up over the weekend.
When everyone had left, Frank Connor and his two men took the pieces and left as well. I took a champagne bottle and two glasses and went to Jaime’s office. She was talking to Caitlin and they both seemed satisfied with the night’s outcome.
“Why don’t we pick this up tomorrow,” Jaime said to Caitlin, who nodded and bid us both a goodnight.
“You must be tired,” I said, hiding the bottle behind me.
“Not as much as I thought I would be, actually.”
“The excitement must still be coursing through you.”
She nodded as she took a deep breath.
I revealed the bottle of champagne and the glasses, and she rewarded me with a smile. “Here is to hoping everything went as well as expected,” I said.
She approached me and took the glasses from me as I uncorked the bottle.
“I thought you left,” she said as I filled her glass.
“I couldn’t leave without checking up on you.”
“That’s sweet.”
I filled my own glass and placed the bottle on her desk. “What should we toast to?” I asked.
“To a very successful evening,” she said as we clinked our glasses.
The first sip went right through me and I had to take another. Now that we were alone, I was suddenly aware of how nervous I was. “Did you manage to sell a lot of pieces?” I asked.
“Caitlin just informed me that everything was sold out and, we got orders for more.”
“Oh my God, that’s great news.”
“It is, and I wanted to thank you because you’ve been of great help to me.”
“You did everything, Jaime. All this was you.”
“I wouldn’t have been able to do it without you.”
She was giving me way too much credit than I deserved.
“Now that it’s over, I know I’m going to be a bit busy but I can’t wait to go on that second date with you,” she said.
I was glad she’d not forgotten about that. “Me too,” I said.
She was smiling at me with her eyes and I could tell what she wanted to do. I wanted to meet her halfway, but I was too nervous to move. We still hadn’t gotten used to one another, but after the night we both just had, it felt right that it should end the way it had began.
She seemed to share the same sentiments as she moved closer to me and reached for my face with her hand. She ran the back of her index finger over the outline of my jaw and closed the distance between us, brushing her lips softly against mine in a kiss.
We placed our glasses over her desk, and our arms circled around each other as we both deepened the kiss. I could taste the champagne from her lips and her tongue as she parted my lips and passionately whisked me from my reality and introduced me to her own.
I couldn’t remember wanting someone else so much as she gently ran her hands over the soft fabric of my dress. I wanted her to take it off and explore me more thoroughly, but it was too soon.
I responded with uncontrolled lust, gently teasing her tongue with my own as she explored my mouth and an involuntary sigh escaped me when her hands cupped my breasts, exciting me further.
She broke the kiss, but didn’t move away as we both panted like we’d just come from running. I understood her reasons. If we continued, it was more than likely we’d end up sleeping together.
“I should take you home,” she said breathlessly against my lips.
“Yeah,” I said, leaning closer to kiss her again.
She responded with a similar need and hunger and my body started acting up, sending bolts of lust and arousal to that part of me that desperately craved her touch.
This time it was me who pulled away, creating physical distance between us because we both knew what would happen if we went on like that.
“We should really leave,” I said.
She nodded and took the glass of champagne she’d placed on the table and took a sip. I followed her lead, taking a sip myself and shortly after, we were heading out. She locked the gallery and we silently walked down the hallway to the elevator.
The drive home was mostly quiet. It felt as if we were afraid any talk would lead us into each other’s arms again and considering the erotic condition my body was still in, I wasn’t so sure it wouldn’t.
Jaime dropped me home half an hour later and instead of letting her walk me to the door of my building, I stayed in the car a few minutes longer, soaking in the air that still lingered between us.
“I had fun tonight,” I said.
“Me too, I’m glad it was you I got to work with.”
I turned to face her and said, “Me too.”
I removed my seatbelt and leaned across my seat to kiss her goodnight. I was going to peck her lips, bid her goodnight and get out of her car, but when she placed her hand over my cheek and brushed her lips against mine, I abandoned my plan and went along with hers.
This was becoming something I could quickly get used to. I loved the way her lips captured mine and explored me without a care as what her kisses seemed to do to me. She knew, and she enjoyed it, but then again so did I.
When she released me, I slowly pulled back and opened my eyes.
“Goodnight,” I whispered.
She smiled at me and said softly, “Goodnight.”
I got out of her car and headed for the entrance of my building. When I got to the door, I turned to face her and she waved at me as she drove away.
Chapter Eight
My day started earlier than usual. Mrs. Gallagher called me an hour before I usually woke up to tell me to set up a morning meeting for her and Frank Connor.
A few minutes after she hung up, I was on the phone with Frank, who was unaware of the meeting, and had been set to travel that morning, but was forced to postpone his flight.
He wasn’t very pleased, but Mrs. Gallagher practically ruled everyone who worked with her or, for her so she called all the shots. I made reservations for them at a high-end restaurant and called her back almost half an hour later to give her the details.
I was tired from the previous night, but after Mrs. Gallagher called, I couldn’t go back to sleep. I woke up and prepared for work. There was a lot to follow up on after the art exhibition because Mrs. Gallagher wanted to see results from the work she’d done.
Funny enough, none of it revolved around Jaime’s art gallery. I would’ve wanted it to because it would’ve given me an excuse to call her up and talk to her. But instead, I had to go to the office, get all the names and contact information of the guests who’d attended the art exhibition and send them gift bags.
I had to admit, Mrs. Gallagher was turning out to be something I’d never quite imagined she would be. The causes she took up were noble, and even though she didn’t emotionally attach herself, her effort, commitment and hard work was remarkable.
I found myself looking up to her as the sort of person I would’ve wanted to become, had I had as much as she did. She was a role model to a lot of people and I was lucky to have a front seat into her world and into who she was.
When I left my house, I found James waiting for me outside the building. I still wasn’t used to getting driven to work, and every time I stepped outside my house to find that shiny BMW waiting
, with him standing outside the car ready to open the door for me, it was Mrs. Gallagher’s face that came to mind.
She taunted me for reasons I made myself believe I understood. I wanted to believe that the crush I harbored for her was controllable, that the humanity I’d seen in her the previous night had been visible and necessary because the people at the event had needed to see it.
Now Jaime, she was nothing like Mrs. Gallagher. She was sweet, soft and gentle. A part of me thought that because we understood each other so well, she was that fraction in me that had always wanted to feel and experience something deeper, something meaningful.
She was my light, my passion and everything else I’d always wanted in a person. She provoked my feelings, making me want and desire more. She looked right at me, daring me to show her more than just the face I showed the rest of the world and that incitation made me want her beyond means and reasons that were lost to me.
I got to my office and had to push my thoughts of Jaime aside. I spent most of the day on the phone and when I got a few minutes to myself, I went on my computer in an attempt to study for my exams. I wasn’t sure I was going to pass. I had missed a lot of classes and hadn’t studied enough. The worst past was, these exams were going to count for half my grade at the end of the semester.
I’d been so busy during the last few weeks, I’d not had time to open a book to read or attend any of my classes. I was neglecting the most important thing to me; my education. It was the only way I’d ever make myself into who I wanted to become and it was the only way I’d ever make my parents proud.
Yes, I needed this job, and yes, I needed the money, but the paramount factor of this whole thing was that I graduate because it was the only way I’d ever pay back my parents.
“Ms. Williams?”
I looked up from the computer to find Francis, the butler, at the door. He had always been a bit distant, but after working for the Gallaghers for what, three weeks now, I understood his need and nature for detachment.
“Yes, Francis?”
“There is a package you need to sign for,” he said.
“A package?”
I was a little confused. Why did I need to sign for it? Wasn’t it a household duty? Or was it a package for Mrs. Gallagher?
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