The Artist's Provocateur

by Fine, L. J.

  Oh, you have no idea, she thought with a grimace. "Yeah, just a little."

  "Well, from what you told me on the phone, my guess is it's a bad alternator, but I won't know until I crack open the hood."

  He moved to the beat-up metal desk to take a seat. She began to close the door to the office when force from the other side pushed it back open, causing her to move farther into the room. Adam scowled at her as he came in and shut the door behind him. The animosity between the two of them went unnoticed by the older man.

  "Can you tell me how long it would take to fix something like that?" she asked. Ignoring that Adam was even in the room, she took a seat opposite Pete with her back to his nephew.

  "If that's the problem, it'll take about a day to get the parts and another day to fix it."

  Her shoulders slumped. Two days without her car was a pain in normal circumstances. But she had plans this weekend. Come hell or high water, she'd find a way to get to that old well. "So, I could maybe come pick it up sometime Sunday?"

  "Actually, I'd plan more for Monday or Tuesday," Pete said propping his elbows up on the cheap desk in front of him. "Don't know if the alternator's really the issue. It's only a hunch at this point."

  Even better. Now she would have to rent a car in order to get to work on Monday. Might as well make a weekend out of it. "Do you happen to have the number for that rental place on Main? I'll have to call them tomorrow."

  Pete nodded. "Sure, it's here somewhere. And I'll call you to let you know for sure what's going on with your car once I get in there and have a look."

  Digging through her bag, she found her sketch book and flipped to the page beside the drawing of the well she had done earlier. As she jotted down the number of the rental place, she could feel the heat of Adam looming behind her. Once again doing her best to ignore him, she closed her sketch book and stowed it neatly back into her bag as she stood.

  "I'm going to need to call an cab to get home. Pete, do you mind if I wait in your office until it gets here?"

  Before Pete could reply, Adam interjected with a snort. "That's the most ridiculous thing you've said all night." When she shot him a quizzical look, he continued, speaking slowly as if she didn't possess two brain cells to rub together. "We live right beside each other, Marie. I'll take you home."

  That had been the whole point of calling a cab. To get away from him. She didn't particularly want to be stuck in another car with him for any length of time. It was on the tip of her tongue to tell him as much, but Pete stood there watching their exchange and she didn't want to appear disrespectful.

  "I'm sure you still have some work to do. I don't want to be an inconvenience, so I'll wait for the cab," she said giving him a pointed glare, willing him to take the hint.

  Apparently, she shouldn't have bothered to be courteous or subtle. That panty-melting grin once again resurfaced on his lips and, despite herself, she felt a pulse low in her belly. "Oh, come on, it'll be a good time. You can keep telling me all about the STDs I'm going to contract being a dirty whore and I can continue pointing it out to you that you're a prude looking for fun in all the wrong places."

  His eyes danced with amusement and in that moment, she realized that he was enjoying this. Now she had to wonder if any of her insults had landed at all or if he thought their bickering was some sort of game.

  If sarcasm could become a facial expression, she was sure her tight smile conveyed it perfectly. "That's such a tempting offer, but no thanks. I'd rather wait it out."

  Adam rolled his eyes and opened the door. "Come with me. Uncle Pete's about to leave for the night so you'd be holding him up if you stayed."

  "Is that true?" she asked, turning back around to face Pete.

  Pete, who had been silent during the whole exchange, eyed Adam thoughtfully with an odd look in his dark eyes. Finally, he looked back at Marie. "It is. But I know how much of a pain in the ass he can be, so I don't mind hanging with you while you wait."

  "Awww man, stop it. You're making me blush," Adam said with zero inflection to his tone.

  Despite her pissy mood and her disinclination to spend any more time with Adam than strictly necessary, she liked Pete. She didn't want him to have to stay at work late just to appease her stubbornness. If that meant she would have to bite the bullet and suffer in silence on the way home, then so be it. Because she was determined to be silent, adhering to the old adage that if you couldn't say anything nice, don't say anything at all.

  "No, that's okay, Pete." She grabbed her purse and threw it over her shoulder. "Thanks for understanding, but if I have to inconvenience someone tonight, I'd rather it be him than you."

  Chuckling, Pete threw her a wink.

  "Okay, now you're making me jealous." Adam looked at his uncle. "She's never that sweet or reasonable when she's talking to me."

  "I'm the unreasonable one? You're the one who –" Hearing the childish protest in her head before it had the opportunity to leave her mouth, she stopped herself right there. "You know what? Never mind. Let's go."

  The sooner he got her home, the sooner she could get away from him. Or as far away from him as the thin wall that separated their apartments would allow.

  Sweeping his arm out in front of him, he gave a slight bow. "After you, darlin'."

  Mischief glittered through his dark gaze and she eyed him warily as she walked past him out into the parking lot. She knew he enjoyed getting under her skin entirely too much but, truth be told, she kind of enjoyed it, too.

  Not that she would ever admit that to anyone. Ever.

  Risking a glance up at him through her lowered lashes as they walked to his car – a sleek black, newer model Dodge Charger and in decidedly better shape than her car – she found him giving her that sexy smirk of his and her heart jumped. Taking a fortifying deep breath, she tried to block out his effect on her. Good Lord this was going to be a long – silent – ride home.

  *****

  For once, as the silence stretched between them in the car, Marie didn't care if it was comfortable or not. She just wanted this awful night to end without any more incidents or sharp remarks. So, she stayed quiet, hugging her bag in her lap as she stared out the dark mirror of the window, her own reflection more easily seen than any scenery they passed.

  Obviously, he had no intention of giving her what she wanted. Par for the course.

  "That sketch that I saw you scribbling on earlier, is it one of yours?"

  This topic was the absolute last thing she wanted to share with him. He'd criticized her at almost every turn, she didn't need him making fun of her art on top of everything else. Maybe if she gave him quick, one-word answers he'd back off. "Yes."

  "For a beginning sketch, it was really good. Are you planning to flesh it out into a painting or anything?"

  Seemed not.

  Dramatically letting her jaw drop, she shifted in her seat to turn toward him, putting a hand against her chest. "Am I hearing things, or did you just give me a compliment?"

  He spared her a glance and a smirk before turning his attention back to the road. "Yeah, don't let it go to your head or anything. Look, we have a bit of a drive to get back to the apartment building and this is something I'm genuinely curious about. I wanna see if you and I can have a normal conversation like two grown adults, so humor me. Tell me about your art."

  Oh, what the hell. If he could make an attempt at being nice, then so could she. "Are you at all familiar with the auction that the Allensville Art Museum holds every year?"

  "Yeah, they come around to the bar sometimes to ask if they can post flyers," he said.

  "I create a piece every year to donate to the auction. I got an email today with this year's theme and that was a preliminary sketch of what I'm planning to paint. I've got a really great idea for it this time and I think I've got a shot at winning."

  "Winning?" He frowned. "I thought this was an auction for charity. I didn't know it was a contest, too."

  Heat suffused her cheeks and she f
elt grateful, once again, for the darkness inside the car. She hadn't meant to talk about that part of it, but it had been percolating in the back of her mind since she got the email this afternoon. "It's not a contest, not really. The artists who donate kind of make it one, though. The piece that sells for the highest bid determines the winner. There isn't a grand prize, or anything. More like satisfaction and notoriety within our small community. It's silly, but it makes the auction a little more fun, pushes all of us to really give it our all when we create our pieces."

  "I get it and I'm sure the museum doesn't discourage it if they get better art out of it to sell. Have you won before?" He asked, turning to look at her.

  Clearing her throat, she fidgeted in her seat and barely made eye contact. "No, but I've come close a few times. Nicole Ward usually places above me."

  At the mention of that woman's name, she could see the dawning light in his expression as he smirked and turned back to watch the road. "Ah, I see what this is. Didn't she give you shit all throughout high school, too?"

  He'd paid attention to her in high school? Moreover, he'd paid attention to her interactions with other people in high school?

  Everybody noticed Adam. All four of the Serano brothers, in fact. That kind of physical male beauty was hard to find in the world at large, let alone in the not-so-bustling metropolis of Allensville, Pennsylvania. Everyone knew everyone else in this town, sure, they couldn't help it. Sheer proximity and lack of numbers made it impossible for that not to be the case. But there certainly was a difference between knowing that someone existed; and taking notice of their existence. It caught her off guard that someone like him would have paid her any attention at all back then, quiet and introverted as she'd been.

  Her eyes narrowed. "And what exactly do you think it is?"

  "Oh, come on." He rolled his eyes. "She made your life hell when we were growing up. She did that to a lot of people, actually. So, you wining this contest is like some sort of revenge of the nerds, to put her in her place out in the real world."

  So many reactions to his words vied for airtime inside of her. In the end, righteous indignation and rage won. So much for civility. "Please stop projecting all of your high school immaturity onto me. You're right, we are in the real world now, so who gives a flying fuck what that woman thinks? Or what you think, for that matter. I am a talented artist in my own right, and I don't need any kind of contest to validate me."

  Of course, he remained unfazed by her verbal abuse and laughed outright as he pulled into the parking lot of the apartment complex. "Struck a nerve there, did I?"

  "You've been getting on every single nerve I have." Jamming her thumb into the release for the seatbelt, she tore the thing off and flung open the passenger door. "You ask me about my art and when I tell you about it you, as usual, have to find some way to get under my skin and insult me. I should have waited outside the garage for that damn cab."

  Without waiting for him to comment, she got out of the car and slammed the door behind her. She made it the whole way inside the building and to the elevator bank when he finally caught up with her, for once, looking semi-contrite. Though, she could still see that smirk of his fighting to pop up on the corner of his mouth.

  "I'm sorry, don't be pissed at me," he said as the little bell rung to announce the elevator had arrived. The doors swung open and they entered. She refused to look at him as she punched the button for their floor.

  "Was it the nerd comment that sent you over the edge?"

  That earned him a glare, but she didn't speak. Any words she might have for him were venom laced and ugly, so she didn't say anything. As the elevator doors closed, she backed into the corner trying to make herself small, willing the thing to move faster.

  He moved forward, and though he shoved his hands into his pockets, he crowded her space, making her feel caged in. Despite her anger, she could feel her traitorous libido sit up and take notice of his proximity. "If it was the nerd comment, then I think it's only fair if you know that you're the proverbial ugly duckling that turned into a swan."

  Rolling her eyes, she couldn't suppress the snort that left her. "You are so full of shit."

  Once again, the soft bell of the elevator dinged as the doors slid open on their floor. She ducked around him and made a hasty exit. He quickly followed as she made her way to her apartment. He got in front of her and blocked her path with his back to her door as she dug out her keys.

  "No, I'm serious." He reached out to take a lock of her hair and tucked it behind her ear. "I swear, contrary to all the things we've been throwing back and forth at each other, you really are an attractive woman, Marie."

  She stopped fiddling with her keys to look up at him. While his words had sounded so earnest, the devilry in his eyes spoke volumes. She decided to play along, if for no other reason than to make him move out of her way.

  Stepping into him, she placed her hand on his chest for balance, ignoring the strength and heat under her palm, and got to her tiptoes. She leaned into him until their lips almost touched. "You're still full of shit, and I'm not inviting you inside, so you might as well forget it."

  He chuckled as she sank back onto her heels, but he placed his hands on her hips before she could back out of his reach. "I am sorry, please don't be pissed."

  She moved away from his touch and put her own hands on her hips, trying to sooth the tingles left in his wake. "If I tell you I'm not pissed, will you let me go inside?"

  Cocking his head to the side, he smiled and said, "Yes, but you have to prove you mean it."

  "And how am I supposed to do that?"

  "Give me a hug while you say it." He spread his arms out to the side, welcoming her into his embrace.

  Good grief, she thought taking a mental picture of how adorable, and simultaneously hot, he looked in this moment. She supposed she could think of worse ways to end this strange day. "Fine, come here."

  As his arms circled her waist and her cheek rested against the side of his neck, she couldn't help but notice how well they fit together. The light, sweet scent of his cologne filled her lungs, and she had to suppress the sudden urge to snuggle deeper into his warm strength. She got so lost in the moment that she almost forgot to say the magic words. "I'm not pissed at you, Adam."

  Her pulse picked up speed when she felt his soft lips move against her neck as he placed a kiss just below her ear. "Good. You gonna invite me in now?"

  With an exasperated sigh, she pushed him away from her and moved to unlock her door as he laughed behind her. She turned back to face him before she went inside. "Goodnight, Adam."

  A sinful smile spread his lips and those dark eyes danced down at her. "Goodnight, Marie. Sweet dreams."

  Closing the door, she leaned back against its hard surface for a few moments trying to catch her breath. She heard his door open and close as she stood there. How the hell would she get those wicked eyes out of her head long enough to fall asleep?

  CHAPTER THREE

  "You want me to do what?"

  It had only happened a handful of times, but it appeared that today, Marie had succeeded in flabbergasting her vibrant, devil-may-care friend Chloe, if her tone was any indication. Marie cradled the phone between her ear and her shoulder as she packed her charcoal pencils into a tote bag. "C'mon, Chloe. It'll only take two hours, tops. Your shift doesn't start until four, so we'll be back in plenty of time. I told you, my car's in the shop, and I need a ride."

  "No, I comprehend that much. What I don't understand is why you need a ride to that old farmhouse before you need me to take you to pick up your rental car."

  The question had merit, and Marie had to admit that the order of her priorities wouldn't make much sense to anyone who didn't live inside her head. She couldn't explain the sense of urgency she felt about getting to the well. Ever since she hatched the idea, it was all she could think about. Well, when she wasn't thinking about her insufferable neighbor, anyway. But that was a problem for another time, not this phone call.


  "I know, but I have to get out there to see it as soon as I can today. Besides, we haven't been there since we were kids. I figured you'd get a kick out of seeing that old place again."

  A snort assaulted her ear.

  "That old place gave me nightmares for a week after Sean Brentwood dragged me out there to do a séance. I would have testified in court back then that those voices coming from him were genuine dead people trying to cross over." Marie tried not to laugh, but failed, when a giggle escaped despite her best efforts. Chloe let out an irritated breath. "You weren't there! It scared the shit out of me!"

  "I know. I'm sorry, it's not funny." Marie cleared her throat. "But we'll be going in the daylight, and I'm pretty sure that Sean moved to Florida after college, so he won't be there." The bright sunshine this morning was actually an issue, too. It wasn't even the right time of day for this. Marie wanted to immortalize the well at twilight not at 9 a.m. But, if she could just get the structural details of the well and the property right, then she could get creative with the background.

  "All right. But if I take you, then you have to agree to go out with James, this week. We'll call it restitution for my post-traumatic stress."

  Marie rolled her eyes, grateful that Chloe couldn't see her. She loved her friend, but Chloe didn't know when to call it quits in the matchmaking department. James was a project manager for an electric company, who apparently loved reading horror novels. He went into Chloe's bookstore often enough that Chloe had gotten his details for the sole purpose of setting him up with Marie. Marie herself had never actually seen the man, not even a photo. The idea of a blind date left her cold, and she had been putting Chloe off for weeks.

  "Fine, yes, okay. I'll meet him some night this week. But that should only underline how much I want to get out to that farmhouse, like, five minutes ago. You'll come pick me up?"

  "Whoohoo!" Marie had to hold the phone away from her ear for a moment while Chloe did a victory whoop. "I knew I'd wear you down, eventually. You're gonna love him, I promise."