“Hello, Mr. Hayes.”
He clears his throat, and the scent of him finally reaches me. It’s masculine and woodsy. It makes my knees weak.
“What do you see?” He says, his voice barely above a whisper.
I contemplate my answer, wanting to impress him. Trying to find the words that accurately represent my feelings.
“I see anger and passion. I see beauty hidden underneath pain.”
“Hmm.” Is all he gives me, but the appreciation andunderstanding in his tone rings clear. He moves to stand next to me, and finally, I turn.
Looking up into his eyes, I see them widen just a fraction. His gaze is intense, penetrating to my very bones. And then his eyes slip, taking me in from head to toe. It’s quick, and if I’d looked away for even a moment, I would’ve missed it. But it happened. He checked me out.
“You look… nice.” He says, the last word catching in his throat, like he’d wanted to say something else.
And I have to admit, he does too. “You as well.”
I smile, letting him know I mean it. Genuinely.
His suit is cut just right, hugging his frame. He wears a dress shirt, but no tie. The top few buttons are left open, baring his chest to me, sprinkled with just a bit of dark hair. He’s dressed in all black, head to toe. Drenched in it. It gives him an air of mystery, and it’s so attractive that I almost can’t stand it.
I want to touch him. I want to drink him in. And by the look in his eye, he appreciates how I look tonight too.
He turns, opening his mouth to speak when he’s cut off by a high-pitched squeal.
“THEO!”
A stunning blonde bombshell rushes us. I take an instinctive step back to protect myself from being plowed over. She throws herself into Theo’s arms, and he catches her, his arms circling her waist to keep them both from falling. I don’t miss the look on his face though. For just a moment he looked…pained.
He disentangles himself from her grasp quickly, stepping back and putting some space between them.
“Evelyn,” he says in greeting. Clipped and monotone, his voice betraying nothing.
So this is her.
“I’ve missed you!” Her voice turns sultry, and I don’t missthe way she leans into him again. She seems like more than just afriend.
Her short hair is cut straight at her chin, giving her an air of sophistication. She’s breathtaking. A model. Legs a mile long, a waist so small I could fit my hands around it, a bright white smile that’s so blinding I know it must have cost her a fortune. Her breasts press against the fitted red fabric of her dress, which looks like it was custom made for her.
Fuck, she’s perfect.
Suddenly, I feel like a child playing dress up. Completely out of place here amongst these artists and elegant strangers.
“This is Sophie, the student who’s drawing I sent to you.” He gestures towards me, and her attention turns on me. I note, gleefully, that he did not say he missed her too.
“Hi! How sweet! You must be so grateful to have him as your teacher.” The stars in her eyes and her sickly sweet voice are so over-the-top, I almost can’t take it. And I don’t miss the way she emphasizes the wordteachereither.
“Yeah, he’s great.” I say, smirking at him. “It’s nice to meet you. Thank you for the invitation to come tonight.”
“So,” she says, almost conspiratorially. “Your art was really great for someone your age. Do you plan to go to art school?”
Your age.Ouch.
“That’s the dream!” I try to keep my voice strong and cheerful. I hope it’s working, my feigned confidence.
“You know, it’s a difficult path to take.I’vebeen successful, but so many aren’t.” She gives me puppy dog eyes, like I’m just a young, dumb kid who is bound to fail. I’m feeling smaller by the second.
I don’t say anything in response, just nod my head with a tight smile on my lips. I’m not surewhatto say to that.
