“Oohh, Finn, look at these two. I love them.” She pulls me farther up the line of art until we stand directly in front of a matched pair of paintings. A male and female character of Dragons Reborn are framed side by side. The male image is in a dark wood frame with a painted character that extends out from the canvas. The thick paint is stacked up so the image has a layered and three dimensional feel.
The female character hangs beside him. The painting’s technique is the same, but her frame, while in the same color and material, has elaborate swirls etched into the wood. On this set I have to agree with Aspen. I like them as well.
“You should buy them and hang them in your new place,” she coaxes. “They’re only five thousand a piece.” Her fingers reach out and tap on the small place card beneath the pictures with their name and price. Her comment might sound flippant to those around, but the way her eyes widened as she read the dollar amount displays her true emotions at the outrageous fee.
I stifle the laugh at her tight disbelieving expression. “Ten thousand dollars? No wonder these are starving artists.”
Aspen doesn’t answer, but she gives me her double eyebrow raise with one eye open much wider than the other look. Her attempt at a raised brow. It’s horrible, just horrible. I love it.
“Okay, I’ll buy them both, but we have to put the female at your house.” If it wasn’t from a game I designed and I hadn’t seen Aspen’s eyes light up when she first took them in, I’d turn the other way. I came from a high middle class family, but I'll never get used to being able to throw around ten thousand dollars. I may need to breathe into a paper bag before I check out.
Oblivious to my upcoming hyperventilation, Aspen keeps the conversation going. “My place? They are a matched set. They need to stay together.”
“Well we’ll have to make sure to reacquaint them soon. When you move in, of course.” I motion for an attendant and try to act like my words aren't as monumental as they are.
I can already guess all the reasons Aspen will tell me we’re moving too fast, but I’m not ready to be deterred in this. I plan to work my way through them all individually until she has no other option left but to be with me. I need to wake up and fall asleep with her each day. I'm willing to put in any amount of work that may require.
“Wh… what?” she sputters in surprise.
The attendant cuts off any further questions as I start the process of purchasing both paintings. Aspen rocks from foot to foot and looks longingly at the rest of the art down the row of fake walls.
“Go look. I’ll find you when we’re done and we can get champagne. I’m definitely going to need some free champagne before we leave.” About nine thousand dollars’ worth.
I don’t take my eyes off her as she moves to our right. Her head again cocking a different direction with each picture.
I have no idea if I’ve done this the way I’m supposed to, but I don’t see a checkout lane anywhere. Which is too bad. I could go for some gum or those little containers of multi-colored Tic Tacs. “I’ll be right back with your final total, Mr. McRyan.” The buzz cut worker takes my credit card and walks through the crowd.
“Don’t worry, I’ll keep him company.” Her voice slides over my shoulder the sound grating on my nerves from the first syllable. I visibly flinch and hope no one caught it on camera. I hate having to constantly think about my reactions when I’m out in public now.
“Finn, I don’t see your date here,” Britney asks when I don’t respond to her earlier comment.
In an attempt to get whatever Britney thinks she’s going to do out of the way as quickly as possible, I turn to her direction for a few seconds in acknowledgment. “She is right over there.” I point at Aspen as she moves to another picture and then I can’t take my eyes off her. I hope she keeps the dress on for a while after we get home tonight. I want to lift it over her ass as I take her from behind. Maybe over the side of the couch. We have many new places to christen together. An entire five-thousand-square-foot condo.
“What’s so great about her, Finn?” Britney’s whiny question jerks me from my Aspen fantasies and I sigh at the loss. She stands a foot away from my side and it still feels too close. We both watch as Aspen stops and laughs at something the elderly gentleman next to her says as he leans closer, almost whispering in her ear. He better be careful, I’ll check anyone who tries to invade on my territory.
I have a thousand words I could say to Britney. I’ll admit most of them are mean, but well deserved. A week ago after Aspen left me, I was pissed off enough I might have told them to her. I didn’t stop myself when I returned home and found her half-naked on my couch. She's lucky I didn’t know what she’d said to Aspen at that time or it would have been much worse.
Now I have the woman I want to spend the rest of my life with feet from me, and I can’t bring myself to care about Britney. I don’t even want to waste the energy in telling her off again. I’ve said everything I need to say. I don’t need to berate her more, but I do want her to understand we’re over.
“What’s so great about her? That’s the girl I’m going to marry one day, Britney.” It’s not until the words pass over my lips that I accept how true the statement is. I don’t just want Aspen in my home as some kind of roommate. I want her there forever. I want to fill my two extra bedrooms with mini Aspens. Spitfire and all.
Britney scoffs at my answer in disbelief and moves to the other side of the warehouse where she latches on to an older guy with slightly greying hair. My sympathy for him kicks in and I almost walk over to warn him about the cold-hearted gold digger. No one should be subjected to Britney, but she’s his problem now.
“I’m glad to see you here, Finn. And dressed well too.” Trey glides in front of me with his date on his arm. She blocks my view of Aspen and I have to move a few feet to the side to adjust.
“Trey. Mari. Did you just get here?”
“It’s called fashionably late, Finn.” Mari laughs in her high society voice I can’t stand. Grant and I have logged many hours at Cosmo’s trying to figuring out what Trey sees in her. The only theory we’ve been able to come up with is the whole redhead between the sheets stereotype. She looks pretty on Trey’s arm, but the woman hasn’t had an original thought since the first PlayStation was sold.
“I’m going to go grab us some drinks.” Mari slips her hand from Trey’s and walks past me in search of alcohol. With her no longer in his vicinity, Trey relaxes and again acts like the friend I’ve always known.
“I saw Aspen when we came in. I’m glad you finally pulled your head out of your ass and fixed the problem. I like her.” Trey slaps me on the back. "Don’t fuck it up again.”
Helpful as always. “I don’t plan to.”
The gallery worker from earlier returns and I sign the slip handed to me. The paintings will stay on display until the exhibit ends and then be delivered.
“Good. I hope having her back means you’ll return to normal as well. Don’t forget I’m going on vacation in three weeks. It will be up to you to keep the ship running while I’m gone,” Trey reminds me for the fifth time this week.
