Chapter 31
Madison
Well, when I imagined what it would be like when I just showed up tonight, I did not include this in my list of possibilities. I had spent hours trying on dresses before finding the perfect one. I had spent hours doing my hair and makeup, hoping that he would find me absolutely gorgeous when I walked in. I spent hours contemplating whether to tell him I was coming or whether to just show up. I was terrified that I would walk in, and he would either not be there or have brought a date with him. After talking to Charlotte, though, and hearing what Hudson had to say about it, I decided I was safe to just show up.
I was a nervous wreck the entire cab ride over, and I fidgeted outside for at least ten minutes before getting my nerve up enough to walk inside. As soon as I entered into the entryway, I could hear Zach’s voice coming from the reception hall. My heart fluttered as I walked through, my gown sparkling in the lights. But as my eyes met with his, all the nerves faded away, and I instantly remembered the comfort and safety I felt when I was in his arms.
As soon as he was done and had taken me in the other room, our passion exploded, and I couldn’t get his clothes off fast enough. It was raw and sexy, and I couldn’t have imagined it being any different. The idea of having sex in a public place was already arousing enough, but add the fact that we hadn’t spoken in days and it was game over as soon as I clicked the lock. As I laid there, staring up at the ceiling, trying to catch my breath, I could feel Zach’s hand slide over mine. I turned my head toward him and looked him in the eyes.
“I’m so glad you are here,” he said, a twinkle in his eye.
“I am, too,” I responded.
He took a deep breath and hoisted himself off the desk, pulling his boxers and pants up before tripping over his shoes. I leaned up on my elbows and laughed, letting the blood drain back down. I felt my joints creaking as I pulled myself from the hard, wooden desk, realizing the idea may have seemed more amazing than it actually was, well, at least afterward. Porn stars must have really good chiropractors. Zach reached his hand out, and I took it, groaning as he pulled me off the desk and into the floor. I picked up my panties and slipped them back on, pulling the skirt of my dress back down over my hips. He reached forward and helped me pull my arms back through the dress sleeves, and I turned, moving my hair so that he could zip the back of my dress up. When fully clothed, I walked over and grabbed my bag, taking a seat back on top of the desk. I pulled out my mirror and fixed the few strands of hair that had gone astray during our hot, office sex. I looked up as I reapplied my lip gloss and watched Zach tuck in his shirt and pull his tux jacket back over his shoulders.
“Good as new,” he said, leaning in and kissing my cheek.
“Almost.” I chuckled, reaching up and wiping the lip gloss from his neck and cheek. “I’m not ready to go back out.”
“Then we won’t yet,” he said, plopping down next to me on the desk. “We can sit here for as long as you want.”
“You know,” I said, lifting my eyebrows. “Having sex on a desk was on my list.”
“List? What list?” He seemed nervous, but I had no idea why.
“The list of places I want to have sex,” I said, smiling.
“Oh,” he sighed. “What other places do you have on that list?”
“Umm,” I thought about it for a second. “The Statue of Liberty, the Empire State Building, Eiffel Tower, Sears Tower. Pretty much any big monument that means something.”
“What about the Lincoln Memorial? Right up there on old Abe’s lap?”
“Ew,” I said, laughing. “No not that one, but the Washington Monument, that’s a different story. What? It’s already shaped like a dick.”
“A pointy one.” He laughed, shaking his head. “Well, now I know how to plan our future dates. Just hit up the monuments across the world and bam, you are satisfied.”
“I mean there’s no shame in that.” I smirked.
“So, how have you been doing?”
“Oh, you know. Nightmares, night sweats, inability to be creative, stressing about my upcoming show. Just the normal stuff.” I sighed deeply. “My face is starting to not look so green, which is good, I guess.”
“You look beautiful,” he said. “I didn’t even notice.”
“Liar.” I laughed. “But in reality, things are better. The judge denied Lee bail, and his gallery has been put under investigation for embezzlement. They had me come give them all my files. Even if he was allowed bail, he wouldn’t be able to pay it, his assets are frozen.”
“Serves him right,” he grumbled. “When is your show?”
“Friday,” I said with wide eyes. “And I am still one painting short for it. I’ve been staring at an empty canvas for days, and I have come up with absolutely nothing.”
“I’m sure it's all the stress,” he said, looking at me lovingly. “You went through a lot. It’s going to take a little bit to get that normalcy back.”
“Hopefully, not too much time,” I said. “I have to get this piece done or I won't have a show.”
“Well, you are welcome at my place. You can set up in the living room.” He smiled.
“Thanks,” I said, smiling back. “But the gallery has this amazing studio with anything and everything I would need, except ideas. They don’t’ provide those.”
“Lame,” he joked.
“So, I want to apologize to you,” I said.
“No, you don’t owe me an apology,” he said, shaking his head.
“Just hear me out,” I replied, turning toward him. “I’m sorry for bailing and being so absolutely petrified of our relationship. It was a lot because of Lee, but it was also because of my feelings. I have feelings for you that I have never had before, and they are intense, and scary sometimes. When everything went down, I thought I was angry at you, but in reality, I was just scared of losing you. Which, I know, doesn’t make any sense, since I pushed you away, but my brain hasn’t really been making much sense lately.”
“Madison,” he said, stopping me from rambling. “I understand, because I feel the exact same way.”
“Really?”
“Yes,” he said, leaning in. “Really.”
Our lips pressed together, and we kissed sweetly and light. I could feel my heart beating in my chest, but for the first time in a week, it wasn’t because I was scared or angry. It was because I was in love. Just the touch of Zach’s skin against mine sent me reeling, and I didn’t want to ever be away from him again. He leaned up and kissed my forehead, wrapping his arms around me and squeezing. I sighed heavily, finally feeling a weight lifted off my shoulders. I didn’t have to worry about it anymore. He knew the truth, and that was what was important to me. I jumped up from the desk and reached out my hand.
“Come on,” I said, smiling. “I want to see your hard work on this charity auction.”
We held hands as we snuck out of the back room, relieved there was no one out there watching. We crept through the back and found some seats, staying close to each other and giggling like young lovers. I watched as some of the richest people in New York stuck their hands up, bidding on items such as art, vacations, jewelry, and pretty much anything else you could think of. When a very familiar piece of art popped up at the front, I grabbed Zach’s arm and whispered into his ear.
“That’s Jack Danbury. He is one of my favorite artists. When I was in college, I got to see one of his gallery showings. His technique is impeccable, and his work never fails. Watch, that one will bring you in some serious cash for your charity.”
I watched as people went back and forth bidding on the painting, amazed at how much money they were spending. I leaned forward and put my head in my hands, listening to the man on the mic speak extremely fast. When the bidding was about finished, I looked up at the painting with jealousy.
“Sold, to the man at table six. What’s your name, sir?”
“Zach Case,” Zach hollered out.
I turned and looked at Zach with shock, not even realizing that he was bidding. He smiled big and waved his hand as everyone clapped, realizing the man putting on the event had just bought one of the most expensive items up there. My mouth fell open slightly, and I shook my head at him as he leaned in and whispered in my ear.
“You can thank me on the Sears Tower.”
I threw my head back and laughed, realizing he had bought that painting for me. I couldn’t believe it. After that, we went to the front and paid the ticket, making arrangements to have the painting sent to his house. As much as I would have loved to have it hanging in the loft, it made me nervous thinking about something that valuable in Brooklyn. We jumped in the limo out front and leaned back, feeling our energy quickly depleting. As we drove, I watched the lights of the city, cuddled up next to Zach in the seat. I watched as we passed my new gallery and headed to the front of his apartment building. We walked hand and hand up the sidewalk, through the lobby, and into the elevator, standing as close as we could as it shot up toward the penthouse.
When we got inside, Zach handed me a pair of his shorts and a t-shirt, and I undid my hair and washed my face before jumping into bed. I had almost forgotten how incredibly soft his bed was, and I knew that I wasn’t going to last long amongst all the pillows. Zach turned toward me, tucking the pillow under his head and smiling. His eyes were filled with love as he pushed the hair from my face.
“I have thought about you every night as I laid here in bed,” he said. “Hoping that you were able to get some sleep and that you were feeling better day by day.”
“I thought about you, too.” I smiled. “I didn’t sleep much, but having you on my mind made me not so scared in that big loft.”
“So, we were laying, miles apart, staring out the window at the stars.” He chuckled.
“Yep,” I said with a smile.
“One thing my mother always told me before she left me at my dad’s,” he said, looking me in the eyes. “She said that we may be far apart, but when we look up at the sky, we are looking at the same stars.”
“That’s sweet,” I replied.
“It always made me feel better,” he said, smiling.
We continued to talk about life, about love, and about who we really were outside of business. Zach had managed to raise the homeless shelter close to two million dollars, and just knowing how much that meant to him made me so proud of the man he was. He was letting me into his life and letting me see behind the fancy suits and limos. I knew he was a good man, a caring man. It just took me looking past my fear to allow myself to experience him.