***
I woke up the next morning stiff and aching all over. Damn hot yoga class. Damon was going to give me shit for months over letting a pretty girl talk me into going to a yoga class and trying to keep up with the guru at the front of the room. I deserved the horrible feeling that my legs were going to fall off. If for nothing else, for not sleeping in the bed with Erica the night before.
The note I found in the kitchen was scribbled like she was in a hurry. The lack of expression in her words left me with the conclusion that she was upset with me.
Matt,
Glad you got to come down for the weekend. I put a few notes on the agreement for you and Jonathan. Let me know if you have questions. I'll see you next time you're up my way or if you need me call anytime.
Erica.
"Shit," I mumbled and cleaned up the living room and kitchen before packing my stuff up and locking the door behind me. I put the key under the mat and paused as sadness filled my chest. Why were things ending on this note? We have a killer weekend in more ways than one and now we were back to being a little more than acquaintances? No. That didn't work. We were meant to be friends if nothing else.
I'd have to figure out how to reach out to her once I got through the meeting with Jonathan. Maybe I could stop back by the office and take her to lunch or something. I owed her more than she had gotten from me, which was nothing.
The drive to meet up with Jonathan was slow and painful. Traffic was horrible, and I couldn't stop thinking about how Erica must have been feeling. Maybe I was over thinking it, but it wouldn’t leave me be. I pulled out my phone and called her number, but chickened out when the call went to voicemail. She was busy no doubt. Of course she was.
"She's the fucking director of advertising at a multi-billion dollar firm. Hello? Idiot." I pulled into the coffee shop and grabbed the agreement from the seat beside me. I wanted her with me to talk with Jonathan, but she had things to do, and I should have made the determination before letting her walk out of the house earlier that morning. I could have left her a note, or climbed into bed with her, or set a fucking alarm.
Anger burned through my stomach as I walked in and nodded toward the lanky art dealer who waved me over. He held the opportunity for a new future for me, one that I could imagine happily living... with Erica.
"Where is your agent?" Jonathan glanced around as if Erica was hiding behind a group of people in the shop.
I chuckled. "She's working her nine to five today."
"Poor thing." He motioned for me to sit. "They'll come over to take your order shortly. Have a seat and tell me what you think about the adjustments."
I sat down and flipped through the file, grateful as hell that Erica had taken the time to mark the changes for me. I'd totally forgotten to review the document before heading over to meet with Jonathan. Not that I had any intention of reviewing it, but it was a nice afterthought.
"I wanted to ask a few things." I glanced up as he nodded.
"Absolutely. Ask away." He leaned back in his chair and picked up his coffee mug, nursing the hot liquid inside the cup as he watched me.
I moved through Erica's questions and jotted down answers as Jonathan further explained the wording on some parts of the agreement.
"Anything else?" He smiled and lifted his hand as if offering me something.
"No. Well, yeah. I'd like to have a handful of tickets to the showing for my family and friends, free of charge."
"How about I give you four tickets. Will that work?"
"Yeah, that's great." I glanced down and thumbed through the agreement as sadness welled up inside of me. "How long have you known your wife?"
He chuckled. "That's an odd transition, but sure, why not. She and I met at an art showing in New York fifteen years ago. I'd just graduated from the art institute and she was a model for some of the paintings another artist had showcased. Funny enough, I fell in love with her before ever meeting her thanks to those paintings."
I smiled. "Do you own any of them now?"
"All of them." He wagged his eyebrows. "There's no way I would let some poor unfortunate chump fall in love with her as I did. I'd have to kill the poor fool when he went in search of her."
"I like that. Almost like her beauty belongs to you and you alone."
"It's a gift." He nodded. "One that you and I share. Your woman is breathtaking. Have you ever thought of capturing her on canvas?"
"No. She's too stunning to share." I packed up the agreement and stood up. "Thanks for meeting with me. I'll be in touch in a few weeks or so."
"Sounds great. I'd like to shoot for mid-November on the showing if possible." Jonathan stood and extended his hand toward me.
I shook it and nodded. "I think that's doable. Thanks again."
"Anytime."
I turned and walked out of the coffee shop feeling settled about one thing. The picture of Erica glancing over her shoulder might be the best painting I would ever create, but no one would ever get the chance to see it. Her beauty belonged to only two people. One that was deserving of it, and one that wasn't.
I only wished I could be a man that could measure up to a woman like her.