Chapter 21

JADE

I feel bad switching my days off at the last minute, but luckily Magdalene seems to understand. In fact, she was nice enough to let me keep my original day off in addition to going to the art exhibit. To make up for all the time I’d be missing, I worked hard earlier in the day to make sure I had dinner taken care of before I left, since that’s one of the major tasks on my to-do list.

Dinner is quick and super easy so I can hurry and get ready for my date. Instead of taking the entire day to cook something elaborate, I decide to stick with the basics and whip up a baked chicken and asparagus dish. The whole day is practically a blur and I don’t want to risk getting too distracted and possibly ruining dinner because my mind is on getting to Asher and spending some much-needed time with him.

“Jade, don’t worry about giving Jacob his bath, I’ll take care of that part tonight. Go ahead and get ready for your date,” says Magdalene. “You’ve been on pins and needles all day and I know you want to start getting dressed.”

“Am I that obvious?” I ask, handing Jacob to her. “Thank you so much for being understanding about my schedule. I’m so excited for tonight because I’ve never been to an art exhibit before and it’s on my bucket list.”

Magdalene smiles and places Jacob on a blanket littered with his favorite toys. Her usually perfectly coiffed hair is pulled back into a messy ponytail, and her face is bare, wiped clean of all make-up. No point in applying make-up to spend the entire day crying it off. I’ve washed her sheets several times already, and I’m having a hell of a time cleaning the smudges of mascara from her pillowcase. I notice the small bags under her eyes and I’m pretty sure she’s worn those same pajamas all day. This is definitely not her norm.

I guess smoothing things over with Heath is taking longer than I thought.

“I love going to art exhibits,” says Magdalene. “Heath and I used to go all the time, but then he got so busy doing other things. We stopped going out and doing anything fun, really. It’s funny how things change so fast. You’ll have to come home and give me all the details of your date to help me relive my glory days.”

Magdalene’s laugh is empty, filled with regretful realization as she contemplates where her relationship with Heath now lies. There’s an uncomfortable silence before I finally respond.

“Of course I will,” I say, moving to the stairs before this conversation gets too awkward. “I’m going to get ready, but please let me know if you need my help with anything.”

Magdalene nods and plops down on the floor next to Jacob. I shake my head at the sad disheveled woman and head upstairs to my room.

I wish Heath could see how badly he’s hurting Magdalene and least be kind enough to cut her some slack.

I try to shake the thoughts of the depressing scene unfolding downstairs and focus on my date. My outfit is already sprawled across the bed, so I walk into the bathroom and start the shower. After taking my time washing away the dirt and grime from the day, I grab the large Egyptian towel from the counter and dry off.

Still wrapped in my towel, I head over to my small make-up vanity and apply a few of my staple items — a light shimmer eyeshadow, heavy mascara and lastly my fire-engine red lipstick.

My dress for the evening is black and form fitting with spaghetti straps. I decide to style my hair in loose waves falling over my shoulders, with a simple black pump. I stand in front of the full-length mirror in my room to admire my handiwork, and I must admit, I look good. Damn good.

I hope Asher likes it too.

I check to see how much time I have left and realize I need to hurry up and get to the lobby, so I grab my purse and my phone and head downstairs.

“Oh my,” says Magdalene. “Look Jacob, look at how pretty your nanny is. Jade, you look amazing. You need to tell that mystery man to take you out more often so you can doll up.”

I blush and smooth my hand over the dress. “Thanks! You don’t think the dress is too tight, do you?”

“Of course not,” says Magdalene. “There’s no such thing as a dress being too tight, especially with a body like yours. Besides, you want to be the one looking at the art, and you want him busy watching you. I think you nailed it, but let’s switch out that purse to something a little more fitting for the evening.”

I glance down at the simple black clutch purse. It’s plain, but the only one I thought was appropriate.

Magdalene steps forward with one of her more designer bags. “Here, take one of mine. Tonight is special and you deserve that extra pop to really set off your look.”

I stand there for a moment in shock looking at the Chanel purse dangling in front of me. I know for a fact the handbag is more than my month’s salary, and I’m not so sure I should take it.

“Are you sure?” I ask, nervously holding out my hands.

Magdalene nods as she hands the expensive purse to me. “I’m positive. It’s not like it’s getting much use sitting with me, so take it for tonight and enjoy.”

“Thank you so much,” I say. “You’re right, it really does set the whole outfit off.”

The Chanel purse has a gold chain strap, and I drape it over my shoulder before taking one last glance of my improved look. After saying my goodbyes to Magdalene and Jacob, I grab my keys and head out the door.

Despite the circumstances, I’m glad Magdalene is spending more time with Jacob.

I’m hopeful things will work themselves out for Magdalene and Heath. If nothing else, I hope they can at least reach common ground for Jacob’s sake.

My heart pounds in my chest as I reach the bottom floor, and suddenly I feel like I have a mouth filled with cotton. I’ve gone on several dates with Asher at this point, so I’m not sure why I’m so nervous.

The doors open and there he is with a big bouquet of red roses. As usual, he’s dressed to kill in his custom-fitted clothes with his beautiful dark hair slicked back.

He smiles and hands me the roses. “I didn’t think it was possible, but I swear every time I see you, you somehow look better.”

I wrap my arm around his and lean in for a much-needed kiss. “Thank you, Mr. Jordan. You are looking handsome, but you look amazing every time I see you.”

Asher closes his eyes and shakes his head. “None of that Mr. Jordan business tonight. I need to keep my blood flowing to my brain and not the other direction. You should at least wait until after the art exhibit, otherwise I can’t promise I’ll be able to keep my hands off you.”

We share another kiss as we walk to the car. Ed smiles and tips his hat as he reaches to open the door.

“Ms. Sinclair, it’s nice to see you again,” he says.

I smile and slide into the car with Asher right behind me.

“I don’t think I’ll be able to keep my promise,” he says, his voice low and heavy in my ear.

“What promise is that again?” I ask, sliding my hand up his thigh. “I could have sworn you promised me a spanking.”

He puts his hand under my chin and brings my face up to meet his. “You’re right, I do owe you a spanking. I have an idea, let’s just skip the exhibit altogether and go to my place instead.”

“No,” I say, playfully slapping his thigh. “I’ve been waiting to see this exhibit ever since you told me about it, but I’ll make you a deal, if you can keep your hands to yourself for a couple of hours, I’ll let your hands explore as much as they want for as long as they want afterwards. How does that sound?”

Asher pulls me in close and sighs. “You have yourself a deal, but let me just say, I’m a reluctant participant in this deal.”

I laugh and return my hand to his thigh, drawing little circles with my fingertip. A few minutes later we arrive in front of the gallery before Ed gets out and holds the door open for us.

“Enjoy your evening,” he says, tipping his hat again.

Asher opens the door to the gallery for me and I find myself stepping into a sea of color. My mind is blown away by the mixture of colors and shapes throughout the room. The artist has created sculptures that stand tall in the middle of the room while the walls are covered in large canvases which boast as much color.

“This is beautiful,” I say as Asher moves next to me, his hand finding the small of my back.

“You’re right, but it’s not nearly as beautiful as you,” he says before planting a gentle kiss on my temple.

Together we walk over to a podium that’s off to the side with a rather severe-looking woman standing behind it. She’s tall and wiry, her long arms hanging at her sides like branches on a tree. I try to focus on her face, but the blunt-cut wig on her head is slightly askew, and completely distracting. Her skin is a milky white hue that reminds me of the Japanese geishas I saw on a documentary not too long ago.

“My name is Ta’Nelle, and I’m the sole creator of every piece you see before you tonight. Everything was birthed from the inner depths of my creative source and I’m very happy I’m able to show the world what brilliance looks like in its various stages of life. Please, take a look around, ask questions if you need, and of course purchase anything that speaks to you.”

She hands us a small info sheet with brief descriptions of each piece, and ushers us to where we should begin the artistic journey, as she calls it.

“Well, that was an interesting introduction,” I say in a hushed voice once Ta’Nelle heads back to her place behind the podium.

Asher tries to hide his smile, but fails. “Come on, beautiful, let’s see what brilliance looks like, while finding a piece that speaks to our souls.”

We snicker like a pair of middle schoolers as we make our way through the crowd, occasionally glancing at the info sheet for reference. People mill about the gallery talking in quiet voices and pointing at the different works of art covering the walls.

“Do you see anything you like?” asks Asher.

I take a moment and look around the room again. “I like a lot of the pieces in here, but I think the one in the corner called Winter’s Kiss is my favorite.”

Asher takes my hand and leads me over to the corner. “What you do like about it? It looks like a woman trapped in a snowstorm to me, and there’s not a lot of color in this one compared to some of the other pieces.”

I stare at the painting, trying to find the right words to describe the emotions it calls forth. “It’s a beautiful tragedy to me, a sort of quiet chaos, in a manner of speaking. The woman in the painting is surrounded by snow, and it’s a complete whiteout of color. She’s the only thing there that’s not covered in snow. In fact, she’s completely untouched. She’s in this beautiful setting, but not necessarily a part of it. So, when I look at it, I don’t see her, I see the snow and the purity of it all.”

“Exactly,” says Ta’Nelle coming up behind us. “Most people believe she is the focus of the piece, but in truth she’s the background. The woman, that nameless entity, is merely an accessory to the scene. The main character is the snow and the beauty of the landscape. You did an excellent job breaking down the creative intricacies of this piece. Well done.”

Asher looks at me and then at Ta’Nelle. “We want this one,” he says.

“Excellent choice,” says Ta’Nelle. “I’ll have my assistant come over and take care of the details for you.” She turns on her heels and walks over to a small woman holding a clipboard.

“Did you buy that for your house in the Hills?” I ask. “I don’t think it’s a good idea to mount such an expensive piece in your condo since your stay is only temporary.”

Asher wraps his arms around me and lowers his voice. “I bought it for you. You said it’s your favorite and I want you to have it.”

“Asher, I thought we discussed not giving gifts,” I remind him. “Plus, where am I going to put something so big? Magdalene has enough stuff on the walls to open a gallery of her own.”

He kisses my forehead and stares at me with those hypnotic gray eyes of his.

“You deserve every gift I give you plus a thousand more, remember? You can keep the painting at my place, that way you’ll always have an excuse to come over.”

I shake my head and place a soft kiss on his lips. “You didn’t have to buy a painting for me to come over to your place. You’re enough of a reason.”

Everything Asher does makes me fall for him harder, and I hope this feeling never fades.

“Give me a few moments to handle the payment and arrange a delivery time,” says Asher.

I smile and wait patiently by the front door, giving the gallery one last look. I wonder if being an artist is similar to being a chef, especially since both must reach inside themselves and find that special part that allows them to create. Each dish I create is a carefully crafted masterpiece and I consider it to be a work of art. I should open a gallery showcasing food as art, where people get to taste each exhibit and purchase the recipe of their favorites.

“All right, everything is taken care of, so let’s head back to my place and relax,” he says, holding the door open for me.

“You and I both know that very little relaxing is going to take place,” I whisper playfully.

“You are absolutely right,” he says. “Relaxing is the last thing on my mind right now.”

Asher twirls me around to face him and we wait there in front of the building with our arms wrapped around one another. I stand on my tiptoes to reach his lips and our tongues welcome each other like old friends. It’s not until Ed coughs loudly for the second time that we notice he’s standing with the car door open. We slide in and settle back into each other’s arms.

“Now, where should we put your painting?”

“My painting? I think it’s more fair to call it our painting, since you are the one who paid for it,” I say.

“No, ma’am, that painting didn’t speak to me, it spoke to you, so it’s definitely yours. We could hang it in my telescope room on the wall facing your building, that way if you look hard enough you can see it from your room.”

I laugh and shake my head. “Seriously, Asher? That’s the only place you can think to hang it? You just want me to stare into your room so you can accuse me of peeping into your place. I’m onto your little game, Mr. Jordan.”

He grabs my chin and plants a passionate kiss on my lips. “You’ve figured out most of my plans, Ms. Sinclair, but now I’m dying to get you home so I can give you that spanking.”