I arrive at the market square as they call it. I am wearing my red dress. It is sexy, yet not too revealing. I wanna feel sexy, and especially where no one I know will see me. I mean I try to dress understated at work and the reasons for this is so obvious. I mean look at the men there. No…try not to look. I have really. I’ve tried really hard. It’s just…well LOOK at them. They are drop dead sexy and I bet they make a woman feel like… I shake my head. No thinking about them. I does me no good. I cannot have them.
I wonder if maybe I should try to find a boyfriend or something? I mean I have to find a way to block these thoughts about these certain men. I roll my eyes, not one man, but men. THREE. God, I must be insane.
I walk through the entrance and look at the first painting. Yes, this is the one I saw before. I just love it. It is just so…
“Hey.”
I turn to see a man standing beside me. “Oh, hello,” I reply.
He tilts his head at me. “I’ve never seen you here before.”
I shrug. “No, it’s my first time here.”
He nods. “Quite the painting, eh?”
I look back at it. “Yes, I love it.”
He steps closer. “So, do you know the artist?”
I blink my eyes. “Um, no. Why would I? I mean it’s sort of a secret right?”
He laughs. “You are playing dumb. You know who it is.”
Now, I back up a little. This guy is good looking but that doesn’t mean he isn’t a nutjob. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
He shakes his head and turns to point across the room.
I turn to follow his gaze. My eyes widen.
I see Jake, Micah, and Trevor standing in front of the far wall. “One of them is the artist?” I ask in a muttering tone. What are they doing here? I wonder what I should do. Like try to pretend I never saw them? Walk right over and ask them what they are doing here?
The man takes my elbow. “Well, let’s see.” He escorts me over to where they’re standing.
“Just beautiful… Micah,” Trevor says.
I wonder what is happening. I peek around Jake’s wide shoulder and my eyes round. “How?”
The three men all turn around.
Micah smiles at me. “Jenna!”
I blink my eyes and step closer.
The men step aside as they watch me closely.
It’s me, on the canvas in a sort of haze of colors. At least, it looks like me. Now that I’m closer, maybe it isn’t. It is a beautiful painting though. I look up at Micah.
He shrugs.
I look over at Jake.
He pins me with that dark gaze.
My startled gaze swings to Trevor. “Why did you say that to Micah? About it being beautiful, like, like he…”
Trevor looks uncomfortable.
Micah steps forward. “Because I painted it.”
I step back. “YOU? You’re the unknown artist?”
He nods.
Trevor smiles. “Surprise?”
I am now really confused. “You all knew I was coming here?”
Jake sighs. “No, we just guessed. When you said it was the one where no one knew the artist, chances were that it would be here.”
I look at each of them.
Micah steps forward. “We were already going to be here, but I was so hoping it was my painting that you were talking about. And this painting is of you. I just painted it three days ago and added it tonight.”
“B-but why?” I ask.
He shrugs. “I, well. Dammit, Jenna you must know that I like you.”
My eyes widen. “I-I…”
He takes my hand. “It’s okay. You don’t have to say anything.”
“Good, cause right now I wouldn’t know what the hell to say.”
They all stare at me and laugh.
I bit my lip. “Did I just say that out loud?”
They all nod.
I flush.
They all chuckle again.
“So…” the man who’d escorted me over, speaks up, “Can I get you a drink?” He looks right at me.
The three men all turn to glare at him.
He stares back at them all. “What?”
“Get yourself a drink,” Jake growls.
“Yeah and drink it way over there,” Trevor adds as he waves his hand toward the other side of the gallery
The man looks at me. “Can’t the lady answer for herself?”
I open my mouth to tell him, I can.
The three of them turn and sort of lean into the guy.
I step back. What the fuck?
The poor guy slinks away.
“What was that?” I ask.
They turn back around and smile at me, but none of them gives an answer.
Then Jake finally does, “He was a creep.”
Trevor nods. “Admit it, Jenna, he was. Like he’s the kind that just comes to these events to pick up women.”
Okay, this has gotten weird. Are they my body guards now?
Micah grabs my hand. “Come on. You want to see the rest?”
I nod.
He drags me along. His paintings are magnificent. To think it is Micah that did these? Well, actually it isn’t so surprising. I mean if anyone were an artist, it would be a guy like him.
Still, I wonder about the painting he did of me. Then he wasn’t even shy about it. About me seeing it, I mean. Like…he wanted me to know, as he openly said, You know I like you.
Then the other two. Jake and Trevor, they just stood there like they knew that already and they seemed fine with it. What changed since just this afternoon? I know something has, but I just cannot for the life of me, figure out what.
So, for the next couple of hours, they were all with me at one point or another. And the oddest thing, they would step in front of any guy who got close to me. Like they were actually blocking men from getting anywhere near me.
It was so odd and kind of funny too. Cock blockers? I mean it is one thing to try and protect me from Peter whom they thought was a racy type. But blocking all men? I should have gotten mad, but damn, having any one of them standing next to me was just too delicious to refuse.
Micah turns to me. “I will get us something to drink. What would you like?”
I shrug. “Well, they are serving champagne?”
He smiles. “And I bet you like the pink.”
I gasp. “Yes! How did you know?”
He smiles. “I’ll be back.” He looks over at Trevor and gives him a nod.
I look between the two. What?
Trevor grins and nods his head.
Micah takes a step away and his expression changes “Oh, shit!”
I turn to follow his startled gaze.
The supposed creep from before is pointing at Micah and a group of women are standing around him. They all look over with excited expressions on their lovely faces.
Suddenly, a rush of people run across the gallery floor heading straight for Micah.
Trevor laughs and looks over at Jake.
Jake is grinning. “Well, the kid is now a star.”
Micah looks panicked as they all rush him. “Take care of her.” Then he is pushed back away from us as at least ten women are asking him questions.
“Can I pose for you?”
“Where did you get the idea for the abstract?”
“If I buy one, can we have a night together?”
My mouth is open in shock.
Trevor takes my elbow and moves me over toward Jake. Their eyes meet. “I’m going to get her some pink bubbly.”
Jake nods and his eyes darken as he moves closer to me.
My mouth snaps shut. Okay, now I definitely know they are watching over me. I also cannot get over how those women just stormed poor Micah. I now know why he kept himself a secret. I watch as one woman reaches down and grabs his ass. He jumps as if he’s startled. My eyes widen. “Well, just fuck no,” I mutter and take a step toward them. No one is going to woman handle him!
Jake grabs my arm.
I look up at him.
His dark eyes are twinkling.
“Let me go,” I seethe.
He tilts his head at me. “And if I do, what are you going to do?”
I am now getting angrier as the same woman does it again. The blonde haired skank! “I am going to teach a bleached haired slut some manners!”
Jake looks over at Micah and the women and sees what I do. He starts to laugh.
“What’s so funny?” Trevor arrives with my glass.
Jake motions his head toward the crowd. “Micah is getting some hands on experience.”
Trevor looks over as now, two women have their hands on his fine ass. He bursts out laughing.
I am fuming, as it is so not funny. The man is so sensitive and sweet. It’s like sexual abuse!
Trevor looks at me. His eyes round a bit. Then he glances at Jake.
“Yeah, man. She is gonna go ballistic if we don’t do something,” He is still chuckling.
“How dare they woman handle him!” I exclaim. “It’s sick!”
Both men start laughing hard.
“It is not funny!” I snap.
At my outburst, they both quiet down.
Trevor hands me my glass. “Okay, sweetness. I will distract them all, okay? Then you can rescue our boy.”
I am beyond appeasing as I grab the glass and tip it back in one huge gulp.
They both stare at me.
I swipe my mouth. “Okay let me at her or at both of the filthy sleazes.”
They are both staring at me.
I am so angry, I don’t care that those gazes are directly on me as I again try to step out of the hovering male enclosure they have me in.
“Okay, just calm, okay?” Trevor asks. He nods at Jake.
Jake takes my elbow again. “Just slow your roll Ali.” He laughs. “God dammit, you are adorable.”
Trevor grins. “Right? Damn.” He turns and walks over to the podium that is at the center of the room.
“W-what is he going to do?” I ask an amused Jake.
He shrugs. “You never know with Trev.” He again chuckles.
Trevor steps up and taps the mike. “Attention everyone.”
The room that is rather noisy seems to quiet down. All gazes turn to him.
“So, tonight. There will be a giveaway of one of the paintings on show.”
I gasp and stare at the crowd of women groping and hanging all over my boy. I freeze. MY BOY? My body starts to tremble. Oh, fuck. I’m jealous! It hits me like a freight train on jet fuel traveling a thousand miles an hour.
“Please gather at the desk to fill out your tickets.” Trevor motions to the huge reception desk.
A poor clerk is standing there with a paling face like he has no idea what Trevor is taking about.
The crowd moves away from poor overwhelmed Micah.
Except for the two skanks.
While Jake is watching the crowd, I pull away. Before he can react, I am across the room and right up on these two whores. “Step away from him,” I demand.
The two fawning females look over at me. Both are taller than me, or they’re wearing heels and that makes them taller. But I don’t give a fuck. I care about where their dirty hands are.
The blonde smirks. “And who the hell are you?”
I square my shoulders and am about to lose my shit. “I am the chick that is going to pull every bleached hair out of your empty head if you do not get your slimy hand off his ass!”
Jake runs up. “Dammit, Jenna!” He looks mad, but there’s still a spark of amusement in his eyes.
The two chicks get a look at him and let go of Micah.
Micah looks shocked and is staring hard at me. His green eyes suddenly go deep in color.
My whole body flushes unexpectedly. I have never seen his eyes do that. It makes me feel like he just touched me.
The two females move over toward Jake.
I break the hot eye contact with Micah and glare at the sluts in heels. “Oh, no. He is not available to Whores R Us either.” I step in front of them.
They both halt.
“I am going to say this one last time. Get away.” My fists are clenched.
“Who the hell are you?” the blonde asks.
“I already told you. I’m the bitch that is going to slap the teeth out of your mouth if you don’t—”
The blonde lunges forward on her 5 inch heels and takes a swipe at me with her claws.
I take a step back then lean forward and grab her arm, wrapping it up behind her back.
“OWWW!” she yells.
Jake and Micah look stunned.
“You’re going to break my arm!” The bleach bunny whines.
Yes, I took classes to learn that move and never thought I would use it on some skinny, bleached blonde ratbag. I lean my mouth close to her ear and whisper, “Yes, in three pieces. Now, if you want your arm intact, you will walk away when I release you.”
She gasps and groans in pain.
The other slut bag looks horrified and she quietly slinks away.
Jake steps close. “Jenna, you need to let go.” His eyes are full of some emotion that is unreadable.
Micah nods. “Come on Jenna. It is okay.”
I let go.
The girl is crying.
“GET. LOST,” I demand.
She looks terrified and runs away.
I let out a breath and step forward. “Are you okay?” I ask a stunned looking Micah.
He nods but doesn’t speak.
“Well, god damn!” Trevor arrives. “Who knew that sweet Jenna was a stick of fucking dynamite?”
Jake and Micah exchange glances.
When he says this, I suddenly realize what the hell I just did! My face heats up as all three men are staring at me with curious but intense gazes.
Trevor starts laughing hard. “Well, kid. Your show will be something to remember!”
I look at him and the other two. My body is shaking. Oh god, what did I just do? I wonder again in panic.
The three of them are now smiling.
Micah says, “See? I told you guys. Special…one hundred fucking percent!”
The other two stop laughing and are looking directly at me.
I am so embarrassed. I just turned into an enraged animal in front of the three of them! Special? I roll my eyes. Like special Ed? I cannot believe I lost it like that! I am usually the last person to get mad. I truly don’t know what happened. I just snapped!
They see I look upset and all three gather close to me.
“Come on,” Trevor says. “I’m hungry, so let’s go get some Whore De Vours.”
We all look over at him.
He shrugs. “Come on, you know that was funny and clever. I mean Whores R Us? Come on, it’s funny!”
They all start to laugh.
I laugh too, as some of the tension leaves me.
The rest of the night turns out to be fun and enjoyable.
They finally walk me to my car and wave as I drive away. The three of them looking so edible as usual.
When I get home, I sort of feel like I’d been on a date, a crazy mixed up ride of a date…I freeze at this thought. A date with three men—a date with two coworkers and my boss? Where I showed them all how I really felt. They had to know I’d gotten jealous. Oh, crap!