Author's Note: This story is erotic fantasy written by Cirelo. I reserve the right to be listed as the author of this story, wherever it is posted. If found posted anywhere except Literotica.com with this note attached, this story is posted without my permission.
Cirelo 2014
Enjoy, and thanks in advance for your feedback!
*****
It was nearly an hour into the show when she arrived. Everyone in the room noticed immediately, Jack included. She was gorgeous, with perfect ivory skin that was exquisitely offset by the midnight black hair that cascaded in gentle curls down her back. She was dressed to impress in a scarlet evening gown that bared her shoulders and had a neckline that made Jack think of phrases like "heaving bosoms". Her hands were covered by matching gloves that went up to her elbows. The outfit probably cost more than Jack paid for a year's rent. Probably a lot more.
It was more than just her looks that attracted the attention of everyone in the room. Granted, she looked like she could be a model, but she also had a presence, a charisma that was almost tangible.
She was accompanied by a man in a suit, but he was a driver or bodyguard, not a boyfriend or husband. Jack could tell from their body language that he worked for her.
He was good at reading body language, on an almost instinctual level. Sometimes he just knew what was going on in a person's mind. It had helped him play for college by selling his art, something he knew was an incredible rarity. It was hard enough to make it in the art business, and making enough to live on and pay college tuition while only painting and promoting his art part time...well, he knew he was very lucky. But it was helped by his intuition. He could tell when someone was interested, and he could tell when someone could afford to buy but needed to be convinced. And he was rather good at convincing.
And now he knew that this woman, with her perfect figure and expensive clothes, needed to be persuaded to buy his painting.
***
It took her almost an hour to make her way around the gallery, almost like she knew he was waiting for her, and she was playing hard to get. She stopped to look at every. Single. Painting. In the whole gallery. She talked to the artists, flirted with other art critics and collectors, and took her time, ignoring him entirely.
In the mean time Jack was busy, of course, chatting with potential buyers, patrons of the gallery. He knew right away which ones were just there to look and which ones might be interesting in another painting of his in the future. None of them were right for the one painting he had here today. It was big, flashy, expensive, not for the average art collector. This one was for her.
Finally, she swayed up to him, her lip quirked in a hint of a smile. She stopped in front of him, just a little closer than most people would, and looked him straight in the eyes. Her eyes were dark, like her hair, eyes that promised dangerous things. Jack did not flinch, did not pull away. He knew she was trying to get the measure of him, and he was definitely not going to back down.
She slowly let her gaze drop away, sliding down his chest, and lower, and then back up to his eyes again. Then, just as the tension was becoming almost to much, she smiled, a quick flash that was gone almost as soon as it arrived, and she deliberately looked past him at his painting.
She was quiet for a moment, still, as she absorbed it. Jack waited, wanting to let her break the silence.
"It's beautiful." Her voice was soft, and rich, like dark honey.
"Thanks." He kept his voice calm, although he felt anything but. This girl, no, this woman, was incredibly sexy. Incredibly, dangerously sexy. And if was going to keep in control of this conversation, make sure that it ended with her buying the painting and him paying his tuition this semester.
"Not exactly daring, stylistically." Ouch. "But it is beautiful."
"I was going for the classical look. Anyone can dump a can of paint on a board and call it 'daring art', but that doesn't make it good."
She glanced at him, smiling a little. Good. "Well said. I tend to agree."
They chatted for another minute or two, about the style of his painting, how he had come up with the idea, the usual chitchat between an artist and an art appreciator. Not terribly interesting, but part of the dance. Something to fill the air, to give her a chance to study the painting.
"So, you like it?" He said, finally. He said it the way he said things when he wanted someone to agree, with just a little extra something. She looked at him sharply, eyes narrowed like she had been startled. That was odd.
She said nothing for a moment, just stared at him. Then "I find that I do like it. How interesting." She stared at him for another moment, as if deep in thought.
"Very well, I'll buy it. But I want you to deliver it yourself. Tomorrow evening, nine o'clock. Michael, give him a card." She turned abruptly away, and started walking for the door. The bodyguard, or valet, or whatever, handed Jack a business card, then followed her out of the gallery.
Jack stared at the card. It was glossy black, with an address written in elegant white script on it.
Well, that had not gone exactly as he had expected, Jack mused, but at least it was a sale. But why did she want him to deliver it himself? He would do it, of course. There was no reason not to, other than the simple oddness of the request. But poor college students could hardly be choosers, so to speak. And besides, maybe he would get a commission or something.
***
"So, how'd it go tonight?"
Jack paused in wrapping his painting in brown paper, and looked up smiling. Sarah had such a cheerful voice, he couldn't help it. "Great. I sold it."
"Excellent! Congrats." She held out her fist, and he touched her knuckles with his. "Honestly I wasn't sure you were going to. It's a little pricey."
"Oh ye of little faith. I just had to find the right person."
"Well, I'm happy for you. And I bet Michelle is thrilled." Michelle was the owner of the gallery, and Sarah's boss.
"Yeah, she was pretty happy. I guess she didn't think it would sell either."
"Well, she took kind of a chance on you. That painting doesn't exactly fit in with our usual stuff. Or our usual customers. You should buy her a bottle of wine or something to say thanks."
"Heh, it's not her I owe a bottle of wine. She never would have let me in here without your recommendation. So thanks!"
"No problem. What are friends for?" She leaned against the wall, watching as he finished wrapping the paper around the painting. She was short, a bit over five feet, with bright green eyes, a few freckles, and red hair the color people who dye their hair red are going for. She was wearing a short black cocktail dress, but she had taken off her high heels. She always dressed up for gallery special events, but after three hours her feet must have been hurting.
Jack stepped back from the painting, and looked at Sarah. "So, what are you up to after this? Want to get some coffee? Or maybe that wine you said I owe you?"
Sarah smiled, and Jack's heart beat a little faster. But then... "No, I can't, sorry. I'm meeting up with Chris later."
Chris. Her boyfriend. Of course. "Hey, no worries. I guess I'll see you on Monday then."
She frowned. "Ugh, don't remind me. We have a quiz."
"Whatever, you're brilliant, you'll be fine."
"Heh, yeah right." She pushed herself off the wall. "Well, I guess I had better go. 'Night Jack"
"Goodnight."
***
It was just a little before nine the next evening, and Jack stood on the street in front of one of the most expensive high-rises in the city. It had taken him nearly twenty minutes to find a parking spot, and five minutes to walk from there. He was glad he had left a little early when he realized the address on the card was downtown.