Rendezvous at Silver Lining

Damien's POV: Lay the flowers

Flashback: Wednesday

I gazed down into her beautiful eyes as I awaited the verdict. Her lips moved to speak, but nothing came out. That's when her eyes glazed over. My heart stopped when I saw the first tear threatening to fall down. I pulled a chair out and wiped at her eyes that were hidden behind her glasses. She turned away from me, embarrassed.

“I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to get so emotional on you. I'm sure you don't get many women who cry after being asked out, huh?”

She turned to me to show a small smile, but her voice held the emotion that threatened to come out. I took her hand in mine.

“Divinity, what's wrong? Why did you start crying? Do you not like me that much?”

I chuckled some to ease the tension. She smiled at me and shook her head.

“No, it's not like that. I-I- I'm just feeling unsure.”

“Unsure with what?”

“That you actually feel that way about me. I've already done made an ass of myself thinking someone else wanted me, and I don't plan on making that mistake twice in 1 week.”

She looked off ahead of her. I frowned at hearing she was hurting cause someone else had missed led her. I squeezed her hand to get her attention. She looked back at me, trying to wipe her eyes.

“Divinity, you have to know how I feel about you is true. The moment I saw you, I wanted you. That has never changed.”

She smiled up at me and squeezed my hand in return.

“I've had a crush on Raphael since my first year of working for him. I thought he was attractive, but that wasn't what made me start having feelings for him. I saw how he nutured his company. I could see past his playboy antics and see he had a heart every time he helped my coworkers around me. He didn't want anyone to know it was him helping out Paolia. She was an older woman who worked for his father when he ran the company for years. Her house was being foreclosed, and she had no way of paying it, especially after paying the medical bills for her husband who got sick. Raphael paid for her house and paid off her medical bills. It was the first time I saw him smile when she gave him a hug. I thought it was the sweetest thing ever. I wasn't supposed to be in the office at that time, but I was on my way out when I saw what happened. She told me about her problems, and I was trying to help her out, so I knew how stressed she was. That's when my emotions for him began. He never looked at me twice to even hint that he would be interested in me, but I'm a sucker for kind gestures. She wasn't the only person he'd help. When I first got there, I didn't pay him no mind cause he seemed like an asshat… I guess I should've stuck with my first thought. He's been sending me signals lately, and then he told me he liked me. But then I find out he was sleeping with f*****g Sarah. I'm not stupid, I've known they've been sleeping together forever, but I thought he would've stopped. The b***h had the audacity to tell me to my face how she was with him Sunday night and his ass comes in bright and early to work and look me in the face and said he wanted me. It was just a lie.”

As I sat and listen to her, I realized just how special she was. She saw the good in him and he finally destroyed the good she saw. I knew in that moment, it would be difficult to have her. She spent years pining for him and he's not only ignored her but paraded other women around her and then hurt her by the same woman he knew he didn't even want. Remembering how he reacted my first day in his office, I know he's had to have had feelings for her for a while as well and for whatever reason he said and did nothing. I would make sure she knows that my eyes are on her and no one else. I caressed her cheek and ran my fingers down her arm to her hand.

“Divinity. I know what I want and it's you. You'll never question that from me. But I also understand that it will take you some time to heal and process your feelings. I don't expect you to automatically stop having feeling for him. I'm just hoping you will be open to mine.”

I sat back to give her some space. Her tears finally dried and she stared at me as if she was tryna figure me out.

“Why do you like me. You, like Raphael could have whoever you want. Why me?”

Without hesitation I responded.

“Because of you. My parents are hard to impress and you did it. They adore you. I trust their judgment when it comes to people and they spoke about before I saw you. Having met you, I thought you were absolutely breathtaking and then your intellect blew my mind. To not only have my parents approval of a woman, which is hard as hell to do, but I'm also taken with her is not something I ever thought would happen. You see people for who they are, not for what they do or what they have. You are kind and funny. You are you wherever you go. Who wouldn't want that. You just said it wasn't anything Raphael did to you or for you that made you fall for him, but what he did for someone else. Your heart is just as beautiful as your person, maybe even more so, which is saying something because you're stunning.”

She looked shocked at my words and was about to say something when our guest arrived. He walked in with Jade on his heels. I stood welcoming him in.

“Hey. How are you, man?”

“As good as I'm gonna get. How are you?”

I smiled and he smiled at me. He reached out to shake my hand and bring me into a short hug. Lemont Dickens was the owner of several galleries in our city and many others throughout the U.S. I turned to Divinity to introduce him to her.

“This is Divinity Loore, the new artist I've told you about.”

She stood and shook his hand. He smiled at her and she smiled back.

“It's very nice to meet. Thank you for showing interest in my work.”

“Of course! Anyone with an eye could see you are extremely talented.”

Her smile deepened and she looked between him and me. I smiled because I knew what she was gonna ask next.

“Ummm, are you his older brother or something? The resemblance is kinda scary.”

She smiled and Lemont and I smiled and laughed. I patted him on his shoulder and nodded.

“Although he's not my brother, he is my uncle on my mother's side. He's her younger brother.”

Her eyes bulged and she began to cough a little.

“Let me go on ahead and control these hormones then. You look amazing. What are you like 35? Damn… your mama got some good genes and your daddy genes ain't put up not one fight. I mean your daddy is handsome too. You definitely have his…”

She stopped mid sentence realizing she was just saying all of that out loud. We all laughed and my uncle smiled wide. Divinity looked so embarrassed and looked as if she wanted the floor to swallow her whole.

“I'm so so sorry. I didn't realize I was speaking out loud.”

“It's all good. I'm quite flattered. I'm actually 42. You might have some competition nephew. It seems this beautiful and talent young lady like what she sees.”

My uncle smiled and winked at her and she blushed. I elbowed him and he feigned hurt. I didn't take him seriously though. He was always a flirt.

“Man is everyone in this room attracted to you?”

Divinity looked over at Jade as she spoke and gave her a quizzical look.

“Oh. I'm lesbian and you're gorgeous. I won't try anything though, not unless you want it.”

Jade smiled at her and Divinity smiled wildly as well.

“What? You like her or something?

I asked her and she looked back over to me and nodded.

“You wouldn't get it. It's a hellva compliment to be told you're gorgeous from another woman especially when she's that gorgeous.”

She turned to look back at Jade, winked at her and smiled. Jade being the ever dramatic one threw her hand to her forehead pretending to faint.

“Uhh, I'm swooning.”

I shook my head at her and brought us back on topic.

“Come let's talk. Have a seat everyone. I'll just let my uncle speak. You can ask any questions you like and there is no rush to sign anything. This is just an introduction. If you want to partner with him, then we can have a more official appointment and have the necessary things available. Take it away, unc.”

“Well, Ms.Divinity, it's been a pleasure to meet you. I must say when Dami first showed me your single sketch, it took my breathe away. I knew I needed to see the person who created such a piece and try to wrangle them into working with me. Who knew it'll be the person my sister and brother was telling me about.”

“Oh wow. Thank you for your kind words. I've never really thought about actively doing something with my art work on it's own, but I've been planning on using my talent to pursue different avenues.”

I was intrigued by her comments and wondered what she meant by that. My uncle shuffled through his bag and pulled out a rolled paper. He slide it across the table to Divinity. She eyed it, looked at my uncle, then turned her attention back to paper. She unrolled it and gasped.

“How did you do this?”

She whispered her words, shocked, looking at the paper. She turned it around and showed us the paper. My eyes widened and I smiled.

“Damien sent this to me and I printed it out. I hung it on a wall in my gallery, not publicly of course, just to get the picture. We added lights around it to showcase the ambiance of what I felt it was saying. You of course can change or manipulate it if you choose to work with me. I just had to see it on a wall. It's truly stunning, Divinity.”

Songbird had tears gathering in her eyes and the biggest smile on her face. We spoke further about all the ins and outs of what could possibly happened if she wished to continued. The meeting came to a close with Divinity agreeing to another meeting and taking the photo. Jade escorted my uncle and songbird to the lobby but before Divinity left she answered my question.

“Yes. I'd love to go out with you. I will give you a chance. You are correct in thinking I need time, but I want to spend that time getting to know you.”

She walked over to me and gave me a hug. I wrapped my arms around her tightly trying to commit how she felt against my body to memory. I looked up and saw my uncle and Jade staring and smiling at our little moment. Divinity whispered a thank you in my ear and left. All I could do was watch. I called her later on that night to give her the time she should be ready for me on Friday for our date.

Flashback: Friday

I pulled up to her apartment complex and she was already waiting for me downstairs. She had her hair in its natural state, half up and down. It was pulled to the back in a bun with red and gold hair chopsticks sticking out of it with her curly hair brushing against her shoulder and upper back. She wore a red, off the shoulder dress that went down to her knee and red pointed heels. She also wore a thin tan jacket to protect her from the breeze. Her lips were covered in a layer of dark red lipstick, light makeup and of course her glasses. I love her in glasses. It's just something sexy about it. I got out to open her door. She walked over to me and damn if she didn't smell amazing.

“Hey, Damien.”

“Hello, Songbird. You look incredible.”

“Thank you. You look handsome as well, you can make a girl swoon.”

She smiled, and as always it melted me. I helped her into my car and we were on our way.

End of flashback.

I smiled remembering my time with Divinity.

“I think you would've like her. She is definitely something else, an enigma to say the least. I've learned quite a few things about her over dinner.”

My mind wandered to Friday and our whole date replayed in my mind but all those feelings disappeared as I stared down. I sighed.

“I wish you were still here. Maybe then I could ask you advice about how to deal with my songbird…. I miss you, sis.”

I was alone in the cemetery where my sister's body lay. I came here to place flowers on her grave. After the conversation with Divinity last night drugged up some emotions, I had to come see my sisters grave and tell her about my songbird. I laid the flowers against her tombstone that read:

Here lies the light of her family. She will be missed. Lillian “Starlight” Grace Becker.

I traced the outlined of her name, especially starlight. That was the name I gave her when she was born. I stood and kissed her headstone and began my exit out of the cemetery. Hearing Divinity's story reminded me of my sister's and how her life was stolen from her. I vowed back then that I would find out what happen and now, I'm more motivated to do so.

Don't worry sis, your big brother will bring you justice.