The Maureen Persona

Chapter3

Chapter 3

Slipping the key inside the doorknob Megan slowly turned the lock. Stepping inside she closed the door upon entering her solitary apartment. Kicking off her shoes and plopped down on the couch as she slung her feet on the coffee table. Grabbing the remote she hit the power button and laid her head back on the back of the sofa. Was it ever going to get any easier coming home to an empty apartment? Just then Mr. Whiskers jumped on her lap and nuzzled her cheek.

“There’s my sweet boy,” Megan rubbed the affectionate feline behind the ears. “Did you miss me today?” The feline responded with a purr and began kneading the couch cushions. “I missed you too,” Meagan rubbed the cats back as he promptly jumped down and headed toward his food bowl. When Megan didn’t move immediately the cat turned around and let out a loud meow. "Coming," Megan stood and headed toward the pantry. After filling Mr. Whiskers' food bowl and checking his water Megan picked up her phone. She needed to call Jonathon and tell him how the meeting went.

“Hello,” Jonathan’s boisterous voice answered.

“Jonathan,” Megan spoke as a smile creased her lips.

“How was the meeting?” Jonathon asked. “He didn’t talk you into doing something unethical or illegal did he?”

“Not this time,” Megan laughed. “He commissioned me to do a series of pieces for his London offices.”

“I was unaware his company had offices in London,” Jonathan responded.

“He claimed it’s a new business venture,” Megan said as she picked up the remote and started scanning channels. "I told him I wouldn't be able to start on it until next month after I return from a friend's wedding."

“So you are going?” Jonathan asked. “I wasn’t sure if you’d want to go, after what you told me.”

“If it was anyone but Gerald I wouldn't go,” Megan sighed. “Gerald was one of my best friends in high school and if he thinks enough to invite me after all these years I feel compelled to go. After all, my best friend is his cousin and it will give me the chance to catch up with her face to face instead of texting every so often.”

“Well if you don’t want to go alone I can go with you,” Jonathan suggested. “That is if I can get the time off,” Jonathan laughed.

“I’ll put in a good word for you,” Megan responded with a chuckle. “I’m sure Maureen will be more than accommodating.”

“Was there anything else you needed?” Jonathan asked.

“Yes, I've decided to go ahead and display the piece for the charity in the gallery. The more people that see it the higher the price may go up. It’s my hope that it will get over ten thousand.”

“It should,” Jonathon agreed. “Maureen is known as a recluse, any chance the public has to see one of her pieces and bid on it will create quite the buzz.”

“I’m counting on it,” Megan replied. “It’s getting late. Do I have anything planned tomorrow?”

“Just Amy and Jackson’s anniversary party tomorrow night. I’ve already taken care of the anniversary gift. You wanted to go with the traditional gift right?”

“Yeah,” Megan thought for a minute. “It would be wood right?”

“It’s one of your smaller landscape pieces in a wooden frame,” Jonathan informed her.

“Amy should love it, she always liked my smaller pieces,” Megan said with approval. “Since it’s so close to the weekend, why don’t you take a long weekend?”

“Are you sure?”

“You know I normally take a break after I finish a piece. The way I’ve kept you going the last six weeks you deserve some extra time off.”

“Well if you need me I’m just a phone call away.”

“You always are,” Megan smiled as she disconnected the call. Flipping through the channels there wasn't anything that could hold her attention. She was tempted to call Jonathon back and see if he'd be up to coming over and having a movie night. Megan knew he'd come right over if she asked. He probably had plans, and even he didn't want the last thing she wanted was for him to think it was a requirement when it was simply her wanting company. As if on cue her phone started buzzing and to her delight, it was her best friend Lenore from high school.

“Hey girl,” Megan said as she answered the phone.

“What are you up to Meg?” Lenore's boisterous voice responded from the earpiece.

“Nothing, just sitting here channel surfing,” Megan sighed, “I’m trying to fight off this overwhelming boredom.”

“Did you get the invitation to Gerald’s wedding?” Lenore asked.

“I got it today,” Megan told her. “It was sent to the wrong address and had to be forwarded.”

“Are you planning to come?” Lenore asked with a giddiness in her voice. “It’s been years since you’ve been back home, and I for one would love to see you and so would your Aaron, your Godson.”

“I’ll be there,” Megan laughed as a vision of Lenore’s son went through her head. “I’m planning to give Gerald and Renee one of my pieces for a wedding gift.”

“Are you sure about that?” Lenore questioned. “I know how much your pieces sell for. It might be a bit upscale for us simple country folks.”

“Gerald is a dear friend and I want to give him something special,” Megan informed her best friend. “Besides, if, heaven forbid, they fall on hard times, they can always sell the piece.”

“Well it’s your art to do with any way you want,” Lenore succumbed to Megan’s decision. “I hope you’ll be bringing that handsome assistant of yours.”

“I haven’t thought much about it,” Megan chuckled. “I might come alone.”

“Don’t you dare,” Lenore reprimanded her. “You need to bring that sexy man with you so that all these people who said you'd never amount to anything will see you for the person I always knew you were."

“He is sexy isn’t he,” Megan grinned to herself. “You should see him without his shirt on,” Megan fanned herself with her free hand.

“Do tell?” Lenore urged.

“We went to a conference in Charleston last summer and the hotel was overbooked,” Megan began. “We ended up sharing a room. If you think Jonathon is hot with his shirt you should see him with it off.”

“Did the two of you throw caution to the wind and cross that threshold between business and pleasure?”

“No we didn’t,” Megan responded with a grunt. “It would be unprofessional and you better than anyone know I’m not like that. Besides Jonathon doesn't see me that way, I’m his employer nothing more.”

“I’m not so sure about that," Lenore hesitated. "I've seen how he looks at you and it wasn't an employee kind of look. It looked like it was more of an unrequited love kind of look. But then how would I know? I've only been your best friend since first grade and I've only seen the two of you together half a dozen times and all of those were work-related."

“Trust me,” Megan assured Lenore. “Jonathon has never and will never see me that way.”