The rude handsome devil
845 Words
Lily’s mouth hung open as she saw who it was. What were the f*****g chances? It was “Michael asshole” as she had termed him. The man that she had spilled drinks on not once but twice at the art gallery opening she had attended with Gina.
“Oh God, I’m cooked. He’s probably going to disqualify me from this training”, she mumbled quietly to herself.
Michael was just as handsome as ever in his beige colored pants and a white shirt with black loafers. Lily perceived a faint odour of his cologne. It did smell like rich people perfume. The type to cost thousands per bottle. The rude devil was as handsome as he was rich, Lily noted.
He didn’t seem to have seen her. He just walked to the front and gave a little smile while addressing them
“you already know what we’re here for so let’s get straight to business”. He said as he moved to examine the paintings on the canvases.
There was a little murmur by the artists as he stopped in front of any of the paintings to get a second look. Sometimes, he would not give a second look to a painting, sometimes he would stay so long in front of a painting taking in the details.
He finally got to Lily’s painting. Lily held her breath as he perused her painting. He seemed to be spending a million years looking at that paintin, or so Lily thought. HE finally turned around to their art coach and asked, “Who painted this?”
Lily’s stomach dropped and she fought hard to stop herself from fleeing towards the door and out to freedom.
“Lily Patel, come forward”, their coach bellowed.
At first, Lily decided she wouldn’t come forth. Their coach would probably move on and the donor would move on to the next person. But that was not the case.
Her coach came straight to where she stood and asked, “Lily Patel I said come forward. You are not deaf, are you?”. How had he been able to memorize her face to her name? there were about 70 of them in the hall.
Reluctantly, Lily came forward with her head bowed. Maybe Michael wouldn’t recognize her if sshe lowered her head. Maybe he wouldn’t be so good at recalling people’s faces. She was wrong. Even she knew that if someone spilled their drinks on her, twice in the same evening, she would never forget their faces except she was drunk.
“oh, so it is you?”, Michael said with a new glint to his eyes and a smirk.
Lily had already prepared herself to be disqualified but was surprised by what she heard next. Michael was whispering into the ears of her coach who finally straightened up and said, “We have a winner for today. Lily Patel, congratulations”
“Huh?”, Lily said as she looked from her coach to Michael confused s ever
“Our donor has decided to purchase your art. Get prepared to follow him out. The rest of you are dismissed, remember to be here, same time next week”
Lily looked at her coach with her mouth slightly open
“Close your mouth hunnie, you don’t want an insect entering in”, the coach said with a small laugh as she pulled Lily aside.
“Your work has caught the fancy of our donor. You are to go discuss the price of your art to him after which he would make payment to you and yes, the money is all yours”
“Can you be my middleman instead? I’ll tell you the price and you relay it to him and…”
“I don’t have that time sweetheart. Also you two are to meet someplace aside here as I’ll be locking up”
Lily looked around to find Michael and saw him in the corner making a call with his back straight and his free hand in his pocket.
He turned to look at her and said, “Let’s go”
Lily stood for a second longer and then grabbed her painting to follow him. f**k it, she’s going to get her money and that would be it.
“Take this”, the coach gave her a small brightly colored bag and Lily was about to ask what for before she realized it was to put in the painting. She thanked the coach and followed Michael outside.
“So where are we going?”, she asked as she caught up with him.
“I can see you’re a newbie. We are going to lunch, I’m starving after which you will sign a document for a transfer of ownership of your work and then I’ll make your payment. Nothing more”
Lily heaved a sigh of relief. It wasn’t going to be complicated after all.
Michael entered his Cadillac and waited a moment before Lily realized he was expecting her to get in too.
- Writer
