Paint On Me

Chapter Two

"Trev? "Sian shouted an octave higher than necessary, shouldering the door awkwardly.  

It forced against her flesh like a dead beam with equal measures heft and pain. Training her neck to listen for any form of life... Nothing 

He'd better not be listening to that darn Podcast of his again. Once in the world of tech he shut down, and nothing short of a typhoon could breach that barrior. 

"Trevor! " this time it was a holler, met with the same deathly silence.  

Her ribs were burning from exhaust. Trying to angle in with bags dripping off her wrists like kettle balls, and box heaped on top of box of supplies . Sian inwardly cursed her lack of foresight. She should have come up and used something to hold the door ajar. 

She should have rang her beloved friend first and demand his help. She should have planned this with a few trips not one. But Sian was exhausted. Spending the last few hours juggling her friends melt down and stocking up between sobbed rants had taken their toll. 

Besides Trevor , she had three other 'inner circle' buddies. People who'd for whatever reason shared some form of madness that endeared her to them. So of course when Becky's ex husband had moved onto girlfriend number two in less than seven months Sian got the low down. She had wondered why Becky even kept him in her life. 

The divorce had been ugly, hell he'd even fought her over custody of their twelve year old springer spaniel. Seeing as they had no children the poor dog was brought up like an emotional weapon to best the other. In the end neither won. Due to complications of an Op their beloved pet died on the table. A thing each blamed the other for in a superbly immature fashion. 

Sian was eternally grateful that they hadn't visited that debacle on children. It would have been sure to mess them up for life. 

Today she had found her friend equally upset, "how could he do this to me? " followed by, "am I not loveable enough? " 

Both terrains Sian was used to navigating. With wine and chocolates in their PJs cursing mankind in general, not over the phone. And most certainly not a whole continent away. Sian felt the disconnect. Trying to reach out for a limb that was missing. It was infinitely harder to calm her friend down with the distance being so big. But the call ended on a semi-positive note. Apparently the current fling was 'only with him to further her career. '

Although why that was a happy point, Sian couldn't quite fathom. Maybe her friend thought that superficial relationships fizzled out quicker that anything else , who knows? 

Pain arched through her side as the door pressed closed against her. She twisted enough to change angle. Using her bottom to bang against it, bracing weight and pushing back. Tumbling into the space. Her shoulder screamed in anguish. Muscles burning. Sian was winded. The full heft of products swinging against her as she struggled not to let anything drop. Her eyes scanned for the table. Hoping to at least dump the boxes before freeing her wrists. They felt dislodged, ready to snap. Angry welts of red pinching across her skin.

Stumbling the fifteen feet Sian pinpointed salvation. The table edge coming into view from around the side of cardboard which had slanted back to rest against her sternum uncomfortably. The reclaimed wood never looked so damn good in it's life as it did right now. She could just kiss it. Groaning to bend and ease the boxes down. She nudged them safe with her hips before sagging to lower the bags. 

She sighed feeling her body begin to infuse with blood and energy, now that she was once more free of obstruction then the boxes moved. Marginally. Sian snapped into action. Pushing them in harder than necessary. Illogically thinking they'd fall over the edge and destroy all the contents in the process. But they were stacked securely. Weren't they. She'd made sure of that when taking them off her car bonnet and starting this journey. 

"Do you mind. "

Resistance prodded the containers back against her palms. 

Sian froze squealing. Her heart jackknifed in her throat eyes darting to the door in panic. Someone was here. They'd broken in, she could make it to the door and run. Put some distance between them. 

She felt for the small canister of pepper spray that should have been in her hoodie pocket. Empty. Crap! She left it in the glove box. 

Movement. Then he stood. A head appearing over the top of her belongings.

Axel. Looking devastating in a form fitting shirt. Buttoned down up to the last two close to his neck.her pulse grew thicker. Angry that he'd caught her off guard. He had no business being here or indeed smelling so good and looking like he had just stepped out of Italian Vogue. Outraged that he'd just sit there hearing her struggle.

"What in the hell are you doing here? "

He shot her an amused look, "I'm your benefactor."(Thought I'd at least see for myself what I'm funding. )

"And, "she snapped, " what does that entitle you to exactly? Free reign to my private studio.. How did you get in anyway? "

He crossed his arms in an infuriatingly confident manner. Not dented in the least. 

"Which question should I address first? "He goaded smirking in that devilish way of his. 

Sian blinked, correcting her stature why in hell was she looking at his lips right now. 

"Did you break in? "

He laughed a low rumbling sound from way down in his chest. She knew she was being ridiculous. After all if he had in fact come in through some other entrance the door she'd battled with would have still in fact been locked. 

Which only left one thing, "Trevor Lowellen Billingly, " she yelled, tensing her shoulders and balling her fist.

Axel ran a hand over his delicious jaw line giving her a languid look, "I'm not entirely a professional in the matter of ordinance survey, but in my humble opinion, you'll need to direct your vocals a little more to the left. Newark is somewhere to the South and some twenty miles away. But by all means have your fun love. "

She blinked at him.. Newark? Trevor was still at home. 

"Or would you perhaps like to borrow this, "he continued to tease, "it is called a cell phone I believe. The kids find it so much more efficient in reaching others. Not very tricky at all I assure you. You just dial a few digits.. And pow. Your little friend is at the touch of your fingertips. Magically speaking through this little slot, directly in your ear. Sorcery... This technology thing eh? What would we do without it and the marvels of modern science. "

Sian fumed. He had enjoyed every moment off his rather long winded rant. Even though at points she had to bite down in her jaw to stop from grinning. I mean how was she to actually know Trevor wasn't here.  

She hasn't known she had company in the studio as it was. Logic dictated that for her supposed 'mentor' to be around, sat at her table, her supposed 'management' would be knocking around too. Who else would have brought him down here and let him in. 

His ever sparkling eyes took on a smugness at her continued stupor. 

"Billingly gave me a key, "he said by way of apology s***h explanation, "so I just let myself in. He did say you wouldn't mind. "

Sians fingernails bit harder into her palms. Forcing herself to restrain the venom, "I. Do. Mind. This is my place. I don't appreciate people barring in unannounced. "

"One moment, "he paused raising an annoying index finger as if having an Eureka thought before leaving over. He rapped knuckles on the table, "hello, Miss Rhodes I'm in your studio. Your agent supplied a key, said key. " he produced a freshly cut piece of silver, "there I'm announced, does that suffice. "

"No, "she spat back. His smile setting her racinbg. 

"Why ever not? Should I go out and come back in again? " his impossible blue on blue orbs taunted her. Trailing over her rigid stance. 

"You have at least half of that sentence correct, "she snipped, "go and leave the key. I didn't give permission for one to be cut. "

Axel looked thoughtfull for a moment, brushing the silver edge along his bottom lip lightly.

("No. "

Sian s eyebrows rose at the two lettered response parroting it, "no?? "

"Actuallt,I think I'll keep a hold of this, "he replied getting a deeper level of gravitas to his tone, "this way I can keep an eye on my investment. No one is going to accuse me of anything untoward. Your own manager gave me this. As a way to enter a building in which I have more than a vested intrest. I wish to see what my funding is being used for "

"You can't, "she gulped. This was her private sanctum. Her space, for Christ sake she paid for it long before his money came into play. 

"I can, "he challenged moving to stand inches from her, easily dwarfing her, "read the contract. "

"But.. I did.. My people did, "she stuttered. 

"Page three, subsection two paragraph six, "he reeled off, as if prepared for her questioning, "give it another glance sweetheart. I'm sure it'll clear this all up. "

He gave her a quick wink, pocketing his Ill gotten key and proceeded to leave Sians little studio space. Leaving in his wake a fuming mess of anger.