The Blood Heiress

Chance Encounter

Adella

I arrived at 9:45 at the door in the alley, a duffle bag with a myriad of attire options, depending on the task at hand, ready to go. Ben had initially raised a few concerns about the size of the duffle, but after the disaster yesterday I wasn't going to give it my best shot. With the bag in hand, I felt that today I had a fighting chance.

René was not in his office, thankfully, but the door was open. So, I set my things in the corner and grabbed my list. Today’s list had fewer pages but also fewer explanations. The first day must be when most interns decide they aren't coming back. He hadn't had enough time to develop such a list for the second day of duties. The first item was locating the storage room and getting cleaning supplies. The storage room was a very cluttered closet just past the loading bay. It took a bit to even locate the supplies that René had requested. Once I had retrieved them and managed to shut the door to the even more cluttered closet, I had to find the mounting room and begin dusting the archived items inside.

The mounting room was nowhere to be found in the same wing of the building that contained the loading bay and thus the entirety of the building that I was previously acquainted with. I decided it was time to investigate the other wing, but to do that I had to find a way around the front galleries. Wouldn't want a lowly intern to scare off the patrons. I deduced from the building map that there was a back hallway granting access to the other wing for lowly interns. It just happened to be through an unmarked door that I passed by an embarrassing number of times. I only found it by giving into a last-ditch effort before just going right through the galleries, consequences be darned.

It was a relatively short journey through the boring black hallway and, of course, the other side of the hallway was open and was easy to recognize as such. It must have been because this wing of the building contained the guest bathrooms, a conferenceentable room, the director’s gallery, and the mounting room. The more presentable public-facing portions.

The mounting room was a large sterile room full of paintings and sculptures carefully stored, for what purpose I had no idea. I set to work using the duster. Firstly, because it was extremely dusty. Secondly, because I had no idea how or if I should be doing anything else to the very expensive and valuable works of art housed there. I started in with a vengeance. Every surface I could reach would be free of dust by the time I was done.

I was elated when I had finished dusting that I had chosen a more sensible pair of shoes and started with my hair tastefully pulled back. Besides sneezing a bit and getting some dust on me and my clothes I came out of it looking pretty much the same as I went in. I double checked the to-do list and didn’t see anything regarding cleaning the art pieces, so I gathered up everything, turned off the lights and left. It was at the end of the hallway, going through the door that I bumped in René for the first time all day. He looked me up and down.

“Good you’ve finished with cleaning the mounting room. Follow me back to my office. There has been a change in plans today.”

He gestured at a box on the floor for the cleaning items, which I gladly unloaded. I took a welcome seat across from his desk and held the clipboard to me.

“We are going to have a gallery exhibition for a new artist. I have selected the East Gallery for it. I need you to assist the girls and me with getting the old art down today before the artist comes this afternoon to take a look at the space. I want you to take lunch, make yourself presentable for the front of the house and meet me in the East Gallery in 20 minutes.”

“Should I change my clothes?”

“No, what you have on will do. The East Galley has been closed for the day. Just clean up the rough edges.”

“Ah,” I had a feeling I must look worse after dusting than I thought. But I grabbed my lunch and decided to eat in the staff room I had found searching around today. It was stale, dull and unused. I wondered why it even existed when all I had seen working here so far were the gallery assistants, one per gallery and René the director. Regardless, having a place to unwind with proper seating, outside of the view of everyone else was welcomed.

The East Gallery was smaller than the Main. However, it, like the Main, had floor to ceiling windows that faced the bright avenue and plaza in front of the gallery. Lots of natural lighting made the space inviting and clean feeling. The last exhibit to occupy this space had been one that focused heavily on glass as a medium. I hardly trusted myself to breathe in the same room as the delicate and brightly colored pieces, let alone be expected to move them. I nervously wondered where the assistants were. Surely, they handled this sort of thing. Until René showed up to direct, I believed it best to hang out on the edges unoccupied by fragile, irreplaceable art.

“What are you doing, Miss Smith?” René called out from the hallway leading back to the mounting room. “Come back here and help me with these boxes.”

In his hand was the handle of a cart weighed down with oversized wooden crates. They each had a well-padded interior and came in many different shapes and sizes. Gladly, I took the handle from him. I had no qualms about pulling a cart and handling sturdy, albeit rough and dirty, boxes.

The assistants had appeared in the East Gallery in the time it had taken to assist René with the boxes. "Good, good Greta, just like that, yes hand the piece to me.” René coaxed, as if he were drawing out a startled animal. Greta did not seem phased and continued to lower down some pieces that had been suspended from the ceiling.

“Miss Smith, we are going to need the box labeled A4 for this piece,” I had a continued sense of relief that I was not expected in any capacity to be handling the priceless artwork, but instead relegated to a lowly box fetcher. Greta was the art fetcher, René the director surprise, surprise and Silvia was the box retriever. She carefully carried each packed item back to the mounting room for storage. This was the most time I had spent with the girls. With René they were quiet, efficient and congenial. When it came to interacting with me, they tended towards being aloof and cold. I couldn't say I blamed them, they must have seen their fair share of interns come and go.

Three quarters of the way through dismantling the display, there came a tell-tale bell jingle that indicated someone’s passage through the front door. René immediately swiveled to see who could be entering a gallery that he personally closed. He disappeared into the other wing while Silva, Greta and I continued to box up A3, 11, 15, and 18 without him. When there were only two smallish pieces left René returned with two others in tow. I heard them approaching as I worked to help the girls to get the the cart packed with the final pieces back to storage.

“Right this way please. As you can see right away that while this is the smaller gallery out of the two, it is still quite large, and the exposure will perfectly suit your exhibition.”

“My work does require a more intimate experience; I am glad that you understood this.” A female voice mingled with René’s as they toured the newly art free zone. Silvia and Greta took the last two pieces back and I started pulling the cart following behind. No idea where this thing goes... I didn’t remember a cart from my earlier exploits but then again, I hadn’t been looking for one. I settled on just putting anywhere there might be a cart sized empty spot.

“Adella Smith?” a masculine voice caught me off-guard. So familiar... I paused and turned myself around to face the person who owned the voice I couldn’t place.

“Mr. Moretti?” Having only seen him in the bar at night up until, that point, I had no idea just how attractive the man was. In the light of day, he was not just attractive, he was devilishly handsome. His dark, angular, masculine features were highlighted by the always present, self-satisfied smirk.

“Cassian, come see the gallery from this angle and tell me what you think.” An exasperated look presented itself on his face.

My eyebrows shot up and I craned my neck to catch a glimpse of the woman who belonged to that voice. René and she had moved to the other side of the gallery. Some display walls stood between us. Unease spread a little through me at the thought of Cass being there with her. Stop being weird Adella. Who cares who he came with?

“Give me a moment, Val. I do not want to miss it. You know how I am dying to see all the angles,” the sarcasm dripped off his words. He ran a hand through his hair and smiled a toothy grin. "Now I thought I asked you to call me Cass or at the very least Cassian, if you must."

"Right, sorry I was just caught off guard."

“You and me both." He looked me up and down weighing something in his mind. "So, this is going to sound strange, and perhaps be a tiny bit awkward. But I promise it will be quick and it will be to your advantage.” Intrigued I c****d my head to the side and put my hands on my hips. “May I escort you to meet the esteemed artist of the hour?” His gaze sized me up and then he held out an arm.

I reached to take it and see what he was talking about. But then retracted my arm as I noticed how disheveled my sleeve was looking. I had been working nonstop with no thought to the dust and dirt that I certainly had collected. I knew what I looked like before we started packing. It had not been pretty. Judging by my shirt sleeve it could only have gone downhill from there. I couldn't meet an 'esteemed artist' looking like the back-room staff that I was.

“I should get back to work Cass,” grabbing at an excuse to leave right then. "It was really nice to see you again..."

“Nonsense, this is part of the job. Don’t you work for René?” His sincerity was evident in his sparkling green eyes. He moved a little closer and stared intently at me waiting.

I nodded, glancing back into the hallway hoping that one of the assistants would come back and ask me to help with whatever they were doing back there.

“Then,” he said with impatience. He reached out taking my arm and pulling me with him. “Meeting your artists is pretty high on the priority list.” I couldn’t help but gaze at where his hand was on my arm, a strange feeling radiated out from his hand throughout my skin.

“Please, Cass I can’t, not looking like this,” I whispered hastily.

Cass stopped abruptly, midstride and dropped my arm. He wore a crooked smile. "Sorry, I wasn't thinking and acted impulsively.” His head tilted down towards my face as he gave me a once over with his green eyes. “You may not believe me, but you look effervescent, alive. Much better than any pasty-faced wallflower who is afraid to get a little dirty and see what life has to offer. May I?”

I nodded, unsure of what he planned to do next. He carefully grabbed my chin and used his sleeve end to wipe something off my cheek. I stood frozen, the warmth at his touch again radiating out from his hand. I was afraid to move, to break the moment into little pieces, painfully aware of how close our faces were. Satisfied with his handiwork, he lowered his hands and observed my expression with amusement as I pulled away in a hurry, blushing. Always blushing. He wore a crooked smile and winked as he took my arm again. “Now your beautiful face is free from smudging. Feeling better now?” I nodded in reply, did he just say I had a beautiful face? “Follow my lead.”

“Val, I would like you to meet my friend, Adella. Adella, this is my sister, Valerie the Great Artiste of the Moretti Clan.”

The imformation that this beautiful woman was Cass’s sister was a welcome clarification. With a gentle nudge to my ribcage, I remembered to extend my arm for a proper greeting “So nice to meet you, Valerie the Great Artiste.”

Valerie gave nothing away during our introduction, unlike her brother who seemed to make it his mission to have his face an open book. She took my hand after some deliberation. “Nice to meet you as well, Adella. How did you and my brother meet?” I blushed in embarrassment as memories came flooding back from that night.

Cass must have sensed my discomfort and responded for me “Where I meet all of my friends”

Valerie cracked a smile, “Only because you are always there. I keep telling you to hire a manager so you can take a night off once in a while, but no the Amazing Cassian Moretti wouldn’t know how to have a proper life if bartending every single night wasn’t a part of it. What is the point of owning your own bar when you are the only one who works it?”

“Ouch sis, I will have you know I take plenty of time off, you may not have noticed because it is all in break sized chunks scattered throughout the day. Besides should we really be opening this can of worms here? Aren’t you the sibling who can’t quit the succubus otherwise known as “art”?”

Valerie rolled her eyes and sighed. “That is my passion.”

“Yes, well so is my bar. It is full of passion. Right Adella?” I immediately flushed. Did he even think before he spoke?

“...”

One look in my direction and he continued, not waiting for an answer that wouldn't come. “Bartending can be a passion too Val. At least I deal with living, well mostly living beings. You only share your passion with inanimate objects.”

Now Valerie exhaled slowly, exasperated at his childish argument. “Adella, will you be helping with my upcoming exhibition?”

I looked helplessly at René for the answer. “She is available if you would like her to help, she can.”

“Excellent. Any friend of Cassian’s is a friend of mine. And it will be so nice to have someone that we know helping out for my first exhibition in two years.” Her satisfied smile lit up her face. Cass looked a little perplexed by her statement, but he quickly hid it.

“Please, tell me René, what do you use for security? I would like to make extra sure that my life's work will be safe on loan here.” Valerie swept René away from us towards his office. She winked over her shoulder at Cass and disappeared.

“Hey,” his smooth, low voice drew my attention to him once more. “I hope all that was okay with you. I was a bit impulsive.”

“I am just an intern. It is my second day here. I am not even supposed to be seen by anyone in the galleries” I felt a little dazed by the result of that conversation.

He shrugged and looked amused at something. “Ignoring that right now. Sounds a bit bleak for a job description." His earnest expression caught me off-guard. "It felt it was the right thing to do. You…” He paused. “I am so happy I ran into you here. You haven't been back since..."

Great he is going to bring up that nonsense, I desperately wanted to find a dark corner to crawl into. Thankfully, Cass was able to pick up on my discomfort and he changed directions.

"Also, you seemed like you needed a friend here and let’s just say you’ve made an impression on me and now it seems, on my sister as well.” He broke eye contact and let me have some breathing room.

“Thank you,” I found myself studying his profile. Of course, he caught me and wore a smug grin. It was my turn to look away, at the floor.

“So, are you and my sister destined to be bosom buddies? Is art your thing?”

“I like it,” I moved to sit down on the bench along the windows with a great view of the now blank walls of the gallery. “But I don’t know if it is my thing. I don't think I have a thing."

Cass followed me and sat down. “Then, why put up with being ‘the better not seen and not heard’ employee for something that doesn’t excite you. That doesn't drive you?”

It was my turn to shrug as an answer. It didn’t work though, and he still waited patiently for an actual response. “It’s complicated, I don’t even understand all of it.”

I caught him nodding and looking straight ahead from the corner of my eyes. “I hope you know that you don’t have to settle for less than what you deserve. I am not trying to overstep and certainly not trying to be cliché. Just thought you might need to hear it. It is good to be reminded now and then."

I didn’t know how to respond to him and thankfully didn’t have to find a way to continue the discussion as Val and René chose that moment to reenter. Cass got up and I followed suit.

“We will see you in three days with the first set of pieces then,” René was very animated, and his smile was wide.

“Yes, thank you I will be sending my assistant with the pieces as I need to get the remaining pieces packed and ready to move.” Valerie turned to me and smiled warmly. She opened her arms and took a step towards me. Both Cass and I were a little surprised at the intimate gesture, but I thought it best to play along and step into the quick hug. She lowered her voice just so I could hear. “I look forward to seeing more of you Adella. Please take care of my things.” Then she pulled away smile back in place. “Cassian we must be going.”

Cass shook René’s hand and following his sister’s lead pulled me into not a polite hug between business partners but a full embrace. I could hardly complain, his arms felt safe, and his pleasant scent filled my nose. “I hope to see you around soon, you know where to find me.”

I meekly pulled out of his arms and responded with a nod and small smile. My heart was thumping now, furiously.

“Miss Smith, excellent work today, excellent. We need to have a chat about the change in your duties. Quite unexpected this turn of events.” I had yet to have seen René in such a good mood. He turned to head back in the direction of his office, and I followed.

“Why on earth, did you not mention you were such good friends with the Moretti’s?”

Once again, I was at a loss for an answer. Up until the last hour or so I hadn’t even known that I was. He didn’t seem to notice and kept going.

“No matter Miss Smith, you really could have saved yourself two days of slumming about in the background.”

I rolled my eyes at his back, if only he knew.