Page 20 of Talk to Me
In another corner, a man was on his knees for another. His partner didn’t even notice me as his cock was swallowed over and over. Sex and sin could be the theme for the rest of the galleries. More than one little sex party was in full throes.
I drained the last of my champagne when I reached the medieval gallery. Odd, no one was fucking under the frescoes. Or maybe they just hadn’t gotten this far. I took my time as I wandered from one display to the next.
The books housed here were all under glass. Ancient tomes lined up next to gloriously illuminated texts. Some of these were likely heretical, but they weren’t here for their religious value.
It would be nice to think they were here for their artistic and historical merit, but no, they were here more for their monetary value. They were worth a king’s ransom. For some, they were worth more than all the art in the impressionists wing.
Fortunately, I was not here to acquire one of the books. I had to admire the setup though. The weighted glass, the pressure plates, and the camera placements. It was all quite sophisticated.
A guard passed by as I wandered on to the next gallery. More paintings along with a drug deal. Those were always fun. I bypassed them. They ignored me. Useful for a distraction if I needed it.
Eventually, my circuitous path brought me to the room of Greek and Roman Antiquities. Instead of the glass cases and pressure plates, it was laid out on tables under lighter glass.
The pieces were small, so several would be clustered into a display. Some had cloth backdrops, others had stone. There were neat little cards explaining each one.
Then there were the knives and the broaches which adorned the armor. I slid my hands in my pockets as I examined each one. I really liked the different pieces of jewelry.
There were a couple of truly lovely diamond bracelets adorning some of the guests. As exquisite and delicate as modern pieces were, I was far more interested in these chunky pieces of gold.
Specifically, the pair of serpentine armbands that featured a pair of tritons—one male and the other female. They each cradled a small, winged Eros. They were attached by the hoops on the back of their head to the formal dress of the Hellenic woman they had on display.
The clothing was a recreation, but all of her accessories? They were the real thing. I loved arrogance. The gold pieces weighed about six and a half ounces each. They were well over two thousand years old and right there.
Ripe for the taking.
An announcement came over the speakers, inviting guests to come and enjoy the words of the daughter of the painter in the main gallery. Not interested in that right now, I gave the camera in the corner time to complete its circuit then come back to me where I’d moved on to the next piece.
On its next circuit, I sidestepped. Replaced the two gold bands with the replicas and pocketed the originals. I was on to the next display when the camera returned. Eventually, I made my way back to the main gallery and caught Bellamy’s eye.
She drifted back to me and I nodded to the painting of an old-fashioned switchboard. I’d been eyeing it earlier for other reasons. It would look beautiful in my Patch collection.
I liked to pick up items for her. Not that she would ever let me send them to her. But a man had to have goals and meeting her someday, bringing her to my treasure trove or taking it to her was at the top of my list.
She was my personal oracle. My good luck charm. Since she came on board as my operator, well—business had been much smoother and I got to enjoy myself far more.
“You’re actually buying a piece?” Bellamy asked, her tone arch and I grinned.
“Think I can’t afford it?”
“Mon dieu, I would never presume to insult you like that unless it proved true. Then I would take great pleasure in it.” The funny thing was, she would absolutely give me hell if I embarrassed her with something as plebeian as a bounced check.
I could always come back and get it later. But the mood struck me and I had been thinking about the piece. I pulled out a black credit card and held it out to her.
“I will take care of this for you. Do you mind leaving it on exhibit…”
“I do, actually, I want it sent after the exhibit closes tonight. It’s—personal.” Did I really want to get that diamond bracelet for Patch tonight? Hmm. I’d think about it later. It wasn’t really perfect. I wasn’t even sure if diamonds were Patch’s thing.
“I’ll take care of it. Will there be anything else?” Amusement filled her eyes as I considered what I wanted to do next.
“I’ll wait for my card,” I murmured. “Or I can go with you and save you the return trip.”
Chuckling, she led the way out of the exhibit and around the security checkpoint to her office on the far side. The paperwork took almost no time and the hundred thousand for the painting was a bargain.
After, I glanced at my watch and pressed a kiss to her cheek. “I’m going. Thank you for the invitation.”
“Always. Don’t be a stranger.”
Then I was out on the street and I got myself a cab back to my hotel. The weight of the gold armbands in my pockets were a reminder that I still needed to deal with my haul.