Page 3 of Colors and Curves
She drapes her thick, wavy dark hair over one shoulder, revealing her bare, kissable neck. I wish I had my camera. I’d take a thousand pictures of her beautiful curves. They’d never be seen by the public eye—just mine.
“I know you said he’s adamant about the order of the photographs, but trust me, they work better where I’ve hung them.”This is too weird. “Just stop by tomorrow, and I’ll prove it. It’s not like he’ll be there for the opening anyway.”Huh?“He’ll never know.”
Her fingers massage her eyebrows. “I’ve been doing this for a long time. Just wait until you see it tomorrow. Come any time after nine.” She pauses to listen. “Okay. See you then.”
No matter how much I want to leave, I can’t keep my eyes off this addictive woman or stop listening to her voice. Why does it feel like my life has taken a dramatic left turn by meeting her? This Daisy friend of hers better not be who I think she is.
My agent and my sister.
I press the button for the twentieth floor and step to the back of the elevator. Chance sits patiently beside me. The elevator door is about halfway closed when a hand with long dark fingernails stops it. My neighbor, Candy, walks in, twirling a lollipop in her mouth.
Don’t think of licking the woman in the park. Don’t think it!Too late.
“Hi, Julius,” she purrs.
“Hi, Candy,” I say dryly.
Eyes locked on my face, she pulls the lollipop slowly out of her plastic mouth.Pop. “Funny meeting you here. You’re exactly the person I was hoping to see today. I tried knocking on your door, but no one was there.” She pouts. “Something seems to be wrong with my bedroom ceiling fan. It’s so hot, and the AC isn’t working well. I don’t like sleeping naked unless someone’s in the bed with me. Could you come over later and look at it?” She flutters her fake eyelashes, and one springs loose at the side of her right eye. She doesn’t seem to notice, because she keeps fluttering.
I focus my attention on the elevator panel. The tenth-floor button flashes.Why is this elevator so damn slow?
“I’m not available. Ask maintenance to check it out.”
“Oh, poo. Why don’t you come over for a drink instead? Bring Chancy Wancy with you.” She bends over to pet him, but he bares his teeth and growls. She yanks her hand back. “He’s so sweet.”
Every time I see this woman, something somewhere in her place is broken and she wants me to fix it. Or she asks if I could move a heavy piece of furniture. She’s recently divorced and, according to Daisy, is now worth several million dollars. She could call anyone to handle these problems, but she asks me—the worst person in the world. And I say no, so then comes the invite to have a drink. I don’t answer her about that because she already knows my response. She’s persistent, I can tell you that.
Ding.Finally!
I motion for her to go out first and then follow behind. That’s about the nicest I get.Five, four, three, two, one…
Right on cue, she stops at her door, turns, and leans back against it. “Well, in case you decide to stop by, I’ll make sure I’ve got some cold beers in the fridge for you.” She rubs the lollipop up and down her tongue and her loose eyelash waves goodbye.
I get my door unlocked and open as quickly as possible. Chance doesn’t waste a minute dragging me inside, as anxious to escape her as I am. I’m done. The woman at the park is about all I can handle today. I toss my keys on the table near the door and unhook Chance’s broken leash. He trots over to his water dish.
I walk through the living room toward the kitchen. “Daisy? Are you home?” I grab a bottle of water from the fridge, then toss the leash in the garbage. I pull out a stool at the kitchen island and begin sifting through a small stack of mail.
Chance ambles toward me with his favorite ball in his mouth, then flops down next to my stool. No matter where I am, he’s never too far away. We don’t know his past, but when he arrived at the pound, he was on the brink of death. His leg had to be amputated. The vet believes he was severely abused. It makes my blood boil, because I know what that feels like. I offer him a couple of dog treats from the bowl on the counter.
Daisy and I live together. I bought this penthouse a couple of years ago after our aunt died and my career really kicked off. It’s a large open space with three bedrooms. There is enough room for two people, and we each have our own corner if we want to be alone. It works because neither one of us is in a relationship. We have a dark past and no other living relatives, so we stick together.
The best part of this place is that it has a connecting apartment with a separate entrance that I use as my studio. The person who lived here before us ran his business from home. Daisy and I have our own offices and enough room to run my photo shoots. It’s an ideal setup.
Daisy walks out of her bedroom. “Here I am,” she says happily. She places her exercise sneakers on the floor, then leans against the kitchen counter wearing her favorite running shorts and crop top. “I have a surprise for you. Guess who called today to discuss your work and a possible exhibit?”
I shuffle through a list of possibilities in my head. I say the first two names that come to mind. She shakes her head, excitement sparkling in her eyes. Okay… There is one gallery in the city I’ve—well,Daisyhas—been trying for nearly two years to get me into. It couldn’t possibly be. I feel a smile spreading across my face.
“Come on. Just say it!” She bounces in place with a gigantic smile.
“No way. Don’t tell me that the Mossi Krelo Gallery wants to exhibit my work!”
Her arms shoot up in the air. “Yes! Jacqueline Krelo called this afternoon. They love your black and white bodyscape photography… and your name, of course.”
I jump up and give her a big hug. “Thank you so much! I can’t believe it. All these years you’ve been trying, and it was always no.”
“Patience is key. You’ve made a name for yourself, and it’s blowing through the streets of New York City and other major cities. People are talking.”
I brace my hands on the countertop and bow my head to contain myself.I did it. I finally did it.My dream to be a black and white photographer started when I was in my teens. My mom gave me a camera for my thirteenth birthday, and my ambition exploded from there. So many people in the past had said I’d never be able to accomplish my dreams because of the problems I have. Their doubts pushed me even harder. And look where I am today.