Come Fly With Me (15 page)

“Great,
just
what
I
need.
What
could
he
possibly
want?”
She
entered
the
gallery
and
paused
mid-step
when
she
saw
which
painting
he
was
looking
at.
She
put
a
smile
in
her
voice,
“Well,
Alex,
what
a
surprise
to
see
you
here.”

Without
turning
around
he
said,
“I’d
like
to
buy
this
painting.”

“It
isn’t
for
sale,”
she
responded
quickly.
Her
heart
was
beating
double-time.

At
that,
he
turned
around,
“You
must
be
kidding.
Am
I
correct
in
understanding
that
this
is
a
gallery,
not
a
museum?”

“You
are
correct—just
not
about
that
painting.”

“It's
pulling
me,”
he
said
as
he
studied
the
abstract
of
dark
swirling
waters
and
stormy
sky.
"Isn't
art
about
emotion?"

Allison
froze
and
looked
helplessly
at
her
assistant.
Emily
jumped
in,
“We
have
many
other
beautiful
paintings.
That
painting
is
being
prepared
for
auction.”

His
eyes
lit
up
at
that,
“And
which
auction
would
that
be?”

He
glanced
at
them
as
they
stood
mutely
side-by-side.

“Would
you
excuse
for
me
a
minute,
Alex?
I
have
to
make
a
call.”
Allison
made
her
way
hastily
to
the
back
room
and
a
second
later,
the
phone
rang
at
the
front
desk.
Emily
went
to
pick
it
up.

“Are
you
crazy,
Emily?”
Allison
whispered
frantically.
“You
have
got
to
get
him
away
from
that
painting—
my
painting.”

“He
is
a
hottie—you
never
let
on,”
Emily
replied
as
she
casually
turned
her
face
away
from
Alex.

“Back
on
topic,
Em.”

“Don’t
worry.
I’ll
take
care
of
it.
What’s
the
deal
with
the
rumpled
suit
and
the
southern
drawl?"

“More
importantly,
how
did
my
painting
get
up
on
the
gallery
wall?”

“I
had
just
sold
a
Summer in Provence
,
by
Guy
Begin,
and
you
know
how
I
hate
empty
wall
space,"
Emily
explained.

Allison
rested
her
head
in
her
hands
while
she
collected
her
thoughts.
She
stepped
back
into
the
gallery
in
enough
time
to
hear
Emily
say
that
the
auction
would
begin
at
nine
on
Saturday
night.
Allison
glared
at
her
and
mouthed
‘thanks
a
lot.’

Emily
shrugged
in
response.

Alex
observed
the
exchange
and
looked
down
at
his
scuffed
shoes
as
if
hiding
his
amusement,
then
turned
to
Allison
and
said,
“I
have
some
business
matters
to
discuss
with
you.
I
came
by
your
office
earlier,
but
Natalya
told
me
you
had
gone
for
the
weekend.
I
tracked
you
down
here.
I
hope
that’s
okay.”

He
very
well
knew
that
it
was
not
okay,
she
thought.
But
instead
of
admonishing
him,
she
decided
to
take
a
neutral
approach.
“Would
you
like
to
step
into
my
office?"
Allison
asked.

“Actually,
I
was
hoping
we
could
discuss
things
over
dinner.”

His
invitation
was
unexpected,
and
Allison
felt
as
if
she'd
been
asked
out.
She
would
have
preferred
something
less
personal,
but
wouldn’t
give
him
the
satisfaction
of
backing
down.
She
put
her
hand
up
to
check
her
hair
and
tried
valiantly
to
remember
if
it
was
in
any
condition
for
a
dinner,
however
impromptu,
at
a
nice
restaurant.
It
finally
dawned
on
her
that
he
was
waiting
for
her
answer.

“There’s
a
great
Italian
place
right
around
the
corner,
they
make
a
mean
mozzarella
garlic
bread,”
she
said.

“Let’s
go,”
he
proffered
his
arm.

Again,
she
sensed
that
there
was
a
personal
agenda
wrapped
up
in
a
business
one.
She
hesitated
and
was
aware
that
he
was
standing
there
awkwardly,
his
elbow
crooked,
while
he
waited
for
her
to
take
what
he
was
offering.
Perhaps
she
was
sending
out
mixed
signals.
She
was
stumped
for
an
appropriate
response,
but
a
minute
later,
she
tentatively
put
her
hand
on
his
arm.
They
walked
out
into
the
cool
evening,
but
the
chill
that
ran
up
her
spine
had
nothing
to
do
with
the
weather.

*****

The
mood
at
the
restaurant
was
a
more
intimate
one
than
Allison
had
remembered,
or
maybe
that
was
just
because
Alex
looked
great
in
candlelight,
or
in
any
lighting
for
that
matter.
She
seriously
had
to
take
up
dating
again.