Venus in Love (26 page)

Hours earlier, Morgan had stood in her bedroom. She stared down at the beautiful peach gown her mother had laid out for her and held the crumpled invitation tightly in her hand. It was the exact invitation that Lee and Morgan created together. She let the tears fall. She cried for what she had lost—her career, her life, and her love.

Morgan felt her mother’s gentle hand on her shoulder as she sobbed. “I want to be mad at her. I want to pretend that the last six months never happened. That I hadn’t taken the job and that I hadn’t fallen in—” Morgan couldn’t say it.

So her mother did. “Fallen in love with her?”

Morgan looked at her mother through a fog of tears. “Yes. Then I wouldn’t want to see her. And this wouldn’t hurt so badly.” Morgan clutched the shirt over her chest.

“Does she know how you feel about her?”

“No.”

“Maybe this is your chance?”

“No more chances, Momma. This is about closure.”

*

Lee paced the room as guests began to arrive. She hadn’t seen Morgan in a month, and the anticipation of seeing her tonight was almost more than she could stand. Lee greeted the guests and mingled absently in the grand foyer with everyone bustling around, drinking champagne and snacking on the hors d’oeuvres and crudités. Lee was hungry but too nervous to eat.

She glanced at her watch and realized Morgan should be arriving any moment. As she looked toward the doors, Lee’s heart leapt in her chest to see Morgan enter the room.
She came
. Lee stared. She was frozen in place by the paralyzing beauty of Morgan. Her wavy hair blew to the side as a light gust of wind caught it. Morgan’s dress accentuated the milkiness of her skin and her fathomless eyes. Lee had been lost in those eyes once and longed to return. She had so much to say to her, and it was time. A tap on her shoulder drew her attention away.

*

As soon as the four of them entered the room, Morgan excused herself. She hugged tightly against the wall with her head down as she made her way to the exhibition gallery. She had to see it. Morgan snuck quietly into the room, and closed the door behind her. She gasped in shock. It was her design, right down to the very last detail. Centered on the head wall on the other side of the room was the Veronese.

Morgan floated slowly through the center of the room toward the centerpiece. The walls were draped with lush purple fabric and the black acid floors gleamed with perfect reflections. She came to a stop before the beautiful Venus masterpiece, and tears filled her eyes. It was even more stunning in this space than it had been the first time she saw it.

“What do you think?”

The unexpected voice startled her. “What?” she asked as she looked around for the person who said it.

Alex appeared from the dark corner of the room. “I saw you come in here. So?”

“This is…it’s…” Morgan was speechless. She didn’t know if she should laugh, scream, or cry.

“We worked day and night to get it just right.”

“You…we? Rita—” Morgan slowly clenched her fist.

“No. Lee and I.”

“But Lee said—”

“Lee fired her the day after you left. She and I worked day and night to put this together. For you.”

A knot tied tight in Morgan’s throat.
For me?
“What do you mean, for me?” Tears threatened to fall at any moment.

“That’s not for me to say. We should get back out there, though. It’s a big night, you know.” Alex smiled. She took Morgan by the hand and led her back out into the crowded rotunda.

*

Lee took a deep breath. She stepped up onto the small stage, took her place at the podium, and gripped the sides for dear life. She scanned the room as she searched for Morgan. She smiled with joy when their eyes met, but Morgan did not respond in kind. Lee’s heart fell, and she had to look away.

For ten minutes, Lee introduced various board members and acknowledged the many donors who made the evening possible. When it was her turn to speak, she froze. She stared out into the crowd of questioning and curious faces as they waited for her to say something. It was a slight smile that she saw on Morgan’s face that reminded her of what she needed to say.

Lee cleared her throat and spoke from her heart. “Six months ago, I made a couple of the craziest decisions in my short career. Some called them risky. I called them scary as hell.” The room collectively chuckled. “But a month ago I made a terrible decision, one that I am here tonight to rectify. Venus: Beauty Revealed is the beautiful concept of a talented and exceptional woman, Ms. Morgan Blake.” Lee looked directly at Morgan, as did many other people in the room. “There is a myth of Venus and her mortal love, Adonis. After being scratched by Cupid’s arrow, Venus falls in love with Adonis. She foresees his death in a dream. Venus begs him not to hunt the wild boar for fear that it will strike him down and risk their eternal love. But he, too proud to heed her warning, hunts the boar and is fatally wounded when he is too slow to escape. Had he only listened. Had he trusted in her, and overcome his pride, he would be alive, and they would have eternity.” Lee stepped out from behind the podium. “Adonis didn’t get to ask his Venus for another chance, but I would like to ask mine.”

*

The entire room was silent and still. Morgan stood in disbelief as Lee spoke to her. The hundreds of people faded into a haze until all that remained was Lee’s voice and the quick beating of her own heart. She covered her mouth with a shaking hand as Lee stepped down from the stage. The crowd slowly parted between them until Lee stood before her. Morgan glanced around nervously to see that every eye in the room was on her. Tears filled her eyes when she recognized not only her family who now surrounded her, but Dr. Melbeau, Adele, and Freddy. Morgan gasped in surprise and clutched her chest. “Freddy?”

He smiled back at her. “Yes, babycakes.”

Morgan looked back to Lee who stared into her eyes. “What are you doing, Lee?” she whispered, knowing that everyone was straining to hear her words.

“Morgan, I’m sorry.”

“Lee, I—”

“Please. Just listen. My whole life, I lived in the footsteps of the wisest man I have ever known. When he died I…I lost the only thing that I ever had faith in. Since that moment, I’ve struggled with the fear of losing everything he worked his whole life to achieve.” Lee took Morgan’s hands and brought them to her chest.

Lee’s eyes welled with tears, and Morgan’s heart ached for her. “Lee, we don’t have to do this here.”

“I do. Morgan, my Venus, you’ve given me so many new things to believe in, beauty, love, and faith. I believe in myself, and I believe in you. Will you please come back to…to me?” Morgan could feel everyone in the room holding their breath for her reply.

Morgan threw her arms around Lee. The room echoed with sounds of joy and deep sighs. “Yes! Oh, Lee, I—”

Lee pushed Morgan away gently. “One second, sweetheart.” Lee turned away toward the crowd of emotional onlookers. “Thank you all for your patience with me. Each of you means the world to us here at the Dencourt. Please stay and enjoy the evening and our new beautiful exhibit.” As everyone applauded, Lee grabbed Morgan’s hand and pulled her away from the crowds.

Lee pulled Morgan into her, and brushed a gentle hand against her cheek. Morgan’s eyes fluttered closed as Lee kissed her softly and slowly with more passion than she’d ever felt. Morgan opened her eyes and looked deep into Lee’s. “I love you, Ainsley Dencourt.”

“I know, my love. I got your voicemail.” Lee winked. “And I love you too, so very much.”

Tina Michele is a Florida girl living on the banks of the Indian River Lagoon in the biggest small town on the Space Coast. She enjoys all the benefits of living in the Sunshine State. During the day, she pretends to do what they pay her for but really spends most of that time daydreaming and plotting some wild adventure. She graduated from the University of Central Florida with her BA in interdisciplinary studies—the most liberal of the liberal arts degrees—majoring in fine art and writing with a minor in women’s studies. To say she is motivated by her Right brain is a major understatement. Afflicted with self-diagnosed Sagittarian Attention Deficit Disorder, she spends a lot of time starting projects that she may, possibly, one day, probably finish. When she isn’t writing, playing, drawing, painting, or creating something of some sort, she feeds and waters the three dogs that are permanently tethered to her hindquarters.

Tina can be contacted at [email protected].