31. Arya

Alex twists around to look at me as I enter the lounging area of the apartment sized hotel room. He smiles and waves me over to him. He's sitting on the expensive looking white leather couch and in front of him there's an assortment of breakfast dishes displayed on a glass coffee table. Pancakes, waffles, eggs, toast, croissants, fruit salad. My eyes bulge at the sight of all this food in front of me. Alex must think I look ridiculous as he starts laughing at me and tugs at my sleeve to pull me down next to him.

"Coffee?" He's already pouring the black steaming liquid into a gold rimmed porcelain mug before I get the chance to nod my head. There's a tiny smile glued to his lips. "You're not used to this are you?"

"Not exactly, no. Thanks again," my voice is muffled by the coffee mug that I slowly bring to my lips. Even without milk and sugar this coffee tastes heavenly. A satisfied noise escapes my throat before I can stop it, earning me a chuckle from Alex.

"Not bad, huh?" There's a flicker of something more, something inexplicable in his eye so I simply smile, blowing at my steaming coffee and lower my eyes. "Now let's dig in. We probably won't be able to make time for lunch. There's too much work and not enough time."

The breakfast is absolutely delightful but I can't fit quite as much of the delicious food in as I would have liked. All the excitement and anxiety of the situation has my stomach in knots, my fingers shaking and my thoughts buzzing through my head at a hundred miles per hour! Especially after my second cup of coffee, I feel like I'm bouncing off the walls.

Once we're done having breakfast, Alex announces that there's a driver waiting for us outside. My body is on autopilot as I grab my purse and coat and slip into my heeled ankle booties. Maybe it's a risky choice of footwear considering that I'll probably be on my feet all day but I want to look my best. I need to make an impression. A good one at that!

When I'm ushered into a sleek black car with the tinted windows, I almost feel like a celebrity. The car starts driving the second Alex slides into it and shuts the door behind him. Immediately I am astounded by my surroundings. Since I didn't get a lot of sleep at all, I am tired but the coffee and my own excitement are keeping me on edge. With my palm pressed against the window, I try to take in as much of my surroundings as possible.

"This is absolutely amazing. The city is beautiful," I declare excitedly.

"It truly is, Arya. Here, have a look at this for a moment, please." When I turn away from the window, Alex holds out his phone to me. It's almost ridiculously huge and expensive-looking so I carefully take it into my own hands. On the screen there's a to-do list for the day. I furrow my brow as I slowly read everything we'll have to do today.

"I don't think we'll have much free time today. So we might not actually be able to see much of the city. It will be exciting nonetheless. We are expected at the gallery in fifteen minutes. You will meet with one of our biggest clients, Beatrice Montavon. She requested to meet you as she likes to meet the artist before the exhibition. She doesn't quite trust me," Alex explains.

"I haven't heard of her," I admit making Alex chuckle. I hand him back his phone.

"Of course you haven't. She is not one for public relations. She likes to stay 'under cover' so to speak. You'll see."

The fact that I am not going to see much more of the city is obviously unfortunate but in the end, I have to remember what I came here for. Not for the city, not for the sights but for work and work only. When we arrive at the gallery, I slip out of the car and am immediately astounded by what's in front of me. The gallery has a glass front and you can see inside even from where I'm standing. There are two brass statues at either side of the entrance but I barely get the chance to study them as Alex already has his hand on the small of my back and is ushering me inside.

My jaw drops when I get inside. The New York cold does not reach the inside of the building as you're engulfed by just the perfect room temperature. It even smells welcoming. A mixture of paint, wood and something floral fills my nostrils. The ceilings are so high, I have to tilt my head all the way back to be able to see them. The walls are white but there are pillars of dark shiny wood all throughout the huge room. A small desk separates the welcoming area from the rest of the gallery.

Alex walks past the front desk, not acknowledging the woman behind it. I decide to nod at her with a smile before following Alex.

"The paintings are all being delivered in just about an hour. We need to be ready then. Let's go up to my office first." Alex's voice echoes off the walls as he stalks towards a wooden spiral staircase that I only now notice.

The stairs lead to the second floor which apparently holds all the offices. I am trying to keep up with Alex so have no time to read any of the other name plates. He is already disappearing in a room at the very back of the long hallway.

"Come along," Alex calls and I quickly slip into his office after him.

Alex practically throws himself into his leather office chair and turns on his computer.

"Beatrice should be here any minute now."

Just when the words leave his mouth, there is a knock on the door. I spin around and come face to face with who I guess is Beatrice Montavon. It takes a considerate amount of self-control to stop my jaw from dropping. I don't know why I had such a specific picture of the woman in my mind but the woman standing in front of me does not match my imagination at all.

She's tall, slim and dark-skinned. Her colorful floor-length maxi dress looks effortless and sophisticated at the same time. Her dark hair is in thin braids and pinned out of her face so it falls down her back. I can't detect a drop of makeup on her face yet her skin looks flawless. Her hazel eyes are friendly and her full mouth smiles at me.

"Bea!" Alex jumps out of his seat and pushes past me to greet her.

"Alex. I see you've brought new talent." Even her voice is silky smooth and she talks with a slight hint of an accent I can't pin-point.

"Hi," I wave awkwardly.

"Arya, Alex has been raving about you. I'm Beatrice." She takes my right hand in hers and steps closer to me. "I wasn't sure what to think of you but he has convinced me that you have it."

"Thank you."

"Come on, sit down," Alex ushers the two of us further into his office and towards the chairs across from his desk. I sink into one of the chairs and Beatrice does the same next to me. Alex disappears behind his computer screen.

"Alexander tells me about your criminal activities," Beatrice smirks, crossing one leg over the other and clasping her hands over her knee. I clear my throat, blushing.

"All in the name of the arts, Bea," Alex interjects before I can say anything.

"Yes, well, it was sort of a school project gone rogue," I explain. "I was in an arts program... a scholarship of sorts. We were supposed to pick an artist and express ourselves through them."

"Banksy, d'accord?"

I nod simply, smiling.

"I've got to say, I like an artist with guts. It is inspiring but you are young. Very young. Inexperienced and no college education. Are you sure you can do this? Alex hasn't offered you a full contract, has he? You might not book anything for a long time after this. You need to be aware."

"Bea..." Alex gives her a disapproving look but I know that she is right.

"I am prepared to start working on the side. I am not delusional. I know that being an artist won't be easy. I am taking this chance to get my name out there and I am willing to work twice as hard as anybody else."

"New York is the best place to start off," Beatrice says nodding to herself and I decide not to tell her that I'm not planning on staying here.

"I am very grateful for everything. I'm learning so much."

"You were right, mon cher. She is special."

After that we spend another thirty minutes chatting and talking about what's to come. Beatrice and Alex do most of the talking while I just listen. I've never been part of anything like this. The two of them speak about all of it like it's the most normal thing in the world whilst I am astounded by every single aspect of what goes into planning this exhibition.

When Alex gets a call from the front desk, we all make our way downstairs. The paintings were being delivered. Earlier Alex had shown me a rough draft of where each painting, sculpture or photograph should go so I could now help out the movers. I had so much fun, I barely noticed time passing as I worked.

Soon enough the sun started to go down and Alex turned on the lights in the gallery, illuminating the whole place. We continued on and on and on until my feet ached mercilessly and my hunger caught up with me. I tried not to show it too much but Alex clearly noticed as he came up behind me and put his hand on my shoulder.

"I think we're all set for today," he says smilingly. "Beatrice and I are going out for dinner. Would you like to join us?"

"That would be lovely, thanks."

"Right, why don't you go ahead and wait in the car. I'll just need to make one more phone call and then I'll be right out there. Beatrice will meet us at the restaurant."

"Sounds good." I turn to leave when Alex wraps his fingers around my wrist and holds me back.

"Arya, it was great to have you here today," he starts, his voice quiet. "I hope you take into consideration what Bea said earlier."

I narrow my eyes at him. She had said a lot of things I would be taking into consideration but I'm not quite sure what he's alluding to.

"New York. It's one of the best cities you can be in as an artist." Alex's eyes are focused on mine, waiting for my reaction.

"Alex, I have... people at home. I can't just up and leave."

Alex sighs and shakes his head, taking his hand off my wrist. I immediately take a few steps backwards, creating space between us.

"Do not let your boyfriend hold you back, Arya. That would be a huge mistake." He turns his head from side to side, looking at all the set up art around us before settling his gaze back on me. "It's up to you. This is where you could make or break your future. Look around, this is where you belong."

I stare back at Alex incredulously searching for the right words.

"It's only two more days, okay? You have until the end of the exhibition to tell me your choice. Stay or go back, it is up to you. Now let's get something to eat."

The drive to the restaurant is quiet. For the first time today, it's absolutely silent and it is this silence that makes me painfully aware of how much I miss home. Not only home but Seth. The second my mind goes to him, I feel my throat close up. I want nothing more than to be in his arms. The thought of going to bed alone makes my skin crawl with imaginary cold.

I locate my phone in my coat pocket. My fingers automatically dial Seth's number. As the phone rings, I am painfully aware of Alex's presence and the fact that he is watching me. I keep the phone pressed against my ear and close my eyes. After the third ring Seth picks up.

"Hi babe," he greets and I hear music in the background. "Poppy, turn that down please!"

The lump in my throat grows and I can't speak in fear of bursting into tears. I couldn't let Alex see me like that.

"Everything okay? Arya?"

"I miss you," I whisper, hoping not to sound too weepy.

"I miss you, too... One second," he says and I hear him talking to Paulina. "I'll ask, okay? Babe, Poppy wants to talk to you. I'm putting you on speaker, yeah?"

I nod, knowing that he can't see me and wait for him to find the right button on the screen. Once Paulina's high pitched voice calls out to me, I force a smile.

"Ary! Guess what! Seth is taking me to a skating rink tomorrow," she shouts excitedly. "He promised!"

"That sounds like so much fun!" I try to sound as genuine as possible but just picturing the two of them melts my heart and I feel like crying. "You two are going to have the best time, I'm sure."

"Lilly will be so jealous! She's never been," Paulina giggles.

"Oh wow, you'll have to take a lot of pictures for her then. She'll like that."

"Seth, can you film me when I skate? I want to show Lilly," she asks and Seth agrees. "Ary do you think I'll be able to do it?"

"What? Of course, Paulina! You'll be amazing. A proper little ice princess."

"Yay," she squeals. "Seth wants to talk to you now. Can I call you again tomorrow?"

"Sure. Have fun tomorrow." There's some more shuffling and then the background goes quiet.

"Are you sure you're alright? You sound weird," Seth's voice is full with concern. I wish I could tell him how much I really do miss him and that I want nothing more than to be in his arms but as I turn my head to glance at Alex, I feel too awkward to talk freely.

"I'm good. Just really tired. Needed to hear your voice."

"You're not just tired," Seth says, his voice serious. "Something's wrong. Can't you talk right now?"

"No," I manage to choke out and take a deep breath through my nose. "I do feel better now that I've talked to you and Paulina. I just miss you guys loads."

Alex taps me on the shoulder and I face him with a half-smile. He opens his door and points outside. We're at the restaurant. I sigh and nod, holding up a finger to indicate that I just need one more minute. Alex slips out of the car.

"I've gotta go. We're having dinner with one of Alex's business partners," I sigh heavily. "It's weird, I've been looking forward to this for so long and now that it's happening I just want to go back home."

Seth stays quiet on the other line. Alex knocks on the window, waving me out.

"I love you. I've got to go. I'll text you after dinner, okay?"

"I love you, too." His voice sends shivers down my spine.

"Have fun tomorrow."

"I'll try. It won't be the same without you."

"Try not to fall too much, you'll embarrass your little sister."

"Oh shut up!"

"Bye bye," I hang up with a giggle and follow Alex out of the car. He's waiting for me across the street so I quickly cross it and walk up to him. He gives me a weird look before turning and walking into the restaurant. We are greeted by someone and Alex starts talking but I don't even hear the words he's saying as my mind is 100 % occupied with Seth. I really wish I could come to the skating rink tomorrow.

"Arya," Alex hisses putting his hand at the small of my back and steering me through the restaurant. "I hope what I said earlier isn't upsetting you."

Of course I can't tell him that what he said has my stomach in knots so instead I plaster a fake smile on my face and shake my head. "I'm fine. A tiny bit home sick that's all."

"Good. We wouldn't want you distracted," he chirps with a wink in my direction.

I spot Beatrice waiting for us a couple tables over. She gets out of her seat when she locks eyes with Alex. Alex's hand drops from my back and I stop walking as he approaches her. Then my eyes almost bulge out of their sockets as gorgeous, professional Beatrice wraps her slender arms around Alex's waist and pulls him towards her. Their lips lock for a brief moment and I look around, shocked. People don't seem to care at the display of affection. When Beatrice pulls away, Alex wipes some lipstick off his lips and glances back at me, smirking.

"May I introduce you to my fiancé?" Alex speaks the words as Beatrice simultaneously holds out her hand to me, a large diamond sparkling back at me.

"Your... fiancé?" Flabbergasted, I sit down on one of the chairs at our table and they follow suit. "Why didn't you tell me this earlier?"

"Arya!" Beatrice laughs. "You are young, chérie. We are business partners. We can't be lovers publically."

"Well we're not just lovers any longer," Alex strokes her cheek with the back of his hand and pecks her lips. Beatrice giggles in response and shakes her head. 

***************

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