SNEAKY PEAK 2
Excerpt 2:
Trent, having just come
from a dinner meeting, looked as if he'd stepped off
the pages of a men's fashion magazine.
She invited him inside to show him her
meager collection of art that she’d
acquired over the past ten years. He looked
closely at the paintings and grinned
when he saw the one painted by his mother.
“You have one of my mother's very first
original paintings. I'm not sure if you
realize how much this has appreciated
in value.” His hand swept over the painting.
“The museum would pay you to allow us
to use this at our opening. We’ve devoted
one room to display her artwork. Most
of her early paintings were sold at a modest
price.” He shrugged. “We haven't had
much luck locating them.”
“I’d be happy to lend it to you without
payment.”
“Thank you, but I want you to think of
this as a business arrangement. I’d
rather pay you than a lot of other
people I deal with, and remember, an amount is
budgeted for this by the museum
trustees.”
She pursed her lips thoughtfully. “I’m
proud of it. It will be nice to see my
small contribution hanging in your
museum.”
“Your other paintings are good too.” He
walked over to examine one hanging
above her couch. “Your choices say a
lot about you.” He smiled down at her.
“Such as?” A quizzical grin played
around her mouth.
“Well for one, you chose vibrant
colors, which suggests a zest for life. You
chose pictures that did not give away
everything at first glance, suggesting an in
depth character with an inquisitive
mind. Lastly, this rug and couch pillow
suggests you love the color red.” He
laughed at her expression.
“You must be psychic.” She smacked his
arm. “Can we take this painting along
tonight so I can see where it will
hang?”
“If you wish. Do you have a soft
blanket to wrap it in?”
“Yes, just a moment.”
Riley brought a velour blanket from her
closet. Trent
wrapped the painting
carefully and carried it to his car, a
luxurious black Jaguar. He opened the
passenger door for her before carefully
stowing the painting.
The museum was not far. Within minutes,
he drove into an underground garage
to a parking spot reserved specifically
for his private entrance. He unlocked the
door, retrieved the painting from the
car and followed Riley inside. The door
opened into a dimly lit foyer. She
noted a few offices off to one side. A curved
hallway on the other side led into the
main part of the museum.
A security guard shined a flashlight
beam on them before acknowledging
Trent.
“Good evening, Mr. Peterson, I knew you
were coming in tonight, but I had to
check anyway.” He lowered the
flashlight.
“As I would have expected you to.
You’re doing a good job, Kenny. Thank
you. We’ll be in several of the rooms
tonight. Ms. Saunders is going to look
around while I do some work in the
Victorian Room.”
“Okay, Mr. Peterson, I'll bring up the
lights for you.” Kenny nodded as he
walked away.
Riley could not contain her excitement.
She loved the smells associated with
museums. This one, being new, emitted
all sorts of aromas, oil paint, wall paint,
varnish, wood. That she could enjoy the
artwork without moving through crowds
of people made it even more special.
“Come along, I’ll show you my mother's
display room.” Trent
juggled the
picture under his arm and took her hand
just as the lights came on.
They followed the wide hallway until it
curved leading into a three-sided open
room. It had been designed for easy
viewing. Trent
removed the cover from her
painting and hung it with care on a
wall that had been allotted for his mother’s
earlier paintings. Riley looked around
in fascination.
Trent smiled at the rapt
expression on her face. “I'm going to leave you for a
short time while I work. If you need
me, just call my cell. The other guard knows
we’re here also. Don't hesitate to ask
them for help or directions to specific
rooms.”
“Okay, Trent, I’m ready to explore. If you can't
find me when you're finished,
just call my cell.” She laughed.
“I shouldn't be more than an hour.” He
started back in the direction from which
they’d come.
To Riley, the hour passed in a blink.
She was so engrossed at what was spread
out before her eyes, she wasn’t even
aware that Trent
stood beside her until his
fingers brushed hers. Then, she became
very aware of him. With his arm touching
hers and the scent of his cologne, he
radiated an aura of masculinity that engulfed
her.
“What do think of our museum,” he asked
softly.
“It’s magnificent, Trent. I’ve just gotten a good start. Have
you really been
gone an hour?”
“Actually, I've been gone an hour and a
half. I guess you didn't miss me at all.”
He feigned indignation. “Let’s walk
through the rooms so you can get a quick
look. I know you’re a working girl. I
don't want to keep you out too late, and as
you saw, time can get away from you.”
He took her hand and they spent the
next two hours moving quickly through
galleries and different exhibitions.
She got an idea of where she would like to
spend more time when she returned for
another visit.
It was midnight when
he pulled up in front of her apartment. He walked with
her, and waited while she unlocked the
door. She turned to say goodnight, but her
words stuck in her throat as she looked
at him. She knew he was going to kiss her;
she knew she wanted him to. She lifted
her face and his lips found hers. The Earth
spun faster and faster until her whole
body felt weak. She pulled her lips away and
clung to him until her knees held her
again. They both stood silently for a moment,
lost in the wonder of what had just
transpired. Finally, he said very softly.
“Goodnight, Riley, I'll call you
tomorrow.”
