Piano in the Dark (12 page)

I quickly found her. She’d reunited with Smith Sampson near the gallery entrance. He was about to introduce her to another Houston power couple who’d recently arrived.

“I need to talk to you. Now,” I stressed, grabbing Ava abruptly by her arm. Smith Sampson opened his mouth to object. I bared my teeth, looking for a fight even if it would be one-sided. I was good for that, as Iris’s husband learned.

“It’s all right,” Ava said as she raised her hand to assuage her patron and friend. Smith quickly turned to the couple, presumably coming up with a diversion or excuse for Ava’s sudden unavailability. With Ava stumbling, I pulled her along, determined to find an away spot.

“Chase—” she began to say.

“Shut up,” I hissed gruffly. Just my luck, Maryann Milner was in the vicinity and witnessed the exchange. Her face looked more aghast than it did back in our office conference room that night. I could do nothing but groan and plod forward, knowing my days at Casey, Warner & Associates might be numbered.

But fuck it. And fuck doing things for other people.

Rounding a display wall, we almost ran into Dawn, who was looking for me, no doubt. She had two flutes of Riesling, our refill, and was drinking from one as she sauntered around. I stopped abruptly, reversing course in a nanosecond. Ava wasn’t as quick to adjust and ran into me as I turned. I caught her long enough to steady her wavering form before charging off once again in a different direction.

“You’re hurting my wrist, Chase,” Ava said under her breath as I spotted the rear exit to the gallery. I eased up slightly on my grip so as to not alarm the guests as we pushed past them. This place wasn’t big enough for me to avoid Dawn indefinitely, so this had to be short and sweet.

Well, maybe not so sweet.

I pushed the rear door open with my free hand, preparing for an alarm to sound as I shoved Ava ahead of me. It didn’t come. The only thing greeting us was two startled staff members on cigarette break. I eyed them down as they recognized that they had somewhere else to be. Quickly extinguishing their smokes—one of which looked to be a joint—they returned inside to their duties.

Free of prying eyes, I dropped any pretense of being happy. Ava’s attempt at a smile only threw gasoline on my fire.

“I’ve missed you,” she said, nervously adjusting her dress for no reason. It still fit in all the right places.

“I told you it was over, Ava! Over! Then you pull this shit? You’ve been following my wife? And talking to my mom?
My family
? What were you trying to do tonight?”

“I’m sorry, Chase.”

“No, you’re not. Otherwise you wouldn’t have invited Dawn here. You hurt me, Ava.”

“That wasn’t my intent. I just need your love,” she said, moving to make the five feet between us less than five. “That’s all.”

“You need help. That’s what you need.”

“Then help me. Make me right, Chase.”

“Stop. Stop,” I said, waving my hands in front of her to halt her advance. “When I leave here tonight, I don’t want either me or my wife—or even my mom—ever hearing from you again. Got it?”

“What about your dad?”

“
Excuse you
?” I muttered, irate with Ava’s myriad surprises and manipulations. “What do you know about my dad? I know you couldn’t follow him too.”

“Joell? Why wouldn’t I know him? He’s my father-in-law, dammit! The man you idolized. He taught you how to play the piano. That thing you’re so afraid of for some reason.”

“See. That’s where you’re wrong. I never idolized that man. Never. And he never taught me to play. I taught myself. And you know why? Because he wasn’t around! My dad is a selfish fuckin’ bastard. And he’s not your father-in-law! I’ve been married only once in my life. And it’s to that woman inside,” I said, pointing toward the gallery as a pang of guilt set in the pit of my stomach. “You need to cut the bullshit! I don’t know you and you never knew me!”

“That—that’s not true. I do know you. I love you, Chase. And Joell is a good man. He’s kind, a good husband, and a successful musician. He’s all the things you are. And why I love you so much.”

“Stop. Just stop. My dad lives virtually on the street these days. The last time he was a ‘success’ I was in elementary school. And even then he had no time for me or my mom. He disgusts me. Don’t you ever talk to me about me being like him.”

Ava trembled as she stared into my eyes. It felt as if the temperature dropped ten degrees. “Please don’t leave me. You’re all I have in this world,” she said as her voice cracked.

“Then you have nothing,” I said. Tears streamed down her face as I deflected her outstretched hand.

As before at her place, Ava tried to stop me from leaving again. This time she was more forceful as she shoved me repeatedly. Each time, I’d resume my stride toward the gallery while trying to refrain from reacting. To say her tears and pleas weren’t twisting me up would be a lie. When I successfully got by her, she grabbed my jacket and yanked me back. I pulled free of her grasp, causing Ava to flop backwards on the gravel. She yelped in pain before quickly getting back to her feet. Tears were flowing more freely now. As she brushed off her legs, the beautiful stargazer lily dropped from her hair, landing between us. I almost stepped on it.

Something about seeing her beauty diminished, the utter despair on her face, sapped my will. But I wasn’t some savior. I bent down to pick up her flower, considering urging her to seek help with her doctor.

But needing help myself.

Ava came close, fighting her tears and muffling her sniffles. She rested a hand on my shoulder while I was still down on one knee. I tried to focus on the lily, losing myself in its simple elegance for fear of being frozen by her gaze. She moved her hand from my shoulder and slid it up my neck, where it came to rest on the back of my head. She ran her hands through my hair, gently coaxing my head closer. Before I knew it, the side of my face was pressing against her crotch. I let the lily fall from my hand.

“Stop it, Ava,” I requested, closing my eyes. She didn’t relent, continuing to run her fingers through my scalp. Instinctively, I turned my head inward, breathing deeply through the fabric of her cocktail dress as I wedged my face between her legs. The Lola by Marc Jacobs perfume was there as well. Her warmth was more intoxicating; threatening to overwhelm me. I nudged the short dress, easing it up until my nose and lips were nuzzled against the outline of her mound. I probed against the black thong just as the headlights of a car being valet-parked briefly illuminated us.

“You got me wet as soon as I saw you tonight,” Ava said, ignoring any fear of us being caught. “Taste me, Chase. Please. Taste me like you’re dying of thirst and only I can quench you.”

I clamped my lips together, catching her clit ever so briefly. A low purr escaped from deep within Ava as her legs trembled. More forceful kisses and sucking followed. I moved her thong aside. Doing this right here, right now, was already insane and foolhardy. Maybe just a taste would quench me. Maybe I’d have to have more. Already knowing the answer, I licked Ava, running my tongue up and down her pussy.

“Oooh. O—o—oh,” she murmured as she draped one leg over my shoulder, wrapping it around my head as if a yoga master. I grabbed her ass cheeks to steady her as I continued to feast. “Please. Don’t stop. Not tonight. Mmm. This is my night.
Our
night, baby.”

Coming down off an orgasm, Ava pulled on my jacket again. Rather than trying to stop me from leaving now, she wanted me free, unrestrained.

I stood up, quickly removing my jacket. I set it on a nearby crate as Ava released my shirt from my pants and began unbuckling my belt. She pulled my pants and underwear down, exposing my hardened dick to the night air. She licked her lips seductively at the sight of me wanting her.

I grabbed Ava by her shoulders, forcing her back against the outer brick wall of the gallery. Our bodies slammed together abruptly as I brought my lips to hers. The kiss was rough and animalistic, lips being bitten and tongues plunging deeply. She moaned as I pushed up firmly against her. As our chests rose and fell, there wasn’t an inch separating us. We were one as before.

“Put—put it in. Before we get caught,” she urged, hearing the voices just inside the gallery’s back door. Perhaps it was another worker wanting to go on smoke break. Maybe they were listening to us.

I pressed against Ava again, sliding my dick inside her inviting harbor. She was already so wet, wave after wave of her honey attempting to capsize my ship. But I held steady on my course, guided by instincts more sexual than nautical. She closed her eyes, throwing her head back as I pumped harder and harder. The eruptions came more often, more violently, as she caromed off the unyielding brick and mortar behind her. I held her aloft, her feet dangling and kicking as she sought to ride me to the ends of the Earth.

I was in a maddened state.

Going harder.

Deeper.

Trying to exact revenge for what she’d put me through as well as exorcise whatever unseen forces held me in her sway. She looked into my eyes, seeing something that pleased her with such delight that she cackled. Insanity was almost a certainty with her. But I was equally not of right mind.

“Do it. Do that shit,” she cursed, throwing her head back again as she held onto my neck.

I felt my legs tighten as Ava bounced onto me, working to coax my seed from deep within my loins. She wrapped her legs around my waist, denying me any escape. I worked back against her, gripping her hips tightly as I matched her intensity. My balls slapped against her ass with every vigorous upstroke, robbing her of any voluntary response the more I pumped. She was my puppet, melting into me by way of our ravenous union. We both grunted as we tumbled headlong into the abyss.

“I—I.”

“Uh-huh. Oh yes, Chase,” she moaned, her words joining in the moment.

Then it was set free.

I stopped breathing in that moment of release. Eyes blinking. Frozen in time as I erupted inside her. Joining with the woman who swore we were already joined.

And just as sudden as it had begun, I regretted it.

Wanted to retract what had occurred as though it were a simple slip of the tongue.

Except it wasn’t words that were damning or unfortunate.

It was actions.

I slowly eased off Ava, allowing her to regain her footing. Her breathing was still ragged, but she was more aware of her surroundings too. Her eyes darted about as she quickly lowered her cocktail dress, maybe a hint of embarrassment finally rearing its head. I pulled up my pants and hurriedly tucked my shirt back. I reeked of this woman, wiping away the sweat and lipstick from my face as if my obvious guilt could be just as easily removed. As Ava put her thong back on, I donned my jacket again and waited for her to finish making herself presentable.

“You ready?” I asked, once I assured her most of the brick dust had been wiped off her back and dress. Ava nodded, neither one of us comfortable talking at the moment. As paranoid as I’d been upon arriving at the gallery, now things were off the scale.

I opened the rear door for Ava, letting her rejoin her adoring guests first. Taking a moment to catch my breath, I followed several minutes later, preparing to rejoin a woman I didn’t deserve and get the hell out of Dodge.

Once inside, I found Dawn easily. She held two now-empty wine flutes in her hands, eyeballing me as I emerged from the rear of the gallery. I had to look disheveled, despite a quick stop in the restroom to wash my face and regroup.

“Where have you been?” she asked, glaring at me.

“Trying to see if these prices are negotiable,” I answered. “I had the hardest time finding someone who knew. Then I had to go to the restroom.” I forced myself to end it there before my guilt set me to rambling.

“And?”

“And what?”

“What did you find?”

“Stuff is too high. You ready to go?” I asked, maintaining my distance.

“Yes. I think I’ve had enough wine.”

“Me too,” I said as I forced a smile to form on my face.

“Don’t you want to say bye?”

“Uh…to who?”

“Charla?”

“No. You’re her invited guest. But I’m sure she won’t miss us.”

Dawn’s facial expression changed. Was hard to read. Maybe it was the alcohol. “Did you see all the paintings tonight?”

“No.”

“There’s one I found pretty interesting. Ran dead into it when I couldn’t find you,” Dawn offered. “C’mon, I’ll show you on the way out.”

I motioned for Dawn to lead, still afraid of her catching a whiff of Lola by Marc Jacobs on my clothes or
Charla Nuttier by Ava
on my body.

We made our way to the southeast corner of the gallery, not far from the exit through which I’d yanked Ava. Beneath a soft, recessed light was a painting I’d surely missed. Most of the crowd was gathered in other spots, so it left us virtually alone to take it in.

“Now what is so special about this one—” I asked before abruptly ending my question midstream. I almost pissed on myself.

“You tell me,” Dawn huffed as my mouth hung suspended in disbelief.

The sole object on the canvass was a man—a content figure wearing a contemplative smile.

A man who bore a striking resemblance to me.

“Look familiar?” Dawn asked, as if interrogating me. “That’s you, isn’t it?”

Before I could elicit some sort of feeble answer, we were disturbed by someone coming our way. It was Ava, Smith Sampson, and about four or five others. When Ava saw me and Dawn gathered in front of the painting, she stopped dead in her tracks, fumbling for words. The lily was missing from her hair, left outside in our haste. I don’t think she expected to run into me so soon after. No one with half their sense could mistake the postcoital glow or the way she looked at me.

No one.

Not even the woman with whom I stood.

Oh, no.

When I turned back to Dawn, she’d dropped the wine flutes to the ground at my feet. Her breathing was so labored as to remind me of an enraged bull. She didn’t have to explain the look in her eyes that differed wildly from Ava’s. Betrayal was the sharpest of weapons, sometimes cutting the person that wielded it.