The Proverbial Mr. Universe (22 page)

T
he last thing Nick hoped for was a pair of cold, gray eyes peering back at him. It was a look Nick recognized too well, the kind his mother used to give him when he did something questionable. But the last person in the world Nick expected to find at the door of his studio would be James Montiano.

“Nick, did I catch you at a bad time? I found myself in the area and thought maybe since I’m here I could see your work.”

Nick hesitated because he was on his way out, wanting to get cleaned up before meeting Olivia for lunch. He hoped it would be quick and painless.

“No … not at all. Come in.” Nick closed the door behind him. Something told him this surprise visit was going to be more than just about his art.

“Is there anything particular you’re looking for? I do commission work as well.”

James wore a black wool coat on top of a navy suit, like he walked out of a board meeting. Nick pitied men who followed convention, confining themselves behind a desk. That kind of profession would be a menace to Nick’s sanity. If he had to wear a suit with a tie, surely by the end of the day he would want to hang himself with it. He couldn’t think of a duller pursuit of life, but he would never consider James Montiano a dull man.

“What can I do for you, James?”

“Please call me Mr. Montiano,” he said as he brushed past Nick. “Only those who are close to me, call me James.” Nick’s brows elevated, James didn’t have to say more to know where his position with Olivia’s father stood.

He slid on his silver-frame glasses, making his way around the small room.

Nick had rapidly outgrown the tiny studio in the last few weeks, filling the space up with new paintings, all of which were now leaning against the once white wall. He’d finally broken through the dry spell.

He glanced around his studio, cringing at the dirty rags and empty spray cans scattered on the floor. The paint stains all over the floors and walls were a testament to his productive night. Nick wondered if Olivia had anything to do with it because she was never far from his thoughts. It seemed she was the spark in the fire that he needed.

“Don’t mind the mess. I would have tidied up if I knew you were coming.” Nick continued to clean his hands with a rag.

“Don’t worry, son. I’m not here to judge. I’m more interested in your work than anything else.”

James took his time pacing around the room, which started to play with Nick’s patience.

“Nice little place you have. What’s the square footage?” James’s eyes bounced around the space.

“Ah … man, I don’t know.” Nick exhaled the breath he’d been holding. “About three hundred square feet … roughly.” He rubbed the back of his neck.

James nodded. “You must pay a pretty penny to rent this place.”

“Jesus, yeah … it doesn’t come cheap that’s for sure.” Nick sat on the edge of his desk.

“What does this place run you? About five dollars a square foot?” James pulled his glasses off, swinging them around.

“Something like that.” Nick frowned, wondering what the interrogation was leading up to. “It’s convenient for me. I live in one of the apartments upstairs.”

“Upstairs?” Something in James voice made him think he wasn’t thrilled about that idea. Nick was smart enough to know this visit somewhat related to Olivia.

“My daughter Olivia, works just up the street.” His eyes were fixed in such a manner that Nick knew he was searching for some kind of confirmation. When James took a glance at the canvas Nick had been in the middle of working on, James got all the confirmation he needed. “But you already knew that, didn’t you?”

Nick glanced at his fingers and picked at the paint on his cuticles. “Sure … I remember her telling me,” Nick said.

“How did you know where to find me?” Nick asked.

“You left me your business card. Don’t you remember?” James smiled, but not a kind one.

“Ah … yes … it slipped my mind.” He wished he hadn’t left the damn card.

The air grew dark, and Nick began to feel unpleasantly tense. It was evident that James didn’t like him. The expression on his face and his demeanor said it all. Nick was intimidated by James, not because who the media portrayed him to be, but because he was Olivia’s father. He had never any issues with fathers of girlfriends past. Nick actually got along with Chloe’s dad, but then again he was never around. Nick fully comprehended that James Montiano was a different caliber of fathers. James Montiano was a man who understood the weight of providing for his family. Nick could fully appreciate that; it was something he never knew but desired. And it seemed reasonable to expect that a man like James would think Nick wasn’t suitable for his own daughter. Every good father wanted what was best for their daughter.

That made James Montiano the gate keeper, and Nick was at a disadvantage.

“Ah … this strikingly resembles my daughter …” James took a step back to fully appreciate the painting.

Nick wasn’t going to lie. He wasn’t sure what Olivia had told her father about him, but then again there wasn’t much to tell. Their relationship was platonic. Maybe it would never lead to anything.

“Well, it’s not finished yet.” Nick placed his hand on the back of his neck, feeling warmth and dampness.

James studied the canvas once more. “You’re very talented.”

“Thank you.”

“A close friend of mine has a gallery on La Montage Street. Les Atelier Belmont. Have you ever heard of it?

It was one of the best exclusive galleries in the city, and it was tough for an artist to get representation, even with Nick’s past credentials.

“I think he would be quite interested in seeing your work. If you want, I could put in a good word for you.”

Nick could feel his eyes light up. “Yes, that would be most appreciated.” He paused. “That would really help me get my career back on track.”

Coming from someone like James, who was well connected, it would make a hell of a difference in his career. Nick couldn’t help but wonder why he was being so generous. There had to be a catch. He knew people like James always had an angle, a way of getting things from people, or else they wouldn’t be successful.

“Well, it shouldn’t be so hard. You’ve made a name for yourself in the art world, Mr. Montgomery.”

“No, I wouldn’t say that.” Nick was being modest.

James arched his eyebrows in question. “You had an accomplished but short-lived career.” He removed his glasses and kept them open in his hands. “At eighteen you took a traditional academic training approach, traveling to the world’s greatest museums to study the masters’ paintings up close. After a year of travel, you came back to Montreal. At twenty, you had your first showing at Galleries Le Roy, which led to other viewings in galleries all over the world.” James began to slowly pace around the room. “You also sold your work to private and public collectors. Your work hangs alongside prized works of such as Dali and Picasso. Yes, I would call that quite accomplished, wouldn’t you?” He touched the bridge of his nose.

“Wow, that’s impressive … you really did your homework.”

“I make it my business to know who my children surround themselves with.” James paused to place his glasses back on his face.

“But there is one thing I don’t quite understand. Your career started to take shape and you simply faded into the background. In your choice of profession, it takes time before gaining a comfortable income. A year of traveling would be quite expensive, especially for someone who had no real source of income.”

“Get to the point, Mr. Montiano.”

“What I’m trying to understand is how you supported yourself all that time … all this time?”

“No offense, but I don’t think that’s any of your concern.”

“Olivia is my concern, and since she decided on you …” He glared back at Nick.

“Are you accusing me of doing something illicit?” Nick sucked the air between his teeth.

“I don’t know. You tell me?”

Nick was being accused by a crook? Fuckin’ brilliant. He quickly reminded himself that this was the father of the girl he liked. He needed to be the bigger man.

“Look, I don’t think I owe you any explanation on how I support myself, so let’s cut to the chase, James … I know you’re not interested in my work. Why are you here?”

“On the contrary. I am very interested in your work. What I’m not interested in is you spending time with my daughter.” He paused. “You have to understand, it’s a very confusing and delicate time in her life right now. I know when she comes to her senses she will go back to her fiancé … five years, you just don’t throw that away, Mr. Montgomery.”

Nick clenched his jaw and decided it was best to stay silent. He knew that if he talked, it wouldn’t help his cause.

“To be honest, I’m very concerned that my daughter doesn’t know the full truth about you. I have a feeling you have something to hide, and I want to know what it is.”

“I have nothing to hide. If you want to know something, then just fuckin’ ask me—”

“What’s your business with my daughter?”

“That’s something you’re going to have to ask Olivia about.”

“But I’m not asking my daughter. I am asking you!”

Nick diverted his eyes back to his hands.

“Does my daughter know about your interesting past?”

Nick’s eyes flashed back up. “Listen, I don’t know what kind of dirt you think you’ve got on me, but Olivia is aware of everything she needs to know.” Nick cleared his throat, knowing it wasn’t entirely true, but James didn’t need to know that. He sat on the edge of his desk in silence, thinking of a way to make James believe he wasn’t the bad guy.

“Olivia is an amazing girl, and I respect your daughter. I would never do anything to hurt her.”

“My daughter is too good and vulnerable. She is very impulsive, which leads her to make the worst choices.”

“Well, you give her less credit than she deserves. She’s not as vulnerable as you think.”

“Mr. Montgomery, maybe you’ll know it for yourself one day, and I wish that for you, but a father knows what’s best for their children, and you, my boy, are definitely not what she needs.”

“Maybe you should let Olivia decide what’s best for herself.”

James laughed in a condescending way. “I know men like you, who look for an opportunity like Olivia, taking advantage of her money and connections.” He paused. “Mr. Montgomery, you do understand what I’m capable of doing for you? Stay on my good side and there will be endless opportunities I will pass your way. Go against me and well … you will find many closed doors.”

“Is that a threat?”

“Oh, you bet your life it is, Mr. Montgomery!” He glared. “What kind of future can you offer Olivia? She’s not a simple girl with simple needs. She’s going to want more. What are you going to do then?”

Nick could feel his heart beating. It took everything in him to stay in control. When he laid down the facts in his head, he knew if he acted out of anger there would be repercussions. He quickly decided he wasn’t going to give James any more reason to dislike him. No matter what James did or said, Nick would refrain from stepping over the line.

“I don’t plan to work at a bar forever.”

“Mr. Montgomery, dreams won’t feed you.” James’s voice softened.

“I care very much for Olivia …”

“Well, now I’m glad to hear we’re on the same page. You’re a smart man, Mr. Montgomery. If you care for her as you say you do, then I know you’ll do the logical thing. Don’t take it the wrong way, son. It’s not that I have anything against you. I’m only protecting what’s mine. Trust me, I’m doing you a favor by telling you … you need to let her go.”

Nick considered himself a rational person. He needed to look at it through James’s eyes if he wanted to understand the situation. He was conscious of James disposition and knew Olivia’s father was acting out of fear—the fear of not being there for his children. James was fighting against time, putting everything in its place before his illness robbed him not only of his life, but also of fatherhood. No matter how old their children were, fathers took care of them. Nick didn’t need to dig deep to understand this. Towards the end of his mother’s life, she expressed the same urgency. She agonized over whether Nick would take care of himself when she was gone.