Chapter Six
971 Words
Jade
However strange Bristol was when we were alone must be an act, it was the only possible explanation as to the total and complete personality transplant he had as soon as we stepped foot inside the gallery.
Suddenly he was smooth, charming and more than a little flirty with both the female and Male guests. Much more flirty than he was with me.
Jealousy spiked in my chest and I found myself gripping his forearm a little tighter than I needed to.
He smiled down at me and if I didn’t know any better I would have sworn he knew what I was thinking.
Truth was I didn’t like the way he smiled and joked with his groupies, because that’s the only way to describe them.
His hand as it came down over mine where it lay on his arm was warm and dry. The palm calloused. As if he hadn’t always been this high rolling businessman. If I didn’t know better I would have said there was hard manual labour in his past. No one got those kind of callouses by sitting behind a desk all day. If that was in fact what he did.
I realised with a start that I knew absolutely nothing about him. And yet I was here and feeling jealous because he was bestowing that Hollywood smile on other people.
It was official I needed to get a life.
“Relax.” His voice was a soft caress , a barely there whisper that brushed over my skin like velvet. It was the kind of voice that should have only been allowed in the bedroom. It was that sultry. And it did strange things to my body.
Need exploded in spirals in my lower stomach so intense it almost stopped me in my tracks.
Yeah strange Bristol was gone and charming Bristol was in his place.
I didn’t know what to make of this new side of him. Not if he made me feel like I was.
Trying to hide my discomfort I reached for a glass of champagne and downed it in one.
Champagne? He really had pulled out all the stops. This was going well beyond him just liking my art, it was almost like he liked me and wanted to impress me.
Ludicrous.
“It’s not ludicrous to want to make you happy Jade.” He whispered and I started in shock. Had I really just said what I had been thinking out loud? I really had to be careful if that was the case. It wouldn’t do for him to know how much his closeness was making my thoughts wander into the realm of x rated.
Bristol chuckled, my hand suddenly to his lips. The stubble on his chin tickling. I made another lunge for another glass of champagne.
Between the nerves of my very first professional show and Bristol’s nearness I had to find someway of settling my churning stomach.
“Easy Jade, the bubbles seem to have a strange effect on human women.”
And strange Bristol was back. For some reason it made me at ease. I could deal with his strangeness much easier than his debonair charm. It was much less confusing.
“I’m just nervous.” I admitted with a rueful smile. And he patted my hand again. His golden eyes thoughtful. “There’s no need to be nervous Jade, no need at all. I am not going to leave your side…not ever again.”
I blinked at him. Had he really just said “not ever again?”
It was official strange Bristol was back but only it seemed with me. I had the sneaky feeling I got to see the real him.
And that made me feel all kinds of special. And confused.
Bristol was as good as his word though, he didn’t leave my side all night. He was a reassuring presence at my side. His nearness a comfort. But he didn’t talk for me or over me. The very opposite in fact. When someone asked me a question , he listened to my answer like I was the most interesting person in the world… well room.
It would have been nice, to have such a handsome man’s full attention if I hadn’t started feeling queasy after that second glass of wine.
My stomach churned, and I could already feel sweat begin to dot my brow. It ran down my back.
Two hours in to the show that would make or break my career and I was feeling miserable. It was getting harder and harder to keep the smile on my face and on my feet without swaying. I wasn’t even sure I would have done the latter if I hadn’t had a death grip on his large arm.
“Jade?”
I realised with a start that I hadnt heard a word he had said. Shaking my head I tried to smile but it came out a tight twist of lips.
I had never felt so sick. But all I had to do was get through another hour or so. I could do that and then I would ask Bristol to drive me home and crawl into bed.
“I’m sorry I was miles away.” Saliva flooded by mouth and my eyes rolled.
What the hell was wrong with me.
“All your pieces have sold Jade, you are the talk of the town. Are you happy?” He seemed so eager but I just couldn’t muster up the enthusiasm. I smiled weakly. “That’s nice.”
Bristol’s eyes narrowed. “What….”
I swayed again and this time I couldn’t hide the groan that left my lips. It felt like my insides were being churned up.
“I don’t feel very well…I think I’m going to…” blackness over took my eyes, every cell in my body screamed as agony flooded my system.
There was a moment of perfect clarity when I realised I was dying.
And then there was nothing.
- Writer
