Trent looked on the verge of ready to pop. Terrie appeared shaken. Liesl wondered whether they were all out of their ever-loving minds.
“You cannot date this man,” Trent hissed.
“You cannot tell me who I date, Trent.” She retorted with a raised eyebrow.
“I am insisting you end this immediately.”
“Or what?” She was starting to get annoyed now. Despite it being a farce, the notion her ex-in-laws felt they had the right to tell her who she could or couldn’t date felt the height of hypocrisy.
“In case you forgot, as much as I love you Terrie, and I have nothing but love for you for accepting me into your family the way you did, your son had an eleven-month long affair with my sister during which he got her pregnant. Despite you telling me he ended our marriage to ensure his child is provided for according to his grandfather’s will, it remains he cheated and got another woman pregnant. You both know his strong views on having a family. I wanted one. Desperately. He said not until he became CEO, and nobody, not even me, was ever going to stop him from reaching his goal. I gave up my dreams mostly at your encouragement Terrie because I wanted him to succeed. The things you insisted a good wife should do to support her husband I did, but I won’t ever forgive him. Getting divorced was the best thing to ever happen to me. Look around you,” she waved at her art, “I’ve come alive again. I feel I’m me again. Look at my art.”
“He supported your artistic endeavors. We all did. It’s why we are here.” Terrie seemed perplexed Liesl was not thrilled with the prospect of getting Merlin back.
“No. You are here to deliver the little message you did. Merlin is doing all of this to provide for his child and work the loophole in a will. However, I repeat none of it has to do with me. He never truly supported my art as a career. He supported me having a hobby. This is my life. My work. My legacy for a child I will have someday, and it won’t be his.”
“He only ever wanted what was best for you.”
“Merlin McGrath only ever wanted what was best for Merlin McGrath, right down to how his wife looked on his arm. Yesterday, I went to the fair with my brother and his wife and daughter and rode the rollercoasters and screamed like a banshee. I ate a caramel apple and there was nobody to make me feel bad about it. I haven’t stepped on a scale since the day I threw his ass out of my house. I haven’t even stepped on a treadmill. I went shopping for new clothes and bought what I wanted to wear tonight,” she waved at her body dressed in a chic black pencil skirt, a bright flowery patterned silk blouse and four-inch heels. “I can wear my heels because I don’t have to worry about being almost as tall as my diminutive husband.”
“Diminutive?” Trent hissed angrily.
“I mean he’s built okay but his aversion to me being five ten in heels made him feel emasculated. I was allowed flats or one-inch heels. Look at my legs in these,” she kicked her leg out. She grinned when Isaias gave a low whistle at her movement. “Thank you. I’m proud of these. I ran on the street today. Where people could see my boobs bounce in public.” She made huge eyes as Terrie flushed at the notion. “I was sweating in public. Merlin would be aghast. However, he is not my problem, and I don’t want him back. My sister took my trash out for me. I say good riddance. Now, I can be amicable with you, or I can be mean. I’ve cut my own mother out until she comes to her senses. Do you really think I have any compunction to keep you in my life when your purpose here is to hold me down?”
“I think you are forgetting we made –” Trent started to hiss.
She snapped her fingers and shook her head, “nu-uh, not today, Satan, not today. You did not do anything. I married a man I loved, and I lost who I am by being a Stepford wife. I owe you nothing. Not a damn thing.”
“Please rethink this,” Terrie pleaded looking between Liesl and Isaias. “Nothing good can come of it.”
“Multiple orgasms would be good,” Isaias said with a smile even the devil would fear.
She elbowed him for the comment, and she shook her head as Terrie gasped at his crudeness. “Terrie, Merl made his decisions and I have moved on.”
“This isn’t over,” Trent glared at him. “You can’t take my son’s wife.”
“I don’t want your son’s wife. By all accounts she’s a homewrecking whore. I will however have immeasurable fun with this beautiful woman on my arm, who is not his wife.”
As Janka almost jumped up and down clapping, Liesl decided to end this as they were really drawing a crowd as more people arrived, “Enough. I’m done with this conversation.”
“You are better than this riffraff,” Trent spat.
“I deserve better than to be cheated on by my husband and my sister. I deserve far more respect than this display from you both. This riffraff, as you called him, has never been anything but respectful in every conversation we’ve had. I think I’ll take my chances here.” She stayed firmly planted next to Isaias.
A small round of applause at her words made her flush and remember they were very much being watched. “Now, there are several of my favorite people in the world in this room. I really do want to spend time with them to reconnect in a way I haven’t in years. I want to talk about my art and how proud I am of it. I want to celebrate being liberated from the confines of a marriage in which I was nothing more than a decoration. You are welcome to stay but I would prefer you left.”
With that she turned on her heel and made her way to the outstretched hand of Janka. Janka clapped her hands and waved for the champagne to be passed around.
“Ladies and gentlemen, I apologize for the short delay and interruption into the beginning of tonight’s showcasing. My good friend and favorite employee, Liesl, has created yet another wondrous collection of her incredible talent. This set she has put out this evening for us, is a deep dive into heartache, grief, pain, loneliness, but also love healing, restitution, and resolve. It is cathartic and brilliant and,” she paused dramatically, “also all up for sale.” A twitter of laughter erupted around the room. “Get your checkbooks out, my friends. Liesl is happy to discuss the art with you and I am happy to discuss pricing. Grab a glass of wine and mingle!”
Liesl watched with narrowed eyes as Terrie and Trent exited the venue and turned her attention to the man who was approaching her again.
He chuckled, “if looks could kill, I would think I would be dead.”
She nudged her chin towards the painting in the center, “I used my own blood for that one. I might be inclined to use yours on the next one. I’m not a damsel in distress who needs saving.”
“Oh, I didn’t do that for you.”
“No?”
“I hate Trent McGrath with a burning passion. I simply wanted, as my mother would say, to get his goat. I love it when he squirms. It makes my dick hard.”
She did not need to be thinking of his dick when she was trying to be angry. She blinked her eyes at him. “Seriously?”
“Yes. Did you want to touch to find out?”
She smacked his chest trying not to laugh, “you’re awful.”
“And you are gorgeous. Come. Show me your etchings.” He made wide playful eyes at her and extended his hand. “I do really love sticking it to them. This was the most fun I’ve had in months.” He was unapologetic with his smirk, “since I stole Merlin’s last contract actually.”
She shook her head and stared into his deep brown eyes which despite the dark shade were light and happy. “Terrible.”
“We can be terrible together. By the way, the information in the acquisition I made last weekend was” he kissed his fingers into the air, “magnifique. I could easily be bribed to attend any of your shows for such things. I’ll even pose for you. Nude of course.”
“Oh my gosh,” his commentary was making her blush but as she laughed loudly for the first time in weeks, truly joyously expelling air from deep in her belly, it was also cleansing. His wicked sense of humor was lightening her soul. He was, she considered, exactly what she needed at this moment.
