I set aside my designs and picked up my phone after it blared for the second time. A smile etched on my face, seeing the caller ID.
“It took you a whole week to call me?”
“And it took you so long to pick up the phone?”
I chuckled. “I was working on some designs. Anyway, what’s up with you? How’s the job going?”
Since Warner had left for Seattle for his new job and I returned to Los Angeles, it was our first conversation in a week.
“You’re working on weekends? And yes, everything is going smoothly. Life has never been this good. ”
“Glad to hear that.” If only my life was a little better. “And yes, but it’s not official work. Just some of my ideas I needed to polish.”
“About the office, how’s it going? I hope you still don’t have any problems staying in LA, do you?” he asked. He didn’t know where I was working.
And what do I tell him? All of this was still so confusing to me.
“Office is good. I have to work here for at least three months until I decide to think of something else,” I replied absentmindedly. Office was good because I hadn’t seen Ace in three whole days. He didn’t visit after the day he ordered me to have lunch with him. Of course, I denied. And the nerve of him. He sent Carter again to the canteen to deliver me the food he got for lunch!
You should eat homemade food.The canteen’s stuff isn’t good for health. It was the message I got with the food.
And the embarrassment I felt with every pair of eyes on me out there was a whole different thing!
Though he didn’t come to the office for three days now, the food was always on time. At first, I gave them away to Liza and others, but then, well, I thought I shouldn’t push away food like that.
The dishes were heavenly. From the pieces of information I picked up from Liza and Caleb’s conversation, he was busy hunting for a new house and renovating it. Why did Achilles Valencian need a house all of a sudden?
“I don’t understand what problem you have staying in that city,” Warner mumbled. “Anyway, I will call you tonight. There’s a day out with my office colleagues today, so gotta go now. I miss you, Em. I wish you were here.”
I smiled. “I miss you too. Don’t worry. We’ll meet soon at Tess’s wedding. You’re coming, right? It’s at the end of this month.”
“Of course. How can I miss it? I’ll definitely be there.”
“Great. All right, you go now. Talk to you later.”
“Love you.”
The car screeched to a halt, and I got out. The huge iron gate decorated with red and white flowers welcomed everyone who entered through. A big bold ‘Felicity Charity Event’ hung at the top of the gate. An event for some people to genuinely donate for the poor, and for others, a way to show off.
Dad and Tobias also piled out and walked to me. Our family has been donating to this foundation every year for the orphan kids for the last ten years. I used to attend this function every year in my childhood. When I heard of it organizing another event today, I tagged along with Dad and Tobias.
“Let’s go,” Dad said, leading us inside through the red carpet, avoiding the crowd of people and the paparazzi.
Once inside, the first thing that came into my view was a swarm of elegantly dressed people roaming around and admiring the fine pieces of art that’s been exhibited around the hall. While some were busy in light conversations with glasses of drinks in their hands. A slow, classic music hummed in the background.
“This time they’re holding it differently. They put these canvases and pictures on auction, and whoever wishes to donate will buy them. Their money will directly go to the charity fund,” Tobias explained.
I nodded. “It’s a wise way, I must say. This way, more people who love art will donate. It will be good for those orphan kids.”
“Yeah, and I think I’m going to jam my walls with some today. Look at those beauties.” He pointed to the beautiful canvases around. “Who can say no to them?”
I giggled. “I agree.”
As Dad went busy conversing with an older man, I let myself explore in the sea of people and arts. Arts that demanded attention. I wasn’t a big fan of them, but they were impossible not to stare at. The beauty of nature, unknown people, mythological creatures, everything looked so real between the brushes of vibrant colors.
The colors blended so well, it felt they’d come alive at any moment.
A small boy, standing beside his mother, was gaping in wonder at a picture where a crimson skinned dragon fumed amber flames through its mouth. Its eyes sparkled with rage and menace. On the other hand, a middle-aged man stared at the highlighted cleavage of a woman with half of her face covered with her raven hair in a canvas.
Shaking my head, I passed him and turned to another row. Then a certain painting caught my eye. A painting of a single rose, bloomed with its velvety petals spread around, with a couple of rosebuds facing in directions adorned it. And those tiny drops of water sparkling on the petals reminded me of diamonds.
It was gorgeous.
“Em! See this?” Tobias called out, beckoning me to him. He stood before a painting of a mermaid with her upper half floating on the water. “What do you think of this? I think she will glorify my bedroom wall with her beauty.”
I sighed at my brother. The mermaid’s chest was barely covered with her hair. There were children roaming around, for God’s sake!
“Yeah, it’s beautiful,” I agreed anyway.
A friend of his called him from among a group of men.
“I’ll be back!”
As he strode to the group, I stayed back and appreciated the rose painting.
Suddenly, I felt a presence behind me. The wisp of the familiar cologne that tingled my nostrils had me frozen in my place. My heart stuttered as I felt his body heat behind me.
“You like it?” a deep voice rasped into my ear. An involuntary shiver ran down my spine.
“What are you doing here?” I whispered, not turning to him. His house hunting was finally over?
Wait, why did I care if he was busy the whole week?
Right, I didn’t.
A deep chuckle. “I see my Rosebud isn’t happy to see me here.”
I frowned. “You didn’t answer my question.”
He stepped closer. “Why do people come to events like these?”
I shrugged, feigning not to be affected by his proximity. “Well, most of them come to show off.”
A sharp intake of breath. Then I felt his hot breath on my neck. The temperature suddenly rose higher in the room.
Wait, did he just smell me?
Creep!
“Trust me, sweetheart. I didn’t come here to show off. I have much more important things to do than waste my time on that.” He brushed his fingers on my hip, making me jolt.
Not being able to bear the tension, I stepped away from his overwhelming presence and touch. Sending him a glare, I walked away with flushed cheeks. But his persistent gaze didn’t.
When the bell of the auction rang, we all gathered in the backyard of the building, under the open blue sky. Rows of chairs were lined up before the huge stage for people to sit. We took our seats in the second row. And a particular person was missing.
Was he already gone?
Good for me.
A man cleared his throat in the mike, snatching everyone’s attention to the stage. “Ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to the ‘Felicity Charity Event’ one more time. We all know the holy purpose we’re gathered here for. So, without any adieu, let’s begin the auction right away.”
A painting of a phoenix was first put for sale on the stage as the auctioneer began calling for bids. As the auction went on, things got heated between the bidders to win over a piece of art.
Tobias was extremely disappointed when someone else brought his mermaid painting at a much higher price than him, where Dad was satisfied with a picture of Mother Teresa.
And when the canvas of that blood rose got on the stage, I really wanted to bid for it. But well, my pockets weren’t full enough to do that. I could easily ask from Dad, but if I wanted to help someone, I wanted to do it with something that I owned. So, I decided to just pay them a little amount that I could afford in check later.
“And who wants to hold onto this gorgeous velvety rose over here?” the auctioneer asked. “The bid starts with five thousand dollars!”
“Ten thousand dollars!” a man yelled out from the crowd.
“Ten thousand dollars! Anyone else wants to take it home with a higher price?” queried the bid caller.
“Fifteen thousand dollars!” a woman shouted.
“Fifteen thousand! Anyone else? Fifteen thousand dollars! Going once! Going—”
“Seventeen thousand dollars!” the previous man cried out.
“Excellent! Seventeen thousand!” Everyone started murmuring about the outrageous price for only a mere picture of a rose. Even I was surprised. That man must’ve liked it a lot. Though it was a masterpiece. “Going once, going twice, and so—”
“One million!” a voice spoke over the babbles of the crowd from somewhere behind us. Everyone went quiet, gasps of shock echoed around as everyone glanced back to see the insane person wasting a million dollars on a simple painting.
I turned around, and there he was. At the last row, sitting with an utmost ease, not caring that he just spent a load of money after a mere canvas.
Was he crazy?
Even the auctioneer watched him with bafflement. “A-are you sure, Mr. Valencian?”
He stood and glanced down at his watch. “Get it ready.” Sending one last look my way, he went to sign the check his secretary handed him as every pair of eyes ogled him with awe and disbelief.
Once the auction was over, we met him outside. Dad was proud he donated so much for those kids, while Tobias also appreciated him with a still sullen mood. When they left, Ace and I were alone again.
He watched me as I eyed the beautiful canvas lying on the backseat of his car.
“I didn’t know you were interested in art that much,” I said. “Why this one, though? There were a lot of paintings out there from famous artists who’d have been worth the money.” I didn’t know he’d do it just out of kindness.
“But those weren’t what I wanted. I wanted it—” he pointed to the painting, “—so I got it.”
“Why? Anything special you saw in it?” Shouldn’t I just walk away? But here I was, asking questions to him out of my stupid curiosity. As far as I knew, he had never been to any charity functions, let alone donating a million in a day.
He stepped close, his stormy gray irises peered into mine. “What do you see in them?”
I titled my head, my brows creasing.
“I—a rose?” I uttered, glancing back at the painting.
“And?” he probed.
“And…” My gaze flickered in the backseat again. “And some rosebuds…” My eyes widened as realization set in.
“Exactly. Rosebuds and a beautiful blooming rose,” he whispered, easing closer. “Ring a bell, Rosebud? Or, should I say, my Rose?”
My breath hitched at my throat at his words. He-he remembered. He remembered what he said to me on my ninth birthday.
A shaky breath escaped my lips. If he remembered, then he also knew of the feelings I’d harbored for him for all these years. I was right, he knew. He knew everything.
“You…” I gulped the lump down my throat, my heart pounding.
“Yes, I remember everything. You know why I bought it?”
I shook my head, still reeling from his revelation.
“Because the moment my eyes fell onto this rose, it became mine. And I don’t let go of anything that belongs to me.”
A gasp slipped through my mouth. Even though someone else would think that he was talking about the painting, I knew he wasn’t. Those intense gray orbs of his were on me as declared his claim.
And I don’t let go of anything that belongs to me.
Something ticked in my head as I remembered my message to him last week. It was his reply to me.
Just three months, and I will be free of this contract soon. You can’t keep me here forever.
