Positive/Negativity (33 page)

…and as the fairy tale evening came to a close, Aria had yet another encounter…with the one with the evil heart…

T
When She Says Baby – Jason Aldean

TT
Ten Times Crazier – Blake Shelton

TTT
Welcome to my Nightmare – Ronnie James Dio

Life was good. Waking to the sound of the screeching gulls and crashing surf was perfect. As I look down at the beauty intertwined within my arms, my heartbeat quickened—a natural reaction to the view of the woman I loved. In fact, life in general felt perfect. Almost
too
perfect.
T

Aria’s long, wavy hair was amiss and lying in front of me. It just begged for me to sink my face into it, so I indulged. I leisurely laid in the bed and breathed in the scent of her paired with the salty ocean air. I hadn’t imagined that life, for me, could ever be so content and complete.

The gala was a success. The Studio had been open and available for photographers for well over a month, and just yesterday, Katherine informed us that the studio space had been booked solid for the next two months. Aimee and I had decided to publicize for a short time and had received sixty-three prospects; some of those we interviewed were definitely runway material and others had potential for catalogue work.

Both Aimee and I were still actively working with Bella Matrix. I was accepting fewer personal assignments from them than I had previously. This allowed me to involve myself on a more frequent basis to The Studio and to Aria. It took a few days but after the gala, she recanted the events of that evening and her encounter with Marisol. I was furious. I wanted to confront her, but Aria discussed the merits of not reacting at all. Alienating Marisol could jeopardize my standing with key clients—not a good move for a company in the ‘”start-up” phase. I took that to mean that I needed to play nice with Marisol for business sake. As far as Bella Matrix and working with Marisol were concerned, I didn’t want to stop all engagements that were presented to me for the purposes of keeping my contacts open, but tapering them meant that I was traveling less. I was hoping to funnel most of my livelihood through The Studio. The assignments that I accepted through Bella Matrix were for the location shoots.

“Mmmm, I feel something warm against my neck,” Aria’s sleepy voice brought me out of my thoughts.

“Yes, but don’t you mean
someone
?” I countered.

She giggled a bit. “
Someone
…
something…
It’s all a blur when your eyes haven’t opened.”

“Maybe I should assist you in making the distinction,” I said as I brushed her silky hair away from her neck and began in earnest to kiss and nibble at the curve of it.

“I still can’t tell,” she playfully chuckled as she spoke in a singsong manner.

“No? How so?” I sexily baited her, lightly running my hand up and down her bare shoulder and down into her ribcage.

“You’re
kissing
me so you could be
a someone
, like my Declan, but you’re also
biting
me so you could be
a something
, like a vampire.” Her giggle carried into a joyful laugh. I couldn’t think of a more pleasing sound—Well, on second thought, yes I could.

I flipped her over and she gave me a huge laughing roar as she looked into my eyes.

“Does this refresh your memory?” I playfully challenged her.
My God
, the face of this woman was one that I could never tire of seeing. I could wake each day for the next thousand years and be thankful that she was the one lying next to me.

“Yes, yes!” she said as she attempted with great effort to catch her breath. “I remember,
I remember
!” she said as she tried to push my fingers away from her ribs. “You’re Declan, my bear,” she continued and she smiled that sweet smile of hers.

“Yes, I am,” I said with mock authority. Sternly facing her and pulling her close, I embraced her. “Don’t ever forget it.”

Hot showers, leisure mornings, and time with Aria were the best part of our weekend. After spending time seducing her and discovering the gratifying delights of having her shower with me, we needed something to eat. Hot coffee and a home cooked breakfast were on the agenda. I promised her that I’d make pancakes from scratch. As she retrieved our cups and poured coffee for us both, we had a knock at the door.

“Are we expecting anyone?” she asked as she walked toward the door.

“None that I’m aware of.”

She returned with a monstrous green plant on a rolling stand.

“What did we do to earn that jolly green giant?” I motioned up and down at the huge, green tropical foliage.

“It appears that it’s yet another gift from your adoring public,” she said dramatically. She pulled the card from the plant, holding it in her hand and waving it toward me.

“Open it, babe”—I motioned—“I’m curious to see who it’s from.”

Shrugging her shoulders, she raised her eyebrows.

“It doesn’t say that it’s from anyone specific. The card just says;
Good luck with your new business
.”

I was concentrating on flipping the pancakes. “Perhaps it’s from a client? It doesn’t say who?”

Shaking her head, she indicated that there was no other information.

“We’ve received some plants at The Studio. We can keep this one here,” I said.

“It would look nice in the living room,” she agreed. “Right over there, by that window. The sunlight would be perfect. Not too much, just enough.”

“Whatever you think, babe. I know nothing about plants.” With that, it was settled. She rolled the bulky flora into the designated place. I had to agree with her; it was the perfect spot. I couldn’t think of another location in the house where the colossal plant would fit. We could view it from where we sitting in the kitchen—it was that large.

The preparation for my tasty breakfast, now brunch, was complete, so I carried our pancake laden plates to the table while she touted the coffee and maple syrup.
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The thought crossed my mind of how lucky a man I was. My former self, before Aria, was so damn superficial; I would
never
have thought such a simple pleasure as breakfast with a woman could make me feel this content. That is, before
this
woman…

Now weekends were my favorite time of the week, spending time, totally uninterrupted with her. The morning had been utterly perfect, waking with her and playfully teasing her. Not needing to rush off to fulfill obligations. Giving her my deliberate, undivided attention and reconnecting with her after having my attentions diverted with business matters all week, she had grown to become the most prized person in my world.

I used to look at my brother and Lacey and know that they “loved” each other, but I never before understood what others described to be the feeling of love. Loving Aria was teaching me every day to see a world outside of myself. I realized now how selfish and narcissistic an existence I had previously lived. I used to hate being inconvenienced and I trivialized the wants and needs of others. If it didn’t matter to me… then it just didn’t matter. That’s what being in the
“Perfect”
world had done to me. I cared about
me
and what everyone saw when they looked
at
me, instead of developing the interior of the man that I should have been. I take one look at Aria and I know that I’m still selfish and possessive, but this time, it is of
her
. It matters to me if she doesn’t share her wants and needs, and it angers me when she trivializes how important she is to me.

She taught me the things that would develop the heart inside of me. That was all that mattered. She showed me what reward there was in giving your heart to the one person you thoroughly loved; how you would always get back abundantly more than you gave. Aria lived those words in a profound way, every day. That was what made her excessively beautiful, in my eyes. Quite honestly, I didn’t give a shit about what the world thought of me anymore. Loving her had become my priority, and the more I made her my priority, the more confidently she displayed her love for me.

Eating pancakes was such a simple pleasure and I wasn’t hearing a word she was saying. I was just looking at her sweet face. I know I should be tuned in to every word, but sitting across from her and watching her perform the simple task of lifting a fork, I have the most unbelievable feeling of possession and protection I have ever known. I now fully understood how Carter felt about Lacey. I’d still be the doubtless, self-centered, son of a bitch I was, if I hadn’t seen this woman on the beach.

I have to smile at myself as I fix her another cup of coffee—if that’s what you can call what she drinks. Two years ago, if anyone would have predicted what I’m doing this morning, I would have laughed in their face.

Aria told me that she didn’t initially like it when I said she was beautiful. She is
indisputably
pretty, by the world’s standards and by mine, but she doesn’t see herself that way. Because of how sincere and genuine a person she is, I have come to look at her as the most
perfect
example of beauty. In what she sees as her flaws, I see as her strength. They only add to the love I see in her. What she, at times, thinks of as her negatives, I can only see as positives.

“What do you think, bear?”

Shit. She caught me.
“What? I’m sorry, beautiful. I was lost in thought,” I said. I gave her my best boyish smile, hoping to get away with being so inattentive.

“Really?”
She cocked her head at me, snickering. “Did you hear
anything
I said?”

“Um, No…” I hung my head in mock shame.

She just smiled.

“You’re a
mess
, you know it?” She pointed her fork at me, indicating that I wasn’t, mentally, all present. “…
but
you make great pancakes,” she said, rewarding me with her smile that reminded me, again, what a lucky man I am.

Now it was my turn to smile.

Out on the side street, sitting in her rented car, Marisol made the minor adjustments to the listening device that she purchased from the electronic store. The salesman assured her that she’d be able to eavesdrop on conversations, if that was her goal. She was losing patience with the private investigator, Mr. Richards. He reported Declan’s comings and goings, and now she had him keeping tabs on when Aria came and went from the house. She was displeased with his information as most of it was useless. He was beginning to behave in a manner not to her liking. He acted suspicious of her motives, and she was not one to be questioned. If he wanted to keep his job, he had better take her direction. Then again, he was handsome. Perhaps she could persuade him in other ways to do what she wanted…
TTT

As for this little bugging device, it did appear to function quite well. She could hear Declan and Aria clearly, though nothing they were saying was of much importance. She had a little time to listen in today, and would do so whenever she was in the area, and as she pleased.

Marisol planned to make herself a more frequent visitor to The Studio. She was, after all, a
supermodel
. She had a plan to bring Declan back to his senses. His judgment had been clouded since he met the beach girl, and Marisol decided that she’d be the one to bring Declan back into the real world.