True Love (Volume 4) (Now and Forever) (2 page)

Emily grinned and lowered her head. "I don't know, Alex."

"Come on, it’s one burger at the lake, just like old times. I will even call Eric and ask for his permission."

Emily laughed. "Can I call you later? Do you have the same number?"

Alex nodded. "Call my cell phone. I need to head back to the gallery for the rest of the afternoon. You should swing by and see how it has evolved since you helped me design it."

Emily nodded and Alex opened the
car door for her. "Talk soon."

He walked
back to his car and leaned into his seat. He wanted the night to be about closure, plain and simple. He needed to move on with his life and wanted to take the opportunity since Emily was in town.

He
tried to clear his head and headed back towards his gallery. As he walked through the front door, he noticed a woman standing alone at the far side of the main room. He walked over to his reception desk. “Who is that, Beth?”

“I don’t know, Mr. Smith. I asked her if she needed any help but she said she just wanted
to have a look around.”

Alex stepped away from the desk and slowly walked towards the mysterious lady. She had her back towards him but he could tell that she was in
great shape. She wore high heels that defined her beautiful long legs. She wore a black pencil skirt with a light blue blouse. Her blond hair was pulled up into a loose bun that sat on the back of her head.

Alex continued to walk towards her as she turned around. She softly smiled at him. He was immediately drawn to her piercing blue eyes. “May I help you with something?” Alex asked.

The woman smiled at him. “I just happened to drive by the gallery and wanted to stop in and have a look around.”

“I’m happy that you did. J
ust so you know we have a wonderful show that starts tomorrow night featuring the work of Eve Matthews. I also have a few assistants that float around to answer any questions or to provide you with pricing.”

She smiled at him playfully. “So, y
ou don’t want to help me?”

Alex couldn’t help but think that she was flirting with him. “I would love to help you.
What would you like to know?”

“
Nothing right now but I’m in town for the next few days. Any suggestions on what I could do in Buffalo?”

“What brings you into town?
That may be helpful to me to point you in the right direction.”

“Business, I’m trying to see if
Buffalo is a good fit for me.”

“Well, I hope we don’t disappoint you,” Alex paused as he
started to get lost in her eyes. “We have a wonderful theatre district if you are into musicals or plays. My biggest suggestion would be to check out the restaurants. We have something for all tastes. But, I will let you finish your tour of the gallery. By the way, my name is Alex Smith and I’m the owner. Just ask for me and it would be my pleasure to guide you through any of the rooms.”

“Thank you, Mr. Smith. I look f
orward to seeing you again soon and thank you for the suggestions.” She smiled, walked around him and entered one of the smaller exhibit rooms.

Alex took a deep breath and smiled.
It had been a long time since a woman had made his heart skip a beat. He headed back to his office and found Becca waiting for him. She was behind his desk but he thought nothing of it. She quickly moved as he entered the room.

“Mr. Smith, I have some news that you may find interesting.”

Alex continued his desk. “What’s going on?” he asked as he removed his jacket and placed it on his chair.

“I have some friends who really pay attention to the latest artists and who
will break through. Have you heard of Emily Mason?” she asked curiously.

Alex stopped signing his paperwork on his desk and looked up at Becca. “What about her?”

“I know you have a painting of hers
in your personal collection. Well, my friend said one of her paintings just sold at a gallery in Denver for over $500,000. They said it will put her on the map. We need to try and get her next show but I think she shows her work at the gallery down the road, right? I hoped since you have so many connections that you knew her.”

Alex took a deep breath and
closed his eyes. “Yes, I know her but I don’t know if she would be interested in working with us. I’m sorry Becca.”

“I don’t understand, Mr. Smith. This would be a great opportunity for us. Can I ask why she wouldn’t work with us?
You are a well known pillar in this industry.”

Alex took a deep breath and muttered,
“Because she’s my ex-girlfriend.”

Emily called
Alex around five in the evening and agreed to have a small meal with him. Alex sent his workers home and locked up on his way out. He shed his suit jacket and undid his tie.

As he pulled into the parking space
at the local restaurant, he noticed how busy they were already. He loosened his shirt collar as he walked towards the bar area. He noticed a group of younger ladies look his way as he continued through the crowd. He wasn’t fazed by any of that anymore.

He spotted
Emily as she leaned against the outside patio railing. He walked up next to whispered in her ear. “Good evening.”

Emily smiled up at him. “Hey there,
how are you?”

“
I’m doing a lot better now,” Alex said as he winked at her.

“Behave yourself, that’s your first warning.” She smirked.

Alex laughed. “Alright, let’s go find a table. This place is crazy tonight.”

They found a table on the outside patio and
started to discuss what had happened in their lives over the past couple of years. Emily showed him pictures of her family and talked about her career. Alex watched as she beamed about how wonderful her life had become with Eric. His heart sunk every time she smiled about her children or her husband. He looked back down at the menu as he heard her stop talking abruptly.

“
I'm sorry. I shouldn't talk about my life so much. Is there something I can do to help find you happiness because I can’t stand to know that you are lonely?”

Alex chuckled. “You don’t have to feel bad
for me. I just never experienced closure with you and I think I rushed into the relationship with Sue. My mother set me up with women that she thought I would like,” he paused. “I didn’t. I was in love with you, Emily and the next day you ran into someone else’s arms. You were never in love with me and it’s been hard accepting the truth.”

“That’s not true, Alex. I love
d you a lot.”

Alex shook h
is head. “I have no doubt that you loved me but you were never in love with me. You always belonged to Eric but I can admit that now. It was a long journey to get there but I can understand it and accept it.”

Emily remained quiet for a moment.
“You are probably right.”

“Don’t worry about me, Emily. I just haven’t found the right person yet.” His thoughts drifted back to the myste
rious woman who appeared at his gallery earlier in the afternoon. He kept picturing her eyes and how sexy that messy bun was that sat in her hair. He wondered if he released it, if it would cascade around her shoulders. He definitely hoped that their paths would cross again.

“Earth to Alex, are you there?”

He quickly focused on Emily. “I’m sorry what did you say?”

She chuckled. “I said that you are gorgeous and could have any woman in this bar tonight.”
“Not really into a one night stand. That was for college, not for your thirties.”

Emily laughed. “You make yourself sound so old.”

The waitress placed their food in front of them. Emily quickly asked. “Excuse me, my friend here is feeling in the dumps. You are an attractive young lady, would you date him?”

The waitress barely hesitated. “Hell yeah! He’s hot. All the waitresses are talking about him tonight.”

Emily clapped as Alex blushed and looked down at the table. “Told you,” Emily said as the waitress walked away.

“Can we change the subject, please?”

“Sure, how’s your gallery?”

“It’s wonderful. Actually, I had an interesting talk with my assistant today.”

“Oh, what about?” she asked as she tore into her cheeseburger.

“
It’s about a young artist who made a name for herself in the West. Apparently, everyone wants a piece of her success since one of her paintings just sold for half a million dollars at a Denver art gallery.”

Emily looked up from her burger. “How did you hear about that already?”

“I told you, my assistant has her thumb on the pulse of the art world.”

Emily grinned. “I was shocked when I heard about it. My agent sa
id the phone has been blowing up. I really haven’t given my future a whole lot of thought because of my relationship with Henry. A big part of who I am is here in Buffalo. I don’t want to lose that connection but since he is retiring now, I need to think about where to house my drawings. My agent wants me to do larger cities and get away from Buffalo but I can’t do that.”

“Have you thought about my
gallery? We added on a new wing. We would love to house your work for a period of time.”

Emily looked at him. “I don’t know.”

Alex looked back at her and leaned in closer. He could smell her perfume and tried not to lose his thoughts. “Why not, you know that I would take care of you. You understand how I work and the client base that I have at my fingertips. We may not have worked as a couple but we are a perfect match for this industry.”

Emily nodded
slowly. “You are right but let me think about it. I need to discuss it with Eric.”

“Fair enough,” Alex said as he reached for her hand. “I think that I couldn’t move on
from us because you were exactly what I wanted in a girlfriend; smart, fun, artistic and beautiful. When we split, I never had a final goodbye.” He reached down and lifted her hand to his lips. “You will always be in heart, Emily. But, I understand it’s finally time to move on. I see how happy you are with Eric and your family. Thank you for having dinner with me tonight. It’s nice to have my friend back.”

“I completely agree. I’ve missed you too, Alex.”

They gazed at each other for a short time before t
hey stood up and left the restaurant. He walked her to her truck and opened the door for her. He leaned down kissed her cheek as he heard the catch in her breath and smiled. They both realized that there would always be that electricity between them but they were in a good place and Alex wouldn’t trade that for anything.

“Safe travel
back to Denver and think about my offer.”

Emily nodded. “I will and I will be in touch. Find happiness. Ok?”

Alex grinned and shut her door. Just like that she was gone and he was alone…again.

“Mr. Smith, your two o
clock appointment has arrived,” Becca announced over the intercom. “It’s Mr. Pike, the agent for Eve Matthews.”

“Thanks Becca, I will be right there.” He grabbed his suit
coat and slipped it on. As he approached the bottom of the staircase he greeted the middle aged man that waited for him.

“Welcome to the Lakeshore Gallery, Mr. Pike. I’m Alex Smith.”

“Please call me Steve. I just wanted a quick tour of Eve’s exhibit before the press arrives tomorrow night.”

“Of course, I thought Ms. Matthews
would have joined you today. I looked forward to meeting her.”

“
She will be, she was just finishing up a personal phone call,” Steve explained. “Here she comes now.”

Alex turned his attention towards the
front door as the beautiful blonde from yesterday entered his atrium. He couldn’t believe his eyes. She was more stunning then she was yesterday even though she wore a regular pair of tight fitting jeans, a light beige t-shirt covered with a black blazer. Her hair was pulled back into a tight ponytail and he was mesmerized.

“Mr. Smith, I would like to introduce you to Eve Matthews.”

She smiled at him and reached to shake his hand. “I believe we met yesterday, Mr. Smith.”

He couldn’t help but smile
but before he could speak Becca stepped in. “Mr. Pike, I would love to show you and Ms. Matthews the exhibit. You can follow me this way.”

As she
headed down the hall, Steve followed her, leaving Eve with him. He lightly grabbed her arm before she started to walk away.

“
Why didn’t you tell me, Ms. Matthews?” he asked.