Page 5 of Champagne Nights

“Sure. It’s nice. Why don’t you take a picture and send it to her?”

“Nah. I thought about that, but I want it to be a surprise. You know, for when she comes back from Minnesota. A little ‘I missed you’ gift.”

“She’s only been gone a week.”

“I know. But for us, that’s a long time apart.” He arched his brow. “I think she’ll like it. I’m going to track down the artist and make her night.” He smiled.

Charles and I had been best friends since we were ten when his family moved into the townhouse next to mine. His parents owned a couple of dry cleaners, which did very well until his father developed a gambling problem and lost everything, including the family home. Charles didn’t let it affect him. He was in college at the time, getting his financial degree, and after he graduated with honors, he went to work as a financial analyst on Wall Street. His girlfriend, Lexi, was a nurse in the ER at Mount Sinai Hospital. They met the night I brought him in after some guy beat the shit out of him for hitting on his girlfriend. In Charles’ defense, she left out the fact that she was there with someone. That was over two years ago, and he and Lexi have been together ever since. As for me, I loved women, and I used the term lightly. I loved their bodies and the pleasure they gaveme. That was about it. I couldn't care less about their feelings, jobs, life, or what they liked to do in their spare time. I was a user, and I used women for what I needed, craved, and what they could do for me. They were a tension reliever. Some people did meditation, did yoga, listened to music, or took pills. Not me. I had sex. Hard, fast, and rough.

I stared across the gallery at the woman I almost knocked over. She was still standing in the same spot, staring at that painting.

Chapter Three

Aubrey

I didn’t realize I was standing so close to him because I was too focused on his scent, which drew me in. A woodsy smell with a mixture of moss, amber, and a touch of spice. Clean, refreshing, intoxicating. A scent that somehow pulled me from my senses. Standing in the same spot, I held the wine glass in my hand, and as soon as I brought it to my lips, the same scent filtered through the air.

“Hello, again,” the familiar low voice from earlier spoke beside me.

“Hello.”

“You’re still standing in the same spot, staring at that painting. It must intrigue you.”

My lips gave way to a small smile. “A painting can tell a thousand different stories to different people.”

“You think so?” he asked.

“Tell me what you see when you look at it,” I spoke.

“Well, I see a woman standing at the shore of the dark ocean water underneath a gray sky filled with dark clouds.She’s looking up at the small streaks of light coming down and glistening over parts of the water.”

“What else?” I asked.

“The sand is dark in color except for a lighthouse in the distance, casting its light and lighting a path in the sand.”

“And what does this painting say to you?”

“Honestly, I haven’t got a clue,” he said. “What does it say to you?”

“It says that even in a world of darkness, you will always see light.”

“That’s pretty deep. I can see the artist is very talented and inspirational.”

“Yes. She is.” I smiled.

Ethan

Her voice was soft and angelic. She was beautiful, and I wanted to get to know her. But only small details so I could bring her to the Plaza and fuck her senseless.

“I’m Ethan Klein.” I extended my hand to her.

“Aubrey Callahan.” The corners of her mouth gave way to a shy smile as she placed her hand in mine.

The feel of her soft hand caused my cock to twitch. Enough of a twitch, I had to place my left hand in my pocket to keep it calm.

“There you are,” Charles said as he approached me and placed his hand on my shoulder. “I bought the painting for Lexi. She’s going to be so surprised.”

“Charles, this is Aubrey Callahan. Aubrey, this is Charles St. John.”

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