Page 5 of Pleasing Him

“I know what you’re thinking,” Lily says in a straightforward manner. “You think I’m full of bullshit.”

My blue eyes snap to her.

“Now I think you’re getting it.”

Lily’s not put off in the least.

“But see, that’s why artists are misunderstood,” she argues. “We’re trying to express ourselves, but others see us as misfits and nuisances. But we’re not! Graffiti is a totally legitimate medium of expression, and there are examples housed in premiere museums. Have you ever heard of Banksy, Lionel? He’s a famous graffiti artist whose works have gone to auction for millions of dollars.”

I shoot her a pointed look.

“In fact, Ihaveheard of Banksy because I own one of his works. I bought it last year, at Sotheby’s.”

Lily looks genuinely startled.

“You did?” she stammers. “Which one?”

“It’s a famous one,” I drawl. “It’s calledLove is in the Bin.”

Lily’s brown eyes go wide and she lets out a choked gurgling noise.

“You ownLove is in the Bin?”

“I do,” I say in a smooth tone. “It’s hanging in my office at home. I suppose you’ve never been inside my office, but it’s there, in all its shredded glory. In fact, I had to have special temperature and humidity controls installed in my office to make sure the artwork retains its integrity.”

“My goodness!” Lily gasps, her eyes huge now. “Love is in the Binis truly one of the masterpieces of contemporary street art. So you can see the heart-shaped balloon, but otherwise, the rest of the work hangs in shreds, right?”

“It does,” I say in a low tone. “The painting’s partially in tatters, but I guess that’s the point. Banksy was creatingperformance art, and now I have the honor of owning one of his masterpieces.”

“Wow,” Lily breathes, blinking at me. “I had no idea.”

I stare at her pretty features, especially her lush pout.

“But that’s the problem. You have no idea about anything, and that’s why you’re in hot water today. You’ve defaced the school’s property and forced me to leave a very important meeting to deal with your bullshit. Give it to her, Principal Pontillo,” I rasp. “Tell Lily what’s coming her way.”

“Well actually, we haven’t decided yet,” the portly man says, hemming and hawing while breaking out into a sweat. “This was all so sudden that we haven’t decided—”

I cut him off, fixing the brat with a harsh stare.

“You’re suspended,” I growl. “You’re staying home for two weeks to think about what you’ve done. You won’t be leaving the house, and in fact, I have half a mind to confine you to your room.”

“Now, I’m sure that isn’t necessary—” the principal begins, but I ignore him. The world has dwindled down to me and the brat, and it’s a clash of the wills.

“You will do everything I tell you to during those two weeks, including meditation on what went wrong today. At the end of those two weeks, I will evaluate your mental state, as well as your degree of remorse. Only then, you will be allowed to return to school.”

Lily stares at me, her mouth agape.

“But what about my schoolwork?” she asks in a small voice. “Surely, you don’t want me to fall behind, Daddy.”

I pin her with another hard look.

“You’ll be remote,” I grind out. “We have the pandemic to thank for that.”

Lily opens her mouth to protest again, but I’m already turning to Principal Pontillo.

“Does that work for the school?”

The portly man looks startled, his bald pate shiny with sweat.

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