TWENTY FOUR

I feel bad about turning off my days at the last minute, but Romina seems to understand. In fact, she was gracious enough to allow me to keep my original day off in addition to attending the art exhibition. To compensate for the time I'd be missing, I worked hard earlier in the day to make sure I had dinner ready before leaving, as that was one of the major tasks on my to-do list.

Dinner is quick and simple, allowing me to hurry and get ready for my date. Instead of devoting an entire day to cooking something elaborate, I opt for a simple baked chicken and asparagus dish. The entire day has been a blur, and I don't want to get too distracted and ruin dinner because my mind is on getting to Jordan and spending some much-needed time with him.

"Aliyah, don't worry about giving Andrew a bath; I'll handle that tonight." "Go ahead and get ready for your date," Romina says. "You've been on pins and needles all day, and I know you're itching to get dressed."

"Do you think I'm that obvious?" " I inquire, handing Andrew over to her. "I appreciate you being understanding about my schedule. I'm really looking forward to tonight because I've never been to an art exhibition before, and it's on my bucket list."

Romina smiles and lays Andrew down on a blanket strewn with his favorite toys. Her normally perfectly coiffed hair is pulled back into a messy ponytail, and her face is bare, makeup-free. There's no point in putting on make-up if you're going to spend the entire day crying. I've already washed her sheets several times, and I'm having a hard time getting the mascara smudges off her pillowcase. I notice the small bags under her eyes, and I'm fairly certain she's been wearing the same pajamas all day. This is not her usual behavior.

I guess settling things with Jonas is taking longer than I expected.

"I enjoy going to art shows," Romina says. "Jonas and I used to go all the time, but he got so busy with other things that he stopped going." We basically stopped going out and doing anything fun. It's amazing how quickly things can change. You'll have to come home and tell me everything about your date so I can relive my glory days."

Romina's laugh is hollow, filled with regret as she considers where her relationship with Jonas now stands. There's a long awkward silence before I respond.I feel bad about turning off my days at the last minute, but Romina seems to understand. In fact, she was gracious enough to allow me to keep my original day off in addition to attending the art exhibition. To compensate for the time I'd be missing, I worked hard earlier in the day to make sure I had dinner ready before leaving, as that was one of the major tasks on my to-do list.

I guess settling things with Jonas is taking longer than I expected.

Romina's laugh is hollow, filled with regret as she considers where her relationship with Jonas now stands. There's a long awkward silence before I respond.

"Of course," I say, making my way to the stairs before the conversation becomes too awkward. "I'm going to get ready, but please let me know if there is anything else I can do for you."

Romina nods and sits down next to Andrew on the floor. I shake my head at the depressed, disheveled woman and proceed upstairs to my room.

I wish Jonas could see how much he's hurting Romina and at the very least be gracious enough to cut her some slack.

"Of course," I say, making my way to the stairs before the conversation becomes too awkward.

My evening gown is black, form-fitting, and has spaghetti straps. I decide to wear my hair in loose waves that fall over my shoulders and pair it with a simple black pump. I stand in front of my room's full-length mirror to admire my work, and I must say, I look good. That's incredible.

I hope Jordan enjoys it as well.

I check the time and realize I need to hurry up and get to the lobby, so I grab my purse and phone and head downstairs.

"Oh my," Romina exclaims. "Look, Andrew, how lovely your nanny is." Aliyah, you look fantastic. You should ask that mystery man to take you out more frequently so you can dress up."

I flush and run my hand over my dress. “Thanks! Do you think the dress is too small for you? ”

"Of course not," Romina responds. "There is no such thing as a too-tight dress, especially with your body." After all, you want to be the one looking at the art, and you don't want him to be looking at you. I think you nailed it, but let's change that purse to something more appropriate for the evening."

I take a look down at my simple black clutch purse. It's simple, but it was the only one I thought was appropriate.

Romina takes a step forward, carrying one of her more expensive designer bags. "Take one of these." Tonight is a special occasion, and you deserve that extra pop to really complement your look."

For a brief moment, I am taken aback by the Louis Vuitton purse dangling in front of me. I know the handbag is worth more than a month's salary, and I'm not sure I should take it.

"Are you certain?" I inquire, nervously holding my hands out.

"I'm certain," Romina says as she hands me the pricey purse. It's not like it'll get much use sitting next to me, so take it tonight and enjoy."

"I appreciate it so much," I say. "You're right, it really does set off the entire outfit."

The gold chain strap of the Louis Vuitton purse is draped over my shoulder as I take one last look at my improved appearance. I grab my keys and walk out the door after saying my goodbyes to Romina and Andrew.

I'm glad Romina is spending more time with Andrew, despite the circumstances.

I'm hoping that things will work out for Romina and Jonas. At the very least, I hope they can find some common ground for Andrew's sake.

As I reach the bottom floor, my heart pounds in my chest, and I suddenly feel as if I have cotton in my mouth. I've already gone on several dates with Jordan, so I'm not sure why I'm so nervous.

The doors swing open, and there he is, holding a large bouquet of red roses. He's dressed to kill in his custom-fitted clothes, his beautiful dark hair slicked back as usual.

He gives me the roses with a smile. "I never thought it was possible, but every time I see you, you look better."

I put my arm around his and lean in for a long-overdue kiss. "Thank you very much, Mr. Delgado. You're looking good, but you look great every time I see you."

Jordan shakes his head and closes his eyes. "Nothing to do with Mr. Delgado tonight." I need to keep my blood flowing to my brain rather than the other way around. You should at least wait until after the art show, or I won't be able to keep my hands off you."

We exchange another kiss as we walk to the car. As he reaches for the doorknob, Ed smiles and tips his hat.

“Ms. "Good to see you again, Delos Reyes," he says.

I smile as I slide into the car, Jordan right behind me.

"I don't think I'll be able to keep my promise," he says, his voice low and heavy in my ear.

"What promise is that again?"

I ask, sliding my hand up his thigh. "You promised me a spanking, I swear."

He places his hand under my chin and lifts my chin to meet his. "You are correct; I do owe you a spanking." I've got an idea, let's just skip the exhibition and go to my place instead."

"No," I say, slapping his thigh amusingly. "I've been looking forward to seeing this exhibit since you told me about it, but here's a deal: if you can keep your hands to yourself for a couple of hours, I'll let your hands explore as much as they want for as long as they want after that." What do you think about that? ”

Jordan sighs and pulls me in close. "You've got yourself a deal, but I'll just say I'm a reluctant participant in this deal."

I laugh and put my hand back on his thigh, drawing small circles with my fingertip. We arrive in front of the gallery a few minutes later before Ed gets out and holds the door open for us.

"Enjoy your evening," he says again, tipping his hat.

Jordan opens the gallery door for me, and I find myself in a sea of color. The variety of colors and shapes in the room has completely blown my mind. The artist has created sculptures that stand tall in the center of the room, while the walls are covered in large canvases with the same amount of color.

"This is lovely," I say as Jordan moves closer to me, his hand resting on the small of my back.

"You're right, but it's not nearly as lovely as you," he says as he plants a gentle kiss on my temple.

We walk over to a podium off to the side, which has a rather solemn-looking woman standing behind it. She's tall and wiry, with long arms dangling at her sides like tree branches. I try to concentrate on her face, but the blunt-cut wig on her head is slightly off-kilter and completely distracting. Her skin is a milky white color that reminds me of the Japanese geishas I saw in a recent documentary.

"My name is Shanelle, and I'm the sole creator of everything you see in front of you tonight." Everything came from the depths of my creative source, and I'm thrilled to be able to show the world what brilliance looks like at various stages of development. Please look around, ask questions if necessary, and, of course, buy anything that speaks to you."

She hands us a small information sheet with brief descriptions of each piece and directs us to where we should begin our "artistic journey," as she refers to it.

"Well, that was an interesting introduction," I say quietly as Ta'Nelle returns to her seat behind the podium.

Jordan tries, but fails, to hide his smile. "Come on, beautiful, let us see what brilliance looks like while we search for a piece that speaks to our souls."

As we make our way through the crowd, we snicker like a pair of middle schoolers, occasionally glancing at the info sheet for reference. People mill about the gallery, speaking quietly and pointing to the various works of art adorning the walls.

"Do you see anything that appeals to you?" Jordan inquires.

I pause for a moment to look around the room once more. "I like a lot of the pieces in here, but I think my favorite is the one in the corner called Winter's Kiss." Jordan takes my hand in his and leads me over to the corner. "What is it that you like about it? It appears to me to be a woman trapped in a snowstorm, and there isn't a lot of color in this one compared to some of the other pieces."

I stare at the painting, trying to find the right words to express the feelings it evokes. "It's a beautiful tragedy to me, a kind of quiet chaos, in a way. The woman in the painting is surrounded by snow, and the background is completely white. She's the only thing that isn't completely covered in snow. She is, in fact, completely unharmed. She's in this lovely setting, but she's not necessarily a part of it. So, when I look at it, I don't see her; I see the snow and the purity of everything."

"Exactly," Shanelle says as she approaches us from behind. "Most people believe she is the focal point of the piece, but she is actually in the background. The woman, that unnamed entity, is merely a prop in the scene. The snow and the beauty of the landscape are the main characters. You did an excellent job of deconstructing the creative complexities of this piece. Excellent work."

Jordan takes a look at me, then at Shanelle. "We're interested in this one," he says.

"Excellent choice," Shaellen says. "I'll have my assistant come over and handle the details for you," she says, turning on her heels and walking over to a small woman holding a clipboard.

"Did you get that for your Hills house?" " I inquire. "I don't think it's a good idea to hang such an expensive piece in your condo because you're only staying for a short time."

Jordan wraps his arms around me and speaks softly. "I purchased it for you." You mentioned it was your favorite, so I want you to have it."

"Jordan, I thought we agreed not to give gifts," I remind him. "Also, where am I going to put something this large?" Romina has enough art on her walls to open her own gallery."

He kisses my brow and looks at me with those hypnotic gray eyes.

"Remember, you deserve every gift I give you, plus a thousand more." You can keep the painting at my house, which will give you an excuse to come over whenever you want."

I shook my head and kissed his lips softly. "You didn't have to buy a painting in order for me to come over to your house. "You're more than enough of a reason."

Everything Jordan does makes me fall even more in love with him, and I hope this feeling never fades.

"Give me a few minutes to handle the payment and set up a delivery time," Jordan says.

I smile and wait patiently by the front door, taking one last look around the gallery. I'm curious if being an artist is similar to being a chef, especially because both must reach deep within themselves to find that special part that allows them to create. Each dish I make is a meticulously crafted masterpiece that I consider to be a work of art. I should open a gallery showcasing food as art, where visitors can sample each exhibit and purchase recipes for their favorites.

"OK, everything is taken care of, so let's go back to my place and relax," he says, holding the door open for me.

"You and I both know that very little relaxing is going to happen," I joke.

"You are completely correct," he says. "Rest is the furthest thing from my mind right now."

Jordan spins me around to face him, and we stand in front of the building, arms around each other. I'm on my tiptoes to get to his lips, and our tongues greet each other like old friends. We don't notice Eric standing with the car door open until he coughs loudly for the second time. We settle back into each other's arms as we slide in.

"Where should we hang your painting now?" ”

"Is that your painting?" "I think it's more appropriate to call it our painting, because you paid for it," I say.

"No, ma'am, that painting did not speak to me; it spoke to you, so it is unquestionably yours." We could hang it in my telescope room on the wall facing your building, so you could see it from your room if you looked hard enough."

I chuckle and shake my head. "Are you serious, Jordan?" Is that the only place you can think of for it to be hung? You just want me to look into your room so you can accuse me of invading your privacy. Mr. Delgado, I've caught on to your little game."

He grabs my chin and kisses me passionately on the lips. "You've figured out most of my plans, Ms. Delos Reyes, but now I just want to get you home so I can spank you."