Pictures And Some Memories

Forty Five: Payback

"I swear to God, if he yells one more time, I'm going to tear my hair out," Charlotte grumbled as we stole away from the spotlight for a moment, becoming wallflowers at our own event and sipping another glass of white wine.

"Fuck, you're telling me. He's pulled me away from every interview and interaction I've had tonight – except for when Zack was by my side. I'm nervous that he's gonna see his chance now and try to take it," I sighed in response. "And to think, nearly a year ago I was telling you I wanted to marry Larkin. What the fuck was I thinking?"

"Clearly, you weren't, because you were still smitten with Zack and trying not to show it," Charlotte responded without missing a beat. "Oh, come on, don't give me that look. You were asking me if it was closure you needed while I basically told you that you were still in love with him and you didn't wanna hear it. That's not my fault you can be immensely thick at times."

"Little harsh there, Charles..."

"Am I wrong?"

I shook my head. "I just needed to figure it out on my own."

"Clearly!" she laughed, "It took you what, four months before you made your move! Jesus...."

As if on cue, another reporter approached the two of us and we both plastered a smile onto our faces as the next round of questions began. We leaned into the reporter's Zoom recorder and tried to be a vibrant as possible – however, like a buzzard looking for scraps, Larkin set his eyes upon the two of us having a good time and zeroed in quickly.

I glanced around for Zacky, only to see his back turned as he talked with my older brother and father. By the looks on their faces, they were enveloped in a serious conversation, to which my father kept nodding every now and again as Zack continued on with what he was saying.

Erik, meanwhile, was behind the bar, to no one's surprise. We locked eyes as Larkin approached and he nodded once at me, signalling he was looking out, ready to pounce if I needed. For that, I was eternally grateful.

"Ladies, I do apologize but you'll have to excuse me so Andi and I can talk for a moment," Larkin smiled warmly at Charlotte and the man interviewing us. The reporter smiled back, saying it was no trouble at all, while Charlotte just glared.

Larkin took my arm and lead me away, behind the bar. I cast a worried glance to Charlotte – where she mouthed "I got this" before we disappeared behind the concrete wall, tucked away from the party.

"What is it now, Larkin? What do you want?" I snapped as I crossed my arms against my chest.

He stayed silent, pacing in front of me in the lowlight. His thick brow furrowed, shoulders slumped, the façade of cool coming down in that moment.

"Oh, don't play the silent brooding type now, asshole," I seethed. "You're wasting my time left and right this evening. Pulling me away from valuable clients, asking far too much over the listed price on my pieces, and interrupting interviews with people from the LA Times? Are you fucking joking right now? Either you take this seriously, and represent me like the professional I know your father taught you to be, or you can get the fuck out of my gallery. Choose wisely."

"Who do you think you are, huh?" He growled back, causing me to jump. "No really, who the fuck are you? Just some nobody starving artist, using her friend's for clout. Travelling the world to avoid her problems at home. Shacking up with her high school boyfriend because she's got an unresolved complex about herself. Get a therapist or form a drug habit like the rest of us and grow the fuck up, Andi."

"Excuse me?!" I roared, no longer holding back. "Do you hear yourself right now? Form a drug habit? Are you out of your mind? You're fucking psycho and I can't wait until tonight ends so I never have anything to do with you ever again! Get out of here!"