All We Are

Romance

Cato caught it, shooting her a knowing look and said, "Ah, Fire Cracker, now is not the time for that look. Maybe later, when we don't have appearances to make.  We've got a gallery to get to, shall we?" He outstretched his arm to guide her through the doors and into the car. 

They arrived at the gallery thirty minutes later, the actual showing didn't start until nine but Enya needed to be there to make sure everything was in place and running efficiently. 

When she had renovated this place , she'd knocked out all the walls leaving it all open. She'd made the risky choice to expose the brick here too. She'd worried for nothing because it'd been a hit for critics . 

Tonight the displays were set equal numbers on either side of the walls. Her three pieces she'd had set on the middle so that they could stay together.  There  were a few abstract statues and sculptures on the floor in the middle, leaving plenty of room for the guests to wander and mingle. She'd hired catering for drinks and finger foods and an auctioneer because tonight's pieces were being sold. 

She noticed Cato shoot a look straight at her three pieces. "You could have warned me, Enya."

She'd chosen her two smaller photos of different things, someone smiling  ecstatically as they zip lined down the path at Slade Enterprises, and someone laughing, trying to reign in their fear as they fell off the building. The center piece was what Cato had been referring to, there larger and in black and white stood the candid shot  she'd taken of Cato. He stood, tall and commanding. Fierce pride in his work as he watched everything take place before his eyes. She'd transformed his presence in the photo to something so captivating, it would be hard for the audience to tear their gaze. It'd  been that hard for her. 

"Sorry, I'd wanted to ask you but figured I would surprise you instead. I hope you don't mind?" She said gauging his reaction. It was hard to tell, he was surprised yes, but she couldn't figure out the other emotions taking place. "You don't like it do you?" She felt a little tug on her heart. She'd wanted him to like it. 

"No--I mean, I've just never seen myself look so cold, or calculating. I'm sure whoever buys it will be happy."  He said without emotion. 

"No it's okay, I was prepared for this. I'm glad we came early, I'll have it taken down and put up another piece that didn't sell at the last showing. I didn't realize that to some it would be perceived as cold and  domineering. I see pride, a leader who is proud of what he stands for but not everyone's going to see it that way. I should have asked. " Enya was getting ready to bustle off to find Geoff when Cato caught her by the arm. 

"Leave it. I like it and if that's what you see in this photo then I trust your decision to put it up. You're the artist not me, babe. " he said looking into her eyes. 

"You sure? Because I could take it down and no one would be the wiser. " Secretly she was hoping he wouldn't change his mind. She'd been ready to cry a few seconds ago and she never cried, not over work. 

"Yes , I'm sure, leave it up. I'm sure someone's going to be really happy to see it. " he  looked much calmer.  

Relief swept through her, she really didn't want to put up a piece that didn't match and wouldn't sell. 

The rest of the thirty minutes had been spent checking over everything. The art, the food, the waiters attire, talking about where the auctioneer would do best to stand. She'd finished everything just as the first wave of guests were coming in. Cato had discreetly slipped off somewhere  when she'd gotten down to business but reappeared by her side when it was show time. He gave a light squeeze of reassurance to her hand and when she looked up to smile he winked. 

There were the usual reactions to each piece, some loved them  and some hated them. Some were surprised, some seemed  nonchalant . There was the usual quiet chatter to the air, mixed with a few laughs.  Before Enya realized it was time to start the auction and hers was up first. 

The auctioneer started off his speedy report  and soon the bidding at shot up to ten thousand. "Can I get a twelve-twelve to the gentleman there, thirteen-thirteen,"the number just kept going up, it seemed a lot of people had been taken with her portraits. The number reached twenty-five thousand before too long and that was when Cato had made his move, at twenty-six he lifted his finger to place his bid and again at twenty-eight. 

Enya stood there in disbelief, as he kept up the tug or war with the other guests. When the auctioneer said thirty-five the number of hands dropped significantly. It was just Cato and a woman now vying for the prize. Back and forth they went, soon the bid reached forty thousand and Cato never once faltered. Enya just kept staring as he kept bidding, trying to shake out of it she said his name. He looked over once and smiled before lifting his hand to bid fifty thousand. 

"Fifty-fifty thousand, can I get fifty-one? Fifty one thousand, fifty thousand going once, going twice , sold! You may pick up your piece of art at the end of tonight's auction. Now we're moving on to a piece titled Moonlit Reverie." The auctioneer said bringing the gaffle down to deal the deal. 

The woman who'd been bidding along with Cato seemed a little resenting but ultimately tipped her head to congratulate him for winning. 

"I can not believe you just spent fifty grand on something I could have reprinted for you easily." Enya said snapping out of her stunned stupor. 

"Yeah, well, I don't want there to be more than one copy of my photo out there and I happened to the like the other two pieces but I'm honored that you found me so captivating at a time when we weren't together so I wanted it. It's a piece of you and I couldn't see it go to someone other than me. It's money well spent to me. " he said shifting his shoulders a little, no doubt preparing for a fight with Enya. 

His statement caught her off guard and it surprised her. Smiling she shook her head. She had been prepared to blow up but after what he'd just said she couldn't. "You know Slick, even when you're annoying as hell, you can say some of the most romantic things. " 

It was his turn to be pleasantly surprised, "Here I was preparing for a fight, you surprise me, Fire Cracker." 

"Yeah well, don't be too surprised. I'm not always a cold hearted bitch." She whispered. 

"You've never been cold to me, always a fire. Tempting. There's no ice when it comes to you Enya" he said leaning in just enough to have his lips hovering close enough to touch hers. The warmth of his breath on her lips sent a shiver through her, just like that her sex was moist with want. "There's that look again. As much as I want to take you here and now, and let everyone watch, I'm going to make you wait for it. Just wait for me." He said closing the distant on their lips to give her a soft peck. As soon as his lips touched, they were gone leaving Enya even more hot and bothered. Oh, she was going to wait alright, she wasn't happy but she'd wait and when it was time, she'd give just as much as she'd gotten.