Falling in love with another woman's husband (BWWM)

New Beginnings

New Beginnings 

(Avery's POV) 

My name is Avery Jessica Lynn and I am a 28-year-old black art gallery owner, and every time I say those words I feel accomplished. See not only am I an business woman, but I'm also Black so now I am defeating the odds twice. I own an Art Gallery in Downtown L.A. called "The Garage", instead of having a traditional art gallery I chose to do things a little differently, more edgy.  I own a huge warehouse that looks like a garage, and I have paintings hanging from the ceiling and live entertainers playing their music as you view the art, I even have an open bar available. Some times we have painters come in and do live paint shows, it's really a hands on experience for people to come and join in on. 

Every since I was a little kid I have been in love with Art, all forms too. Painting, poetry, singing and interpretive dance, it all amazes me. Which is why I opened up my own place so people who are creative could come and be themselves, freely and be appreciated for it. 

I walked into my office and plopped my butt in my cushioned chair, soon after my best friend and assistant Eva walked in. I smiled at the spunky short Latina with long curly red hair in front of me and said "What's up?" She walked her way over to my desk and sat down and said, "Okay so you know how you've been saying you want something new added to this place? Like you want a fresh face to put out there and see new art? Well, my boyfriend, Raymond has a friend named Parker and he is an up and coming artist, and I think it would be perfect for us to us him as a feature. His work is really popular." 

I smiled at her and said "Do you have any of his work to show me?" Eva laughed and said "Ohhh yea... Right, yeah it's right here." She handed me printed out pictures she took of his paintings, I looked at each and examined them. One of the pictures was completely blue with black shading, and in a very subtle almost invisible shading you see a girl in the middle of the painting. It looked like a ghost, like her presence was there, but she just couldn't be seen by most. I let out a sigh and said "This... This is breathtaking... I need to meet this up and coming artist, he's got the look this gallery needs." 

Eva clapped her hands in excitement and said, "Okay girl ill text you his address and you can show up whenever, make sure you fix your hair though." I crinkled my face and whined "Why?" She raised her eyebrow at me and said "Because it looks better curly, you look freer like an artist. If your going to talk to an artist you have to look like one, instead of looking like a depressed investment broker." I nodded my head and said "Fine I'll take another shower before I go over, are you sure he want's to be apart of our gallery though Eva? You know some artist can be temperamental and not want to me "Mainstream" you know the true hipsters." She rolled her eyes, smirked and said "I promise! Now go, go ,go I'll take care of things for tonight's show. Just work your Avery magic." I nodded my head and said "I trust you." I grabbed my things and walked out of my office. 

----

I got out of my shower and looked at my kinky ringlets in the mirror and said to myself"So unprofessional, why did I let Eva talk me into this?" When it came to my business, I was serious. I worked hard to get where I am currently and I've always believed in being clean, precise and focused. And yes something as small as wearing my hair bone straight meant a lot to me, normally people pay more attention and think seriously of a girl who looks professional over a girl who looks all over the place. I let out a repressed sigh and started to put my clothes back on, I decided to stay in my business suit to maintain some sort of professional look since my curls were wild. 

I finally received the address to this artist place and headed to there, Eva was so scattered brain sometimes but that is why I love her. Eva is a singer and a very talented on at that, we met in high school and stayed together ever since. She's always been the creative one and I've been the smart business minded one, she helps find the talent and I go get them and make a deal.  I arrived at this apartment style loft, it was so spacious. I turned to my right and saw an art studio, paint was stained on the floors and paints were all around. To my left was a kitchen and open living room and once I looked up I saw a bedroom, there were no walls protecting anything from being shown. The only private part of the entire apartment was the bathroom, I yelled out "Mr. Parker?" 

The bathroom door opened and the tall man came out without a shirt on, revealing his tan muscular 6-pack. My eyes widen and he yelled out "What the hell? Who are you and what are you doing here?" I stuttered and explained "If you put a shirt on maybe I could explain that to you, oh God I'm sorry. This is so unprofessional." He gave me a confused glare and ran to put a shirt on, I could tell he just got out the shower as his hair was still went, but I couldn't really see him because he was upstairs. He came down the stairs and said "Why don't you have any damn walls!" I grabbed my mouth and mentally snapped myself for being so loud and vulgar, he squinted at me and yelled "It's a loft what do you expect?" I then realized why  I came so I stood straight up and said "Sorry can we start over. My name is Avery, I am friends with Eva who is Raymond's girlfriend. I am a gallery owner and she showed me so of your work and I was interested in showing some of your art in my gallery. Eva was suppose to let you know I was coming over to talk to you, I didn't know you were unaware of my visit and I am terribly sorry."  I then finally really looked at him and man he was handsome, he had jet black wavy hair that was tucked behind his ears and he had pure light brown eyes almost hazel, he had a chiseled jaw line and five o'clock shadow, and perfect olive completion. I snapped myself out of it and he said "You gallery owners I tell you, so proper and politically correct. Well this is a first time someone has barged into my house uninvited and yelled at me for not having walls." I titled my head back and sighed and explained "Sorry for being unprofessional, I normally never function in this matter. I was just caught off guard." 

He let out a smile revealing his beautiful pearly whites and shrugged his shoulders and said "It happens, so tell me what is the name of this gallery?" I let out a shy smile and said "The garage, we perform live shows, and display art, all kinds, all genres." He nodded his head and said "And why does your gallery deserve to be the first people to see my artwork displayed?" I could tell he was one of those temperamental artist, I knew I needed to take the aggressive approach. So I walked over to his studio without his permission and pointed to a piece hanging on his wall and said "That, that is why you need to be displayed in the garage. We don't want cookie cutter pieces, we want real pieces and real art and that's what I see when I see this painting. It's a painting of the woods and most of the detail is surrounding the woods and the tree's but I bet people pay no attention to the shadow in the woods do they?" His eyes widen and he looked shocked that I noticed the discreet underlying detail of the painting, I continued "This shadow is lurking the woods, and most people want to pay attention of whats around the woods not what's inside." He held his hand on his chin like he was thinking about my breakdown of the picture and he said firmly after clearing his throat "I'll let you display my art if it means you get out of my apartment, or should I say my wall-less loft."

I nodded my head and said "Okay, deal. I will have Eva reach you with a contract and dates for shows." He just stared at me blankly and I endured a few moments of awkward silence before saying "Okay, thank you. Nice meeting you. Sorry for intruding."  I reached out to shake his hand and he did not return the favor, instead he walked right back upstairs. I rolled my eyes and walked out of his apartment and said "Temperamental artist." 

----

I walked back in my office and Eva came rushing in with excitement and said "How did it go!" I rolled my eyes at her and said "You could have told him or me that I was coming, he had no clue who I was or what I was doing there." Eva looked extremely confused, and said "Huh? What on earth are you talking about? I told him you were coming and he had already signed the contract before you even got there, he said he just needed to meet you and see who he would be working with?" I smacked my forehead confused as ever, then yelled out "He played me! What a jerk. Look Eva, I don't know if I want to work with him." Eva hit my arm and said "Oh stop it, he's talented and he's what the gallery needs. A fresh face, and a fresh look. He is the new beginning for the garage."