Grey Matter

Chapter Twenty - Fine Arts Society

The next day I tried my best to avoid interactions with Armadio. I walked into the gallery and went straight to my office. I didn't even acknowledge him in the meeting on tonight's Gallery function.

"Serena, how do you feel about the hors d'oeuvres list for tonight?" Kendall asked me as I inspected everything for my checklist.

"I love it. I'm excited to taste the crab one." I giggled as I checked two more boxes on my list.

"Wonderful!" Kendall muses as she gently squeezed my shoulders before sashaying over to the men arriving with the crates of wine.

"Everything okay?" Armadio appeared at my side, half-startling me.

"Everything's fine." I say simply, returning my attention to my checklist.

"Are you sure? You haven't said one word to me all morning." His brows come together and concern covers his face.

"I've just got a lot on my mind is all." I sighed. 

"I've upset you." It wasn't a question from him.

"You upset Sebastian. He wasn't the happiest when I got home from drinks with you yesterday and honestly I don't blame him. It wasn't a good look on my part and I'm ..." I paused to look at Armadio whose amber eyes bore into mine.

"You're trying to distance yourself from me. Serena, that's absurd. We're friends. You can't have friends now?" He scowls.

"Armadio, it's not like that." This is exactly what I wanted to avoid. "I just think our 'friendship' means a little more to you than I want to let on."

Armadio's brows come together as he eyes me cautiously.

"Serena..." He starts to say, though I continue.

"Tell me I'm wrong?" I challenge and his face falls.
"My point exactly. I have work to do."

Without another word, I dismissed myself and made my way back to my office. I'm so occupied by work the rest of the day, by the time I look up at my wrist watch it's six o'clock. The networking function would be in thirty minutes.

I closed my laptop and spun around in my swivel chair to retrieve my garment bag that held my dress for the evening. The dress was a cobalt blue, high neck, halter dress. There was a thigh high slit up the left side of the dress that, before today, may have worried me that maybe it showed a little too much skin. Though, once I glided out my office into the sculpture showcasing hall and caught sight of Portia's slinky black number, my hesitation disappeared.

The evening had started going as planned. Though Armadio was no where in sight. Neither was Sebastian...Where the hell was he?

"Serena, that dress is gorgeous!" Asha muses as she and Oliver make their way through the crowd towards me. Asha wore a black, one-shoulder

"Asha! Oliver! Thank you both for coming." I giggled as I hugged the both of them.

"Of course! We wouldn't miss it." Oliver flashes me a dimpled smile. "Where's Darkbloom?"

"I think he's running a little late. I didn't get a chance to call him yet." I sighed, fishing through my small, black clutch purse to retrieve my phone. "I'm sure he'll be here soon. You guys go mingle and get some drinks."

"Alright, girl. Larsa is on the way, she got stuck in traffic." Asha informs before I nod and slip away to call my absent boyfriend.

He answers on the third ring, "Hey, baby. My meeting ran over, I'm leaving now."

"Oh. Okay, well I was just calling to see if you were good. I was a little worried." I informed.

"I like that you were worried about me." He chuckles through the phone. "That's cute."