The Artist's Wife (BWWM)

Chapter 24~ Me

The tall man was handing over a green drink which I suspected was one of those health shakes to a woman with bright red hair dressed in a leather miniskirt. I paused for a full ten seconds to stare at her, trying to remember why she looked so familiar. The recognition came a second before her icy blue eyes locked on my brown ones.

Rita.

The redhead Gerard was working on nudes with. I couldn't believe I actually thought he was screwing her. Someone that wouldn't even look at me perversely. Rita had obviously wanted me to believe they had something going on and I hadn't seen her since the day I threatened to give her a tattoo with broken glass (a threat I was guessing she took very seriously) and I had the sudden urge to know if she and Gerard were still working together.

I didn't want to ask him though.

"You," she sneered, her red brightly painted lower lip curled unpleasantly at me, as if I was I was a nasty piece of gum she found wedged underneath her new Jimmy Choos.

"Me," I said back, trying to inject some cheeriness into my voice all in a bid of trying to annoy her. I placed an order for my smoothie and turned to her again. "So nice to run into you here, darling."

"You think you're so perfect."

"I never did say that but if that's what you think, I guess I have to say thank you, honey." This time I didn't have to force the cheeriness, it just came naturally.

"I hate you," she spat out, clutching her smoothie so tightly that I would be surprised if the cup didn't get damaged. "I hate you so much."

"It's a mutual feeling, sweetheart."

"Go to hell."

I noticed the tall man's eyes dart between us and flicker to the telephone on the countertop like he was ready to call security the moment we started any trouble. With the way things were escalating, I was worried about making a scene too, I was a public figure now, I couldn't go about fighting.

"Karina Coletta Hammond," she pronounced my full name sweetly with pure venom dripping off each letter, hatred seeping out in waves. "There are many ways to destroy a woman." Her voice turned low and I didn't know whether it was my imagination or her eyes dropped onto my scar, on my left forearm. "Especially women with secrets."

As if reacting to her words, my scar stung and I felt her eyes sear holes into them. What the hell? I pulled down my rolled-up sleeves and attempted to put on the fake smile I was so adept at using, it was default mode.

"Go deep fry your ovaries, Rita."

She lifted her straw to her full, lips brightly painted in what I could guess was hooker red #21 and sucked slowly, taking her sweet time. She looked like she knew something I didn't and was clearly enjoying that fact. I was uncomfortable, really uncomfortable.

"Sometimes, a little digging is all it takes to uncover the dirty laundry." She batted her artificial lashes, flipped her hair and sashayed off.

"Tell Gerard I'm always available for him. He still has my number, he can beep me anytime," she catcalled over her shoulder before exiting with a walk so graceful that it would make runway models shed precious tears.

I collected my banana and blueberry blast smoothie from the thin man and rushed out to meet Lance who now had a wary look in his eyes. He could tell that I looked disturbed.

"What happened this time?"

I chose to ignore the sarcastic tone he had used. "Did you see the redhead that came out now? She was wearing a leather mini--"