Reid Maxwell tightened the tie around his neck, his eyes narrowed while he focused on that simple task. He produced a sigh, grabbing his belongings and making his way out of his hotel room. After riding the elevator, a top hat was placed on his hair while the man walked through the streets of New York.
Many people thought he was a strange man, he didn't speak much and didn't express his emotions. He kept to himself and was quite secretive, he just wanted to live his life without any distractions from other people. But there was one person who broke down his walls, his best friend Samuel.
Samual White was a 31 middle-aged man, who looked older because of the evident wrinkles next to his eyes. The man had a Brazilian wife, with three kids and every time, Reid saw him, there was a faint cigarette smell to him. The Zenos family had lived in Brazil a few years back before they moved to Italy and finally to New York. Reid and Samuel have stayed in touch, they considered themselves to be brothers.
After the man knocked on the front door of the townhouse, Cassandra Zenos opened it. He nodded at the wife, taking his hat off and tilting his head down in respect, something he didn't do quite often. "Look at that, Reid being respectful,"
It was obvious the two had their quarrels before but they had finally come to positive terms. He chuckled, while she rolled her eyes and moved her body to the side, gesturing for him to enter. "Now come in boy, Respectful mouths get fed,"
"Uncle!" A small 4-year-old child ran up to Reid, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her for a hug. She giggled, as he lifted her and spun her in the air. He always had a soft spot for her, he was her godfather.
"Athena. I can't believe you still remember me. It's been a while, I haven't seen you since you were," He held up two fingers, and she counted softly. "Two,"
"Exactly," He smiled, just before her two brothers ran up to him, Ares and Adonis. Ares was only 3, and he was the tallest out of all of them. "There are my boys!"
"Hey, Uncle Reid," They both said before running off, probably to finish their game of tag. Reid handed Athena to her mother before he patted her nose with his finger earning a giggle. "Where's your father?"
"Right here, Mr. Maxwell," Samuel Zenos said, while he leaned on the nearest wall. Reid smiled, pulling his old friend a much-needed hug. "Mr. Zenos, it's been a while,"
"Yes, I can see the grey hairs starting to grow on you. What are you doing in New York other than coming to my dinner?" The man said once they broke apart.
Reid ran his hands through his hair. "I'm selling my work to the Mayor for the Gallery tomorrow. His wife is like crazy about my stuff—,"
"Did you just say the fucking Mayor? As in the Mayor of New York?" Samuel asked, his eyes narrowing.
"Samuel!" His wife said while covering Athena's ears who only giggled. "Daddy said a bad word!"
Reid and his best friend shared a few chuckles, but Cassandra just shook her head. "No baby, don't listen to him," She said, patting her back.
"You have all the time in the world to chat. Now come on boys, the kids are getting hungry,"
"The Kenneth Samuels Art Gallery is opening tonight. Exclusive guests can see work from Vincent Van Gogh, Gustav Klimt, Sandro Botticelli, and more. It is even rumored a surprise Artist is showing up—one that is admired across Europe. Can you guess who it is?" The man on the television assured, holding the microphone up to his mouth while standing out the Gallery.
Charlotte handed Reid a bottle of water, watching as people steamed his tuxedo. His hotel suite had been filled with stylists and people who were getting him prepared for his first appearance out in America as the established Reid Maxwell.
"Are you ready, boss man?" She asked while he felt the fingers of the stylist in his hair. "For some reason, I feel nervous... like something is off,"
"The only thing off is the amount of money you've made from this man just in the last two days. You've sold five paintings each at 1 million. His wife must really like you and he must like his wife," She said, grabbing a magazine and sitting down.
Just then, the phone rang and she groaned, throwing her head back. With a few curses, she made her way to it and placed it on her ear. "Mr. Reid Maxwell's Presidential Suite, this is his assistant speaking. How can I help you?"
"Yes, this is Raquel. Mayor Samuels wants to know if there's anything he can do for Mr. Maxwell, before the Gallery,"
"Or anything you can do," Charlotte smirked, her eyes narrowing playfully. "You tryna fuck and you wanna suck. You want my boss to get up all in there, you little freak,"
"Excuse me?" The woman asked, confusion laced in her voice. Reid frowned, his assistant's words entering his ears. "Charlotte?"
"I've got to go," She said, ending the phone call before sitting back on the couch. "It was Raquel and I was just playing with her. Boss, she so has a crush on you. I think you should act on it. I mean, you might grow old and lonely if you don't,"
"I came here to do business, not to find a girlfriend," He said but she just smirked, playfully. "We'll see about that, sir,"
"The famous painter is Reid Maxwell! I repeat Italian Painter Reid Maxwell is finally here! Hundreds of Italians are gathered here to see him walk into the Gallery," A reporter said, trying to speak louder than the cheers from the surrounding fans.
Meanwhile, Reid caressed his beard as his driver parked his car in front of the Gallery, along with all the other expensive cars. He produced a much-needed sigh, adjusting the golden cuff links that had been bought for him. Reid was nervous, something felt wrong.
The chauffeur opened the door for him, his right hand behind his back. Reid stepped out, his polished shoes stepping onto the gravel and his Rolex glistening under the moonlight. He buttoned his tuxedo and waved at the booming crowd.
"Reid, please draw on my hand!" One lady said, but he simply chuckled. Hundreds of people called out to him and he took pictures with as many fans as he could. Before he knew it, his bodyguards guided him into the building and the Gala.
"Mr. Maxwells, no need to show your invitation. You're cleared," The woman at the desk said before her eyes flickered to the crowd outside the doors.
"Uh, sorry about that," Reid said, before making his way into the busy Gala but the security assigned by the Mayor called out to him. "Mr. Maxwell—,"
"You aren't needed," He said and continued walking. His widened as he looked all around the Gala. Gold, Black, and white decorations filled the place, while classical music bounced from wall to wall. Plenty of people were present, looking at the artwork that hung on the wall. Everyone seemed to be wearing the newest designer clothes, this was a Gala for the wealthiest of the wealthiest.
"You must be Reid Maxwell," A middle-aged man said, holding his hand out for him. "I'm Anthony Santiago. A huge fan. It is an honor to meet you,"
"No, it is an honor meeting you, Anthony. Thank you for supporting me," Reid said, shaking the man's hand with both hands and shook firmly.
Meanwhile, Diana Samuels stood still, felicity pouring through her body. Carried in the arms of euphoria, the painting feeding the woman. Her emerald eyes flickered on the Italian art that placed itself in front of her. She wondered who made this, it was unlike anything she had seen before. It was better than all the paintings in her manor alone— all of Reid's paintings.
For the time being, Reid Maxwell stood in his gates, nervousness filling his eyes. Hands in the slits of his noir trousers. Brown eyes bounced back and forth between the pictures and the rest of the population in the gallery. But his eyes wandered between all personnel until they landed on her dulcet figure before his lips parted.
With the slight movement of her head, the opposite eyes met once again. The color of the world failed to keep its saturation, yet none of them seemed to notice. They were both stuck in this limerence. Their eyes spoke plenty of conversations.
He told her he glorified the idea of painting her lissome skin with his lips. From between the valley of her sumptuous breasts to her opening. The clash of their skins, the bodies participating in the surreptitious affair that threatens to rise between the two.
If only.
If they were to conflate, it would be so unchallenging. So Serene. And both the anthropoids would cognize that concept soon enough. He hadn't had many dalliances, but when he spotted the goddess, he felt his world dissolve. Passion consumed the two, passion obliterated the two, passion birthed the two.
His yearning was ephemeral the moment she had decided to plant her feet in his realm, unbuild his walls and imprison the king that sat on his throne.
Once he stood next to her, he looked up at the painting she was looking at, her alluring perfume instantly entering his nose. How much he had missed her scent.
"It's a very marvelous piece, took me 14 hours," His sultry voice suddenly entered her ears, as his Rolex glistened under the dim light. The Samuels froze, feeling her throat tighten and her shoulders tense. He turned to her, his tongue grazing the scars on the inside of his mouth.
"The clashing of their bodies, the longing of the connection of their souls," He mumbled taking another sip of his champagne that had been handed to him. Diana refused to turn to him and before he knew it, his eyes traveled down to her body.
She had matured since he had last seen her. He was impressed, he didn't think she could be any more beautiful than she was in high school but she was. The dress she wore clung to the sides of her body, highlighting every curve that she wore. He felt the insides of his mouth water at her legs but when he noticed how pale they were, he narrowed his eyes. When was the last time, she took a break from work and went on vacation?
She slowly twisted her head, her eyes bouncing across his perfect skin. His long hair had been gelled back, and his arms were larger. She noticed he had been growing a beard, and he was taller than he was in high school. The first buttons on his shirt were unopened, exposing his newest chest tattoos, the ones she had never seen before. He wasn't one to always care about his appearance yet somehow managed to always look prestigious.
"Do you fancy it?" He pulled the side of his lip up, offering a smirk. When she opened her mouth, Kenneth walked toward them, placing his hand on his wife's back. "Mr. Maxwell, there you are. Your talents are impressive, you should be proud of yourself,"
"10 years of practice truly get you somewhere," He said, as Kenneth nodded, playing with the details on Diana's dress. Reid would be lying if he said he didn't notice it, confusion building up within his veins. Something was up. "I see you've met my wife, Diana,"
There it was.
The man's grip around his glass tightened, Diana was married? He tapped his polished shoe against the marble slightly, this was a new tactic that helped him escape from his anger. Mayor Samuels was a man with blond hair, colored eyes, and a decent smile. He wasn't as tall as Reid and he didn't act like him at all, so how could Diana fall in love with someone completely different from The Maxwell?
How could he not know about them? Was it because he only searched 'Diana Kingsley' on google and she didn't exist anymore? Diana Kingsley was now Diana Samuels. He should have known something was up when there stopped being news articles about Diana Kingsley a few years ago.
There was nothing similar between the two. Reid liked to ride motorcycles and paint whenever he could. He didn't mind a quick weed session. They were crucial.
On the other hand, Mayor Samuels liked to take the prestigious cars to Sunday Service. He liked to visit children in the hospital and read them stories, he also liked donating large funds to charities. Sure Kenneth was the ideal man, and everyone in New York practically praised him for his beneficial practices, he just wasn't Reid.
Did this Ken doll make her feel the way he did, was their love replaceable? Even though he wanted to choke this motherfucker, he knew how important it was to have control.
"She's quite the catch," Reid mumbled, his lips pulled into a smirk, while he shook his head. Diana felt her throat tighten as millions of memories flooded into her mind. Her eyes threaten to produce tears, she wanted this to be over already. Even after all this time, she still couldn't think in the presence of him. Sure, she moved on and now she loved another man, but it didn't stop the nerves from dancing.
"This is one of his paintings, right here. I thought it would mean so much to you since you love his work," Kenneth said, pointing to the painting in front of them. Reid clenched his jaw, realization hitting his mind. No wonder the Mayor's wife was obsessed with him—he dated her in high school.
"Yes, it's quite nice," She said, earning a smile from her husband. Suddenly, he received a phone call and excused himself from the pair. She pressed her lips together, her eyes traveling back to his painting. With a gentle motion, she began to walk off, her eyes still locking on the paintings on the wall. "You're married?" She heard.
"I met someone," Diana simply said, Reid's eyes traveling to the sparkling ring around her finger and he took a much-needed sip of his champagne. He never knew she married the Mayor of New York City. It must have been a very private wedding because he it wasn't in the news and he wasn't invited. They stayed in silence, chills traveling down their skins.
"You've got a southern accent," He mumbled, as she raised her right eyebrow. "I lived in Georgia for five years, I didn't know I still had it,"
"It's still there," He said, handing his champagne to a waiter. Despite, his presence, she still kept her gaze in front of her. Maybe, it was because she was intimidated. After all, she knew he had the power to make her weak again.
"I tried to see you over the years but you never responded. Tried calling, and texting, but when I realized you changed your number, I sent you emails. I even invited you to the Galas I hosted-," He said, caressing his beard.
"I was busy," She said, moving her purse closer to her body. Reid didn't understand it, was she scared of him? Why was she acting as if they didn't love each other? Did she remember the past they shared?
"You look beautiful, Diana. I'm glad I got to see you, maybe we can catch up over some drinks?" He said, caressing his beard with his fingers. Finally, she faced him and raised her chin. As much as she wanted that, things changed.
"I think it's best if we don't. I should get back to my husband. Congratulations on your expansion," His eyes watched her as she walked away, swaying her hips side to side. She was still the same old confident woman he had met in high school, nothing changed about her in the last 10 years. She still played with her fingers when she was nervous and scrunched her nose up when she was confused—he recognized the familiar mannerisms.
Over the years, plenty of women gave him everything he needed, support and amazing sex but there would be late nights when his mind traveled to the certain blonde. He tried to suppress it over the years but her presence reminded him he was still madly in love with her.
"Fuck,"