A/N: Before you all get started, here's a bitchin announcement: STEALING THE GROOM HAS REACHED 1M READS!!!!!! Guys, I'm freaking the fudge out. This is the coolest thing to ever happen, I am so ecstatic. Okay, sorry. Please proceed.
XXII: Behind Door No.2
IT'S BEEN TWO DAYS. Two whole days I've been able to dodge Cole with excuses. In the meantime, I've repainted the flat, ordered in new furniture, and transformed it into my own private paradise. The living room was one big office space, complete with a lounging area and a big white desk with a brand new computer to match. I'd bought a new bed with its corresponding pieces, because at this rate who knows if I'll have to sleep in my secret place to hide from confronting Cole about Gemma.
The only person who knows about my cave and my plans to officially open my own gallery is Scott. He Skyped me as I was taking a break from decorating the flat and we'd spent hours talking.
I was currently sitting at my desk, a blank journal in front of me taking notes as I spoke to a real estate agent on the phone. He said he had a few places lined up for me to check out, claiming that they were perfect locations for an art gallery. He was going off about price ranges when the buzzer was heard. I quickly excused myself and hung up to open the door.
A delivery man stood outside with a package. Taking it inside, I was shocked to see a label from California. My phone rang, and after seeing it was Scott, I answered.
"Hey you," I said cradling the phone between my cheek and shoulder.
"Did you get it? The online tracker says it should have gotten there by now."
I laughed, "I just received it."
"Wait, hang up. Call me once you've opened it." I opened my mouth to question him but he beat me to it, "Just do it."
"Fine. I'm hanging up now." I smiled to myself as the line went dead and I was left alone on the floor staring at a huge package.
I got a box cutter from the kitchen and sat cross legged again to rip the package open. I gasped when I saw it. There, enveloped in bubble wrap and paper was a frameless canvas. A priceless piece, my favorite of Picasso's Blue collection, lay before me with a note paper-clipped to the side.
Beauty like this one deserves to be seen and admired. I know you'll do well with it.
-S
I am in utter awe, completely stunned silent. Not only had he gifted to me a multi million dollar painting, but he had remembered what I'd said about private collections. I felt so incredibly floored.
I called him back then, and I spent an hour trying to convince him that I couldn't possibly accept such a gift, to no avail. I spent the night there, simply starring at the masterpiece before me, reliving the story of the woman in the painting.
MY PHONE AGAINST MY CHEEK BUZZED, waking me from my slumber. It was a call from Felicity.
"About time you picked up! I was about to file a missing person's report!"
I groaned and sat up, "Sorry."
"Where are you? And don't give me a bullshit excuse because I called Ingrid and she said you've been gone all night."
I sighed, "I'm in my old place back in Brooklyn."
"What--why?"
"I'm evading the inevitable, comfortably in sweats and a t-shirt."
"You've lost me." I stood and wondered into the kitchen.
"Cole has called me a total of fifteen times since I last saw him. I don't want to see him because I'm afraid I'll just blurt out that I saw him with his ex."
"Speaking of Cole, you might want to make an appearance. He's been acting funny these days, real anxious."
I froze and clutched the phone tighter. "What do you mean?"
"I'm not sure if I'm just seeing things, but when I saw him at home he was constantly checking his phone and acting fidgety."
"Must be the guilt, then!" I said bitterly as I poured myself a glass of orange juice.
"Hmmm, not it seems like something more. If I were you, I'd stop hiding. Find out what's going on, Poppy."
We hung up after, and I sat eating breakfast at the bar checking my notifications. I had two recent messages from Cole.
You free to talk?
Pops r u ignoring me
I sighed and jumped off the stool. Time to face the music.
I WENT HOME FIRST. A hot shower and a change of clothes later, I stood outside of Cole's condo trying to calm my erratic heartbeat.
I knocked twice and waited. A second later, Cole opened the door and took out his wallet. "Sorry man, totally forgot to tip you for bringing up the bags."
"Hey," I said softly. Cole froze and looked up to meet my eyes.
"Poppy!" He said a bit too brightly. "W-What are you doing here?"
"You said you wanted to talk. Can I come in?"
"Um actually," he said closing the door a little and leaning his arm against the door jam, "You caught me at a bad time. How about I meet you somewhere for dinner? Maybe even--"
I had stopped listening. Looking over his shoulder I spotted an expensive leather duffle bag and my heart broke in a million pieces. "Who's here?"
Cole swallowed, "N-No one!" I raised an eyebrow, "Look, I get that for some reason you're mad at me for something stupid I probably did but aren't aware of, but I really can't--"
I ducked under his arm and stepped inside to see what he was hiding. My eyes widened as I took in the image of two men lip locked on Cole's couch.
I guess I must've gasped or something because the pair broke apart to eye me with interest. One man stood, radiating power and elegance from every pore and every strand of his salt and pepper hair. He looked me over with undisguised curiosity and walked around the couch in my direction. "Who do we have here?"
I heard Cole sigh behind me. "Poppy, this is my dad. Dad, this is Poppy White."
Cole's dad perfectly disguised his surprise and gently took my hand, planting a kiss to the back of my palm. "Daniel Buchanon."
"Pleasure," I said with a shy smile.
"Pleasure's all ours," the man sitting on the couch said, coming over to us.
Cole rested his hand on my shoulder, "And this is Marc, my dad's partner."
"Marc with a C," the man said with a wink before pulling me into an unexpected hug. "We've been dying to meet you. Ever since we saw the pictures of you two together, I just thought, Marc this is the girl for Cole. Didn't I Daniel? You remember, we were in the kitchen and I was reading PerezHilton when--"
I laughed at the look Daniel gave Marc. "Yes, I remember."
Marc rolled his eyes, "Anyway, my first thought was that you two were definitely one hot tamale couple. Well no, that was my second thought. The first was me lusting after your hair. Tell me it's real."
"It's real," I said and laughed again when Marc sighed in content. "My third thought, of course, was that for a sneaky thief you were one sweet looking one."
My smile fell from my face. "But then I figured that since the press has called me a faggot money leech, they might be wrong about you too."
"So," he said crossing his arms, "are they wrong?"
"What Marc is trying to say," Daniel said with a calm voice, "is that we support Cole and his decisions. He has decided to bring you into his circle for a reason, even after the scandal with Wilhelmina's inheritance."
I nodded respectfully, "Yes sir, I understand."
Cole cleared his throat, "A word, Poppy?"
I let him steer me away a safe distance for Marc's curiously where we could hear him gushing about my accent. "Listen, I know we need to talk about that'll have to wait. Sorry about them, I know they can be a bit much sometimes..."
"Hey, none of that! They're lovely. Never be embarrassed of such loving fathers, Cole. I'd give anything for my father to be so protective of me."
Cole smiled wide, and leaning forward I let him kiss me. "You're amazing, you know that?"
I sighed then and looked down at my feet, "We shouldn't keep them. It's rude."
Cole watched me with confused eyes but nonetheless walked back with me to his waiting guests.
Marc pulled me to sit next to him on the couch, "Alright Poppy, let's hear it. I want to know all about you. Every last detail."
"Oh, like what?" I said hesitantly.
Marc gave me a confident smile, "How'd you two meet? Was it during the whole inheritance fiasco?"
I didn't have to look to know that his eyes were on me. "Well, you see it's a very long story..."
"We screwed in a supply closet," Cole said casually, causing me to choke on nothing and Marc's eyebrows to rise.
"I take it you made a good first impression then, Poppy?" He teased. I blushed bright red and Marc laughed.
"Tell me more. When did you guys become a couple?"
"A couple days ago, actually."
"Did he charm you? I bet he did, he is Daniel's son."
"There was a boat ride," I began. "And Godiva."
"And after about a million attempts, she finally accepted." Cole looked over at me with a loving smile, one I ignored.
I couldn't do it. Every time he smiled or looked at me from there on out, all I could think about was him leaving that restaurant with Gemma Hamilton.
A/N: it's 3 o'clock in the morn over here in Chicago. What time are you guys reading this?