Martine The Beginning (Cruising to Love, The Prequel) (6 page)

look to come from pretty affluent neighborhoods, so there should be pound notes in their wallets, not moths
…”

  Belinda smiled.  Lucas was helping Martine with the project.  Good.  She would have plenty of opportunity to get to know Lucas better.  Much better. 

  She couldn’t get the vision of him sprawled naked across her bed from her mind…it would be fun to have an older lover.  The students were starting to bore her.  But she said none of this to Martine.  Instead, she said,

 
“It’s great that you and Lucas have hit it off and he’s decided to help with the Show, Martine.  He must really admire my work.”  Belinda preened a little. “I’ll have to do him another Scottish watercolour, to thank him.”

  Martine might have been innocent, but she was not stupid.  She could read Belinda like a book. 
“That would be very nice of you, Belinda.  I’m sure Lucas would love that.”  She kept her voice bland with effort.

 
“Did Lucas say what he thought I should feature in any further paintings for the show?” Belinda asked.

 
“Ummm, we talked about that last night.  He thought some more landscapes, since this is a nature group.  He thought that your landscapes would be very marketable to that sort of group.  I agree with him.  How many more can you give me, considering Christmas is only four weeks away, and you’re going somewhere warm for the holidays, aren’t you?”

 
“Yes, we’re going to Jamaica, Mom, Dad, my brother and I.  For two weeks.  I’ll take lots of photos while I’m there.  Maybe I will have time for six or seven more pictures, but that’s about it.  And the watercolour for Lucas, of course.”

 
“We could put that in the show as well, Belinda.  With a sold sticker on it, and then you can give it to him as your thank you after everybody goes home on opening night.”

 
“Great idea, Martha, I mean Martine.  I’ll give it to him with a great big kiss!”

  Martine just laughed.  She hoped Lucas would just turn his head, and receive Belinda
’s lips on his cheek.

 
“I keep thinking how handsome he is, Martine.  I’d love to paint him in the nude…just thinking about him nude makes me hot!”

  Martine smiled.  The thought of Lucas nude made her hot, too.  But the thought of Lucas dressed made her hot, and the thought of how Lucas had touched her, kissed her last night made her burn with fever for him
…

 
“Uh, Belinda.  If I gave you a photograph next week, could you do me a charcoal sketch in time for Christmas?  You’ve just given me an idea for a really appropriate gift for someone special…”

 
“Yes, of course I could.  For you.  I owe you, Martine.  For giving me centre stage here at the Gallery, and for giving me my One Woman Show while I’m still a student.  Long before anyone else would, I know. 

 
“I’d like to do a portrait of you, too, Martine.  Sometime soon. You can wear your clothes, though.”

 
“Thanks, Belinda. I’ll keep my clothes on.”

 
“I only like doing nude men, you understand.”

 
“I understand totally, Belinda.  Nude women don’t turn you on.”

 
“No.  But nude men, well I’ve done five so far, and they’ve all ended up in my bed…”

  Martine was slightly shocked.  Here she was, still a virgin at nearly twenty.  And here was Belinda, with five lovers or more under her belt, and they were about the same age.

  “Eh, do you paint all of your lovers in the nude?”

 
“So far, yes. You can have them for display sometime if you like.”

  The conversation was interrupted by a customer coming in to browse.  Belinda left.

  The time between four and eight dragged.  Martine had two browsers.  She walked around the Gallery, straightening, rearranging.  She realized that she would have to provide access to her own bathroom for her guests at the Gala Opening.  Luckily it was off the first room behind the showroom.  That was the room Martine used as storage and office.

  Hmm.  Maybe, just for the show, they could take the door off its hinges, and open up the smaller room as another viewing area.  And put the bar in there?  She
’d ask Lucas when he came to pick her up at eight.

  She turned to that dreaded job, balancing her accounts. 

  The ledger sat open on the counter when Lucas walked in at half past seven.  She didn’t even have a chance to kiss him when the door

opened again and a young couple came in,
‘just browsing’ they said.  Martine gave them her full attention.  They walked out with a painting.  A small sale.  Fifty pounds.  But twenty of that was for Martine…

  She finally got to kiss Lucas.  He had been flipping through the pages of her ledger.

  Martine showed him the store room, and bathroom, and outlined her thoughts.

 
“Very good, Martine.  I like this idea.  We’ll have to paint the room and the bathroom. White?”

 
“Yes, it has to be white, to match the showroom.  Displays the pictures well.  And the bathroom will look fine white. But I thought maybe a dark color would hide the uneven walls

in there, make it look more like a ladies’
room in an expensive hotel or restaurant.  I’ve only been in one expensive restaurant, and I remember the ladies’ room was painted a deep green, with white woodwork, and flowers…”

 
“Sounds good to me, darling.  It will look less like your own bathroom.  We can have a little table here, bring the bedside table from my bedroom, and pile it with white hand towels.  Have a basket here, for the used towels…and I‘ll hang a rod across in front of your tub.  We can get a nice shower curtain to hang there.”

 
“I’m glad you like my idea, Lucas.”

 
“I like all of your ideas, Martine.  Especially your ideas on pale green lingerie…”

  Martine blushed a deep red.  Lucas laughed at her and bent his head to kiss her very nicely.

  He turned his attention back to the Gallery. 

 
“How many pictures will you have from Belinda?  Did she pop in today?”

 
“Yes, she’s pretty excited.  She’s promised me another six or seven.  So I’ll have about thirty.  That is enough if I’m careful how I hang them.  The Gallery isn’t that large. Although she did mention she will be taking lots of photographs while she’s in Jamaica over the holidays.  Maybe if some of them are good, we could blow them up and use them as well, have a photography section to fill the walls.

 
“And I thought that maybe I could hang a selection of other work in the other room, the one we’re going to paint.”

 
“Yes, and we could paint that battered old desk, and use it as an order desk.  Someone

can sit there, and process the sales and charitable donations. 

  “We’ll move the counter right out, or over by the wall, it takes up a fair amount of space.  Alright for everyday, but if we are lucky and eighty people show up, this space is going to be very crowded.” 

  Lucas looked around. 
“We’ll shove the counter over here in the corner, and use it for the bar.  Keep the desk back there, it will be a little quieter to write up the paperwork.  I’ll do that.  You will mingle, and be beautiful and charming, and make friends with the photographers.  They’ll remember you and when they see you at other people’s openings, they will snap your photo and mention the Gallery.  ’Martine’s Art Gallery of Notting Hill’.  You need to have the new sign up outside before

January 16
th
, darling.  It needn’t be large.  In fact, a discreet, sophisticated sign would be best.”

  Martine smiled at him. 
“I’m certainly getting a lot for my fifty kisses, aren’t I?”

 
“Oh, the fifty kisses just paid for the first day.  I estimate we’re up to at least a hundred and fifty by now.”  Lucas smiled down at her, “By the time January comes, considering I’m going to have to do all this painting for you, you’re going to owe me kisses for the next five years.  Kisses and more, Martine.  Kisses and more…” His voice had become very intimate.

 
“A debt I’ll happily pay,” she told him huskily.

  It was eight o
’clock.  Martine went into her living quarters to get her coat.  Lucas followed her in.  He looked around the bed-sitter and shook his head.  He didn’t say anything, just smiled and helped Martine into her coat, tied her emerald scarf around her neck. He picked up her overnight bag, with the crusty loaf on top.  “We’ll drop this off at my flat on our way, shall we?” 

  Lucas ran up the stairs to his flat and dropped the bag inside his door while Martine waited in the hallway by the front door.  He raced back down to her, and kissed her soundly.

  “Come on, darling.  Let’s go to Alfredo’s.  I think we can manage a litre of Chianti tonight, unless of course, you’d rather have half a litre and then a little brandy at my flat before we go to bed?”

  Go to bed
.  The words sounded so intimate to Martine. Go to bed with Lucas.  “How Belinda

would envy me tonight if she knew
…” thought Martine to herself. 

 
“A brandy sounds lovely, Lucas.”

  They went along to Alfredo
’s.  Gloria greeted them.  She had a warm smiled for Lucas and a frosty one for Martine.  She seated them in a corner table.  “Chianti?” she asked. 

 
“Half litre, please, Gloria.” requested Lucas.

 
“Still keeping it light for the little one here?” Gloria asked, “She can’t have much of a head for alcohol yet, at her young age.”

 
“She does just fine, don’t you, darling?” answered Lucas. “We’ve got a busy day tomorrow, and I don’t want either of us to have a hangover when we wake up.  I’m looking forward to your scrambled eggs in the morning, Martine,” he added.  “She’s promised me scrambled eggs in the morning, Gloria.  I’ve been doing dinners, so it’s only fair she does Sunday breakfast, don’t you think?” 

  Gloria looked disappointed. 
“Does this mean you’re off the market, Lucas?  Taken?”

 
“Afraid so, Gloria.  This red headed little minx has me firmly wrapped around her little finger.” Lucas smiled at Martine, a dazzling smile.

  Gloria sighed.  She
’d have loved to see Lucas smile at her like that.

 
“Spaghetti bolognaise spaghetti with meatballs?” she asked.

  They nodded.  She went off to put in their order.

  “I didn’t tell you how stunning you look tonight, Martine,” Lucas smiled at her across the table. 

 
“Thank you.  Belinda approved as well, when she was in earlier.  She said I should always wear a black dress in the Gallery.  Said I look like a Gallery owner now, not a student.”

 
“Belinda is right.  You look wonderful.  I hadn’t realized what fabulous legs you have, my darling.  And in that black mini and tights and those boots, Wow!  I’ll have visions of your black tights dancing before me when I’m trying to concentrate on my client in Glasgow next week.”

  Martine looked disappointed. 
“Oh, are you going to Glasgow next week?

 
“Yes, he’s one of the two corporations that have me on retainer now. Pays the mortgage on my flat.  The other one pays the office rent and enough left over to feed you.”  Lucas smiled at her.  “I need another client or two to start showering you with luxuries, Tina.  Luxuries like a new winter coat, and some decent heat in the Gallery.”

 
“Dinners like you’ve been cooking me are luxury to me, Lucas.  My coat will do for another year.”

 
“I’m your new silent partner, darling, in the Gallery.  I’m your new business manager.  You have a great eye for talent, and how to showcase it.

 
“I hope you don’t mind, I had a quick look through your ledger. And I see that you are inching your prices up. Good.  But we need to generate more business.

 
“I think the Galas will do this.  And a concentrated effort on your part to get the Gallery name in print every chance you get.  Can’t afford much advertising.  I think we could do a Gala every month, featuring a different artist of course.  How many more do you have signed up as good as Belinda?

 
“Two or three, at the moment,” Martine answered.  “And two that in my mind are even better. One young man, Tom Tyson, is positively brilliant.  I’d like to feature him for February.  His works are very Impressionist, very romantic. And Dan Foster, he catches the essence of

everything. So brilliant.  I think that Tom
’s work should do well if we could have our February event just before Valentine’s Day.”

 
“Good idea.  And we could make that one for the Heart Foundation, Martine.  Decorate the Gallery with red hearts.”

  They chatted happily through their spaghetti about ways to grow Martine
’s Gallery.  She was so happy to have Lucas to share her ideas with, her hopes, and her dreams.