pieces can you get me?"
"Around fifty."
"Are you serious?" He hooded bitter-chocolate eyes.
"Yes."
"I'll have the invitations printed by noon tomorrow." Pierre held the unicorn piece at arms' length. Flamboyance taking a momentary back seat, he became all business. "We can do this next Saturday night. The paintings will remain on display for one month. You know I ask nothing less than a thousand. From what I see, her pieces will bring more. My commission is fifty percent. I have to pay my people. If she hits as big as I think she will, we can renegotiate the contract. I'll have it by noon tomorrow too. You say her name is Neely Rivers?"
"Yes, but she signs everything simply, 'Neely.'"
"Art by Neely or Simply Neely—that's better. It has a ring to it. Yes, yes. Simply Neely. So? What's your cut? You're a shrewd businessman, Raif." He lowered the painting.
"Her."
"Oh," Pierre said with a knowing wink. "You're in love again."
"I didn't say that," protested Raif.
"'Dee Nile' is not just a river in Egypt, Raif," Pierre said as he gamboled away. "I'll have the invitations tomorrow. How many do you want?"
"A dozen, no, a baker's dozen."
"See you then, darling. Bring the pieces and the artist."
Neely was not used to being spoiled. She had worked hard for everything she had, which was not extravagant. On the other hand, Raif doted on the women in his life. Neely was no exception. He spoiled her rotten. Every time he visited, he brought her something along with some kind of flowers.
However, on this visit he held only a single surprise lily he had plucked from the roadside. Neely did not care. The only gift she wanted was Raiford Gautier. She sailed into his arms the minute he walked through the door. Raif picked her up and spun her around.
"It's not Friday. What are you doing here tonight? What are we doing?" she asked, clapping her hands like an excited child.
"Going shopping."
"What?"
"You're dressed just fine, but grab a pair of heels."
"Why?"
"Just do it. Humor me."
Neely shrugged and retrieved a pair of heels. Raif kissed her hand as he took it. "This time," he informed her, "my car is outside. Lock up."
Raif's Lexus was fully loaded. He opened the door for this captivating woman and drove to an exclusive dress shop, Avril à Paris. The proprietress said in total surprise, "Raif, is that you, or is it Ray?"
He answered, "It's Raif, and you know it, Avril." The two exchanged a fond embrace.
The woman looked sharply at the woman with Raif. To quickly preclude an embarrassing question, such as Avril asking if the woman were Lindsay, he said, "Avril DuLac, may I introduce Neely Rivers? She's in need of an elegant evening dress." Avril had not seen Lindsay in years, but Trista had come here with him to get her wedding dress.
"I am?" questioned Neely.
"You are," Raif said with an emphatic nod.
Avril assured, "Well, I'm sure I can find something to make her even more beautiful than she already is. Come this way, dear. Raif, would you like her to model for you?"
"I would love for her to model for me."
Neely blushed and Avril took note. She gave her frequent patron a little smirk. Raif rolled his eyes at her.
Raif sat in a comfortable overstuffed chair as Avril took Neely behind a curtained area. After a dozen dresses, Raif chose a lavender, sequined, fitted dress with only a right sleeve to show off Neely's magnificent rose tattoo. The dress also had a slit to mid-thigh on the left side. Then he said, "We'll also take the white one, the green one, and the royal blue one."
"Why?" asked Neely, knowing each dress cost around a thousand dollars, maybe more.
"I anticipate your need of them." Raif turned to Avril with a slip of paper. "Have them sent to this address. And," he whispered to Avril, "choose some appropriate jewelry and shoes, size seven, for each one."
"In love again, are you?" asked Avril.
"I didn't say that," protested Raif sharply.
With a kiss to Raif's cheek, Avril said, "Actions speak
"Around fifty."
"Are you serious?" He hooded bitter-chocolate eyes.
"Yes."
"I'll have the invitations printed by noon tomorrow." Pierre held the unicorn piece at arms' length. Flamboyance taking a momentary back seat, he became all business. "We can do this next Saturday night. The paintings will remain on display for one month. You know I ask nothing less than a thousand. From what I see, her pieces will bring more. My commission is fifty percent. I have to pay my people. If she hits as big as I think she will, we can renegotiate the contract. I'll have it by noon tomorrow too. You say her name is Neely Rivers?"
"Yes, but she signs everything simply, 'Neely.'"
"Art by Neely or Simply Neely—that's better. It has a ring to it. Yes, yes. Simply Neely. So? What's your cut? You're a shrewd businessman, Raif." He lowered the painting.
"Her."
"Oh," Pierre said with a knowing wink. "You're in love again."
"I didn't say that," protested Raif.
"'Dee Nile' is not just a river in Egypt, Raif," Pierre said as he gamboled away. "I'll have the invitations tomorrow. How many do you want?"
"A dozen, no, a baker's dozen."
"See you then, darling. Bring the pieces and the artist."
Neely was not used to being spoiled. She had worked hard for everything she had, which was not extravagant. On the other hand, Raif doted on the women in his life. Neely was no exception. He spoiled her rotten. Every time he visited, he brought her something along with some kind of flowers.
However, on this visit he held only a single surprise lily he had plucked from the roadside. Neely did not care. The only gift she wanted was Raiford Gautier. She sailed into his arms the minute he walked through the door. Raif picked her up and spun her around.
"It's not Friday. What are you doing here tonight? What are we doing?" she asked, clapping her hands like an excited child.
"Going shopping."
"What?"
"You're dressed just fine, but grab a pair of heels."
"Why?"
"Just do it. Humor me."
Neely shrugged and retrieved a pair of heels. Raif kissed her hand as he took it. "This time," he informed her, "my car is outside. Lock up."
Raif's Lexus was fully loaded. He opened the door for this captivating woman and drove to an exclusive dress shop, Avril à Paris. The proprietress said in total surprise, "Raif, is that you, or is it Ray?"
He answered, "It's Raif, and you know it, Avril." The two exchanged a fond embrace.
The woman looked sharply at the woman with Raif. To quickly preclude an embarrassing question, such as Avril asking if the woman were Lindsay, he said, "Avril DuLac, may I introduce Neely Rivers? She's in need of an elegant evening dress." Avril had not seen Lindsay in years, but Trista had come here with him to get her wedding dress.
"I am?" questioned Neely.
"You are," Raif said with an emphatic nod.
Avril assured, "Well, I'm sure I can find something to make her even more beautiful than she already is. Come this way, dear. Raif, would you like her to model for you?"
"I would love for her to model for me."
Neely blushed and Avril took note. She gave her frequent patron a little smirk. Raif rolled his eyes at her.
Raif sat in a comfortable overstuffed chair as Avril took Neely behind a curtained area. After a dozen dresses, Raif chose a lavender, sequined, fitted dress with only a right sleeve to show off Neely's magnificent rose tattoo. The dress also had a slit to mid-thigh on the left side. Then he said, "We'll also take the white one, the green one, and the royal blue one."
"Why?" asked Neely, knowing each dress cost around a thousand dollars, maybe more.
"I anticipate your need of them." Raif turned to Avril with a slip of paper. "Have them sent to this address. And," he whispered to Avril, "choose some appropriate jewelry and shoes, size seven, for each one."
"In love again, are you?" asked Avril.
"I didn't say that," protested Raif sharply.
With a kiss to Raif's cheek, Avril said, "Actions speak
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