you doing better today?" She rested her head against his shoulder as they talked, wishing she had the courage to just kiss him. She knew Edna would tell her to just throw him on the floor of the coach and have her way with him, but really? She wouldn't know what to do with him once he was on the floor.
He nodded. "I really am. I think I needed to see it happen, so I'd know they got justice and put it behind me. Yesterday was a rough day, but today...today all I could think about was the beautiful young artist I was going to take to dinner."
Her heart jumped when he said she was beautiful. Did he really see her that way? "You were thinking about me that much and you still haven't kissed me? Edna would not approve."
He chuckled. "Is she telling you to kiss me?"
Violet wondered if she should tell him exactly what Edna had been suggesting she do but decided against it. "Oh, yes. She thinks that women are too uptight."
He pulled her closer. "Do you think I should kiss you?"
"I'd be happy to skip dinner and the play and just sit here in the coach kissing all night. Of course, I'm not sure that's a good idea."
He groaned. "I know it's not a good idea. We do have about ten minutes before we'll reach the restaurant, though." He turned to her more fully, and put his hand under her chin, tipping her face up to his. "Seems like a wasted opportunity if I don't kiss you, doesn't it?"
She nodded, her eyes meeting his by the light of a street lamp they passed. "It certainly does."
He leaned toward her and brushed his lips across hers. She turned fully toward him, her arms going to his back and stroking his shoulders through his jacket. She pressed as close to him as she could, wishing she had the courage to put her hands under his jacket and touch his muscular shoulders.
He groaned deeply in his throat, his tongue seeking entrance to her mouth to mate with hers.
The coach stopped and he pulled away quickly, looking out the window. "We're here."
"Oh, good gravy!" Violet touched her fingers to her lips. For once she didn't mind that she was starting to sound like Edna. "That wasn't nearly enough time."
He sighed. "Well, we're walking to the theatre, because it's only a block, but we'll have the ride home."
She smiled. "I'm counting on it."
*****
The restaurant was by far the fanciest Violet had ever eaten in. The tablecloths were white and the waiters all had white cloths over their arms. She had no idea what to order in a place like that, so she had Jonas order for her.
The waiter brought them steak and baked potatoes along with a bottle of red wine. Violet had never had wine, but she didn't want to admit it, because she knew that the women Jonas was used to would have no problem drinking wine by the barrelful. She took a sip, and despite not liking the taste, kept sipping at it throughout the meal.
He refilled her glass twice as they chatted about everything from Seattle to the art gallery here in New York City. "I can't wait to see it," she told him. "I'm really excited to have a show here in New York."
He nodded at her. "Tomorrow I'll take you to meet the manager. You'll be working mostly with him for the show. We've got it set for two months from now. Will that give you enough time to get everything ready?"
"It should. As long as there isn't a minimum number of paintings you need me to have. I've had several hours to work every day since our arrival."
"Good. I'd like to see some of what you've finished tomorrow as well if you don't mind."
She shook her head, surprised at how lightheaded she felt. "I'd like to show you what I've done." She didn't mention the painting she'd almost finished for Nathan of his parents, unsure how Jonas would feel about it.
The waiter brought the bill then, and Jonas paid it discreetly. He helped Violet to her feet and they left the restaurant. She was a bit chilled by the November air,
He nodded. "I really am. I think I needed to see it happen, so I'd know they got justice and put it behind me. Yesterday was a rough day, but today...today all I could think about was the beautiful young artist I was going to take to dinner."
Her heart jumped when he said she was beautiful. Did he really see her that way? "You were thinking about me that much and you still haven't kissed me? Edna would not approve."
He chuckled. "Is she telling you to kiss me?"
Violet wondered if she should tell him exactly what Edna had been suggesting she do but decided against it. "Oh, yes. She thinks that women are too uptight."
He pulled her closer. "Do you think I should kiss you?"
"I'd be happy to skip dinner and the play and just sit here in the coach kissing all night. Of course, I'm not sure that's a good idea."
He groaned. "I know it's not a good idea. We do have about ten minutes before we'll reach the restaurant, though." He turned to her more fully, and put his hand under her chin, tipping her face up to his. "Seems like a wasted opportunity if I don't kiss you, doesn't it?"
She nodded, her eyes meeting his by the light of a street lamp they passed. "It certainly does."
He leaned toward her and brushed his lips across hers. She turned fully toward him, her arms going to his back and stroking his shoulders through his jacket. She pressed as close to him as she could, wishing she had the courage to put her hands under his jacket and touch his muscular shoulders.
He groaned deeply in his throat, his tongue seeking entrance to her mouth to mate with hers.
The coach stopped and he pulled away quickly, looking out the window. "We're here."
"Oh, good gravy!" Violet touched her fingers to her lips. For once she didn't mind that she was starting to sound like Edna. "That wasn't nearly enough time."
He sighed. "Well, we're walking to the theatre, because it's only a block, but we'll have the ride home."
She smiled. "I'm counting on it."
*****
The restaurant was by far the fanciest Violet had ever eaten in. The tablecloths were white and the waiters all had white cloths over their arms. She had no idea what to order in a place like that, so she had Jonas order for her.
The waiter brought them steak and baked potatoes along with a bottle of red wine. Violet had never had wine, but she didn't want to admit it, because she knew that the women Jonas was used to would have no problem drinking wine by the barrelful. She took a sip, and despite not liking the taste, kept sipping at it throughout the meal.
He refilled her glass twice as they chatted about everything from Seattle to the art gallery here in New York City. "I can't wait to see it," she told him. "I'm really excited to have a show here in New York."
He nodded at her. "Tomorrow I'll take you to meet the manager. You'll be working mostly with him for the show. We've got it set for two months from now. Will that give you enough time to get everything ready?"
"It should. As long as there isn't a minimum number of paintings you need me to have. I've had several hours to work every day since our arrival."
"Good. I'd like to see some of what you've finished tomorrow as well if you don't mind."
She shook her head, surprised at how lightheaded she felt. "I'd like to show you what I've done." She didn't mention the painting she'd almost finished for Nathan of his parents, unsure how Jonas would feel about it.
The waiter brought the bill then, and Jonas paid it discreetly. He helped Violet to her feet and they left the restaurant. She was a bit chilled by the November air,
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