Martine The Beginning (Cruising to Love, The Prequel) (11 page)

 
Lucas laughed.  “I’ll have to ask her if she’d enjoy it.”

 
“Lucas,” Belinda purred, “what woman wouldn’t enjoy looking at you on her bedroom wall?”  A thought crossed her mind.  “Eh, do you live together?”

 
“More or less,” Lucas smiled.  “More and more, actually.”

 
“Ah…is it a long term relationship?”

 
Lucas could read Belinda’s mind.  .

 
“I told you we’re engaged, Belinda.”

 
“Lots of men get engaged to women they’re living with, but it doesn’t mean they actually get married.  Somehow, you don’t strike me as the marrying type.”  She gave him a sultry look.

 
He didn’t answer her. Instead he said, “Could you do it from a photograph?  I’m going to be out of town a lot between now and Christmas, and I’d like it to be her Christmas present.  How much would you charge me?”

 
“Would this be through the Gallery, or cash from you to me?”

 
“Cash from me to you, Belinda.  I don’t see the need for Martine to know about our

arrangement, do you?
”

 
Belinda smiled.  So Martine had probably met the woman Lucas took to bed most nights…and he didn‘t want her to know of the surprise Christmas present, in case she let it slip.

 
“Hmm. Do you want a watercolor like these two, or a charcoal sketch?  Or an oil?”

 
Lucas considered.  “How about the watercolor?”

 
“A hundred?”

 
“Good.  We have a deal.”

 
“When are you available? For me to take the photo?”

 
Lucas smiled.  “I’m in Scotland Tuesday and Wednesday.  I could arrange a photograph by Thursday…”

 
Belinda did not listen very well.  She thought that she would be taking the photograph on Thursday.  “Thursday would be good.  Here’s my telephone number, call me when you’re back from Scotland, and we’ll make arrangements.”

 
Lucas nodded.  “So, Belinda.  If we price these to give you a hundred each, you’d be happy with that?”

 
“Oh, yes.  Very happy.”

 
“Hmm.  I’ll talk to Martine.  I’m her business manager now, you know.”

 
“She mentioned that. What does that mean?”

 
“It means I’m already sick of her working at the bakery to subsidize the Gallery.  So I’m stepping in and making sure profitability goes up in a hurry.”  He smiled at Belinda, a dazzling smile he used when he wanted a client to bend to his wishes.  “I think you’re going to have a

pleasant surprise, Belinda, when you see how your income rises over the next few months
…”

 
Belinda simpered. 

 
“Oh, Belinda,” Lucas continued.  “Did you read today’s
Times
? The art column where John Brown reviews new galleries and new talent?”

 
“No, Lucas, I haven’t seen it.”  She was still mesmerized by that smile.

 
“Here.  You’re going to want to buy a few copies on your way home.”

 
Lucas handed her the copy that John had left. 
   

 
“Oh, this is amazing!  He says I’m very talented, an up and comer, someone with a long career ahead of her!  Look, he talks about the show in January!  Oh, my!  How wonderful!”

 
Lucas smiled again.  “Yes, it was very generous of Martine to shift the focus of her interview to you, wasn’t it?”

 
“Very, generous,” Belinda agreed.  “Can I have this?”

 
Lucas took it out of her hands.  “No.  That’s Martine’s.  John brought it round for us this afternoon.  You’ll be able to get some at the news stand on the corner, if you hurry.  They close at half past six on Saturday.

 
Somehow, Belinda missed Lucas’s constant use of
us
.  She never even thought about why Lucas might not like Martine working day and

Night. Belinda
was too focused on what Lucas was going to look like, naked, and what she was going to look like, naked beside him…

 
Belinda reached up and offered Lucas her lips.  He turned his head adroitly, so she kissed his cheek.  Martine had come back into the show

room just in time to watch Belinda make her move, and Lucas deftly deflect it.

 
“Are you just leaving, Belinda?” she asked sweetly.

 
Lucas and Belinda turned toward her.  Lucas’s eyes glowed at the sight of Martine in that soft green top, with the floppy bow on her hip.  He licked his lower lip at the thought of untying that bow in a few hours.

 
Belinda’s eyes widened.  She had never seen Martine look so sexy, so alluring.  “Wow.  I need to paint you in that Martine.  You are stunning!”

 
Martine blushed slightly.  “Thank you, Belinda.  Coming from you, that’s a real compliment.”

 
“It’s nearly half past six, Belinda.  You need to hurry to buy your copy of the
Times
.”  He ushered her out the door.

 
“I had planned to help you on with that, darling, and that lovely bit of lace under it.  I was very much looking forward to helping you dress.  Is your bag ready to stay overnight with me?”

 
Martine smiled.  “It is, Lucas.”

 
“I’ve actually cleared you some drawer space, and I bought you a toothbrush today…so if some

night you just decide to stay, I don
’t mind getting up at three with you, darling…”

 
Martine walked over to him and wiped his cheek. “You had Belinda’s lipstick on your cheek, darling.”

 
“Better than on my mouth, that’s where she was heading.”

 
“I know.  I saw.  I opened the door just as she made her move toward you.”

 
“Doesn’t she have a boyfriend?”

 
“Two or three usually.  These two were both boyfriends.”  Martine gestured toward the paintings.”

 
“Lovers?”

 
“She says she sleeps with all the men who pose nude for her.”

 
“Oh.”

 
Lucas thought for a moment.

 
“How many nudes has she painted?”

 
“Five.  I imagine the other three paintings will arrive next week.”

 
“Do you know these two?”

 
“Oh, yes.  They’re both her fellow students.”

 
“Oh.”  Now Lucas knew what Belinda planned to do on Thursday afternoon.  Poor girl, she was doomed to disappointment.

 
They locked up and dropped Martine’s bag at Lucas’s flat, and then walked briskly to Penny’s.  She was ready.

 
They arrived at La Bambina promptly at eight.  There was a line up to get in.  John was standing at the door, beside the doorman. They walked straight past the line of hungry diners, and up to John.  He greeted them warmly, and smiled happily at Penny.  She smiled back.

 
The doorman unclasped the gold rope across the entrance and they went in, and were immediately ushered to a table in the window.

 
“The perks of working for the
Times
,” explained John.  They ordered their food and John ordered a bottle of good wine.

 
John kept smiling at Penny.  “You know, Penny, I saw you in concert a few weeks ago.  You are really better than the band you front.”

 
Penny blushed.  “You’re the second person to tell me that in a week.  I had a man from a record company see me last weekend in Birmingham.  He asked me to call him Wednesday.  I have an audition with them Monday.  Without the rest of the band.”

 
“Which label, Penny?”

 
“Domino,” she replied.  “They have several big names signed.  A very good label for me to sign with.  They have a reputation for bringing new talent along very nicely.”

 
“They do,” agreed John.  “And you are so photogenic, they’ll have no problem getting your

picture taken everywhere, so that you become very well known.  I
’m good friends with our music critic.  Andrew Weiss.  I’ll have him do a story about you, whether you sign with Domino or not.  But tell the guys at Domino that the
Times
is going to feature you.  That could tip the scales in your favour…”

 
Penny knew how hard it was to get mentioned in the
Times
. She smiled at John.  “Thank you so much, this is very generous of you.”

 
He beamed at her.  “Delighted to help…”

 
The food came and it was wonderful.  The wine was smooth and the conversation stimulating.  Lucas and John got on really well, and the girls sat back, drinking it all in.  A photographer friend of John’s came by, from one of the Sunday papers, and snapped their picture for the ‘
about town’
column.  The ‘
about town’

column was read by everybody who was anybody in London.  It would do both the Gallery and Penny good to be seen in that column.

 
Eventually, the evening came to an end.  It turned out that John also lived in Notting Hill, about half a block from Penny.  So they all rode the Tube home together, laughing all the way.  John was holding Penny’s hand, Martine noticed.  Good.  And he was going to walk her home.   Lucas and Martine waved goodbye and headed down toward their street.

 
It had stopped raining.  But it was chilly.  They were rosy cheeked by the time they got to Lucas’s flat.

 
“Brandy,” he announced, and poured them each a generous portion in their snifters.

 
“Come here, my little minx, and sit beside me on the sofa,” Lucas said as Martine came out of the bathroom.  She sat beside him, and he put his arms around her and kissed her passionately, deeply.  He pulled back and looked down at her, “Oh dear, Martine.  I’m afraid I’m quite randy tonight. The sight of you in that sweater is just too much for me, I want you so badly, and I won’t yet.  We’re going to take it easy tonight, child.  Very easy.  Or you’ll have lost your innocence by the morning.”

 
“Is that a bad thing, Lucas?” Martine asked softly, her hand stroking his chest.

 
“A very bad thing, darling.  Totally ahead of schedule.”

 
Martine smiled.  “And when am I
scheduled
to lose my innocence, darling?”

 
“On our wedding night, Martine.  On our wedding night.”  He kissed her again, this time gently.  “And we can’t afford to get married yet.  So we have to put the brakes on.  And keep them on.  Just looking at you tonight has me so aroused…” He took her hand and guided down, down to his manhood.  He placed her hand on him.  He was hard, hot and long…Martine gently stroked the length of him.  He took her hand away.  “See what you do to me, darling?” 

 
“Another first, darling,” she whispered.  “I never touched a man before.”

 
“You still haven’t, Martine.  You’ve touched me through my clothes, you haven’t touched my flesh…and you won’t, not tonight.  Another night, when I’m more in control, but tonight, darling I’m so hot for you…”

 
Martine thought perhaps it was time to teach this man that there were two people in this relationship who had a voice in how it was proceeding.  She was delighted to hear him say ‘our wedding night’, but he hadn’t asked her, he had just decided they would marry. And they would.  So Martine didn’t understand why she had to wait for ages yet for Lucas to take her and make her his.

 
She would have to think this through carefully.  She knew Lucas was very tired, and feeling the effects of the wine and the brandy he had swallowed in one gulp.

 
She stood up and held out her hand.  “Let’s go to bed, darling.  We’re both tired.  I’ll put your pajama top on and you put your pajama bottoms on, and we’ll lay side by side, my head on your shoulder, and we’ll go to sleep.  In the morning….who knows how in control you’ll feel in the morning?”

 
He stood up and scooped her into his arms, “You weigh no more than a feather, darling.  I love carrying you into the bedroom, and laying you on my bed…”

 
He lay her gently down and went into the bathroom, came out undressed, in his pajama bottoms.  He had the top over his arm.  The bulge under those pajama bottoms interested Martine greatly, she wanted to stroke it, hold it,

guide into a place that was aching for it
…