Me And Mrs Jones (6 page)

The incident with his ex-girlfriend had put a little doubt in his ability to figure out the opposite sex. He couldn’t believe he was almost thirty years old and he was nervous about asking Renee out on a date.

What in the hell was wrong with him?

Question after question raced through Travis’ head as he placed the card back into his pocket and he picked his paint brush back up. Looking back out at the water, he raised his brush to the canvas and worked on trying to capture the beauty of the waterfall and how the sun skipped off the water.

Painting was the only thing that cleared his mind enough helping him to see his problems from both sides. He never liked going into anything from painting, drawing or even a commitment without seeing all of the sides first.

As Travis brushed his paint brush over a small section of his art work he wondered if Renee would think she would be ‘robbing the cradle’ if he asked her out on a date? He wasn’t concerned with their age differences, but she might have a problem.

He knew it was strange for him to be thinking about all of these things about a woman he only talked with for twenty minutes, but Renee had captured his attention. Finding out more about her was very important to him. So, he had to go over every possibility in his head why she might turn down a date with him.

****

“How did things go at the café?” Cruz asked Renee the second she walked into the art gallery.

“Nothing exciting happened at all. Why do you ask?” Renee asked as she placed her bags on the table near the display case.

She had stopped by one of the boutiques she loved before coming back to work. She knew everything would be taken care of with Cruz around. He was her right hand when she wasn’t at the shop.

“Are you really going to act like you didn’t flirt with some young handsome man while you were there?” he teased. “I wondered what was taking you so long to get back here. Now, spill it. Tell me about Travis.”

Renee should have known the second she left Dana that she would be on the phone with Cruz. The two of them were like a match making team. When one wasn’t on her case about getting a man, the other stepped in to assist. She never got a break from hearing how much she needed to get back out there on the dating scene. She just wasn’t sure if Travis was the right guy to be with.

“I’m assuming that you’ve seen Travis,” Renee said.

“Who in this town hasn’t?” Cruz inquired, coming up to her. “He’s the hottest thing walking around on two legs. Let me tell you, I was very disappointed when I found out he was straight as an arrow.”

Renee’s laughter rang out in the gallery. “Cruz, you are just too much. I don’t see how your boyfriend isn’t constantly keeping an eye on you.”

“He’s knows I’m faithful, but you aren’t going to change the conversation.” Cruz took a seat at the small table she’d set up in the corner and waved her over. “Have a seat and tell me what you talked about with tall, dark and delicious.”

Making her way over to Cruz, Renee pulled out a seat and then sat down. “There isn’t that much to tell really. Travis is an artist. We talked about his work and he’s going to bring some of his paintings over to show me. If I’m interested, I might add some to my next showing.”

“Do you really think I’m going to believe that shortened version of the story?” Cruz asked. “Dana told me how you couldn’t take you eyes off Travis and vice versa. You know that I won’t let either one of us get back to work until you tell me the truth.”

Relaxing in the chair, Cruz crossed one leg over the other and waited. A devilish look came into his hazel eyes as he arched one black eyebrow at her. The expression was one she knew all too much. Her buddy was settling in for a battle...and it was one she always lost.

“Fine, I’ll tell you.” She sighed. “I might have been a little taken back by how gorgeous Travis was when he walked through the café’s door, but what woman wouldn’t be?”

“Go on. I know there’s more that you aren’t telling me.”

Shit! Sometimes Renee hated how nosy her friends could be. What if she wanted to keep this to herself? Dana was bad enough, but then when Cruz was added into the mix, it grew ten times worst.

“There isn’t anything else.” She wasn’t about to tell Cruz how Travis hinted about asking her out on a date. She did have to keep something to herself.

“I know you’re lying to me, but I’ll leave it alone. I need to move the new painting to the front wall before I leave,” Cruz said as he got up from his seat. “All I have to say is there isn’t anything wrong with your interest in Travis. Just let it happen naturally.”

Renee thought about what Cruz told her as he headed to the back room to get the painting that arrived last night during the gallery opening. She loved that her friends wanted her to get back out on the dating scene, but she didn’t think her first date should be with a guy so much younger than her.

Why was she even allowing this to take up such space in her head? She could be worrying about nothing. Travis might have been only flirting with her because he wanted her to put his work in her gallery.

After the way Robert had treated her, she had to make sure not to get led astray by a few compliments and a handsome face. Her resolve was so much stronger now and she was going to keep it like that. Renee loved the new woman she had turned into and nothing or no one was going to send her back to her old ways.

Chapter Eight

A week later, Travis stood outside the doors of
Divine Design
with several of his paintings. Since his meeting with Renee at Dana’s café, he had been painting like a mad man only taking breaks to eat and sleep in hopes he could get at least three more paintings done to bring to the gallery.

For some odd reason impressing Renee with his work was very important to him. He wanted her to see his excitement for art within each and every brush stroke on the canvas. During their conversation, he saw in her eyes the love she had for the most creative expression that a person could be gifted with. The look made him wonder what other things Renee could be just as passionate about in her life.

“Travis, what are you doing here?”

Spinning around, Travis looked at Renee coming towards him in a cute black dress carrying a container of coffee from the shop at the corner.

Renee came up to him staring at the canvas he had placed against the building. “Did we have a meeting and I forgot about it? I know it’s been a while since we talked at Dana’s café and I’ve been swamped trying to get this show together.”

“No, I just thought I would stop by. Didn’t you say at the café that you wanted to see some of my work?” Travis asked wondering now, from Renee’s reaction, if he’d made a mistake showing up unannounced.

“Wonderful.” She smiled. “I’ve been thinking about you. I was kicking myself the other day for not getting your number. I was hoping you would bring something by for me to look at. I have several empty spaces on my walls that I’m looking to fill.”

Travis loved how Renee’s smile brought her entire face alive. At first, he thought he might have imagined his fascination for the stunning woman in front of him. However, now Travis saw he was even more drawn to her. He only had to think of way to ask her out on a date.

“I hope I have something here that will make you want to hang them in the gallery. I don’t show my work to a lot of people,” Travis said, picking up the paintings.

“Let me get the door unlocked and you can show me what you have.” Renee brushed past him and the tempting scent of her perfume tickled his nose. He watched in silence as she unlocked the door and waved him inside.

“Go on in,” she said, pointing inside the gallery.

Travis went past Renee and stopped in his tracks when he got inside. He had no clue that
Divine Design
looked this professional and well thought out on the inside. Why hadn’t he found a way in here sooner than this?

“Your gallery is incredible. How long have you owned it?” Travis asked.

“Close to five years now,” Renee answered, walking around him. “I started working on it during my divorce. This place kept me sane during a very difficult time in my life.”

Going over to a table near the wall, Renee placed her coffee container to the side and waved him over. “Bring your paintings over here and let me take a look at them. The lighting is better over here.”

A wave of apprehension swept through Travis’ entire body. This would be his first time showing his work to a trained gallery owner. Over the years, he had gotten compliments about his work from friends and family. Yet, Renee had an expert eye and she wasn’t going to stroke his ego. If his work wasn’t excellent or good enough to hang on her gallery walls then she would tell him.

“I brought you mostly nature paintings today. For the past few weeks, I’ve been camping out and the beauty of the scenery is breathtaking. The way the sun hits the water every morning is captivating. I couldn’t wait until I got up every morning to capture the exact moment I wanted.”

“Nature paintings are one of my top five favorites,” Renee admitted. “When I had my gallery opening earlier in the week they were the first thing that sold out in thirty minutes. I only have one artist who does them and several of my clients have requested more. Hopefully, you’ve painted what I’m searching for.”

Oh, I have what you need,
Travis thought as he stared at Renee’s hot body, but he was positive he wasn’t thinking about the same thing as her.

“Renee, I think I might what have you looking for,” Travis answered, moving across the room towards her. He saw how her eyes traveled over his body and he was flattered by the interest he noticed in them.

His implication of what Renee’s opinion was going to be about his work sent waves of excitement through him. As he got closer the air around them seemed to be electrified. Renee’s love for art was a definite turn-on. Stopping next to Renee, he placed the paintings down on the table.

“I don’t like looking at the artist’s work while he’s standing next to me,” Renee said, glancing at him. “It’s just a thing I have. Why don’t you walk around? I’ll call you back over when I’m done.”

Travis would let Renee have her space this time, but he wasn’t going to do it again. She wasn’t requesting space because she wanted to study at his work. He wasn’t so much younger than her that he didn’t see what she was trying to do.

His eyes traveled over her face and searched her eyes then it all of a sudden dawned on him. Renee was nervous of him. So, he would do as she requested. He hadn’t come here today to scare Renee away before he even got a chance to get to know her.

Baby steps
...he had to take baby steps.

Renee was coming off a bad divorce. He really needed to move slowly with her, if he was going to get anywhere. Renee might not understand that he wanted more than a business relationship with her, but before he left here today he would find a way to show her.

“Okay, I’ll look around and you just can call me when you’re ready to talk about my work,” Travis said then walked away.

****

Renee watched as Travis sauntered away from her with a confident swagger that only a guy still in his twenties possessed. She wanted to look away but her eyes were captivated by how the white shirt hugged his body. When Travis was standing shoulder to shoulder with her, she found his nearness disturbing and yet exciting at the same time.

She tried her best to focus her attention on the paintings Travis had brought to her, but she couldn’t take her eyes off him. He was one good-looking young man. Why couldn’t he just be about ten years older? She wouldn’t have a problem dating a thirty-seven year old man, but twenty-nine was just too young for her.

Seeing Travis outside her gallery this morning had been a complete and pleasant surprise. He had been a permanent fixture in her mind since their first meeting. As much as she’d tried to forget about him and keep her concentration on finding new artists for her gallery, it was hard to do since every night her dreams were filled with hot images of Travis in her bed.

Slowly, she dragged her eyes away from the way the blue jeans were cupping Travis tight, firm ass and gave her concentration back to the paintings laid out in front of her. At first glance, Renee saw that Travis was very talented with a paint brush.

Travis’ bold choice in paint colors took his images to the next level along with his keen eye for excellent details in each stroke made on the canvas. He showed his love for Impressionism and any true gallery owner worth a grain of salt could see it without being told.

His outdoor scenes with their vivid waterfalls, trees and wildflowers almost looked like the paint had a shimmering gloss to it. Everything about Travis’ work was very beautiful and captivating without him trying too hard to make it look like it.

Without a doubt, Renee wanted Travis’ masterpieces on her walls. She already had a brilliant way to promote them. Now, all that had to be figured out was what kind of deal could be worked out between the two of them.

“Travis, I’m ready to discuss your work,” Renee said, drawing his attention away from a Realism painting on the wall done by a local young woman.

“Alright,” he answered. Coming back over to her Travis stood next to her towering over her five feet seven inches with his six feet four. “What did you think?”

“I would like to show your work in my gallery in a couple of weeks. I was hoping that we could work something out. My cut is fifteen percent and the artist gets the rest. If that doesn’t work for you we might be able to work the numbers a little. I want to help you get your talent out to the public.”

“Renee, I think what you’re offering is great.” Travis smiled. “However, I won’t be able to accept unless you take me up on this offer.”

“What else do you want? What do I have to agree to so you’ll let me display your work in my gallery?” Mixed feelings surged through her at what Travis could want.

“Have dinner with me tonight,” Travis answered, shocking her.

Renee couldn’t believe her ears. Sure, she knew Travis had teased her back at Dana’s café about asking her out on a date, but he had actually done it. Her mind whirled at his comment. She tried to get her emotions in order but she wasn’t having any luck.