"Get in," Lawson says, opening the passenger door.
"No. If I can't work here, I'm working in my studio. But I will finish this job."
"I'll drive you home."
"No," I say shaking my head, my mouth twisted, "My car is here, I'll need it."
"I'll have someone bring it to your house."
"I am driving myself home."
"Where are your keys?" My shoulders drop and my eyes close.
I sigh. "In his bedroom."
"Exactly. Get in."
Begrudgingly, I sit in the car and Lawson shuts the door. My nose wrinkles as I use my panties to wipe off the semen on my chest. As we pull out of the driveway, I manage to fix my bra and put my top back on.
"I don't want you going back there," Lawson says, shifting gears.
"It's my biggest commission plus a gallery showing, I need it."
"So I'll fucking commission you to paint something for every wall in my house, plus a gallery show in every city you want."
"That wouldn't count! Don't you see? I want to succeed because of my talent, not because I let some billionaire have sex with me!"
"So you'll find something else. Anything, just not with him."
I'm so angry, I can't even respond anymore. Instead I fume in silence. Kelso and Lawson's argument keeps playing over in my head. Each time I replay the words, I feel more and more like a pawn in their pissing contest.
Which isn't surprising, given they're both billionaires. I knew from the start not to have anything to do with the rich. They're people who've lost their humanity, they don't care about people like me; not really.
We pull into Ava's driveway. Without saying anything, I get out of the car and go into the house. I lock the door behind me, just in case Lawson plans to come in after me.
Ava is dozing in the living room, and I hurry down the hall before I wake her. I can't face a conversation with her now. Not when I don't have my own thoughts straight.
I head to my studio and do the only thing I know for sure I can do: paint. When I focus on my work, I'm able to push the other issues to the back of my mind. Besides, Gordon said he's had a man from New York asking for my work, I have to create something to sell him. I finally seem to be getting somewhere with my career, granted it's not anywhere huge yet, but it's still exciting.
Ava brings me an organic hot dog for dinner. While I eat it, I check my phone. One text from Lawson.
-Don't go to Kelso's again
How dare he continue to tell me what to do. I'm still furious he made me leave Kelso's in the first place. And I'm more than furious about the way he and Kelso argued about me.
I don't bother to reply. I lose interest in finishing my dinner, and throw myself back into my work.
In bed that night, I toss and turn. At some point I decide to go to Kelso's in the morning. I'll take a taxi, since my car is there. If he's home, I'll work downstairs. If not, I'll sneak into the bedroom and do a rush job finishing the spread eagle. No one's going to see it anyway, it doesn't have to be perfect.
In the morning, Ava is already gone. She's meeting with Gordon, again. Sometimes I think there's more going on between them than a shared interest in local art.
The taxi lets me out in front of Kelso's door. I pay him out of the three hundred dollar tip money Lawson had given me at the diner. Already I'm in a bad mood, remembering how he gave me the money way back then because he liked me and not because I earned it.
I hear Kelso's voice coming down the hallway. Remembering Lawson's concerns, it's best if I work on the temple painting. That way I'm close to the door in case there's a problem.
But first, I have to get my things from the bedroom. I take off my shoes and tiptoe up the stairs. Kelso hasn't touched any of my stuff. Maybe he didn't sleep in here last night. Except the cover on the bed has been changed.
The spread eagle painting is nearly finished. The folds are complete, it's just the outer edges, her toes, the tops of her torso and the background. I'll do a rush job, it'll only take a couple of hours.
But for now, I want to get out of the bedroom as fast as possible.
"I'm glad you came back," Kelso says, startling me.
"I just had to get my bag, with my purse and keys." I hold the bag up to show him, as proof.
"Now that I know you're a little slut, let's talk about your painting here." He closes the distance between us. My heart pounds and I gulp, but he's blocking the door and I have no escape.
"I am not a slut," I say, trying to sound strong.
"Sugar," he says, cupping my cheek with his sweaty hand, "we need to revisit the terms of our contract."
"Huh?" I'm shaking under his touch, my eyes dart around the room, searching for a plan of escape.
"I say, we get in this bed and forget yesterday ever happened."
Tears prick the corners of my eyes. Why did I come up here? If I'd stayed in the hallway and finished the temple, everything would've been fine.
"No," I say, my voice weak. Kelso laughs, right in my face. He's so close I can see his tongue move against his teeth.
"You're playing in the big leagues now, Skye, normal rules don't apply to people like us."
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"Surely you must realize Lawson only screwed you in this room as a way to get back at me."
"That isn't true." Is it? "We've been dating, he cares about me."
"Sweetheart, it's not the first time he's done that to me. Last month I walked into my office and he had my secretary bent over my desk. The secretary he knew I was fucking. He hated her, he only did it when he knew I'd walk in on them."
"I don't believe you," I say, my brow furrowed.
"I've known Lawson since he was twenty years old. Trust me, he's a man who likes to fuck a different woman every week. And he gets extra excited when he fucks one he knows I've been after." He chuckles and adds, "Though, I admit, I do the same to him."
Could that be true? I'd felt so connected to Lawson. Was it all a stupid lie I've been naive enough to buy into?
"No, Lawson cares about me."
"Then he'll be even more annoyed when I fuck you."
The word fuck flings me into action.
"No!" I scream and break away from him, running for the door with my bag in my hand.
"If you leave here now, don't plan on coming back. Our contract will be over."
I slam the door shut and keep on running until I reach my car.
The entire drive home, only one sentence keeps running through my mind: Lawson only screwed you in here as a way to get back at me.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Go Slow (Lawson)
I pull into Kelso's driveway in my Maserati. I've come to make sure Skye isn't here, and to protect her if she is.
Because I plan to spend the day with Skye, I'm wearing jeans and a t-shirt. Not that I'm playing into her little good Lawson, prick Lawson thing, but because I want to be comfortable.
My heart sinks when Skye's car is nowhere in sight. At least it means she's no longer here. But she was here, and it fucking pains me to think why she came and left.
Skye wouldn't just come to get her car. She would've come to paint.
I knew I should've come here first thing and waited, in case she showed up. Unfortunately I had a phone meeting with an investor in Europe that couldn't be postponed.
What happened here this morning? I ram off the engine and stride through the front door.
Her painting stuff is still here.
"Kelso!" I shout, moving deeper into the house. I turn a corner into the kitchen and come face to face with the slimy bastard.
"What's the matter, looking for your slut?"
"You better not have talked to her like that."
"Only after she wouldn't renegotiate the terms of our contract."
"You're pathetic." My jaw is clenched and the tendons in my neck straining. It's all I can do not to plow that smug look off his face. But I'm not about to give him anything that might help out his case.
Instead, I'll fucking rape him in the courts. He wants to settle now? Fat fucking chance, I'm going to throw everything at him, cost him his fortune in legal fees until he's left dazed and wondering what happened to all his money.
Before he can respond, I'm heading back out of the house. I don't need to hear any more from the asshole, Julie can deal with him from now on.
My tires squeal as I tear out of Kelso's. The drive to Skye's house takes a fraction the time it normally does. Her car is here, and I sigh with relief.
My knock is so loud, it echoes down the street. I wait for a stupid amount of time before putting my hand on the door knob, wondering if I could break it down. But at that moment, the door opens.
Skye's eyes are puffy and red. At the sight of her, I lift my hand to her face and run my thumb over her cheek.
"What do you want?" Skye steps back, away from my touch.
"I want to make sure you're okay." I step through the door. "Did Kelso do anything to you this morning?"
"How do you know I was there?"