Scarred Beauty(47)

There was a full length mirror on the wall opposite.

Turning round, she stared at her reflection with her blonde hair and removed her robe. For the first time in over ten years, she looked at her full body in the mirror. The scars that she’d held in so much regard over the years had faded. Her body was her own. Wrapping her arms over her breasts, she let the tears of freedom fall. Isaac had done more than make her fall in love with him. He’d given her a chance to live again.

Putting the robe back on, she walked out of the bathroom, into the bedroom. She frowned when she saw what Isaac had done.

The easel was in front of the sofa. He’d arranged it so she could sit and paint near a mirror.

“You look gorgeous. Your blonde hair is a much better colour for your beauty.” He cupped her cheek, kissing her.

“What is all this?” she asked.

“I thought you could paint a portrait of yourself.”

“I don’t know.”

“Please. For me.”

She looked at him and saw the earnest way he stared back at her. Biting her lip, she moved over to the set up of her apparatus. He’d bought some pencils for her to sketch with, and as she sat down, she noticed the angle was perfectly aligned with the mirrors for her to see at all angles.

Her palms were sweaty as she picked up her pencil. She hesitated a few times before she put the lead to the paper. Soon, she was so absorbed in what she was doing, that she didn’t see what Isaac was planning.

“Lift up, baby,” he said.

Noelle looked at him and blushed when she saw him naked. She did as he asked and gasped as he lifted the robe out of the way and pressed himself inside her wet cunt.

Isaac made love to her as she finished off her portrait. How she managed to concentrate on the sketch was beyond her. When she finished, even though she hated it, she knew she would never change it. The conflicting emotions on her face were drawn perfectly. To distract her, Isaac made love to her for the remainder of the night way into Sunday morning.

****

On their last night together, Isaac took her out to a French restaurant. She was surprised by the amount of attention he got. The maitre d’ and the waiters practically fell over themselves to attend to his needs. She found the whole experience strange. Isaac didn’t seem to notice of the other customers. Several people stopped by the table, and Isaac said hello and then dismissed them.

“You know a lot of people,” she said.

“A lot of people think they know me.”

Noelle found everything about their meal strange but overall thought her first experience on a date extremely appealing. Isaac was attentive, and as it was their last night it was the perfect end to the best weekend of her life.





Chapter Twenty-One





All too soon, their weekend was over, and Noelle stood in her apartment. Brad was gone for the day, and he’d left her a brief note that they needed groceries. Checking the cupboards, Noelle made a list and decided to face her final fear.

She grabbed her keys and walked out onto the busy street. Tucking her hair behind her ear, she walked in the direction of the shopping centre close by.

Most people were so busy in their own Monday life that they didn’t pay attention to her.

When she walked into the shop, she grabbed a shopping trolley and began filling it with fresh fruit and vegetables. Her hands stopped shaking as she travelled around the supermarket. A few whispers happened, but she brushed them aside. She had no control over what had happened to her as a child, and she would no longer be held in its grips because people couldn’t handle her imperfection.

She rounded a corner and stopped as she bumped into a handsome man.

“Sorry,” she said.

“No. It was all my fault. I wasn’t looking where I was going.”

“Well, no harm done.” Noelle went to move away, but he stopped her with a hand on her arm.

“Aren’t you in the papers?” he asked.

Shaking her head, she pulled out of his grip.

“I’m sure it’s you.”

“No. I’ve never been in the papers, and I don’t expect to start now. Sorry, you must have me mistaken with someone else.” She passed him and went to the deli section. The encounter had her nerves frayed. When her phone buzzed it provided the welcome distraction that she needed.

“Meet tonight at the hotel. Usual time. I x”

She smiled and responded, agreeing to meet him. Finishing her shopping was a painless process.

When she got home, she unpacked all of her work and went to check out her studio. Pulling open the blinds, she let the winter’s sun penetrate inside the room. She felt like a new woman, so happy and relaxed in the life she’d made for herself.

Running her fingers through her blonde locks, she began organising her art-work, putting the finished pieces into a pile while she collected her half finished work. As the day progressed she became more and more anxious to see Isaac. Her body was burning to feel his touch. Brad didn’t return home when she was scheduled to leave. She decided to leave him a note about the food and her date.