*Lily*With the wedding day already here, I felt jittery as I prepared to walk down the aisle toward my beloved, William. It had been a busy morning filled with preparations for hair and makeup and I was more than ready to get the show on the road. I could feel the excitement in the air surrounded by our friends and family. My excitement was apparent too, with adrenaline pumping throughout my entire being.My heart had been pumping fast as I stepped into the foyer, waiting for the doors to open so I could make my debut. My heart was also overflowing with love for William and the joy he brought me. As tradition usually went, we hadn't seen each other that day yet and I missed seeing his face. I couldn't wait to embrace him and marry him. I heard the organ start its tune, the music carrying to the foyer where I was waiting. We had picked out our songs together and I recognized it immediately. The doors opened slowly and I saw the audience members stand and turn to face me. Holy sh
*Lily*I pressed the door’s buzzer and then closed my eyes. I shut out the taxi horns, whizzing cars, and easy chatter of the evening commuters as they trudged through the hip Tribeca neighborhood. This was the day I had waited for my entire life. I inhaled deeply, catching the scent of the familiar falafel cart two doors down, then blew air out, squaring my shoulders up and down. When the ringer sounded, I opened my eyes and entered the prestigious Tony Gold Art Gallery.In just a few short hours, the famed gallerist would showcase my latest collections, along with two other ‘rising star’ artists. Tony’s assistant, Miranda, stood in a skin-tight black cocktail dress, appraising the art. She shot off a quick text, then looked up from her phone. “Tony’s expecting you. Do you know how to get to his office?” she asked without smiling.“I do. Thank you.” Miranda’s cool appraisal didn’t reveal much. I looked down at my wide-legged trousers and tan cashmere sweater, wondering
*Lily*The din of the chatter in the room escalated, and the string quartet diminished. I thought Eva had said this was her father. I smiled at Eva, who prattled away at our first meeting in the dorms.I laughed, then looked for his response. His stare was transfixed like he was trying to place how we knew each other.“Have we met?”“No, Daddy. You’ve never met Lily. When I moved into Shetfield, that ungodly, tiny dormitory, you were out of town,” she said. She looked at me. “I was hardly ever there, was I?”“No, you were never there.” I laughed. From the soles of my feet to the top of my head, an electric current seemed to buzz straight from this man to me.“How do you do, Lily?” He leaned to hug and air kiss me as Eva had, which seemed to be the custom with the extremely wealthy sector. Another charged jolt coursed through my body when he touched my arm and drew me to him. I felt the heat from his core and breath against my face. The effect made me swoon, and for a mom
*Lily*I wrapped my arms around him as he deepened the kiss, his tongue dancing playfully against my teeth. I moaned as his hands slid lower and lower, finally jacking up my skirt as he lifted me up and set me down on the desk. He pushed away all the papers without even seeming to move his hands off me, and I barely heard the laptop crash to the floor as he expertly laid me down. He broke the kiss for a moment as he looked at me with hungry eyes, his fingers now inside my panties and exploring every inch as he moved closer and closer to my soaking wet….I awoke with a start, hearing a crash that I soon recognized as the garbage pickup outside. I sighed. Just at the good part… I’d been lost in the embrace of William Shaw. “Who is your friend’s father,” I reminded myself with a groan.I rubbed my eyes, remembering last night’s success at the gallery. For a split second, I worried that I’d possibly imagined the whole night, but checking my phone, the explosion of texts on m
*Lily*Hyped up on adrenaline, I rounded the corner after Eva’s taxi drove away, then before my legs failed me, I bustled up Amsterdam to Eighty-First Street. Breathless from nerves, I tried to calm myself before entering the large revolving glass doors of William Shaw’s building. Once inside the cool office space, I instantly felt relief from the extreme heat. It felt more like a mid-summer day than early spring.Depending on how my meeting with William went, I decided I’d hit the MET, just up the block, before returning home. The Metropolitan Museum of Art was one of my favorite places to visit when I first arrived in the city.Afraid of how William might react to my unannounced pop-in, I strategized as to what I would say. I planned to tell him I had met Eva for lunch, and she told me where he worked, and I just wanted to thank him. I had a legitimate reason for showing up. In the best-case scenario, he’d accept my gratitude and explain where he planned to exhibit my paintings
*William*I sat at my desk, trying to concentrate on our upcoming board meeting proposal, though my thoughts kept returning to Lily. She was even more impressive than I imagined, and our chemistry was undeniable. I placed my hand behind my head and leaned back in my seat, contemplating where I would take her for dinner. It had to be somewhere with impeccable service, outstanding food, yet somewhere off the radar. I wasn’t ready to be spotted by my ex-wife’s crowd.I also wanted Lily to be comfortable and not feel out of sorts at some grandiose place. And then it hit me; Francesca’s—upscale dining without being pretentiousness. It had the perfect ambiance, quiet tables, dim lighting, light music, and savory French cuisine.It had to be perfect for our first date. I smiled. I couldn’t help smiling since we’d met. I couldn’t believe I was actually dating again. I hadn’t seen anyone since that awful double date last spring. My best friend, Jim Stroud, recently divorced as well, asked
*Lily*It was late afternoon, and I still hadn’t a clue what to wear on my date with William. I had spent the afternoon languishing over the MET’s Surrealist collaboration. The artists’ narrative regarding the challenges of social and political unrest captivated me. I jotted down several ideas, inspired to get back to work on a new series.Tony had texted, inviting me to come by the studio for one last look at my paintings before they shipped to William Shaw and company. I told him it might be painful to see them one last time and to proceed with the shipment. In the back of my mind, I felt hopeful I might see them again if a relationship with William was in my future. This was all crazy speculation on my part, as one dinner does not constitute a predestined relationship; however, in the back of my mind, I felt it was destiny. Our meeting, the mutual attraction—it all seemed fated. Never before had I ever felt so drawn to a person, my heart expanding in such a way I might burst
*Lily*William’s whole persona changed, and I hardly recognized him as he addressed the woman standing before us. Her flaxen hair was pulled back in a tight bun, and she wore a Burberry trench coat. “Hello, Elaine.” William nodded, barely looking up from the wine list.“William, where are your manners?” Elaine put her hand on her hip, flashing a three-carat diamond-sized ring in my vision. “Who do we have here?”William cleared his throat. “Elaine, this is Lilian.”I frowned at him for not using my real name, but I gathered he didn’t want Elaine telling his ex-wife, who might mention it to Eva. I tried to push Eva to the back of my mind, wondering if she might be okay with the fact that I was dating her father in some alternative universe. I feared the answer would always be a resounding no. We exchanged greetings with the friend of Eva’s mother, and I couldn’t help pondering what William’s ex-wife looked like. I was sure she was beautiful. The woman, Elaine, turned to m