Tangled : Part Three

FOUR : THE ARCHITECT.

Lee came in to The Gallery, looking for a photographer. I was in the back store-room, when I heard Jane talking to someone in the front. I made a move to go out but then I recognized the familiar deep voice. I peeked through the crack in the door and immediately knew the tall body and beautiful face. Jane came through and before she could say anything I motioned for her to be quiet. I pulled her into the back store room and shut the door.

"What does he want?" I asked her.
"He's looking for a photographer for some sort of project." She replied.

I thought about this for a second and came to a decision.
"Please go out there, tell him I'm busy and ask him to wait.” I paused in thought. “No wait, hang on a second, let me think!”
“You should see his eyes.” Jane whispered. “Green! They’re fantastic. Danny would go wild.”

“I’ve seen them, really close up.” I replied bitterly. Jane’s eyebrows shot up but she didn’t comment. Finally, I came to a decision.
“Tell you what, go out there and tell him I'm not in. Get his number and I'll call him later. I don't want to speak to him right now."
"Why?" She asked.

"Let's just say that he rubbed me up the wrong way and I want to make him stew for a while!" I said carefully. She looked a little surprised but she didn't question me.
Jane did as I asked and he left. I did not need any more complications right now with a new exhibition opening that night.

After he'd gone I went about the business of finishing the arrangements for the upcoming exhibition. When I had a moment a little later I carefully thought about how to handle Lee. I realized that he obviously didn't connect me, David Grant, the photographer to the ‘rent-boy’ that he'd been harassing these past weeks. I called the number he had left and he answered on the second ring.
"Lee Barker!" He said shortly.

I explained who I was and asked him what I could do for him.
"I would like to meet with you, Mr. Grant. I have a business proposition I'd like to put to you." He explained quickly. I liked the 'Mr. Grant', it made me smile. I couldn't wait until he found out who 'Mr. Grant' really was.
"Okay!" I said, my voice even and neutral. "Tell you what, we have an exhibition here at the gallery this evening, starting at seven. Why don't you pop in and we can talk."

"Great! I'll see you then." He replied curtly and hung up. It was going to be a very interesting evening, I thought with a smug smile.

At about seven that evening, people started arriving for the show. We were exhibiting a fine young artist whose paintings were sublime. Of course, the guests could roam the whole gallery and view other works too, mine included. Danny and I, wine glasses in hand, were being conscientious hosts and chatted amiably with our guests. Jane dashed around supervising the waiters, making sure that they were keeping everyone’s glasses filled. Then Lee arrived, a little after seven-fifteen.
"Oh, oh!" Danny quipped. "Look what just walked in, the green eyed hot-crotch!"

I watched Lee, carefully keeping out of view, as he wandered around looking at the works of art, concentrating his attention mainly on my photographs. A little while later I decided it was time to bring him down a peg or two so I wandered over to him while he was studying one of my better photographs. As I drew level with him he glanced at me, did a double take, turned to face me and sneered. It pleased me to see that he sported a rather nice bruise on his chin. Chalk one up for me!

"Well, well, well, if it isn't the little cherry tart!" He smirked.
He looked around the gallery.
"And I see your cute friend isn't far off, as expected." He said with a flick of his head at Danny. "love the interesting decoration on your cheek, by the way!”

He smiled evilly and looked around at the gathering in the gallery. I kept silent.
“You know, you hustlers are like cockroaches, hiding in every dark corner, ready to scuttle into action when the lights go out!" He said and grinned malevolently.

I just gave up. Why fight something that was completely immovable. If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em!

"We can't help it, actually." I replied sweetly. "It's in our nature, we like to gather where the meat is!" I looked him up and down slowly and assessed his every attribute. My eyes lingered on the large bulge in his crotch. "You're not such a bad looking joint, you know? I imagine the . . uh . . meat on you would be pretty tasty." I licked my lips sensually. "However, even if you were buying, you would be the last person I would sell anything to. Besides, you could never afford me!" I finished with a sweet smile. He stared at me silently. I had the notion that he was expecting yet another denial from me, so my candid response obviously threw him off balance.

“My, my!” I quipped with another long look at his bulging crotch. “Is the huge meaty architect at a loss for words?” I looked up into his glaring eyes again. He opened his mouth to come back at me but I cut him off.
“Yes, I think 'huge' is definitely the right word for you!” I said with another look at his groin. “I might even grant you 'enormous', but of course, that remains to be seen!”

He flushed, growled something obscene, turned and stalked off.
Strike one!

I kept my distance, but watched his every move carefully, waiting for my chance at redemption and dare I say it; vengeance. He glanced in my direction a couple of times, scowled and turned away. A little later I saw him corner Jane, who led him over to one of my best photographs.
"This is it." I thought. "Now's my moment, it's time he had a little lesson in humility!"

I ambled casually over to Jane and Lee, who had his back turned toward me. Jane, who saw me approaching, smiled and said. “This is the photographer and owner of The Gallery, David Grant. David, this is Lee Barker."
Lee turned and looked at me with those amazing green eyes, a ready smile on his face which slipped for a second when he saw who I was. Give him his due, his surprise was fleeting and he masked it quickly.

"Mr. Barker would like to feature your work in his new building." Jane said quickly, and then added. "He's an architect.”
“Thanks, Jane.” I said calmly. “I can take it from here.”
She smiled again and scampered off.

We stared at each other in silence for a moment.
“Any regrets now?” I said to him softly, cracking the uncomfortable silence, my eyebrows raised. He opened his mouth to answer but then he snapped it shut again.
Strike two!!

We stared at each-other silently for a moment and then he smiled slightly. His smile was totally unbelievable, but I forced myself to concentrate on the situation and not on his attractiveness.
"Shit!" He said softly. "This is a little awkward!"

"I would say so yes, extremely!" I said archly. Very pointedly, I slowly lifted my hand and lightly touched the cut on my cheek. He stared at me for a couple of beats and then he shifted his weight uncomfortably and looked away. “A lot more awkward than being squashed up together in a narrow corridor, don’t you think?”
It pleased me to see that he had the decency to flush slightly. Then he squared his shoulders and turned his brilliant gaze back on to me.
"To the point, I admire your work very much and would like you to do the photographic murals for a building I'm working on." He said, without so much as an apology, a preamble, nothing.

I kept silent to make him a little more uncomfortable, a sweet smile on my lips.
“I’ve been to several other photographers, but they simply don’t have your skill.” He continued.
Again I kept silent and I could see that he was beginning to feel really uncomfortable. He looked away, pushed his hands into his pockets and stepped back slightly
"Of course, if you’re going to have a problem working with me . . ?" He began, looking back down at me.

"No actually, I don't think I'll have any problem there." I replied quietly, cutting him off with a sugar-coated voice. "But I should think that you might have a problem working with a . . what was it now? Oh yes . . a 'little cherry tart', as you so eloquently put it!"
And strike three, you're out!
"Look, I'm . . !" He started with his hands up apologetically, but I had already turned and walked away.

I told Danny to take over the exhibition and I left. As I walked to the doors, I threw a glance in Lee's direction. He was standing stock still, watching me with his hands in his pockets, an unreadable expression on his face. I gave him a brilliant smile and a little wave and then walked out of the building.
A small sense of satisfaction washed over me as I walked home and to my utter surprise, an indecipherable feeling of regret for I knew that I would never see him again.

I was wrong. The next morning I was running late and I rushed into The Gallery at a fast trot.
"Jane, has that new painting from Jonathan Fraser arrived yet?" I asked breathlessly.
Jane looked up startled.

"Yes, it's already been hung through there." She pointed to one of the exhibition rooms. "But there's someone here . . !" She started but I cut her off.
"Good! I'm dying to see it." I said excitedly. I turned to go through to the exhibition room and there he was, sitting calmly in one of the reception chairs. I stopped short, my breath caught in my throat. He rose and came over to me.
"Can we talk?" He asked softly. I stepped back and stared at him.
“Why?” I asked. “What have we got to talk about?”

"Please! I'm asking you to give me a break?" He implored. I looked into his eyes and saw only sincerity.
“I don't think it’s such a good . . !” I began but he held his hand up beseechingly.
“Please.”

My head told me not to have anything to do with this man whatsoever but my – dare I say it – my heart told me otherwise. Emotion of course, over-rode good old common sense.
"Okay!" I said with a small smile. "You're not going to . . um, assault me again, are you?" I said, my eyebrows raised.
He flushed and shook his head. "No!" He said softly.

"Alright!" I said and he smiled broadly. It was dazzling! I noticed that a dimple dipped into his left cheek when he really smiled. It was totally disarming and my heart did a neat back-flip. Mentally cursing my jumping heart, I turned to Jane.
"Jane, hold my calls please, I don't want to be disturbed." To Lee I said. "If you'd like to come into the office?"

"Thank-you!" He said with another stunning smile. My fickle heart skipped another beat. Traitor, I cursed it yet again along with that damned alluring little dimple.
I led him into my office and closed the door. I indicated for him to sit as I dropped into the chair behind my desk. I said nothing as I watched him settle into the comfortable armchair opposite me. I like my clients and patrons to be at ease in my office, so the furnishings are stylish and very cozy. It didn't help him much, though. He looked at me and shifted his weight uncomfortably.

"Let me start by saying . . !" He began but I put my hand up to stop him.
"To quote you, 'Don't’! I don't want to hear it." I said stiffly, remembering his hand on my balls. "You humiliated me, you insulted me, you made assumptions about me and you judged me. And all before you even knew me and no matter how many times I told you otherwise, you continued to insult me!"

"I am trying to apologize, if you would give me a chance." He said.
"Now why should I give you a chance when I wasn't given that courtesy not once, but several times?" I replied.
He stared at me with those hypnotic eyes for a second and then he stood up.

"Okay, you're right and I'm sorry, I was way out of line and I don't blame you a bit. I'll find another photographer so I won't trouble you again." He turned and walked to the door.
"Wait!" I almost screamed. Almost. For some misguided reason, I couldn't bear the thought of him leaving, never to return. He stopped and turned.
"Look, shall we start over? I mean, let's just get down to the business at hand, shall we? Let's not let . . um . . our history interfere with the project." I said.
He hesitated.

"Stay, I don't want you to . . uh . . please, don't go." I blurted, my icy calm of a few minutes ago forgotten. He cocked his head to one side in thought. After a moment, he came and sat down again.
"Okay, here's the deal. I will give you the details now. Anything further, you can go through with my associate, Derek Jones. That way we needn't speak to each-other again. Okay?"
I nodded. Then he smiled brilliantly. It was utterly unnerving. God, I hated that dimple.

"For what it's worth, I am really very sorry for the way I've behaved. It was unforgivable and you're right, I do regret it." He finished.
"Okay, and thank-you, apology accepted! Let's get to it then."

He told me about the building he'd designed and what his ideas for it were. Then he laid out the plans and drawings of the finished building on my desk. I came around and studied them. His work was certainly impressive, and I could tell that he was very excited about it.
He had designed a classical Greek looking building to house offices and apartments.

"I would like a set of photographic murals in the atrium. Of course, they should have a Greek influence. I'm going for modern mixed with classical." He said excitedly with another stunning dimpled smile. Damn him!!
"Yes, of course!" I replied, my attention not focused on anything but that godforsaken dimple.

"There are eight niches, which will hold the murals." He explained and pointed out the positions on the plan. I noticed that his fingers were long and slender. An unbidden image flashed into my mind briefly – those incredible hands on my body and I shivered with . . excitement?? I pushed it aside and tried to concentrate on what he was saying.

I saw how very focused on the project he was and he seemed like an entirely different person. At one point he leaned in from behind me to point out something in a drawing and his chest pressed lightly against my upper arm. He was quite unaware of his proximity but I felt it through my entire body. The scent of him invaded me as he described the setting for my photographs. Then he turned to me and smiled. His face was very close to mine and his sweet breath washed over me. His eyes up close were stunning and that cursed dimple was even more alluring. I stopped breathing for a moment and my heart did another neat flip.

The heat of him, and the closeness of his body was electrifying. I stood stock still, afraid to break the contact. His eyes roamed over my face and his lips parted slightly, his teeth white and even. One thought flew through my mind: he's going to kiss me; and I felt a little apprehensive. This thought was quickly followed by: please God let him kiss me; something I did not expect and which surprised me somewhat. But then he frowned and looked away. He stepped back and moved aside quickly. Then he got caught up in his description of the kind of photographs he wanted in the atrium.

The warmth of his chest lingered on my arm and made it tingle and an after image of his beautiful eyes hung in front of me. At the end of our discussion, which I found difficult to follow, he held out his hand to shake mine and he said curtly. "I'll get Derek to contact you as soon as the plans have been approved."

His grip was firm and pleasantly warm. I thrilled at his electric touch, which again surprised me. I told myself later that it was only because he was so terribly attractive.

After I'd seen him out, I went back into my office, shut the door and leaned back against it for a moment. His scent lingered in the air - a mixture of his unique cologne and the masculine, animal smell of his body that was now quite familiar to me. I took in deep breaths of air, trying to draw as much of him into me as possible. I sat in my chair and put my head in my hands, trying to clear my over-charged and very confused brain. It was then that I realized something else disturbing. The man had pushed me around, groped me, insulted me and punched my face, why, oh why then, had I wanted him to kiss me and why did I have such a painfully huge erection? It was inconceivable and completely against what I thought of him.

He haunted my dreams that night. I dreamed about the time I'd tried to return his wallet and he'd held me down and kissed me. Only, this time the mood was quite different. It was very erotic and terribly exciting. I was naked and he was tender, yet rough at the same time. His kiss was wildly sensual, his tongue explored my mouth urgently while he teased and fondled my crotch with a firm, probing hand. He pulled away from my lips and smiled at me, his green eyes tender as his hand stroked my throbbing, hard cock gently.
“Don't give up on me, ever!” He whispered cryptically.

Then he leaned forward and kissed me again, a slow, deeply erotic kiss that thrilled me to my core.
I awoke gasping with a massive erection and I realized that I had come messily in my shorts. It was strangely thrilling and I felt incredibly close to him in those first waking moments.
The dream lingered with me throughout the morning and several times during the day, I discovered a wet patch inside my pants.

He not only haunted my dreams, he followed me into my waking hours too. I could not stop thinking about him and his face kept invading my mind.
I knew that I had to see him again, if only to exorcise him from my thoughts.

To be continued.....