“We have this whole place to ourselves?” she asked incredulously.
“I’m not a big fan of crowds.”
“Wow…” She finally looked at the masterpiece on the wall. “Thank you for giving me the honor.”
I stepped away and looked at the next piece.
“You like art?”
“I appreciate it. I’m not an expert by any means.”
“I like paintings and sculptures, but I don’t know much about history. Just a little here and there…”
We moved on to the next piece, standing side by side and never touching. We sipped our coffees as we enjoyed the silence of the expansive museum. They could play music overhead, but the silence was a lot more powerful. “Art can tell a lot about history even if you don’t know what’s going on. In the beginning, artists painted what they saw. So you see a realistic interpretation of life at that time. The colors aren’t vibrant or romantic. They’re simple, drab, and unremarkable. If you go into a modern art gallery to decorate your home, you won’t see colors like this. You’ll see bright bursts of color. As history goes on, the colors get bigger and brighter.”
Scarlet took her eyes off the painting and looked at me. “I never knew that.”
We moved through the museum, taking our time in one section. We both had work to go to in an hour, but I thought experiencing the quietness of the museum before opening hours would be a nice start to the day.
We enjoyed our coffees as we proceeded through the pieces, making small talk about what we saw. It was easy to talk about something that had nothing to do with either one of us. We talked about an artist’s work and dissected its meaning. Scarlet had original insights and lovely opinions. I felt like I got to know her in a different way.
After a while, it felt more relaxed.
In this situation, we didn’t have to talk about each other. I didn’t have to talk about my late wife or wonder what happened with her and her ex-husband. This was a simpler way to spend time together, to do something that wasn’t so heavy.
At the end of the hour, we left the museum and returned to the sidewalk. A line was already forming at the entrance, all the tourists waiting to see something we’d just enjoyed exclusively.
“Thank you for that, Vincent. That was an experience I won’t take for granted.”
“You’re welcome, Scarlet.”
Right on cue, my driver pulled up in my car. It was black with tinted windows.
“I’ll give you a ride to work.”
“That’s sweet of you, but don’t worry about it,” she said. “I’m more than happy to take a cab.”
I opened the back door. “I don’t mind. Please get in.”
She smiled before she got inside.
I got into the seat beside her, and my driver took us to her building. It was on the way, so it wasn’t inconvenient. But even if it were, I wouldn’t have cared. My phone buzzed in my pocket with endless emails, but I ignored them. Scarlet and I weren’t making conversation, but I still didn’t want to stare at my phone.
“That was really wonderful, Vincent. Thank you for taking me.”
“Of course. How’s the article coming along?”
“I’m almost finished…and it’s wonderful. I think you’ll like it.”
“Great.”
“Will you be able to come in for some photos tomorrow?” she asked.
“Sure. What time?”
“One?”
“I’ll be there.”
“That’s great.”
The car pulled up to her building, and my driver helped her out of her side of the car.
I got out and stepped onto the sidewalk even though I didn’t know how to say goodbye. A handshake would just be weird at this point.
She held her bag and gave me a slight nod. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Vincent. Thanks again.”
“See you tomorrow.” I kept my hands in my pockets so my body language was easy to decipher. I wanted to spend time with her, but I didn’t want to touch her. I didn’t want her to touch me either.
She waved before she walked away.
I waited until she was inside the building before I got into the back seat. I stared out the window as my car pulled away, unsure what I was doing.
I didn’t have a clue.
I didn’t know how long this would take, but I cleared my schedule for the rest of the afternoon so I wouldn’t have to rush to another meeting. I walked into the building in the suit I’d been wearing to work, black with a pink tie. I checked in at the front desk and was immediately escorted to a different floor.
I stepped out of the elevator and was guided to the photography set. Backdrops and lighting were ready, and the photographer was making final adjustments. Scarlet stood at the clothes rack, sorting through the different selection of suits. When she was concentrating on her work, her expressions were harder than normal. But when her lips were pursed like that, she looked cute.
Did I just say cute?
Her hair was straight and pulled over one shoulder. She was in a bright pink dress with a gray scarf. Gray pumps were on her feet, and golden bracelets encircled her wrist.
I stepped inside without anyone noticing me and took advantage of the moment to stare at her.
She pushed through each outfit, her lips moving as she counted silently. When she finished the task, she stepped away from the rack and looked up. She nearly did a double take when she realized I’d been standing there for a while. “Hello, Vincent. Thanks for coming.” She walked up to me but kept five feet in between us. Her hands came together at her waist, and she held herself professionally in front of her crew. It didn’t seem like we’d had coffee together yesterday morning and walked through a hallway of ancient paintings.
My eyes were on hers, seeing the brightness of her eyes as it contrasted against the lovely colors she wore. Her makeup was different that day, her eyes smokier. As the editor in chief of the magazine, she obviously thought
