The Art of Zen, page 19
“Oh, my God!” Abby gasped.
“Do they know who did it?” Thomas insisted, his voice harsh and demanding through the line.
“You can come visit us,” her mother offered.
“I’ll get you bodyguards,” her father decided. “I know you love your loft, Tia, but that building isn’t near as safe as it should be.”
Tears streamed down her face as she looked at Spencer with pleading eyes not to agree with her father. That wasn’t what she needed right now. “Bodyguards aren’t necessary, Dad.”
“Well, you’re not staying there now, are you?” he demanded.
“It doesn’t sound safe,” her mother said.
“No, I’m with a friend.”
“With Vivian?” Her mother sounded relieved.
“No, Vivian is in Paris. I haven’t called her yet. I’m staying with Spencer-”
“Who is Spencer?” Thomas interrupted.
“Spencer Chadwick,” Tia answered. “He’s a friend of mine I did some work for, he’s sitting right next to me, I have the phone on speaker.”
“Chadwick?” her father questioned. “Brent and Beth’s boy?”
Tia looked at Spencer for clarification. When he gave her a nod, she answered her father. “Yes.”
“We’ve spent time with his parents over the years. I’ve seen pictures.” Abby lowered her voice. “He’s adorable, honey.”
“And he’s sitting right here,” Tia reminded her mother. “Again... on speaker.” She wiped away the remnants of her tears and shook her head at Spencer’s smug smile.
“We can rearrange our travel and come see you,” Abby offered.
“That won’t be necessary,” Tia said.
“I’ll wire you some money,” Thomas decided.
“For what, dad?” Tia laughed.
“To hire an investigator to get down to the bottom of this since it sounds like the police were worthless,” he answered.
“Honey, let your father hire a PI,” Abby advised. “They’ll get things figured out faster than the system.”
Tia rubbed her forehead tiredly. She knew they meant well, but her headache was coming back. “Let me take a few days to think about that.”
“In the meantime, lose yourself in your work,” Abby suggested. “That’s always worked for you in the past, and you do such amazing work when you’re upset.”
“No, mom,” Tia protested. “I’m not painting. I can’t anymore. And,” she said quickly as she heard both of her parents begin to argue. “I can’t talk about it. Not tonight, ok? I only wanted to let you know what happened and I needed to hear your voices. I love you both.”
“We love you,” Thomas responded.
“Call us tomorrow, please,” Abby requested. “And Spencer,” she addressed him. “Take care of our girl.”
“You got it,” he promised.
Tia wrapped up her phone call with her parents and hung up the phone. She finished the rest of her whiskey and turned to Spencer. “I didn’t realize our parents knew each other.”
“I didn’t know that, either. Small world.” One side of his mouth lifted in a crooked grin. “Your mom thinks I’m adorable.”
“All you have to do is look in a mirror to see how handsome you are,” Tia muttered.
He reached out to run his hand over her braid and rested it on her shoulder. “If I offered to model for you, would you consider drawing?”
“Spencer, please don’t,” Tia began.
“Naked? You said you liked the human body. I have one, and I’m willing.”
Tia removed his hand from her shoulder and kept it in hers. “Please don’t.” Her voice was soft, nearly a whisper.
Spencer stood as she did and tugged on her hand to stop her from turning away from him. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t push me,” she pleaded. Fresh tears stung her eyes.
He hadn’t meant to push. Had only meant to tease and maybe lighten her up a bit to make her see she shouldn’t walk away from her talent. He pulled her into his arms and held her tightly to him. He placed his hand under her chin and brought her gaze to his so she could see the sincerity in his eyes. “I’m sorry,” he repeated. As she gave him a slight nod, he leaned down and brushed his lips against hers and let them linger when she didn’t pull back. “Let’s try to get some more sleep,” he suggested.
Tia let him keep her hand in his as they walked back to the bedroom. She slid under the covers and didn’t protest when he scooted close to her and spooned her with his hand around her waist, holding her back close to his chest.
“We’ll talk in the morning about your situation.” The hum of his voice vibrated against the soft skin behind her ear.
“Thank you,” Tia whispered, and found herself snuggling deeper into his embrace. She could feel the heat of his chest through her nightgown. The strength of his arms around her was comforting. Her eyes fluttered closed and she let herself drift. In the light of day, they could discuss her next move, but for now, she would allow herself to believe that everything was going to be ok.
Four hours later, Tia awoke. The low hum of Spencer’s voice from the living room told her he was up and about, and presumably on the phone. Her tragedy from the night before couldn’t interfere with business. After all, the world didn’t stop moving. Well, hers had, but she was levelheaded enough to know that others had to go on with their lives. She reached for her cell phone. The display on the screen notified her that she had three missed calls and two voicemails. All of them from Vivian.
Spencer poured coffee while Carlos spoke rapidly on the other end of the phone. He nodded his head as he listened and tried to get a word in edgewise. His blood boiled with rage at what he heard. “Ok,” he said more calmly than he felt. “No, leave everything alone. I want to see it. Just leave everything alone.” He looked over his shoulder when he heard the bedroom door open and knew Tia would appear at any moment. “Got it,” he said abruptly. “Look, I have to go. I’ll be in shortly.” He rubbed the back of his neck in irritation and tossed the phone on the counter. As he heard Tia’s footsteps approach, he composed himself and greeted her with a smile. “Good morning.”
Sensing something troubled him, she entered the kitchen with slow steps. She wore her nightgown topped with her robe. On her feet were thick black socks to ward off the morning chill. In her sleep, random curls escaped her braid and framed her face. Her eyes were red-rimmed and swollen from the emotion of the previous evening.
From the moment he met her, Spencer thought she was stunning, exotic, sultry. Right now he thought she looked fragile and childlike. He felt an overwhelming need to protect her.
Tia gave him a careful smile. “Good morning. Everything ok?” she asked as she gestured toward the phone.
Ignoring her question, he reached for a coffee mug. “Coffee?” He poured at her nod and handed her the mug. “Sleep ok?”
Tia pushed the loose curls off her face. “All things considered, I slept alright. It helped to be with you.” She slid onto the stool at the counter. “I had a few voicemails from Vivian. One was from last night, demanding to know how our date went.” She gave him a grateful smile. “The other one was left just over half an hour ago. She said you called her and told her what happened. Thank you, Spencer,” she said softly. “I wasn’t looking forward to that phone call.”
“Glad I could help.” He turned away from her to get the creamer out of the refrigerator and wondered how he was going to tell her. He could see the pain in her eyes, the sorrow on her face. He knew what kind of wound last night created and felt like an ass because he was about to pour a ton of salt in that wound. Kick the poor woman while she was already down. He understood how and why she withdrew last night. He felt that way right now. His conversation with Carlos brought out a level of anger in him that he hadn’t felt before. An anger that left him oddly calm, but he was smart enough to know a burning rage simmered underneath that smooth exterior. He just hoped Tia didn’t explode at the same time he did. Neither one of them might recover.
Tia could sense his irritation and wondered if it was directed at her. He was so sweet, caring, and gentle with her last night. Where was his irascible mood coming from this morning? Was it the lack of sleep? Was it because she shared his bed and didn’t make love with him? Was she crowding him? Although she didn’t see how that was possible with the palace that he lived in. When he placed the creamer on the counter, she added a splash to her coffee along with a teaspoon of sugar. She took a drink of her steaming coffee and set her mug down. He wouldn’t look at her. Tia reached for him and placed her hand on his arm. Finally, he turned to her. Cerulean eyes searched hers as she could tell he struggled with something. Did he not know how to tell a woman it was time to go? She decided to give him the easy way out.
“In her message, Vivian offered to let me stay at her place until she gets back. I’m not a fan of cats, so I’m going to take my father’s offer of money and check myself into The Waldorf Astoria. I’ll be out of your hair shortly. I’m sorry if my presence interfered with your workday. Thank you for everything.” With the intent to retreat to the guest bedroom to shower for the day and figure out her next step, Tia stopped when he grabbed her wrist and didn’t let go.
“You’re not going to check into a hotel,” he said, his voice tight.
“I don’t want to be a burden. I know last night took up so much of your time, and I know you have a very busy life. I’ll be out of here as soon as-” Her words were cut short when he snapped at her.
“You’re not going anywhere. You’re staying here,” he decided.
“Look...” Tia tugged her hand free. “I can’t thank you enough for last night, but I don’t know what’s changed this morning. I feel like I’ve overstayed my welcome and that’s fine, I’ll go-”
“You’re staying here the entire time. I will not allow you to go to a hotel,” he insisted.
Tia raised a brow at him and his cold demeanor. “You won’t allow it? Spencer, we had a moment last night. We had a few nice moments, but if you think for one second-”
“Dammit, Tia! It’s not about you,” he cut her off again. “The restaurant was vandalized last night!”
Tia stopped mid-rant with a gasp. Her irritation was instantly gone, her eyes were full of sorrow. “I’m so sorry, Spencer.” She reached for his hand and gripped it tightly. “What the heck is going on?” she breathed. Confusion crossed her face as he stood before her with anger in his eyes. It suddenly dawned on her that he wasn’t angry at her, he was angry for her. Her heart skipped a beat, her voice trembled as she inquired, “The mural?” The shift of his eyes was enough of an answer. Everything inside of her froze. Try as she might, she couldn’t keep the tears away. “But... how... I gave that to you.” Her voice was distant and sad. “That was yours, why would someone destroy that? Oh, Spencer,” she sobbed. Tears streamed down her cheeks and her shoulders trembled with emotion. “How bad is it?”
“I don’t know yet. That was Carlos on the phone. He was wrapping it up with the police. Dammit!” he seethed. “I knew I should have had security cameras put in right away.”
“The alarm?” She accepted the tissue he offered and swiped at her tears.
“Tripped. Whoever it was, knew what they were doing with the wires.”
“My paintings at home... it wasn’t some random attack. If they went after the mural, it’s personal. Someone wants to destroy me.”
“Not just you. I think someone wants to destroy us,” he said. “Someone is trying to send us a warning. If Officer Reed has done his job correctly, he’ll know what Ainsley was up to last night.” To see the pain in her eyes nearly killed him. Last night when she spoke about never painting again, he figured she would need some time. That was all, just a little bit of time. Now as he looked at her, full of sorrow and fear, he was truly afraid she might never create again. Spencer knew he wasn’t the best with fluctuating emotions, but he was good at fixing things. He curled his finger under her chin and forced her to make eye contact. “What can I do to help you?”
Tia dried her tears and swallowed over the lump in her throat. She blinked quickly. Her lashes were spiky from crying. “Let me be a part of this. I know you want to shield me and protect me from the reality of this, but please don’t. I need to see the mural.”
“Tia,” he hesitated.
“No.” She shook her head vehemently. “Don’t shut me out. I know this is happening to both of us, but it started with me. It’s because of me. I need to see it.”
“Ok,” he grudgingly acquiesced.
“And I’ll stay here until I can go back home if your offer stands.”
“It does. How soon can you be ready?”
She looked down at her appearance. “No need to dress up for anything right now, so I can be ready in ten minutes.”
As she scooted off the stool to leave, Spencer grabbed her hand and linked their fingers. “We’re in this together.”
“Together,” she agreed. Her heart caught in her throat when he lifted her hand to his mouth and placed a gentle kiss upon it.
Spencer watched her rush off to get ready. He released a whoosh of air from his lungs and wondered what the hell he was thinking to let her come with him. Carlos told him the extent of the damage. He didn’t relay that information to Tia. Little as she was, he knew there was no stopping her. If she wanted to see it, he had to let her see it. He just hoped she’d still be standing once she faced it.
Chapter 15
In less than ten minutes, Tia reappeared, dressed in her leggings and sweater from the previous evening. She grabbed her bag and slipped it across her body, then turned to look at Spencer as a thought hit her. “Should we take a cab? You didn’t want Marcelo to know I’m here with you.”
He shook his head and held up a set of keys. “He parks the car here every night and then goes home, so I have it if I need it. I’ll drive.” He smiled at her look of surprise. “I know how to drive.”
“It’s not that... I just... I haven’t driven in years. It’s one thing to navigate the traffic on foot or as a passenger, the thought of driving in New York gives me nightmares.”
“Well, then buckle your seat belt,” he advised. “I said I know how to drive, I didn’t say I did it often.”
“Great,” she muttered as she followed him out of his home. “As long as we arrive in one piece.”
As Spencer drove, Tia tried to focus on how fast he could get them to the restaurant and not the dread that filled her stomach at what she was going to see. Was her work salvageable? Did the restaurant suffer the majority of the blow and her mural maybe a few nicks and scratches? Was she living in some crazy, alternate universe, and when she returned to reality everything was going to be ok? She chewed nervously on her thumbnail while the thoughts ran rampant through her mind.
Spencer could see her mulling over something. He was proud that his driving skills hadn’t rusted too much since he hadn’t been behind the wheel in nearly half a year. As he eased into the left lane to make a turn, he glanced at Tia once more and saw the worry on her face. “Talk to me.”
“I feel like I’m on my way to identify a body.”
He glanced back to the road, but reached over and squeezed her hand. “I understand. I kind of feel that way, too.”
Tia shifted her body toward him and studied his profile. The first thought that flitted through her mind was that she wished she had a sketchpad so she could draw his profile and the straight lines of his brow, nose, and chin. She blinked quickly and slammed that door in her mind closed, instead she studied his features to gauge his knowledge of the extent of the damage. “Carlos didn’t tell you how bad it was?” Even though she had already asked him this question, a part of her believed he truly knew. His only response was a shake of his head as he looked over his shoulder to change lanes, then make a right-hand turn.
There was reserved parking right in front of the restaurant, next to what would be the valet area. Spencer included it in as many of his restaurants as space would allow. It made it easier on him, the owner of the establishment, but also on his driver. He didn’t like it when Marcelo was forced to circle blocks, or drive around while he waited for Spencer. It wasn’t fair to Marcelo to kill time that way, and Spencer didn’t like the additional cost of pointless gasoline. He pulled the BMW into the spot, killed the engine, and turned to Tia. “I think you should wait here for a few minutes. Let me go in before you and see what it looks like first.”
“I think not,” Tia answered. The cool morning air kissed her cheeks as she opened the door and walked around the hood of the car to the front door.
Spencer got out quickly and walked after her. He tugged on her elbow and stopped her. “Tia.” His eyes pleaded with her. “Just give me a minute to size it up, then I’ll come to get you.”
Ignoring his pleas, Tia wiggled out of his grasp and took a few steps, only to clench her teeth when he stepped in front of her and blocked her. She put her hand to her throat and looked into his eyes with concern. “I left my scarf in the car, do you mind getting it for me?”
“Sure,” Spencer agreed. He took one step away from her when a thought hit him. “Wait, you weren’t wearing a scarf. Dammit, Tia!” he yelled as she rushed away from him and yanked open the door to the restaurant.
The smell of wood and paint hit them both as they skidded to a halt once inside. A glance around for Tia showed her tables overturned and chairs on their side. Her feet crunched over grains of salt as the shakers were strewn about the floor with their counterpart pepper. She barely paid attention; her eyes were riveted on the wall in front of her. The wall she had spent hours, weeks, months on was completely defaced with obscene images drawn randomly into the mural and written expletives that attacked her character and her talent. Over the Empire State Building was a large phallus. On the park bench in Central Park that had one lonely man reading a book, was now occupied with a naked woman touching herself. The additional images of middle fingers and breasts were adolescent and amateur as far as talent went... a random thought that snuck into her mind as she studied the vandalism. What left her cold were the obscenities scrawled in red and white paint all over her mural.
