Is This a Weird Threesome Deal, Or...?
It had been nearly a week since Ella had seen head or tail of Matt, Vladimir, or Anatoly, and she was becoming…irritable. Outside of those three, Ella didn’t have many friends– her life revolved around her store, and when she wasn’t working she was either eating, watching Netflix, or trying to learn morse code from her neighbor. (He started knocking on the wall one day, and Ella knocked back, now it had escalated into an all-out war, that Ella drowned out with her shitty radio when she had no inclination to respond.) So, given those circumstances, she was equal parts annoyed, suspicious, and hopeful, when someone knocked on her door at ten on a Sunday morning.Clutching her coffee mug to her chest, she shuffled to the door, not bothering to look through the peephole. She had a cup of near boiling coffee in her hand, and she knew how to throw. Or ‘accidentally on purpose’ spill, and she almost did just that, upon seeing who was standing on her ‘Welcome’ mat.
“Wesley,” she said, narrowing her eyes as she took in another insanely expensive suit. It looked like pure silk had had a baby with the softest cotton on earth.
“Ella,” Wesley responded, and she couldn’t stop the slight upturning of her lip– the beginning of a full out grimace.
“You know, it’s pretty creepy when you break into someone’s home, and then show up at their door, using the name that she never gave to you. Very, very creepy, and I don’t appreciate it at all,” Ella snapped, raising a brow in challenge.
“I’m actually here to offer you a formal apology–”
“He’s actually here to offer you art,” a new voice chimed in, cutting Wesley off. A woman stepped into view from where she had been lounging to the side of the door. “Do these people hang out at award shows for a living, god damn,” Ella thought, gawking at the woman’s beautiful dress– white, short sleeved, with a daringly low v-shaped, neckline.
“Art?” Ella questioned, reigning in her fashion fanatic.
“Yes, may we come in?” the woman asked, entirely polite with a very slight accent that Ella couldn’t pinpoint for the life of her. Ella’s mother had also warned her about her lack of a filter, but unfortunately that warning had fallen on deaf ears.
“Is this some sort of weird threesome deal, because if so, I’m really not interested–”
“No, no,” Wesley rushed out, absolutely horrified, “she meant as in paintings and only paintings!” Ella took a minute to silently revel in both people’s expression of discomfort and mild shock, before beckoning them inside.
“Well… okay then, but why?” Ella asked, taking a seat on the arm of her couch, sipping her coffee absently as she waited for an explanation. She had her bat in her view at all times.
“To apologize for showing up at your apartment at such odd hours of the night,” Wesley said, hands folded neatly in front of him.
“Art,” Ella deadpanned, and that’s when the woman stepped up, all refined grace and elegant strides.
“We have an array of incredible pieces at my gallery, and Wesley thought it would be the least he could do,” she explained, and Ella breathed out slowly through her nose.
“I don’t feel comfortable taking things from anyone, even quiet, lurk-in-the-corner, would-be burglars, who are trying to make amends,” Ella said, setting her mug down on the coffee table.
“We insist. Please,” the woman said, and Ella took in her polite smile, and killer crimson lipstick.
“Is this your way of still trying to shut me up? I said I wouldn’t tell any and I won’t, and I’m more often than not a woman of her word, except when food is involved, maybe–”
“No, this is a sincere apology. I’m new at it,” Wesley said, shrugging, but Ella could see right through to the underlying insecurity. He really was trying to make this whole situation right, even if it came off as vaguely irritating effort to try and buy her silence.
“…Alright, so, how does this work? Do you have an online catalog, or…?”
“I was actually thinking that we could take a ride down to the gallery so you could see the paintings in person,” the woman said, and Ella shrugged, standing, “I’m Vanessa, by the way.” She stuck her hand out to shake and Ella took it without hesitation. Wesley stood quiet and reserved to the side.
“Coolio, alright, well, I’m going to go put on my ‘have to interact with people’ clothes. I’ll be out in a minute,” Ella said, before disappearing into her room. She shimmied out of her pajamas, and hastily threw on a pair of jeans, flats, and one of her nicer button ups– navy blue and cinched at the sides, before grabbing her wallet.
“Our car is waiting downstairs,” Wesley said, and Ella gasped as they walked out into the hallway. “Downstairs? Really? I’d assume it was upstairs on the roof, but if you’re sure you remember where you parked it,” Ella said, all snark. Wesley only rolled his eyes, while Vanessa let out a delicate laugh. She could live with that.
~~~~~~
“Do I have to whisper or–”
“No, you can talk at regular volume.”
“Oh, thank god,” Ella sighed, eyes raking over the various pieces of art that adorned the walls. Each piece was beautiful in it’s own right, and Ella fought the urge to gawk. “So, I just pick one?” she asked, wandering with unsure steps around the gallery. She stopped to examine the first few pieces for only half a minute at most, Vanessa and Wesley trailing behind her.
“Yes, but make sure it speaks to you– makes you feel something,” Vanessa said, and Ella was doubtful. Sure, she liked art. It was nice, but she never stopped to admire. She gave fleeting glances, brief hums of approval, and usually moved on. It felt odd to be scrutinized while scrutinizing.It had been almost half an hour before Ella finally found it. The canvas itself was painted the most brilliant shade of blue she had ever seen, the entirety of the piece consisting of valleys, or oceans, or maybe cliff-sides, outlined it various whites, and murky grays. It was breathtaking.
“This one is…just, wow. Wow is really the only word that comes to mind, and if you know me, you know how rare it’s for only one thing to be on my mind,” Ella said, taking a step back to try and see more of the painting; see it from another angle.
“It suits you, Ella. I find that a painting and it’s owner that actually seem to connect, is a very rare find,” Vanessa said, “I’ll have it at your apartment my tomorrow evening.” Ella had a little bit of difficulty tearing her eyes away, but she managed– barely.
“Thank you. The painting will probably be a wall of it’s own, but I’m sure it’ll fit right in,” Ella said, and Vanessa hugged her– curt and sweet, and nothing more than Ella had expected from a woman like her. She then turned to follow Wesley back down to the car.
“That was a marvelous piece of art,” he said, as they exited the gallery and walked towards the SUV humming by the curb.
“No argument there, man,” Ella said, excited and a little worried to have something so expensive and well-made in her part of town.
“Oh, and so you don’t do anything rash,” Wesley said, and Ella immediately knew he meant stupid and/or violent, “my employer will actually be riding with us on the way to your apartment.”
“No problemo,” Ella chirped, hopping up into the car as the driver, with Wesley right on her heels.
“Hello.” The man sitting across from her had the stature of a giant, his gaze cold and calculative, and his face stoic.
“Hello to you, too,” Ella said, sticking out her hand for him to shake. She was always one to meet danger head on, and this was no different. Wesley’s ‘employer’ had the demeanor of an irritable caged lion. Ella was the same when she couldn’t get her hands on chocolate.
“Wilson,” the man offered, and she smiled as she took his hand– it swallowed hers completely.
“Ella,” she stated, thought she knew that he was well aware of what her name was. She had gotten involved with something– she could feel it, but no major alarm bells had been set off yet. Oh, the brothers and Matt were going to have a field day with this when she told them.