“Hello.”
“You’re still standing in the same spot, staring at that painting. It must really intrigue you.”
My lips gave way to a small smile. “A painting can tell a thousand different stories to different people.”
“You think so?” he asked.
“Tell me what you see when you look at it,” I spoke.
“Well, I see a woman standing at the shore of the dark ocean water underneath a gray sky filled with dark clouds. She’s looking up at the small streaks of light that are coming down and glistening over parts of the water.”
“What else?” I asked.
“The sand is dark in color except for where there’s a lighthouse in the distance, casting its light and lighting a path in the sand.”
“And what does this painting say to you?”
“To be honest, I haven’t got a clue,” he spoke. “What does it say to you?”
“It says that even in a world of darkness, you will always see light.”
“That’s pretty deep. I can see the artist is very talented and inspirational.”
“Yes. She is.” I smiled.
****
Ethan
Her voice was soft and angelic. She was beautiful and I wanted to get to know her. But only small details so I could bring her to the Plaza and fuck her senseless.
“I’m Ethan Klein.” I extended my hand to her.
“Aubrey Callahan.” The corners of her mouth gave way to a shy smile as she placed her hand in mine.
The feel of her soft hand caused my cock to twitch. Enough of a twitch that I had to place my left hand in my pocket to keep it calm.
“There you are,” Charles spoke as he walked up to me and placed his hand on my shoulder. “I bought the painting for Lexi. She’s going to be so surprised.”
“Charles, this is Aubrey Callahan. Aubrey, this is Charles St. John.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Charles.”
“The pleasure is all mine, Aubrey. Have you had a chance to meet the artist, Penelope? She’s so nice and a very talented artist at that.”
“I have. She’s my best friend.” Aubrey smiled.
Charles looked at his ringing phone in his hand.
“Lexi’s calling. I have to take this. I’ll be right back,” he spoke as he walked away.
“I take it Lexi is his wife?” she asked.
“No. She’s his girlfriend. But by the way they act, they might as well be married.”
Studying Aubrey, I noticed she looked down a lot, which signaled to me that she lacked confidence. Either that or she was extremely shy. That was something I would have to fix.
“Would you like to go get a drink or maybe some coffee somewhere?” I asked with the hopes she’d say yes because I really wanted to fuck her tonight.
“I’m not sure that’s a good idea.”
“Why not? Am I making you uncomfortable?”
“No. Not at all.” She looked at me.
“Then why not?”
“Mr. Klein, I’m flattered that you would like to take me out, but I can assure you that I’m not the type of girl you’re probably used to.”
“Why don’t you tell me what type of girl you think I’m used to?” I smirked.
“Someone who can see you,” she replied.
“Excuse me?” I asked in confusion.
“I’m blind, Mr. Klein.”
“What? Is that your way of telling me that you don’t want to go out and have a drink? You don’t have to make something like that up.”
“No. I’m just telling you the truth. The painting we were talking about; the one on the wall.”
“Yes. What about it?”
“Look at the name of it.”
I walked over to the painting and looked at the sign that was above it. The painting was titled Aubrey. I was in shock and in total disbelief. She wasn’t lying and I was at a loss for words. I had no clue that she was blind.
“I’m sorry. I had no idea.”
“It’s fine. I generally surprise people when I spring that on them.” She smiled.
She had a beautiful smile. One that I couldn’t seem to tear my eyes from.
“There you are. I’ve been looking all over for you. Penelope wants to talk to you.” Some guy spoke as he lightly touched her arm.
“Ian, I would you like you to meet Ethan Klein. Ethan, this is my best friend, Ian.”
“Nice to meet you, Ian.”
“Likewise, Mr. Klein.”
She placed her hand slightly above his elbow, and before she walked away, she spoke, “It was very nice to meet you, Mr. Klein. Enjoy the rest of your evening.”
I watched as the two of them walked away. My fist involuntarily clenched itself. I turned and once again looked at the painting, recalling her words, “Even in a world of darkness, you will always see light.” As I was standing there, Charles walked over to me.
“Why are you still standing here?” he asked.
“Because I’m going to buy this painting.”
“Seriously? Why that one?”
“It’s special.”
“How?” He arched his brow at me.
“It just is.”
“Good for you.” He patted my back. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to fetch a glass of champagne.”
I looked over at the door and saw Aubrey and her friend walking out. A feeling stirred inside me. Clenching my jaw, I took in a deep breath as a woman approached me.
“I noticed you’ve been standing here staring at that painting. I’m Penelope, the artist who painted the portrait.”
“Nice to meet you, Penelope.” I extended my hand. “I’m Ethan Klein. The portrait is beautiful and I would like to buy it.”
“You’ve made an excellent choice. This happens to be one of my favorites.” She smiled.
“The girl in the painting. I just met her a little bit ago.”
“You met Aubrey? She’s a wonderful woman.”
“She’s very nice and I was hoping that you could perhaps give me her phone number. That is, if she has a phone.”
Penelope laughed. “Of course she has a phone.”
“She told me she was blind, so I wasn’t sure.”
“Just because she’s blind, Mr. Klein, doesn’t mean that she stopped living life. She can do more than a person who has their sight can. May I ask why you want her number?”
“I asked her out for a drink and she declined. But I don’t want to accept that. I would like to get to know her better.”
“Aubrey steers clear of men. She’s had her heart broken, and to be honest, guys are just dicks when it comes to someone like her. If you’re looking for a one-night stand or something, she’s not your girl. I’m very protective of my best friend.”
“I understand that, but even though she told me she was blind, it doesn’t change the fact that I would like to take her out. She didn’t scare me off.”
She sighed. “I won’t give you her number without her permission, but I will tell you something. Tomorrow is Saturday, and every Saturday morning around nine o’clock, she goes to Shakespeare Garden in Central Park to read for a while.”
“By herself?” I asked as I cocked my head.
“Yes. By herself. She isn’t handicapped, Mr. Klein.”
“I didn’t say she was.” I narrowed my eye at her.
“If you want to talk to her, you’ll find her there. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ll have the gallery take the painting down and wrap it up for you.”
“Thank you. One more thing: please do not tell her that I purchased this painting.”
Her eyebrows furrowed as she bit down on her bottom lip. “I won’t and don’t you be telling her that I told you where she goes on Saturdays.”
“I won’t. You have my word.”
Chapter 4
Aubrey
Climbing out of the cab, I said goodnight to Ian, took my cane from my purse, and walked through the revolving door to my apartment building.
<
br /> “Good evening, Aubrey.”
“Good evening, Kale.” I smiled. “How was your vacation in Mexico?”
“It was great. The wife and I had a wonderful anniversary.”
“I’m happy to hear that. I want to hear all about it tomorrow. Have a good night.”
“You too, Aubrey.”
Taking the elevator up to the second floor, I inserted my key into the lock and stepped inside my apartment. I couldn’t stop thinking about Ethan Klein and it was driving me insane. It wasn’t only his scent, but it was also the sound of his voice; deep but not too deep and very smooth. He spoke words with confidence and there was a sexiness to his tone. A voice like that hadn’t affected me like this in a very long time, if ever. I had to decline his invitation for a drink because I knew exactly how it would play out. I’d been there, done that, and it was something I wasn’t going to allow myself to get involved in again.
Men thought I was beautiful and I got hit on all the time. Don’t get me wrong; it was flattering since I didn’t have a clue what I actually looked like, but it went either of two ways. Some guys told me they just wanted to sleep with me because they found it a huge turn-on that I couldn’t see them and others didn’t bother to call after the second date. I’d even had some guys tell me that my blindness actually freaked them out, even though they thought they’d be okay with it. They couldn’t look past it and get to know the person I truly was. That was when I decided that it was in my best interest to forget men and live my life the only way I knew how. If they couldn’t adapt, it was their problem, not mine. But I made it my mission and stayed away in order to protect my heart. I had my Aunt Charlotte, Ian, Penelope, and a few other friends and they were all I needed.
****
Placing my book in my bag, I grabbed my cane and coffee and climbed into the cab that I had called for before leaving my apartment.
“Hey, Aubrey.”
“Hi, Jeff.”
“It still amazes me each time you climb into my cab that you know it’s me.”
“I recognize your voice.” I smiled.
“That’s pretty cool. Where you off to? Shakespeare Garden?”
“Yes, please.”
I had five cab drivers that I called for on a regular basis. The cab company knew me and my situation and they were always very accommodating.
“We’re here, Aubrey,” Jeff spoke. “Just charge it to your card?”
“Yes, please.”
Reaching into my wallet, I pulled out a few dollars and handed them to him for the tip. I mostly only carried ones, fives, and tens. I had a system in place of how I told the bills apart. For everything else, I used my credit card.
“Thanks, Jeff. Have a good day.”
“You too.”
Climbing out of the cab, I walked into Shakespeare Garden, using my cane for guidance, and took a seat on a wooden bench that sat on a cobblestone walk lined with flowers. This was my place of peace. Not that my life was crazy by any means, but there was something about it that relaxed me.
Opening my book, I began to run my fingers along the braille lettering. As I was reading and taking in the warmth of the sun, a scent, the same scent from last night, occupied my space. I could hear soft footsteps approaching and then they suddenly stopped.
“Hello, Mr. Klein. What are you doing here?”
“How did you know it was me?”
“Your cologne.” I smiled.
“Wow. You’re good, Miss Callahan. I was just taking a stroll on this beautiful morning and I saw you sitting here. I couldn’t believe it. I was trying to approach with caution because I didn’t want to scare you.”
“Do you frequently take a stroll through Shakespeare Garden on Saturday mornings? And you wouldn’t have scared me. I don’t scare easily.”
“Sometimes I do.”
“Please, have a seat.” I patted the bench. “Unless you have somewhere you have to be.”
“No. Nowhere in particular.”
“I find it hard to believe that you just take strolls.” I laughed.
“Why?” he asked.
“Because you’re not the type.”
“And how do you know what type of person I am?”
“I can sense it.”
“Then please enlighten me.”
I sighed. “Okay. You’re a businessman. A powerful, very busy businessman. Work is your life and you like control. You don’t have time to take strolls through Central Park, nor do you have the desire to.”
“Seriously, Aubrey. How the hell do you do that?”
I couldn’t help but let out a light laugh.
“Be honest with me, Ethan. What are you doing here in Shakespeare Garden?”
I heard him inhale a sharp breath. “Fine. Obviously, there’s no pulling one over on you. I asked your friend, Penelope, for your number last night. She wouldn’t give it to me, but she told me if I wanted to see you, this is where I’d find you this morning. But, please, do not tell her that I told you. I gave her my word.”
“I won’t tell her. Why did you want my number?”
“Because I want to take you out and I don’t want to take no for an answer.”
“Why do you want to take me out?”
“I think you’re a nice girl and I’d like to get to know you.”
“But why?”
“Why what?”
“Why do you want to get to know me?”
“What’s with all the questions?” he asked.
“Don’t answer a question with a question. You’re buying time to come up with a line that will sweep me off my feet. Just so you know, I don’t get swept up that easy. I may not have eyesight, but I’m not stupid.”
“I never said you were, Aubrey, and I’m not trying to come up with a line. I find you attractive and to be a very nice girl.”
“You don’t even know me. We talked about ten minutes. Maybe twenty at the most.”
“Exactly, and in that ten or twenty minutes, I felt like you were someone I wanted to get to know better. See, no pick-up line. Just a simple fact.”
It was against my better judgment, but I couldn’t seem to resist his charm. After all, he did come to the garden to see me.
“Okay. I will go out with you so you can get to know me better. But one time, and one time only.” I smiled.
Chapter 5
Ethan
I was happy that she agreed to let me take her out. She said one time and that was fine with me. One time with her was all I needed. If it was that easy to convince her to go out with me, then it would be just as easy to get her into my bed. She was different from the other women I fucked and different was what I wanted. I was getting bored.
“Great. How about I take you to dinner tonight?”
“How about lunch?” she smirked.
“Or lunch.” I laughed. “What are you reading?”
“Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.”
“I see it’s in braille.” I leaned closer to have a better look.
“Yes. It’s the only way I can read.” She smiled.
God, she was so beautiful and I just wanted to reach out and touch her. I wanted to feel the softness of her long blonde hair through my fingers.
“How would you like to take a walk through the garden?” I blurted out with no control. What the fuck just happened?
A small smile crossed her lips. “That would be nice.”
“Then let’s go.” I stood up and held out my hand to her like an idiot. She couldn’t see it and I pulled back. This was going to take some getting used to.
Putting her book in her bag, she grabbed her cane and stood up.
“How about you use my arm instead of that cane?”
“Thank you. I appreciate that.” She smiled.
She folded up her cane, placed it in her bag, and lightly placed her hand above my elbow.
“You need to walk a half a step ahead of me so I can follow your direction. And, you’ll also need to tell me when we approach a curb
or stairs. I’m trusting you, Mr. Klein.”
“You’re safe with me, Miss Callahan.” I smirked.
“Why don’t you ask me what you’re dying to know?” she spoke as we began walking.
“How do you know what I’m thinking?”
“It’s always the first question people ask the minute they meet me.” She stared straight ahead.
“Have you always been blind?”
“No. It happened when I was eight years old after a horrible car crash I was in with my parents. They were killed and I lost my eyesight,” she replied in a soft-spoken voice.
I felt a twinge of something in my heart. Pain perhaps? Pain for her because she lost her parents, or pain because she lost her sight. I was concerned because I didn’t feel things like that.
“I’m sorry.”
“Thank you. That was a long time ago.”
“Who raised you?” I asked as we walked along the flower-lined path.
“My Aunt Charlotte and Uncle Lee. She was my mother’s sister. They moved me here right after I got out of the hospital.”
“You’re not from New York?” I asked.
“No. I was born in California.”
Suddenly, my phone started to ring. Pulling it from my pocket, I noticed it was Jarod calling.
“I have to take this. Excuse me for a moment.” I stopped and she stopped beside me.
“Go ahead.”
“You better have some news for me,” I answered.
“We might. We went to your office and saw you hadn’t been in. Are you coming in today?”
“I could if you had something good.”
“I think we do, Mr. Klein.”
“I’m on my way.” I ended the call and placed my phone in my pocket. “I’m sorry, Aubrey, but that was work. I have to go into the office.”
“It’s fine.” She smiled.
“Can we resume this later on tonight?” I asked.
“Sure. Why don’t you come over for dinner? I’ll cook you a nice meal.”
“You cook?” I asked in confusion.
“Yes.” She laughed. “Hard to believe. Isn’t it?”
“No. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to—”
“No worries, Mr. Klein. I get it all the time. It’s hard for people who have sight to understand.”