Tempted by Fate (The Fate Trilogy Book Two) by Sherilyn Gray Page A

to stick out in a crowd of fellow artists. I
gave myself a once-over in the fitting room mirror and decided that I couldn’t
depend on Victor to dress me forever—for once we would be at a social function
with people I could relate to. I was determined not to let my skirt be the one
thing they remembered about me.
     
    Twenty minutes later we were out the door, my
new outfit neatly folded in a large shopping bag. Karen and I decided to take
advantage of our outing and stopped by a small Italian bistro for lunch.
     
    After we ordered our food, we chatted a bit.
Although we saw each other every day, we really hadn’t had a chance to sit down
and get to know each other more since my first few days of living with Victor.
     
    “How’re things going?” she asked me. Her eyes
crinkled at the corners as she smiled.
     
    Did my mother’s eyes do that?
     
    “I’m… happy,” I told her. “And maybe a bit
confused.” I wasn’t worried about revealing too much to her. I knew that
whatever I told her wouldn’t leave the restaurant. “Victor has shared so much
with me, yet somehow he remains distant. I’m pretty sure he cares about me, but
he’s never said it.”
     
    “I think he’s confused,” Karen said. “I know
he’s a kind man at heart, but ever since he was a child he’s had an air of darkness
about him.” She leaned forward. “How do you feel about him ?”
     
    I closed my eyes and pictured Victor; the way
he would kiss me on my head, the way he spoke to me, the exotic, yet passionate
way we have sex. I realized that I always looked forward to seeing him. “I
think I’m beginning to fall in love with him,” I said slowly. “If this tingling
feeling inside of me whenever I think of him is any indication, then it must be
true.”
     
    “Have you ever thought about telling him?”
     
    “I did while we were in Paris, in so many
words at least.” I toyed with the cloth napkin on my lap. “And my feelings have
grown even stronger, but he hasn’t mentioned anything about it since. Even if
he does have feelings for me, I’m just his... employee.” I believed that Victor
didn’t see me as just his maid, but it would be my own fault if I convinced
myself that our relationship was anything more than an arrangement.
     
    “You would be surprised by how much he’s
changed since you’ve arrived.”
     
    I felt a heat creep into my cheeks, nervous about
what she might say. “Really? How so?”
     
    Karen leaned back in her chair, her eyes
becoming distant. “Before you moved in we would barely see him, unless he
needed something from us. And when we did see him, he would never laugh,
wouldn’t even crack a smile.” Karen reached across the table to grab my hands.
“And then you came along. I really noticed it when you got back from Paris. Mr.
Draper seems a lot happier; he talks to us more, cracks jokes now and then, and
he smiles. I think you’re good for him, Dove. Don’t give up on him.”
     
    I couldn’t help but smile at her words, even
though I didn’t know if they were true. One thing was for certain, though: I
wasn’t sure if I could give up on Victor even if I tried.
     
    ***
     
    Victor and I arrived at the Lotus Art Gallery
at seven thirty, a half hour after its opening, but the place was already
packed with people. Women in long, elegant dresses gathered near the cocktail
table while men in suits greeted each other with an air of familiarity. I felt
slightly out of place until I noticed that dozens of paintings hung against
white walls with bright lights underneath illuminating them. I remembered the
trip to Paris and the afternoon Victor and I had spent at the Louvre. I felt
now the way I had felt then: awestruck. I was envious of the artists who were
lucky enough to have their work on display, but my admiration of them
overshadowed any jealousy.
     
    “This is amazing,” I muttered, more to myself
than to anyone else, but Victor overheard me.
     
    “I knew you’d like it.”