I should really stop reading his books and listened to Brenton.
It was Wednesday when I was scheduled to meet the famous painter and do something with my life. And that mid-morning I decided that I was going to do just that."Hey, woah... you're all dressed up. Are you stalking him again? damn, you even smell nice. Did you shower?""Fuck you, Gemma."She giggled while putting toast on my plate and asked where I was going, again."I'm meeting Brenton, he's setting me up with his friend. She owns a gallery downtown.""Mm, that's good Ella. You should definitely meet her, I think your paintings are great. Look, Ella...you know I love you right? but it's time to start rebuilding your life."Her last words hit me on the right spot. The guilt I feel for Gwen still hangs, Gemma knows that every time I try to start my sketches I kept on seeing her face.I didn't even get to say goodbye to Gwen. The last words I said was me telling her to take it easy and everything was going to be okay.But I should've listened to her, I should've been a better friend."Yeah, I know... but I couldn't stop thinking, what if I didn't take that summer class abroad. Maybe she could still be alive?""Ells, don't do this to yourself. We've talked about this, hundreds of times. You couldn't have known. Now eat and get yourself out there."She smiled and finished her toast before drinking down her cold milk. Yep, there's something off with my cousin, she drinks cold milk in the morning as a substitute for steaming hot coffee."And stop looking at me like a pervert." She muttered when I give her the look."Okay! I'm getting out there, I can do this! need to make money to pay for my honey bun bun's yearly subscription." I take a big bite of my toast and chew it with a newfound attitude."Damn...you're helpless aren't you?" she put her dirty dishes on the sink and grabbed her bag on her way out of our two-bedroom apartment."I'm going, I'm late already and I might be home after dinner, there's this acquisition project that my boss is doing..." her voice trailed off as she walked out of our place, but then laughter was heard and I was happy instantly when I saw them."My two favorite people!"Benjamin was giving me the look, it was the first time he saw me dressed to go out that early in the morning. I usually greeted them in my PJs, at least until late in the afternoon."Should we go back later? what happened to our Ella?" the handsome man asked as he barged into the apartment with his homemade cookies.Jacqueline gave me a quick hug and helped herself to a cup of black coffee and three teaspoons of sugar."You can go, I want to know more..." the half french beautiful woman set up camp when she grabbed Ben's homemade cookies and sit to my front while waiting to drink probably her second cup of coffee that morning."Jacqueline, babe, she's all dressed up she might be feeling ill. Are you going to a doctor?" Benjamin, her roommate who's obviously tailing her like a lost puppy, sits down next to Jacqueline."You two...look, I know we just known each other for a couple of months now...""See, I told you. Maybe she's dying?" Ben whispered in a not so soft tone."Ben, I'm healthy, now sit.""Yes, mam." He shut his mouth by drinking the coffee that Jacqueline made for him moments earlier."I'm dressed to meet a friend, he's going to introduce me to a gallery owner. I'm a painter.""Oh, that's how your paintings are so damn good. But, can you paint anything else besides that gorgeous author that you stalk?" Jacqueline asked after sipping her coffee again."We will find out won't we?"Ben laughed, but abruptly stop himself when Jacqueline slapped the back of his head telling him to show some support.We chat for another half an hour before they went back to their apartment and Brenton was picking me up downstairs."Hey, you,""Hey...so, thank you for giving me a chance.""Ella, you're like my little sister." The famous millionaire painter ruffled my hair as if I was still fifteen years old."Damn it, Brenton, I was too old back then and obviously now. My hair is perfect as is."He chuckled and put his car in gear and swiftly drive into the mid-morning traffic.It didn't take long for us to arrive at the commercial building complex, where the gallery is situated then I was introduced to Trisha."...call me Trisha or Trish, Brenton had spoken highly of you..."I pinched his arm when she said the words."Ouch! what?! you're good, you just need to paint something else!"Trisha laughed and told me that Brenton had spoken to her about my stalking issue too."I don't stalk... it's just that, ehm...he's currently my muse.""Yeah for almost a year now, or maybe more?""Brent!""What?! it's true! you need to...""You both need to loosen up. How about this, let's get to know each other better at Player? Shane is waiting for me there, his driver is here. What do you say?""Huh? to what?""Forget about it, she will follow me. Come on, you need this."And that's how things went south. I couldn't remember how it started but there was a lot of liquor involved after we eat lunch at Shane's club, Player.One moment I was up for an introduction, the next hour I was blabbering about my honey bun bun to Trisha and her husband Shane. Shamelessly telling them how I have a dedicated wall for displaying his perfect facial features.Brenton was not helping, he was laughing his ass off from my words but in the end, Trisha decided that she wanted me to try and put a couple of my paintings in her gallery."Let's try it out, I believe in Brenton's eyes for talent and I trust him when he said that you got what it takes."I was in tears when she said that, maybe it was the midday alcohol consumption or maybe the fact that I need to produce at least two paintings in the next three months, and that realization scares the shit out of me."I hope that's happy tears?" Brenton asked after Trisha excused herself along with Shane for another appointment."Brent, you're pushing me to my maximum point. This is my desperation tears, I don't know who am I going to marry if all of this fails."Brenton laughed and told me that I was going to be just fine."I've seen your previous works, with your maximum effort you should do great. Get out of town, find yourself some inspirations, go visit your parents.""I guess it's been a while.""Come on I'll take you back, we'll get a taxi and dropped you off first."It took us an hour until we reach my apartment building. I thanked him after he said he'll check up on me in the next few days."I'm going to make sure you're following through with your words. This is a good opportunity, Ella.""I know, and I won't disappoint you.""There's the spirit."He gave me his brotherly hug and invite me for dinner with his family when I'm back from my parents."Thanks again, Brent.""You're welcome!"He ruffled my hair again and I pouted when he finally gets back to his taxi.I walked towards the elevator, a bit tipsy, but I managed to open Brice's fan page and read the newest comments on his book. It made me smile and helped me get through the moving hallway as I try to balance my steps all the way to the front of my door.Made it.Now I just need to find a new object for my painting.It was almost a week since I saw Brenton. I was looking at my room, I got four unfinished sketches. All of them didn't feel right. I cried in frustration when trying to sketch the first canvas. Gemma was calming me down, but by the fourth failed attempt she was telling me to suck it up and leave me to type diligently back in her room before she ends her day.Then I was desperate when the week ended and Brenton called to check up on me."Why didn't you go back to your parents? I thought we agreed on that matter?""Well yeah, but the thing is... ehm, I have a thing...""Ella...""What? it's his book signing and I've jotted the event on my calendar since months ago." I whined and pouted while knowing that he wouldn't see me from the other line. "Tell me one thing, does he even notice you?""Well, with the long line of crowd it'll be tough, but..." "Ella, go to your parents. If you won't do this for me, do it for Gwen."The mentioning of her name made me, slumped back to my seat and I
Gemma had just got back from work. It was dinner time and I had just finish plating mom's dish for our meal. "So, my mom said hi," I pointed to mom's cooking on our small dining table. "Oh my god, I miss you! and your mom is the best!"We laughed and start to eat our dinner while we talk about everything that we've been missing out from each other."Well, I can't believe you skipped the most awaited Brice Durant's book signing event.""Right?! I hope he's not upset that I decided not to go..."Gemma throws a napkin at me to stop me from continuing my words."Shut up before I throw a kitchen knife at you." She muttered while spooning mom's casserole in between her words."Jeez, cuz...didn't know you've become this bloodthirsty since I'm gone." She shrugged and continue eating mom's cooking. "...anyway, you looked like you've actually been working your ass off, can I see the paintings?" "It's still packed in my room. Why don't I show you in the morning, I want to sleep early tonigh
"Okay! I've been thinking about our dates last night. I think we need to arrange new strategies."I shook my head, silently telling myself not to go up against her when she gets excited. The best I can do is listen to her."Give me your phone." "Don't you have work to do?" "It's Saturday," "Gemma, I'm not sure I want to do the date thing two nights in a row. How about we do the traditional way and go have drinks and just stare at cute guys longingly?" She laughed at me but finally agreed. "Okay, but we're doing this my way. Let's do a spa day, shopping, do our hair, waxing..." she kept on listing our schedule while I decided to leave her and go to my room to stalk my honey bun bun on social media.I sighed when I look at his handsome face, it didn't take me long before my hands reach out for my sketchbook and start sketching him. Again. It has become an addiction, I should stop. That afternoon we had our spa day, we talked and relaxed all through our sauna and bath session, I
We've talked about the weather, the app, then venture to favorite food and drinks, up until it was getting too personal for a first date. Though he seemed to act casually about everything. "Tell me about yourself?""Uh..." He chuckled as I was crumbling on the inside while listening to his deep sexy laugh. I don't know what I did in my previous life to deserve to meet the handsome smart man in front of me. "Well, I'm a painter...eh, well I try to be.""Yeah? I've always wanted someone to do a portrait of me." "You're really fond of yourself?" He laughed and my heart almost skipped a beat when he gets a clean napkin and gives me his pen."Please?" he plea adorably, making me want to do things to him. Breathe Ella..."Not my first choice of media, it'll look a bit cartoonish but let's try it out." I took his pen and started sketching on the napkin, I don't really have to look at him to draw his facial features, but I was not going to pass the chance of watching him actually pose
"Ella...don't, I know you're happy but you don't have to drag me into it. I'm taking the day off.""What? this is Sunday. It is your day off." "Yeah, I mean tomorrow, just have fun. I don't feel so good. I want my blankie.""Is it because of Larry?" I tried to wake Gemma and have her join me for coffee but she was still cocooned under her blanket and not wanting to be disturbed. So, I gave up and have a cup of coffee while stalking Brice's Instagram feeds. I was trying to see if he mentioned anything about his mystery date with me last night. I was wishfully thinking that he actually liked me, so much so that he would let the world know. Get real, Ella...I sipped my coffee and decided to set up my easel and canvas on our small balcony. It was a perfect day for painting, and I suddenly felt the need to start doing so.It was a weird feeling, haven't had it for years. The strokes were easy, the lines, the shapes were effortlessly drawn. I was smiling like a kid in a candy store when
"Damn, someone looks like they had quite an orgasm." Jacqueline greeted me as I entered our apartment with a huge grin on my face. Benjamin was busy plating cupcakes from the oven while wearing Gemma's very pink apron with a huge 'Spank the Chef' writing on it. "I'm still wet, still horny, and still a freaking virgin!" "You should let me pop your cherry." Benji was to my back and kissed my shoulder while he offered me the chocolate chip cupcake. "I'm saving myself for my honey bun bun." I grinned and thank him for the cupcake, then let out a delicious moan as my teeth sink into the moist chocolaty heaven."Gemma has been telling us about that, I think you should write a memoir for all of your stalker friends out there. I can already see the outline, how to bed your object of desire." Jacqueline was quick to comment while scrolling on her phone.Ben laughed, taking off the apron and placed the fresh batch of cupcakes. Then he was back to busying himself by making the white Russian
It was almost noon when I finish sketching yet another Brice's perfect face. And remembering what Ann said yesterday, I decided to be the stalker that I am and snapped the sketch and post it on my Insta page.And being a true stalker and fangirl I tagged Brice's account and his fan page. Ann was the first to comment with lots of emojis and praising my impeccable sketching skill.My creative juice seems to flow easily when my Insta notification buzzed, I put down my brush and peek at my phone. I almost knocked down my easel when I saw that Brice commented on my sketches. He never commented, not ever, he would like my posts but never comments on any of them."Ella, are you okay? you look like you've seen a ghost.""A miracle to be precise!" I shouted like a deranged woman waving her my phone."Huh?""My honey bun bun, he commented on my Insta post!" I showed it to Gemma and she slowly shook her head."You're going on a date with him tonight, you should stop calling him bun bun."I put m
Brice's POV"Brice, you know you're going to trigger your stalker by giving her the heart emoji."Clara Sherman, my agent was warning me not to poke the bear."But it is good work, I'm actually impressed. And she's not a bear, you should consider her as your little helper. She helped you with the fan group, right?"She sighed and reminded me about what happened last month when the woman sends me too many emails."I know I might overreact sometimes, but I was in a bad mood that day and her emails were bugging me,""Yeah, and who's fault is that? we have people for that, you don't