The Shower Read online

  SUMMARY

  Alex Aoki, a talented and aspiring artist, has had an opportunity to paint full time for the last five years thanks to the very generous patronage of Lucia DelAlessio. In exchange for accompanying Lucia to events around the world and occasionally sharing Lucia’s bed, Alex is able to focus on her art without worrying about day-to-day hassles and expenses.

  Lauren O’Brien has left the rat race of a large Manhattan law firm to live a more peaceful life in rural New York. She meets the vivacious painter Alex at the small town’s library, and it is clear that the attraction between the two extends beyond a love of books. Lauren dismisses Alex’s interest as a schoolgirl crush because of their substantial age difference, but discovers that Alex is both persuasive and persistent.

  Lauren soon learns of a bigger issue that Alex has been hiding—the rich, jet-setting patroness whose financial support comes with sexual privileges.

  While Lauren tackles her ideas of relationships and monogamy, Alex must face hard questions about what is really worth sacrificing for her painting. As they each search their souls for what is most important, they must sort out their feelings about age, passion, propriety, honesty, art, truth, and above all, love.

  the shower

  the shower

  kay bigelow

  Sapphire Books

  Salinas, california

  The Shower

  Copyright © 2019 by Kay Bigelow. All rights reserved.

  ISBN EPUB - 978-1-948232-50-0

  This is a work of fiction - names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, business, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without written permission of the publisher.

  Editor - Heather Flournoy

  Book Design - LJ Reynolds

  Cover Design - Fineline Cover Design

  Sapphire Books Publishing, LLC

  P.O. Box 8142

  Salinas, CA 93912

  www.sapphirebooks.com

  Printed in the United States of America

  First Edition – January 2019

  This and other Sapphire Books titles can be found at

  www.sapphirebooks.com

  Dedication

  As always, to RedDeer for listening to me go on and on about the people who live in my head. She’s learned to nod sagely in all the right places.

  Acknowledgments

  I would like to thank Christine Svendsen and the team at Sapphire Books for creating a supportive environment in which authors can nurse their books from concept to publication. I’d especially like to thank Heather Flournoy, my editor, for her sensitivity to my characters and who they are in my head. Her suggested changes were spot-on once again.

  Chapter One

  When Alex Aoki was twenty-four, she’d been showcased in an up-and-coming artists’ show sponsored by a number of art galleries in Manhattan, and her work had stood out amongst the group of painters being shown. It was there she’d met Lucia DelAlessio, a wealthy art collector, who had asked Alex to join her for dinner.

  Lucia was a beautiful woman, and at least twenty-five years Alex’s senior. She was slim and dressed in clothing obviously tailored for her. Her eyes were her best feature, a leonine hazel. She had a killer smile to go with her gorgeous eyes.

  After they’d eaten their meal and were enjoying a cognac, Lucia said, “You’re very talented for an artist so very young.”

  “Thank you, but I’d rather be known as a talented artist, period.”

  Lucia smiled. “You will be, Alex.”

  “I’m afraid not, Lucia. I have to find a job.”

  “No, you don’t.”

  “Oh, but I do. I have rent to pay, and I like to eat occasionally,” Alex said, smiling.

  “I have a proposition for you then, Alex.”

  What the hell? She’s propositioning me? That’s quick. “What is your proposition?”

  “I want to be your patron.”

  “What, exactly, does that mean?” Alex asked, suspecting what was coming next.

  “It means I will pay you a monthly stipend so you can create full-time without worrying about rent and food. And I will act as your agent.”

  “And what do you get in return for your money?”

  Lucia smiled. “Most artists wouldn’t ask that question.”

  “Some things are not worth the asking price.”

  “Indeed, they are not. But I hope my price won’t be too high for you to accept my help.”

  “We won’t know until you tell me.”

  “You’re right. Occasionally, I may ask you to join me at functions. I may ask you to accompany me on my travels.” Lucia paused as if trying to carefully choose the words coming next. “And I may take you to my bed.”

  There it was. What it would cost Alex to have a patron and to be able to paint full-time. Is what Lucia’s asking worth the price of being a kept woman? If it is the only way I can paint full-time, I think the price is worth it.

  “That’s a lot to take in. I need to think about your proposition,” Alex said, knowing there was really nothing she needed to think about. I’m not selling my soul to the devil. Am I? No, if I don’t like the arrangement for any reason, I can always tell her I don’t want to do this.

  “Alex, I’m leaving for Paris tomorrow morning. I need an answer before we leave the restaurant.”

  They spent the next hour talking about art and who Alex’s favorite artists were. They agreed on about three-quarters of the artists Alex named.

  At eleven, Lucia said, “It’s late. I need to be going. The evening has been interesting and informative. I enjoyed your company.”

  “Thank you. It’s not often I get to talk art with someone who is so well informed,” Alex said.

  “I need to have your answer,” Lucia said as she stood to leave the restaurant.

  “Under the conditions you stated, I agree to your terms.”

  “Come home with me, then.”

  And so it had begun.

  Being with Lucia wasn’t onerous by any means. Lucia was kind and attentive. She was careful not to make Alex feel like she was a kept woman. When Alex was asked to accompany Lucia to social events, she ensured Alex had the appropriate clothing and introduced Alex as a “talented artist” rather than a kept woman. She was also a fantastic lover, never putting her own needs before Alex’s. She never made Alex feel “less than,” regardless of the circumstances.

  In the five years Lucia had been her patron, Alex had been to France nearly two dozen times, to London a dozen times, to China and to Spain six times each, and to all the major American cities. Lucia loved Paris and owned an apartment there, so they visited often. When Lucia was busy with her work while in Paris, Alex spent her time in the Louvre and visiting art galleries. She’d spent time in all the most important art museums around the world, something Alex would never have been able to do without Lucia in her life.

  When she wasn’t required to be with Lucia, Alex spent her time in a small town outside New York City. She painted every day, but knew better than to become reclusive. She volunteered at the local library for a few hours two days a week, took long walks in one of the two parks near her studio, and spent time with her grandmother.

  While at the library on Thursday, Alex heard the buzzer sound indicating someone had entered. She stepped out of the stacks to greet whoever was there. She saw a woman she didn’t know standing just inside the door staring up at the stained glass window. The window took up nearly the entire wall that faced the street, and s
pread a kaleidoscopic mosaic on the dark wood floor in front of it. It depicted the residents of their small town reading in various venues. She studied the woman and liked what she saw. The woman was older, her steel-gray hair cut short. She was wearing a pair of beige slacks, a dark brown silk T-shirt, and a pink overshirt. Her dark brown loafers revealed a hint of bright red socks showing beneath the cuffs of her slacks. Alex was drawn to her. She tried to decide what made the woman so appealing. She had an aura of power about her, like a woman who was used to getting her way, but there was something else—something softer. Alex quickly grabbed the small notebook she carried at all times from the table behind her and began sketching the scene before her. On a separate page, she sketched the woman in detail.

  When the woman began walking farther into the library, Alex set aside her notebook and headed for the librarian’s counter. “Are you new to town?” she asked pleasantly.

  “I am, and I need a library card.”

  “What’s your address? If you live inside the town limits, a library card is free, but if you live outside town, there’s an annual charge of twelve dollars.”

  “Do you require some proof of residency, then?”

  “Something that proves you live here. It can be a utility bill, something from a known entity, like your bank, or some other document.”

  “How about a letter from an architect?”

  “If I recognize the firm, I think I can let you have a card,” Alex said.

  Alex waved at another person who had come into the library. The woman said, “Good morning, Alex.”

  She turned her attention back to the woman in front of her who said, “I have the letter with me.”

  The tap-tap of canine nails on the wooden floor alerted Alex a dog had wandered into the library. She watched the dog trying to tiptoe across the wooden floor toward the woman digging for her letter in her bag. Mary Sommers must have let her in when she entered the library a few moments earlier. When the dog got to the woman at the counter, she looked at Alex apologetically and sat down at the woman’s knee, leaning lightly against her leg. The woman reached down and patted the head of the very large, beautiful chocolate Labrador.

  When the woman handed the architect’s letter to Alex, she quickly scanned the name the letter was addressed to. “This will do,” she said, handing the envelope back. “Assuming, of course, you’re Lauren O’Brien. Can you prove you’re Lauren?”

  “Will a driver’s license work?”

  “Absolutely. If it’s a New York license.”

  Lauren removed the license from her wallet and handed it to Alex. Five minutes later, she was the proud owner of a library card.

  “Welcome to your new library. If there’s a book you want to read but don’t find it in the stacks, let me know and I can usually get it via the interlibrary loan system.”

  “Good to know,” Lauren said.

  “By the way, dogs are generally not allowed in the library.”

  “Thanks for making an exception for Serena. She’s more than a little freaked out by our move.”

  “Moving is hard on everyone. If you need help finding your way around town, I could be your guide. My name is Alex, by the way.”

  “Thanks. I may take you up on your offer, Alex.”

  “I certainly hope so.”

  Alex watched Lauren walk from the library with Serena by her side. She glanced at the information she’d put into the library’s database. She was tempted to put the information into her notebook, but knew it would be better if Lauren gave it to her.

  “Alex,” Marian, the librarian on duty, said. “Isn’t it time for you to leave?”

  Alex glanced at the clock over the entrance door. Her shift ended at noon and it was a quarter past the hour.

  “Thanks, Marian. I’ll see you next Tuesday.”

  She gathered her things, putting them into the small royal-blue messenger bag she carried with her. As she walked home, her eyes scanned the street looking for the woman. What is it about Lauren that has me so enthralled I’m trying to find her on the street? I don’t have an answer to that question. Why not?

  ****

  Earlier that day, Lauren’s morning had begun with her heart pounding like a steam locomotive trying to get started down the tracks. She’d not known where she was. She could feel the panic rising and adrenaline flooding her system with every breath she took.

  Stop! she told herself. Breathe. She took three deep breaths and let them out slowly. As she tried to calm her racing heart, she looked around the room. To her adrenaline-fueled mind, the fact the room had her furniture in it didn’t make any sense.

  As she began to understand where she was, she laughed out loud. She was in her own bedroom, in her own house, on her own property. To her right were Serena, her chocolate Lab, and Maximillian, her black cat. Serena was stretched out her full length taking up maximum space, while Max ignored the space grab and slept serenely on Lauren’s second pillow.

  The previous night had been their first night in her new home. She’d stayed an extra two days at the B&B while she unpacked her boxes. The animals were freaked out about the move, especially Max. The last time she’d moved, it had been from Hong Kong to New York City. Max had almost been shipped home in a box of sheets and towels, where he’d hidden just in case Lauren had thought she could leave him behind. She’d decided he would adapt faster if, when he was introduced to the new house, most of the stuff he was familiar with was already in place.

  She glanced guiltily toward her bedside clock as she wondered what time it was because it felt late, like she’d overslept. Only there was no clock there. I wonder if I’ll ever find it. She had no idea what time it was, but felt guilty for staying in bed as long as she had. She couldn’t remember the last time she hadn’t jumped up the moment her eyes opened in the morning.

  There were still dozens of boxes needing to be unpacked downstairs. She thought she’d downsized significantly when preparing to leave her Manhattan condo to move west of New York City to start a new life. Apparently, though, she’d been wrong about the amount of downsizing she needed to do, and had brought far more stuff than she needed.

  Thus far, she’d unpacked all the boxes holding critical things. Lindsey, her best friend of thirty-five years, told her to store the twenty-two unopened boxes in a rented storage unit. After a year, if she hadn’t opened a box, it should be donated, still unopened. Lindsey was adamant Lauren not open any of the boxes after the year was up, saying once a carton was opened, it was like Pandora’s box, and there would always be something in there she would think she needed and thus the re-cluttering process would start. I’ll leave them here for a few more days. At the end of that time, any box remaining unopened will go to the storage unit. She was pleased with herself for making a decision.

  As Lauren lay in bed obsessing about the boxes, the sound of birds singing finally penetrated her brain. She continued to listen even as she told herself she needed to get out of bed. She smiled, remembering she had absolutely no reason to get up. She had nowhere she needed to be, no appointments, and no meetings. She forced herself to remain where she was to prove she could change old, unnecessary habits.

  When she could stand it no longer, she got out of bed and took a shower. She wondered if she should go for a run, but decided she’d rather go to the nearest town and walk around. There was a method to her madness, however. She longed for a Venti from Starbucks even though she’d not seen one around. She also wanted to find the library. Although she had a card from the NYC Public Library and had never used it, she still felt the need to get a card from the local library. She needed to do some grocery shopping as well.

  After her shower and taking much too long to decide what to wear, she went downstairs to find Serena sitting by the back door waiting to go out and Max sitting on the counter waiting to be fed. When she opened the back door for Serena, the Lab took off like a shot. She got about two hundred feet into the yard and realized she didn’t know where she was going. She
skidded to a halt and looked back at Lauren, who shrugged her shoulders at the dog. Serena tried to retrieve her dignity and walked slowly to just the right spot and did her business. She took her time returning to the back porch as she stopped to smell a tree here and a bush there. At the rate Serena was meandering back to the porch, they’d both be old and gray before she got there. Well, at least Serena will be gray. I’ll be grayer.

  Back in the kitchen, Lauren chose a mocha coffee pod and started the Keurig working after deciding she couldn’t wait however long it would take to find the local Starbucks to have her first cup of coffee. While the coffee was brewing, she fed Max and Serena. With her mug of coffee in hand, she walked through the house room by room. It was just as she’d envisioned it would be while she still lived in the City.

  She ended her tour in the first-floor study with its huge window overlooking what she called her estate, which consisted of five acres including a pond. Lauren found the view soothing—the expanse of green grass dotted here and there with large trees, the names of which she didn’t know, and the long line of trees across the end of the grass—but then she found everything about her new home serene and calming. She felt like she lived in the country, but actually lived within a ten-minute walk to the outskirts of the nearest town. She sat in one of the comfortable chairs she’d brought with her and soaked up the sounds and serenity of the morning. She found the silence in this country-like setting, however, to be disconcerting. In the City, there was seldom a time when there was silence. There were always the sounds of traffic, sirens screaming and/or horns blaring somewhere within earshot, or even the occasional gunshot or raised voice.