Chapter 85
Caterina
The hum of music filtered through the gallery, hints of expensive perfume and leather mingling together.
Laughter and chatter mingled together as I took Harlow’s hand and walked through the museum.
This was her night. A year ago, I never would have stepped foot in an art museum or even considered purchasing art, but I had a plan to purchase her spiciest piece and her most powerful piece.
Harlow looked stunning in scarlet. I might be biased because she was my wife and because red was my favorite color.
Harlow chose a floor length A-line, lace chiffon dress with one shoulder, but the one sleeve was a long, flowy flutter sleeve.
She looked exquisite. I, on the other hand, opted for black pants, a white button up with gold suspenders, and a matching tie. Harlow was the star of this show.
Harlow looked scared standing in the corner with Mallory and her wife.
She still wasn’t the biggest fan of crowds or the attention on her, but this was all for her.
Her art deserved to be recognized, and even if she didn’t want to keep anything in a museum, the auction tonight would help survivors of assault and sex trafficking.
I took her hand and pulled her into me. “Are we just going to stand here?”
“I was waiting for you. I think I want to see what people are saying, even if I am terrified.”
Mallory grasped her shoulder. “Harlow, people are in love with your work. I wouldn’t be surprised if you had inquiries out the wazoo by the time we left here.”
“Thank you for being here.”
“We wouldn’t miss it. Now we need to go get a canvas to hang in our home. We’ll see you later.”
Mallory was right. Walking around the museum, people were whispering about her artwork.
I knew they would. Harlow was beaming from ear-to-ear when she overheard art critics talk about her work, but they used words I didn’t understand, but I could make an educated guess.
It was foreign to me when they were talking about the contrast of colors, chiaroscuro, and other artistic terms, but I assumed magnificent and awe-inspiring meant they loved her work.
One of my favorite pieces she did was acrylic on canvas with a woman sprouting flowers while gazing at the moon.
There were shadows, vivid colors, and healing on the canvas which made my heart happy seeing it.
I interpreted it as Harlow embracing the darkness of her trauma and slowly blooming into the woman she is.
Several of the viewers stopped Harlow to talk to her about her art and she beamed.
She was in her element. I knew she would be terrified, but she was telling people parts of her story without going into the nitty gritty of it.
Watching her blossom was everything and more.
I loved seeing the woman she was becoming, and I was falling in love with her more and more every day.
This was the life we were meant to have, the life she was meant to have, and I was glad I could be a part of it, along with her mother, grandmother, and our daughter.
Vincenzo thought he would destroy us, but he made us stronger.
He was a fucking bastard for what he did regardless, but now he was nothing, not even a memory.
Even if we had other enemies descend from the woodwork, we could handle them.
No one compared to Vincenzo, and now I had allies I could use to aid if anything happened to protect my family.
Serenity ran up to me as Gemma walked to the stage.
I grabbed her and held her on my hip as we listened to her.
“Thank you for being here, everyone, bidding is already starting on the pieces in the main lobby. There is eighteen plus artwork in the back room that is magnificent, if I might say so myself.”
I grabbed Harlow’s hand. “Now for the woman of the hour, Harlow Moretti.” The room erupted in applause as a spotlight hit us.
“Her work is a story of survival and healing. Every donation and bid will be given to various charities which help women and survivors. If you have questions, please reach out. Otherwise, enjoy the night!”
Her artwork sold out in under ten minutes, and I had nothing to do with it.
I told her she was talented and people would love her work, but she was scared of her story being shared.
When I saw her artwork, I saw a strong warrior rising from the ashes of her pain and embracing her scars while learning to love herself but also let another love her.
Call me smug, but I was glad the person she got to love and who inspired her intimate pieces was me and not some other person.
I kissed Serenity as I handed her to my father. We would pick her up in the morning from his house and go to breakfast. Now I was going to introduce my wife to one of my closest friends.
When Mario wasn’t traveling, he was an exceptional chef.
He worked on opening his own restaurant for years, and he finally did it.
He had one of his friends deal with the business side of things, but it was a high-class dining experience with an amazing view.
When we were in college, he always talked about having his own restaurant, and now he had it.
“Who is this friend we are meeting?” I knew she would have questions, and I would answer everything she needed to feel comfortable.
“He has been a friend for years. I went to college with him. We went to bars together to find pointless hookups. I helped him find women because he sucked at flirting.”
“So you were his wing woman?”
“Yep, and my father loves him. He is family. The brother I never had and the son my father wanted, but he won’t take over the family business.”
“Did you two?” I knew what her question was. Everyone had the same question when we met, but I knew hers was innocent and a genuine question.
“No. Sometimes I think he wanted something more, but he respected my sexuality. I knew when I was young that I liked women. If my dad was like other men in this life, he might’ve killed me, but thankfully my dad didn’t care.”
“My mom was the same way. Without her, I never would have embraced myself.”
“Parents should know that their children have their own lives. Yeah, they brought them into the world, but children form their own beliefs and values. A parent should accept that.”
Harlow wrapped her arms around my neck. “You’re an amazing mama, you know that?”
“And so are you, my love.” She pressed her lips to mine in a soft kiss before pulling away. I wanted to grab her and deepen the kiss, but I restrained myself. “You make life feel like a fairytale.”
“Because my queen deserves the absolute best.”
“You are such a sap, but I love it. We can get ready to go to the restaurant. I can’t wait to meet your friend.”
When we walked into the restaurant, I pulled us upstairs to the private lounge where Mario had a special dining experience for us. He wanted to make sure Harlow and I were properly taken care of. He wanted to meet Harlow without anyone else interrupting him.
I pulled Harlow’s chair out, and pushed her into the table, kissing her temple.
Mario was in the back, so I decided to find him before he met Harlow.
When he spotted me, he grinned widely and extended his arms. He had gained muscle since the last time I saw him.
He used to be the human version of a toothpick in high school. Puberty finally hit him years later.
“What’s cooking, good looking?” Our flirting was innocent and he knew it, too, but sometimes it made people question our relationship.
It seemed impossible for a man and woman to be friends without someone believing they were sleeping together.
God forbid a lesbian was friends with a man and they flirted with each other.
“Cat, as I live and breathe.” He pulled me into a tight bear hug. “You know, married life looks good on you. You don’t look as bitchy.”
I rolled my eyes. “Yeah? Maybe you should get laid then. Might help those wrinkles.”
Mario never talked about his sex life. Yes, I would help him in college, but after that I never saw him with a girlfriend and he was still single.
There was nothing wrong with it, but Mario always talked about family and marriage.
After we did our bar hopping in college and went our separate ways in life, we stayed in touch, but this would be the first time in years that we would actually sit down and talk.
Hell, he might have a girlfriend or even a boyfriend for all I knew.
“Touché.” He laughed. “You know I have my life in this restaurant, so women are on the back burner. What about you Ms. I’m Never Getting Married?”
I smiled, enjoying the memory of falling in love. It felt magical and right. Loving her was fast and intense, but it was everything I needed in life. “Well, I fell in love. It was unexpected, but I couldn’t deny it. I think it’s time for you to meet my wife.”
We walked out into the dining area. Harlow looked at me before looking at Mario, but then her entire demeanor changed and I heard Mario mutter ‘shit’ under his breath. He met my wife before, and by the way Harlow reacted by seeing his face, she didn’t have to tell me how…