Desperate for something to say, Arik blurted out the only thing that came to mind. “You got a new phone.”
“Just this morning,” he said, looking down at the device in his hand.
“Good, why don’t I give you my number and you can give me a call?” Arik stopped himself just shy of including the part of commissioning more art.
This primal response he had to the man had nothing to do with wanting more work. He wanted to spend time with Kellus on a completely different level.
Silence met his question before Kellus lifted his head in Arik’s direction. Since he seemed so in tune with the man, Arik judged that look to be assessing. When he didn’t answer, just continued with that intense stare, Arik backtracked and added the words he’d held back earlier. “We need to discuss the possibility of commissioning more of your works for the hotel.”
Kellus visibly relaxed. That scrutinizing intensity faded. He seemed more at ease. “Yeah. All right. I’m tied up the next few days. What about some time Friday before the gallery’s grand opening?”
Arik’s inner teenage boy got lost in the “tied up” remark, smirking at how much he’d like to tie this man up.
“How about after the opening? We could have dinner to celebrate. I’m sure it’ll be a success.”
Arik could almost hear the walls coming down around Kellus, slamming shut and being locked up tight, pushing Arik completely out. That should have been enough to make him back off, yet, something unknown drove him to want to break through.
“I’d have to check my calendar. I haven’t had time to update this phone,” Kellus replied, his expressive eyes remained down while working his phone. “Give me your assistant’s number and I can let them know. I’ll give them a few available dates for you to decide which one’s best.”
Every single thing Kellus put out to Arik made it abundantly clear he wasn’t interested in anything more than work. Arik was even to the point that whatever he thought he’d read in regards to attraction from the man, he must have gotten wrong. He just couldn’t seem to let it go. Kellus drew him in on a level he didn’t fully understand.
Honestly, this might be the first time he’d ever been in this situation. Since he had nothing to lose, except maybe a little dignity, Arik pushed in order to put himself back in Kellus’s path. “I want you to call me directly.”
Not waiting for a response, Arik spouted out his number, and Kellus hesitated, his thumbs coming to a stop for a full second before they began to enter his number into the phone.
“All right,” Kellus started but had to clear his throat to continue. “I believe next week would be the best for me.”
“That’s my personal number. Call me anytime. I usually have my phone close by.” That earned him another moment of silence with Kellus staring down at his phone. “Better yet, text me now so I can make sure I have your number in my phone.”
The door chime sounded again, but Arik ignored the interruption until Gregory’s unmistakably irritated voice sounded. “Layne, we need you. The talent will only speak with you.”
Arik cringed at the words, looking back over his shoulder to see an extremely angry Gregory glowering in his direction. “Give me just a minute, please.”
Arik turned back to Kellus, surprised to find him gone already. He turned in a full circle, looked every direction, and didn’t see him anywhere. That was the second time Kellus had slipped away from him—would have been the third if he hadn’t stopped him at the door last night. His eyes narrowed as he contemplated the disappearing Kellus Hardin. That little trick needed to end; he didn’t like it at all and fought the urge to go after him. He couldn’t have gotten far.
With a sense of loss, Arik forced himself to turn back to Gregory and start in his direction. As he passed by Sara, she handed Arik the torn check—or more precisely, the section that had Kellus’s address and telephone number. He immediately stuffed it in his suit jacket. Sara needed a bonus too. She was clearly on her A-game.
Chapter 8
Kellus shrugged on his suit jacket, then reached up to straighten his open collar as he walked to the full-length mirror mounted to his closet door. With a critical eye, he looked up and down his clothing, making sure everything lay just right. From head to toe, everything from the slim-cut trousers to the designer shirt the sales associate had picked out for him was brand new. He still wasn’t certain how he felt about the formfitting slacks. His height alone made him question that choice, but she’d assured him that he looked striking and would be the hit of the evening. Kellus then turned his ass toward the mirror and looked over his shoulder.