Approaching the director, the man was
surprised that it was me that he'd be giving the painting you.
"Hello Mr. Lucas Morning told me to
give you my information?" I asked.
"Yes Miss Kinsington. These are the forms
please fill them out and sign them and you'll get your painting shortly." The
director paused "How did you convince him to finally sell it?"
"What do you mean? I didn't buy it, he
gave it to me, why?" His question took me by surprise.
"He gave it to you!" The man looked
like he had a heart attack when he heard that.
"Yes. He said I was it's rightful
owner."
"What a lunatic." The director said
throwing up his hands. "Have a nice day Miss Kinsington."
"You too." I look at Josie and say
"That was real weird."
"Right!" Broke agreed.
"Let's go this Cat Café that just
opened." Josie suggested "I heard the woman who owns it started it because of
all the stray cats the docks had."
On the way I unpack the museums events
for them in detail.
"Girl, you just have the most insane
luck of anyone I know." Josie said.
"Yeah, like poisoning a guy with my
kiss is lucky."
"Well.. you have lips to die for."
Josie said with a flat tone.
Brooke and I stop dead in our tracks
and look at Josie and then bust out laughing.
"You're going to hell you know?" I joke
with her.
"The devil is saving me a special
seat." She joked back.
Arriving at the café it was a cute
little whole in the wall joint. And it was definitely a cat café.There were
loads of cats, all over cat trees and in the windows, she had shelving that
came off the walls for the cats to jump and climb and little cubbies for
sleeping. Beds next to seats for people.
"Welcome to Catnip Café." The woman
sitting at a table inside reading a book.
"Good afternoon, what do you recommend
to drink here. We like our coffee sweet." I ask.
"Oh I know just the thing." She said.
And walks behind the counter and begins grinding expresso.
We take a seat in the corner near the
window that faced the bay. And chat things up.
The café owner comes back over to us
with our coffee.
"So I made three different ones based
off what I think you'd like." The owner said.
"This is an almond milk macchiato with chocolate
and peppermint. I call it Christmas in a cup" She says handing the drink to
Josie.
"I love mint chocolate chip!" She said
excitedly taking the drink. "Oh my god, this is the best coffee I've ever had."
"This is a simple caramel latte, but
with gram crackers on top. I call it the Teddy Gram." She said handing it to
Brooke.
She takes a sip."This is delicious,
caramel is definitely one of my favorites, thanks you." Brooke was always just
so graceful in the way she spoke.
"This is for you, its my favorite, it's
a white chocolate macchiato with sugar crystals on top, I call it Heaven on
Earth, and you'll know why when you taste it." She said handing me my drink.
"Thank you" I say taking the drink and
sipping it.
The taste was incredible, the coffee
bean was made with the perfect temperature so it didn't taste burnt like
Starbucks. It was sweet because of the white chocolate, but bitter from the
bean. It truly was Heaven on Earth.
"This really is the best coffee I've
ever tasted."
I pull out my phone and take a picture
of each of coffees, and then film the restaurant.
"My name's Naki, if you need anything
else just holler." She said before leaving.
Naki was very sexy, she had sharp
features. Her eyes a deep pine green her hair a bright platinum blonde, her
body had a great figure. Very seductive in the way she walked. She was wear
tight black leggings and a black tight black crop top and combat boots.
"I'd smash." Josie said.
"As long as it walks and has a pretty
face, you'd smash." I joked with her.
"So?" Josie laughed "I like sex,"
The air in the room shifted after Josie
said those words. I could feel the eyes of the shop owner shift over to us.
But no one but me seem to notice so I
brushed it off.
"I have to make a phone call, I'll be
back" Naki the shop owner said.
After finishing are coffee the shop
owner comes back in. "Sorry about that, how was it?" She asked coming back to
the front and cleaning up the cups.
"It was amazing thank you so much."
Brooke said handing the woman a cup.
I was distracted by this black and
white cat with orange feet.
"That's Freya. She's usually a pretty
spicy cat, funny she takes to you immediately."
Naki laughed walking over. The cat
hissed at her at first but then let Naki pet her.
"She's just a little prickly, but
prickly people aren't bad are they little Freya." I said putting my nose to
hers and she purred.
"She's purring." Now Naki was looking
at me strangely.
"You look really familiar, what's your
name?" Naki asked me.
"Me? I'm Seri."
"Seri… Is it short for something?" She
asked me.
Weird that's the second time someone
has asked me that today.
"No, my parent's say they named me
after Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes daughter Suri." I laughed.
"What a very unique name, you remind me
of someone I used to know." Naki said "Well how long are you visiting?"
"We leave tomorrow, just in town for a
private concert."
"Bad Wolves?" She asked.
"Yeah! They're my favorite band." I
said excitedly "It's my 21st birthday today."
Her eyes widened in surprise, but also
disappointment. Naki said "We'll Happy Birthday, I'll see you at the show
tonight, and I'll buy you a drink to celebrate your birthday." Bringing a smile
back to her face.
"You're going to?" I asked.
"Yeah, my dad owns the bar." Naki said.
"What! That's so cool, we'll definitely
see you there" Josie interrupted. "Let's go it's already 4:00p we still have
many things to do."
Always the most impatient person ever.
"Please stop by again before you leave
there's something I'd like to give you." Naki said with a sweet smile.
She can be pretty cute when she smiles
like that.
"For sure, I'll stop by in the morning
for coffee."
"Okay, I'll see you later tonight."
Naki finished and waved back.
Leaving we walked to the beach. The
shore line was short and their were steep cliffs and a shallow rocky grave
beneath it. Sitting in the sand next to a mountain edge was oddly relaxing.
Funny how feeling so small can be so relieving.
I watch Brooke and Josie run barefooted
splashing in the water.
I take out my phone and snap a couple
pictures.
Setting back I listen to the sound of
the waves crashing against the rocks, I close my eyes breathing the smell of
the salty air. The wind blowing my hair making it so unruly.
Looking up to the mountain. I see it. I
see my painting.
I pull out my paint markers and sketch
pad and began painting the cliff side.
I sat focused for I don't know how long
before Josie comes up and scares me.
"BAAHHHH" she grabbed my should shaking
me out of my artistic trans.
"Oh my god, Seri, that's amazing, you
painted that just now?"
My heart dropped. She saw it. I started
to shake, my heart was pounding, it was like my deepest secret had been
revealed and I'd been stripped naked in public.
I rip the picture out and crumble it
and through it.
"Why did you do that?" Josie shouted at
me.
"Because it's trash now." I was mad, I
really enjoyed that painting, it felt good painting it. Like a piece of me was
being unlocked.
"Why because I saw it?" She shouted
back sounding insulted.
"Yes, because when people see my work
and know its me, they know my secrets. I feel naked and humiliated. I can't
look at it now."
"You're ridiculous." Josie said
dismissing me. Searching for my painting.
"Don't," I yelled back anxiety
building. She can't look at it. She can't!
"No, you threw it away, you said it's
trash, well one persons trash is another person's treasure." Josie said finding
the picture in a corner stuck in a fishing net.
I get up and start to run to her. But I
was too late, she uncrumpled the paper flatting it out.
I stop dead in my tracks.
No…
Josie stares at my soul.
"Jesus fucking Christ Seri. Why don't
you show this to the world? This.. this is incredible." She was stammering.
She saw the cliff but it was purple.
She saw the sky a smear across the white. The rocks where white and grey. But
the was black with strikes on light grey defining the waves as they crash into
the rock. She managed to really make a grave yard in the water without a
tombstone.
The water seemed to move if you looked
in one place long enough. The attention to detail in the rocks and waves was
intense. There were streaks of light beaming through the sky. The sun was red
falling behind the cliff just as the one we see here.
You could see every grain of rock and
dirt that made up the cliff.
"I had no idea."
I crouch down and hold my knees just
trying to breathe.
"Why can't I see it?" Josie sounded
really hurt.
"Because you know it's me. If you
didn't know it was me that painted it, I wouldn't be like this." I said muffled
by my knees.
"It's because I feel like I've been
stripped naked for everyone to see all my secrets."
"I'm so sorry. I didn't know." Josie
started to tear up.
Brooke and her bent down to hug me.
Josie whisper softly in my ear.
"Good thing I'm to dumb to be able to
read art I can't see your soul."
We all three laughed.
I snorted which only made us laugh
harder.
"I'll never look again, even by
accident, I'll look away immediately." She said. "No one has seen your art
before?"
"No who knows it's me." I said standing
up dusting myself off.
"What do you mean by that?" She asked
raising an eyebrow leaning more on one leg crossing her arms.
"I'll come clean. I have TikTok I post
my painting on sometimes." I say "But it's under a fake name and no one knows
anything except that I'm a tall girl."
"Unbelievable." Josie said throwing up
her hands.
"I'm sorry, it's just that they can't
see my soul, and I feel like there's someone who needs to see them so I have to
post." I was feeling so guilty. "I should have told you guys."
"We love and forgive you." Brooke said
giving me a big hug.
"I forgive you by I'm still mad." Josie
said.
"I love you guys."
After the hug Brooke shoved me, so I
turned to chase her, and she ran away through the sand laughing.
"Hey, what about me?" Josie yells, I
run toward the water and grab a hand full of water and throw it in Josies
direction.
"Hey, now that's a Ethel weapon, it's
cold as fuck." She yells at me. When Brooke runs my way I take another handful
and throw it at her.
We laugh together loudly and continue
to play in the sand.
"Oh shit!" Josie says looking at her
watch "It's 6p, the show starts at 9:00pm, and it's 6:13 right now."
"What are you serious?" I ask.
"Yep, well, lets go." Josie responded,
"Grab you shit." Josie fold the picture I painted up and stuck it in her purse.
"Fuck you I'm keeping it." Josie turned
her nose up to e. Brooke and I just look to each and laugh.
Rushing back to the hotel, we run. It
didn't, matter that people stared as we past by, what matter was the fun we
were having.
Bursting through the hotel lobby and up
the staircase to our room.
"I'm showering first since I ate the
longest to do my make up." Josie said upon entering.
"Whatever."
Brooke and I pick out our clothes and
accessories we brought form our suit case and discuss my wild untamed hair.
"I want to do something fun with you
fiery hair." Brooke said as she twisted my head to the side. "Let me see you're
outfit again."
I go and fetch my outfit and bring it
over to the bed and lay it out for her to see.
"I've got it. Waves. But but with
braids that wrap around the back framing the top of you hair."
"I'm put your turn Seri." Josie said
coming out from the bathroom wrapped in the towels. "The floors are heated,
which is really freaking cool."
"Okay!" I shout and rush into the
bathroom.
In the shower the days event replay in
my head.
Lathering the the shampoo into my hair
I think about how I reacted to Josie seeing my painting. I can't believe I
freaked so badly. I feel so bad. But she knows I don't like it people see my
art. If it wasn't for the fact no one knows I'm @fallenfromthestars. You don't
know my secrets if you don't know it's me.
Rinsing the conditioner from my hair I
soap lather my hands and begin to wash my body.
What was with that guy Lucas at the art
museum? I can't believe he gave such an incredible piece of art. Why would he
give away something he worked so hard for? None of that made any sense. And he
still hasn't texted me.
Rubbing the soap over my breast, suds
resting on the tip my my nipple. Take the soap and touching all the surfaces of
my body. Rubbing my hands between my thighs, I was the sensitive space between
my legs.
Why am I still thinking about him? His
good looks. And his eyes. Eyes so deep I could get lost in them. His thick
black hair. His plump lips.
Get out of your head. Girl go get ready
you have a show.